At Their Best
People with ESTP preferences are energetic, active problem solvers, responding creatively to challenging situations in their environment. They seldom let rules or standard procedures interfere, finding new ways to use existing systems. They develop easy methods to do difficult things and make their work fun. They are flexible, adaptable, inventive, and resourceful, can pull conflicting factions together, and are good team members. 

They are popular companions for activities (parties, sports, or work) because of their zest for life and their enjoyment of the moment. 

ESTPs can be considered the Logical Responders. They use Extraverted Sensing (Se) as their core approach to work and living. ESTPs usually take a practical approach and are interested in taking immediate action. They tend to be observant and are often interested in solving problems and trying new things. 

Logical Responders thrive in situations where they have variety and flexibility. They want to experience and enjoy the moment. If you are a Logical Responder, you are likely at your best when you are actively responding and interacting with the environment around you. Logical Responders tend to trust and use a decision making process that evaluates options based on impersonal, logical, analysis. This decision making approach provides direction and ensures the ESTP doesn’t get distracted by whatever is most interesting right now. Others usually won’t see this secondary process as the evaluation and prioritizing of options tends to happen internally. You will see this approach indirectly when the ESTP acts on what seems most logical to do next.

Characteristics of ESTPs
ESTPs are interested in everything going around them – activities, food, clothes, people, the outdoors, and everything that offers new experiences. Because they learn more from doing than from studying or reading, they tend to plunge into things, learning as they go, trusting their ability to respond resourcefully. ESTPs are likely to be:
  • Observant 
  • Practical and realistic
  • Active, involved in immediate experience 

ESTPs make decisions by logical analysis and reasoning and can be tough when the situation calls for toughness. They usually are:
  • Analytical, rational problem solvers
  • Straightforward and assertive 

ESTPs are expert at seeing the needs of the moment and reacting quickly to meet them. For the most part, they prefer to deal flexibly with what is, rather than make judgments. The good-naturedly take things as they are and seek satisfying solutions, rather than imposing a “should” or “must” of their own. 

ESTPs are typically REALISTIC ADAPTERS in the world of material things; good-natured, easygoing; oriented to practical, firsthand experience; highly observant of details of things. Having Extraverted Sensing as their strongest mental process, they are at their best when free to act on impulses, or responding to concrete problems that need solving.

They typically value:
  • A life of outward, playful action in the moment
  • Being a troubleshooter
  • Finding ways to use the existing system
  • Clear, concrete, exact facts
  • Knowing the way mechanical things work
  • Being direct, to the point
  • Learning through spontaneous, hands-on action
  • Practical action, more than words
  • Plunging into new adventures
  • Responding to practical needs as they arise
  • Seeing the expedient thing and acting on it
  • Pursuing immediately useful skills
  • Finding fun in their work and sparking others to have fun
  • Looking for efficient, least-effort solutions
  • Being caught up in enthusiasms

How Others May See Them
ESTPs are strong in the art of living. They love life and immerse themselves in it; others respond to their enthusiasm and good humor. ESTPs are people of action. They usually dislike and avoid theory and written directions. Traditional school can be difficult for people with these preferences, though ESTPs do well when they see the relevance and are allowed to experiment.

Others usually see ESTPs as:
  • Gregarious, fun-loving, and spontaneous
  • Adventurous risk takers 
  • Pragmatic troubleshooters 

Potential Areas for Growth 
Sometimes life circumstances have not supported ESTPs in the development and expression of their Thinking and Sensing preferences. 

  • If they have not developed their Thinking, ESTPs will not have a useful way of selecting amongst the barrage of incoming sensory data. They may then have difficulty setting priorities or may make ill-founded decisions.
  • If they have not developed their Sensing, they may focus on the Sensing data that are immediately available. Their decisions may then be limited to gratification of their sensual desires, particularly those involving physical challenge and risk.

If ESTPs do not find a place where they can use their gifts and be appreciated for their contributions, they usually feel frustrated and may:
  • Have trouble accepting structure and meeting deadlines 
  • Focus entirely on excitement and activity, getting caught up in external activities 
  • Put enjoying life ahead of important obligations

It is natural for ESTPs to give less attention to their non-preferred Intuitive and Feeling parts. If they neglect these too much, however, they:
  • May not see the wider ramifications of their actions and decisions 
  • May forget dates and events that have special meaning to others 
  • May be unaware of the impact of their actions on others
  • May be impatient with discussion or exploration of relationships

Under Great Stress 
Under great stress, ESTPs may have negative fantasies. They may imagine that others do not really care about them, then marshal and distort their Sensing data to provide themselves with “evidence” of this neglect. 

Sources
Introduction to Type, Sixth Edition developed by Isabel Briggs Myers

MMTIC®Murphy-Meisgeier Type Indicator for Children developed by Charles Martin, Elizabeth Murphy, and Betsy Styron

Donna Dunning’s terrific blog