Why Taylor Swift Is Actually An ESFP
Okay, okay, lower the torches and daggers, and hear me out. I am well aware that Taylor Swift has notoriously been typed as an ESFJ personality type. She has 2000+ votes on Personality Database (Pdb) for ESFJ and she's also been typed as an ESFJ on 16personalities.com. I once believed this to be true, but as we've reached the end of the TTPD era, my perspective has changed. The Tortured Poets Department album is her most vulnerable, unfiltered, raw, work yet, bringing new insight into her inner world and her worldview. As we watched her move through life, from 1989 to TTPD, patterns have been repeated, her way of life has changed, and lyrical narratives have changed.
Taylor Swift: A Brand
I think the qualities we associate with her being an ESFJ personality type, is a part of her persona, branded for Swift (the artist), rather than her true nature and preferences for engaging with the world. In fact, I think the criticisms she’s faced throughout her career, are often, a direct result of when she behaves in ways that are, in contrast, with her own brand. Anyone who has been following Taylor Swift’s career, knows that her image has been carefully crafted. What is the brand you may ask? From her Self Titled era to the Red era, she was perceived as the small town, relatable, girl next door, who yearns for recognition, significance, and a forever love. Most storybook and television characters that fall into the girl next door trope, are SJ/FJ types. Now ask yourself, what is her brand now? Two things that have stuck with her branding is being relatable and being on a quest for true love. Despite writing about this, she lives a life that is in conflict with this. In the TCU (Taylor Swift Cinematic Universe), we've come to learn that Taylor Swift is often, her own barrier to finding a life partner, as she finds herself in relationships that have no grounds in longevity. This is very consistent with the way Explorer types move through life.
The 4 Temperaments
Catalysts (Diplomats): These are the NF types whose core needs are self realization, integrity, and meaning.
Stabilizers (Sentinels): These are the SJ types whose core needs are stability, duty, and belonging.
Theorists (Analysts): These are the NT types whose core needs are knowledge, mastery, and discipline.
Improvisers (Explorers): These are the SP types whose core needs are freedom and impact.
Taylor Swift has always expressed a deep desire for freedom and impact in her life. She writes about her fears of losing her relevance as an artist. She writes about constantly feeling trapped in relationships, long term media narratives, and reoccurring challenges due to her own actions. She also writes about her frustrations with having to constantly accommodate for purposes of appeasing public opinion or having to measure up to the expectations of always bouncing back. In one of her biggest hit songs addressing the haters, she states that “she makes up the moves as she goes” and “that’s what they don’t know”. An anthem of “shaking it off.” She also discusses in a recent Times interview that her time away from retreating from the spotlight after the Rep era was one of her biggest regrets because time was wasted on enjoying life and exploring things. It goes against her nature to isolate and stabilize, as she feels the most free and herself in the spotlight, dazzling and being bejeweled. This could be said why she and former partner Alwyn did not work out. He is described to be more of a stabilizing influence which was attractive to her at the time but not a match for her long term.
Taylor Swift's Dominant Function
ESFJs lead with Fe.
Extroverted Feeling - all about appealing to the group and prioritizing group harmony. At its best, it is supportive and uniting. At its worst, it’s intrusive and inauthentic.
ESFPs lead with Se.
Extroverted Sensing - all about the here and now experiences, whether it be socializing or sensationalizing. At its best, it is entertaining and uplifting. At its worst, overindulgent and hyperactive.
False Perception of Extroverted Feeling
Taylor has been believed to be a dominant Fe user because of her amazing ability to emote in her songwriting, providing the listener an opportunity for emotional processing and parasocial human connection. How does she do this if she is not a Fe user? She uses her dominant Se. Taylor demonstrates a true zest for life. She is excitable and joyful about all things, even if she has experienced it before. In her personal life, she is often strutting the streets in high fashion outfits, exploring the city with her famous friends, hosting large social gatherings at her various homes, and attending lavish parties. In her work life, she is always plotting, planning, and scheming. She is a doer, working hard to pursue her career goals at the young age of 9. She sings and dances like no one is watching at award shows. She isn't one to stick with routine or tradition (Si), moving on from one thing to the next (creative reinvention). She tends to have passionate, short-term relationships over long-term ones. In songs about her 6 year relationship, she narrated how she struggled with feeling satisfied with a calm and quiet life, as she loves the lifestyle that comes with being famous. Taylor loves the honeymoon phases of relationships. Taylor moves through life freely, without restraint, immersing herself in her experiences. She is very inspired by her experiences, which translates in her music. Her musical reinventions have also been inspired by her own life shifts (eras).
Taylor Swift's Auxiliary Function
ESFJs secondary function is Si.
Introverted Sensing- prioritizes comparing and contrasting the present with the past in order to decide and experience things. At its best, it is steadfast and careful. At its worst, it is stubborn and regressive.
ESFPs secondary function is Fi.
Introverted Feeling- prioritizes acting in line with own personal values to pursue harmony with others. At its best, it is nurturing and idealistic. At its worst, it is hypersensitive and melancholic.
False Perception of Introverted Sensing
Taylor has always been honest in her songwriting, and she uses music as a means to process her feelings. Self reflection is a direct result of when she experiences pain and hurt, driving her towards a path of enlightenment. Notice how her albums tend to follow a pattern of excitement, wonder, pain, grief, to enlightenment. Her recall of past events is often narrated when reflecting on past mistakes in an act of self-criticism. In her more recent albums, we hear her often contradict herself in her songwriting, reframing old narratives with new ones, being swept up in the lavender haze (Se).
Continued evidence of Introverted Feeling
She has described herself as a “pathological people pleaser” in her songwriting. In her 2020 documentary, Miss Americana, she discusses a past inner conflict with herself from wanting to be perceived as "good" by others. She discusses how earlier on in her career she lived for the external validation that comes with being told she is doing a good job. Taylor was also very influenced by her team at the time, who heavily moderated her, not allowing her to express her own personal beliefs and values. Taylor’s persona was clearly intended to present as a polished, conservative, good girl from the Fearless era to her Red era. She would share how she doesn’t drink or do drugs in interviews. She dressed very modestly, refrained from cursing or writing about lust. If you play close attention to those earlier years, the true nature of Taylor Swift comes out, in moments where she would be unfiltered, publicly calling out ex-boyfriends, on national television and directly naming them in her songs. Her responses to backlash and criticism has never been to submit, but to rebel. What I think is important is less about her desire for external validation but more about her responses to rejection. Per understanding of the ESFJ, being a Fe user, they would submit and align themselves with the group or cultural norm. Taylor has reinvented herself over and over again, in sound and aesthetic (Se), even at the discouragement of her team. She later became vocal about her political views and advocated for her beliefs. She also has advocated for artists rights for proper compensation during the streaming era and for reduced record label exploitations per experience with losing her masters. All very introverted feeling moves.
Taylor Swift's Tertiary Function
ESFJs use Ne.
Extroverted Intuition- prioritizes focusing on possibilities. At its best, it is open minded and inventive. At its worst, it is indecisive and impractical.
ESFPs use Te.
Extraverted Thinking-prioritizes achieving goals and consistency in external environments. At its best, it is confident and organized. At its worst, it is cold and judgmental.
Evidence of Extraverted Thinking
Taylor Swift's mastermind ability is directly related to her Te function. She is very aware of thoughts and beliefs of the collective, keenly planning and scheming ways to maintain her success and outdo her previous accomplishments.
Taylor Swift's Inferior Function
ESFJs use Ti.
Introverted Thinking- Prioritizes analytic thought and logical thinking. At its best it is, informative and reliable. At its worst, it is negative and impersonal.
ESFPs use Ni.
Introverted Intuition- Prioritizes depth in understanding. At its best, it is insightful. At its worst, it is unrealistic and overly subjective.
Evidence of Introverted Intuition
Taylor insightfulness shines through in her self-reflection from learning life lessons. However, the lessons do not stick with her as she tends to repeat the same patterns. Taylor, herself, has written about this flaw, stating that she "makes the same mistakes every time" and "has this thing where she gets older but never wiser".
