Turns out ENFP Stands For ‘Excessively Napoleon-Flavored Peacock’: Understanding Joachim Murat Through Typology
“Ugghhhhh, what’s all this about MBTIs and Enneagrams and tritypes??? It all looks like a goddamn chemistry equation!”
is what I probably hear you saying. But, dear sweet reader, who are we if not in constant pursuit of cramming ourselves into labels and boxes — so other people in labels and boxes can tell at a glance if they like us or not?
And before you say, “Ouuu, Joachim, didn’t you spoil it?? In the title?? You’re saying he’s an ENFP, right??” NO!!!!!! I DIDN’T!!! That’s MY MBTI, and he can have his own — which he will, once I start my explanation!!
coughcough acghhaghh clears throat coughs and adjusts glasses
If we are to approach Joachim Murat through the lens of personality typology — then we must resist the two laziest caricatures:
The mindless peacock.
The reckless himbo on a horse.
Murat was neither stupid nor merely flamboyant. He was kinetic. And kinetic personalities are often misread by static historians.
So what was he?
ESFP (“The Conqueror Performer”)
Not the meme ESFP, nor the “party bro” ESFP: But the high-stakes, battlefield-embodied Se-dominant ESFP!!
Ahh, there’s your answer, everybody go home now.. BUT I WILL KEEP TALKING!!!
I. Dominant Se: The Man Who Lived in the Immediate Present
Everything about Murat screams dominant Extraverted Sensing, in my opinion; Se-doms are not planners, they are responders!! They operate in the now — and they trust their reflexes over abstractions.
Murat seemed to have less of a penchant to conceptualize war than to.. hand gestures. ride into it.
It is EXTREMELY obvious that, under Napoleon Bonaparte, Murat repeatedly distinguished himself not through strategy writing or logistical planning, but instead through physical immediacy (I mean their first meeting was Murat champing at the bit to help Bonaparte out for gods sake.) He led charges personally and he reacted faster than others could think.
Boy had an environmental immersion to him that is pretty prominent; Murat’s brilliance lay in his ability to read terrain, morale, and movement in real time. Cavalry command often requires split-second spatial processing. cause you can't really. theorize on horseback; you have to sense.
Contrast him with some of the others whose clear strengths lay in strategic foresight and abstract war architecture, and you start to see why our boy has himself a bit of extraverted sensing.
II. Auxiliary Fi: The Emotional Sovereign
Here is where, I believe, some people get Murat wrong, because naturally it should be logical to assume Extraverted Feeling (Fe) because he was theatrical: But Murat’s emotional life was not group-oriented!! It was personal, internal, pride-driven, and thaaaaaat is Introverted Feeling (Fi).
His loyalty to Napoleon was more. devotional. than bureaucratic; Murat attached intensely to individuals and not institutions.
Even when he later betrayed Napoleon in 1814 to secure his Neapolitan throne, it did not come from cold Te opportunism. It came from a deeply personal fear of losing identity and sovereignty, and Fi under threat becomes self-preserving.
Fi also explains his sensitivity to honor: Murat’s reactions to perceived slights were visceral. His kingship of Naples was not merely political but also, in a way, existential!! He needed to be a king — not for structure, but for self-concept: ESFPs often build identity through lived experience, and Murat clearly built his through spectacle and bravery.
III. Tertiary Te: Competent, But Not Systemic
Murat was not incompetent administratively — and frankly this is an unfair simplification. As King of Naples, he implemented reforms, reorganized the army, and attempted modernization. But his governance lacked long-term structural coherence.
Why?
Because Te was not dominant!! Te here meaning. Extraverted Thinking.
He could execute orders, and he could manage operations, but he did not naturally think in systems..
Where Napoleon might have optimized, Murat embodied, and this difference becomes fatal during the collapse of the Empire: When forced to operate without Napoleon’s framework, Murat’s decision-making grew inconsistent and reactive. He did not lack intelligence so much as he lacked strategic detachment.
And I knoowww how this entire section soundss… “Ahh, you said he’s not stupid — but here you are!! Saying!! Essentially!! His THINKING wasn’t DOMINANT!!”
Okay, OKAY, YES, I KNOW!! Just bare with me, man!! Don’t act like you haven’t ever been like, “Mmm, yeah, this would be so cool,” and then realized afterward that hey, maybe that wasn’t so smart. It’s not like he couldn’t think — he just couldn’t THINK think. Think thinking is a lot harder than it looks, y’know.
IV. Inferior Ni: The Tragic Blind Spot
If Se (Sensing) is immersion in the present, Ni (Intuition) is foresight. And. As we know.. Murat’s life ends as essentially a case study in inferior Ni collapse.
His 1815 return to Italy — the desperate gamble after Napoleon’s exile to Elba — reveals a man unable to correctly project future consequences. He mistook nationalist sentiment for immediate support, he miscalculated Austria, and he overestimated his own charisma and standing with the people.
Inferior Ni often manifests as:
Grand symbolic thinking under stress.
Overconfidence in a singular “vision.”
Failure to see long-term inevitabilities.
His final stand in Calabria — the one where he’s all. dramatic, doomed, and the whole thing is almost operatic — all reads more like Se-Fi conviction overriding foresight. Basically the point I'm getting at is that his DUMBASS died believing.
And now that I’ve run out of things to say about the MBTI, you’re probably sighing in relief… “Thank God this idiot is done talking.” BUT ALAS!! I’m NOT!!! In fact, I still have to talk about the man’s ENNEAGRAM and TRITYPE!!
Awwhh, you thought I was gonna leave it at that? How sweet… nooo, I have to, I’m sorry. If I made this into multiple posts, nobody would read that shit ❤️
Which Enneagram Type Charges Into Battle With Feathers Flying? Let’s Find Out!
okay. VERY quick TL;DR of Enneagrams:
Give It Up For The Three Contenders!!!
People usually argue one of three:
Type 7 (The Enthusiast)
Type 3 (The Achiever)
Type 8 (The Challenger)
Only one truly holds up under stress-pattern scrutiny!! Let’s see!!!
Why He Is NOT a Core 7
At first glance, he looks 7-ish:
Sensation-seeking
Loves spectacle
Avoids pain
Moves fast
But 7s flee limitation. And. Personally. I’d argue Murat did not flee!!
7s avoid confinement and emotional heaviness, and Murat did not distract from humiliation — innnsteaaddd, showing me just how relatable as he is, he obsessed over it: His resentment over the Treaty of Bayonne language (“king only by virtue of Caroline”) festered.
A 7 shrugs and moves on, but our dear Murat internalized and stewed. Also: 7s do not usually stake everything on a single identity, they pivot!! And. Well. Murat never pivoted, he doubled down.
Why He Is NOT a Core 3
Now. I will admit. This one is verrryy tempting!!
He cared about image, and he liked titles. PLUS. He looooved recognition.
But 3s optimize for success, and they adapt persona to maintain status.
Methinks. Murat did not adapt well under political pressure.
When Napoleon’s empire destabilized, a core 3 would have recalibrated alliances cleanly and pragmatically.. But our pooooorrr sweet Murat panicked.
His 1814 defection to Austria was not smooth opportunism — it was anxious grasping to preserve his throne. And in 1815 he destroyed that security by impulsively trying to become a nationalist Italian king: I think having a reactive, volatile ego-defense is more telling than anything a 3 could offer.
The Most Coherent Fit: Type 8
More specifically:
8w7 — The Conqueror
Let’s break it down!!
One of Murat’s biggest strains in Naples was the implication that he ruled only through his wife, a Bonaparte. The idea that he was secondary.. Derivative... Replaceable.. Hot-swappable.
And, wouldn't you know it?? 8s are hypersensitive to being diminished: And his paranoia about Caroline edging him out is pretty much classic 8 sovereignty anxiety if yew think about it..
Core Desire: Autonomy + Strength
Like I said before!! Like I. KEEP SAYING !!! Murat needed to be sovereign at an almost existential level. His drive toward kingship was a bit of an identity armor, when Napoleon exiled to Elba and the imperial structure fractured, Murat did not cling to loyalty as a 6 might, he instead moved to secure power.
Because 8s believe something like if I do not protect myself, I will be crushed
Stress and Security Lines
Under stress, 8s disintegrate toward 5, and what did Murat do in crisis?
Grew suspicious
Withdrew into paranoia
Accused Caroline of betrayal
Became preoccupied with hidden plots
That is 8 → 5 defensive isolation, and in contrast — in security, 8s move toward 2.
Look at his letters to Caroline in 1810!! They are tender and protective... Emotional and soft... awhh.. my favorite grown mannn.. Healthy 8s become openly affectionate when they feel secure, and Murat absolutely did!!
The 7 Wing
Why 7-wing instead of 9-wing?
Because Murat, AS ESTABLISHED!!! Was kinetic.
Loved risk
Loved movement
Loved flam-buoyancy
Hated stagnation
An 8w9 would be steadier, more grounded, and much more internally controlled, but. famously. Murat was verrryyy combustible.
The 7-wing gives him:
Flash
Impulsivity
Theatricality
Overconfidence
which, not to toot my own analytical horn, explains the doomed 1815 Italian gamble perfectly.
Sexual (One-to-One) Subtype
Now I believe Murat was not a social reformer 8. and he was. DEFINETELY. not a bureaucratic 8.
AND HOLD YOUR HORSES!! For Context. “Sexual” doesn’t mean sexual here — though we all know our dear Murat was a bit of a sex pest. In my humble opinion, they really should’ve named it “romantic,” because that’s how the typing comes across most of the time. But hey… they got there first, I guess.
You know what he was, though?? He was intensely relational. INTENSELY.. His loyalty to Napoleon Bonaparte was personal. His conflict with Caroline was personal. His pride was personal.
Sexual 8s fuse with individuals and they defend territory of relationship: imo, it describes him far more and far better than simple social dominance.
Final Enneagram Typing
Joachim Murat: 8w7 sx/so (likely)
Dominant instinct: sexual (intensity, fusion, pride)
Secondary: social (status, court presence)
Blind spot: self-preservation (reckless risk)
“BUT JOACHIM!!! THE CHUMPS OVER ON PDB SAY HE’S A 7w8!!!” Well, guess what, buster — I’VE GOT SOMETHING FOR YOU, TOO!!!
Why 7w8 Is So Tempting
On the surface, Murat looks textbook 7w8:
Thrill-seeking cavalry charges
Extravagant dress
Womanizing
Loves spectacle
Hates stagnation
High physical energy
And I can give credit where credit is due, that’s all very Se + 7-coded, and the 8-wing accounts for his aggression and dominance!!
So aesthetically? Sure. It tracks!!!
But Enneagram is not about behavior, it’s about core fear and stress pattern, and THAT, my compatriots, that’s where the distinction matters.
The Core Fear Test
Type 7 Core Fear:
Being trapped in pain, deprivation, or limitation. 7s avoid psychological pain by reframing or escaping.
Type 8 Core Fear:
Being controlled, humiliated, or made powerless; as 8s confront threats head-on and harden.
Now look at Murat’s life. What destabilized him most?
Not boredom, not restriction, and not lack of stimulation, but as it stood — It was humiliation and a threat to his sovereignty.
FOR EXAMPLE!! The Treaty of Bayonne phrasing (that he was king only through Caroline) gnawed at him, clearly that's more of a ego-injury around power and not around freedom.
A 7 would focus on lost opportunity, but Murat focused on wounded authority.
Like. Okay. I know I'm not the BEST at explaining things but. Case in point: A 7w8 would see a "King in name only" status as a golden ticket — aallll the perks, the outfits, and the palace, with none of the heavy administrative burden: They’d say, "I'm rich, I'm famous, let's party!!!"
Meanwhile, to an 8, being a "puppet" is a fate worse than death. Do you SEE what I'm gettin' at ???
His 1814–1815 Breakdown
When Napoleon abdicated and went to Elba, methinks a 7-core response would likely be:
Pivot
Reframe
Align with whatever keeps options open
Stay adaptable
Murat instead, and let's go through the list here:
Defected to Austria out of throne-preservation anxiety
Then impulsively reversed course in 1815
Gambled everything on becoming a nationalist Italian king
Rode directly into near-certain defeat
So if 7s survive by staying mobile, 8s survive by seizing power: And WHAT do we see with Murat?? Hmmmm??? Yeah that's what I thought..
Stress Lines Matter More Than Surface Traits
7 under stress → moves to 1, so they would become rigid, critical, and moralizing. But we never actually see Murat becoming rigidly principled or perfectionistic.
8 under stress → moves to 5, in which they become suspicious, withdrawn, paranoid.
What do we see? Well off the bat, anxiety about being undermined and an obsessive worry about being superseded. SO CASE IN POINT!!!! 8 → 5
I Don't Know What To Title This Portion
I’d also say that there is a subtle but crucial difference in the way that 7w8 energy feels expansive while 8w7 energy feels forceful.
7w8 seemingly has a more. “I will outrun defeat.” while the 8w7 might think something more like “I will overpower defeat.”
Murat, AS ESTABLISHED!! Did not outrun anything, but instead charged at it; and even his final execution — refusing blindfold and commanding the firing squad is less like an escapist bravado and reads more like. his attempt to keep his dominance maintained until the last second.
Where I Do Agree With 7w8
He absolutely has strong 7-wing qualities:
Sensory indulgence
Risk appetite
Love of excitement
Impulsivity
But ahem ahem. wing ≠ core. And If he were 7-core, humiliation would sting less than confinement, but againnn, Murat has to be sooo relatable and consider humiliation at an existential level.
So.. Do I Reject 7w8 Entirely?
No!! Actually!!! I think 7w8 is defensible if someone focuses mainly on his cavalry recklessness, his flamboyance, or his pleasure-seeking.. But I think it collapses under analysis of his own rigidity surrounding his identity and the paranoia that plagued him most of his life
My Final Position
MBTI: ESFP — yes, I agree with that consensus.
Enneagram: 8w7 over 7w8 Specifically sx-dominant 8.
But I respect why 7w8 is popular!! It’s not a ridiculous typing — it’s just a very convincing surface-level to me.
Oughhggh, okay, now this post is uber-long — even for me — and I’ve basically just been restating what people have already said on PDB, so… let’s make this one quick, yeah?? (Especially since the below section is being written like 4 days after everything above it)
What Is a Tritype?
In Enneagram theory, your tritype is the combination of one type from each center of intelligence (so basically like the enneagram from earlier but, one more):
Gut (8–9–1) → how you deal with control, anger, autonomy
Heart (2–3–4) → how you construct identity and seek recognition
Head (5–6–7) → how you handle fear and uncertainty
Your core type leads, but the other two shape your coping style and “flavor.” So instead of being just an 8, someone might be an 8-3-7, meaning:
8 is their primary drive (power/autonomy)
3 shapes their image strategy
7 shapes their mental defense
Now let’s apply that to Joachim Murat!!
Murat’s Likely Tritype: 8–3–7 (The Assertive Conqueror)
I have seen it called the “Mover-Shaker” archetype — fittingly!!
Gut Fix: 8 (Core)
We’ve already established this:
Core fear: being controlled or humiliated
Core drive: autonomy and sovereignty
Reacts to threat by escalating force
Murat’s obsession with kingship, his sensitivity to perceived diminishment (especially the Treaty of Bayonne language), and his final defiant execution all scream 8-core.
Heart Fix: 3
This is where his image and theatricality come in!!
3s care about success, prestige, and admiration.
They build identity through visible achievement.
Murat’s legendary uniforms, grand entrances, love of ceremony, and need to be seen as magnificent aren’t just Se flamboyance but also a 3-fix image cultivation.
But unlike a core 3, he didn’t strategically adapt to preserve reputation. He doubled down (8-core). The 3-fix simply amplifies his concern with glory and legacy.
Head Fix: 7
In the mental center, Murat doesn’t operate like a 5 (detached strategist) or a 6 (security-focused loyalist), he instead moves like a 7:
Optimistic head first dives into uncertain situations
Risks reframed mentally as opportunities
Forward momentum over cautious analysis
His 1815 gamble after Napoleon’s return from Elba reflects this: he believed bold movement could create destiny, and the 7-fix gives him daring, appetite for risk, and refusal to mentally dwell in fear.
TL;DR
8 → Sovereignty, pride, confrontation
3 → Magnificence, prestige, visible success
7 → Risk appetite, forward momentum, bold gambles
ok now everybody go home for real this time idk how to finish this post ummm
blabla bla he was a man who believed force image and momentum could bend history and sometimes it did and thats sooo cool and hes so handsome and everybody should have his babies or something
leave your requests i guess i'll do them all
extra note (regarding the 7w8 v. 8w7) :
He reacts intensely to perceived abandonment.
He fixates on being replaced or diminished.
He spirals when he thinks Napoleon favors Eugène.
He doesn’t detach — he personalizes.
This all doesn’t automatically contradict 8. In fact, that reaction is extremely 8 when the attachment object is tied to power and identity.
An 8 under the sexual instinct especially fuses loyalty with sovereignty: Napoleon wasn’t just a friend but instead Murat’s source of elevation, legitimacy, and symbolic power. If Napoleon emotionally withdraws or politically sidelines him, that isn’t just “aww my buddy doesn’t like me anymore.”
To an 8, that reads as I am being displaced or I am being weakened or even I am being made secondary. and that hits the core fear of powerlessness: Now compare that with how a core 7 would likely react, a 7-core under abandonment stress usually reframes, distracts or finds a new opportunity.
especially to avoid sitting in humiliation.
Murat. I don't think does much reframing, especially as he stews
Now
He does show attachment anxiety that looks almost 4-ish or 6-ish at times. The emotionality is very raw, and that can make people hesitate on 8 (especially me) because we stereotype 8 as emotionally armored and unbothered.
But 8s are not unemotional, they’re capable of being reactive: They just translate vulnerability into anger, assertion, or dramatic stance.
Now about Eugène specifically, Sexual 8s (like in Murat) are:
Intensely loyal
Intensely possessive
Extremely sensitive to relational hierarchy
Reactive to perceived displacement
If Murat were 7-core, Eugène’s rise would more likely trigger. how do i say. opportunistic recalibration. Instead we see kind of see a sense of wounded pride and competitive escalation.
now. If I woke up tomorrow and said: “You know what? He’s a 7w8 with a massive 8 fix and strong sx instinct,” I wouldn't be surprised
and i might because this shit SUCKS !!! and you have to keep THINKING about it !!!
but, consciously. I want to avoid “he’s flamboyant so he’s a 7.” because it is the consensus..