MBTI Type: ENFJ

Emma spends all her time focusing on other people, and how to improve their lives. She never thinks it might be none of her business. Emma even admits to her ex-governess she “did not know” she loved Mr. Knightley until “poor Harriet” said she did. Emma feels guided by whom is around her, and feels annoyed when Mr. Knightley criticizes her methods as ineffectual and insensible, because she wants flattery and agreement. She loves to be the center of positive attention and receive praise; she’s influenced by Frank Churchill into some inappropriate, teasing behaviors (but aware she said the wrong thing and fretful over how to amend for her mistakes). Emma’s irrational inferior Ti shows in how little she evaluates her matches for Harriet. She picks people from the wrong social class, in a Fe-dom belief that “everyone is equal” while ignoring her own hypocrisy (one method she uses to manipulate Harriet is how sad it would make her, if Harriet married a farmer and they could no longer see each other, since Emma cannot associate with a mere farmer’s wife). In fear of losing her friendship with Mr. Knightley, Emma goes into a period of intense self-evaluation. She realizes she must cease her meddling or lose what she values. She focuses on the abstract potential situations have, not on the concrete facts. Emma is an idealist who is constantly confounded by the reality of the situation — she believes in a world where convention is something to overcome, and where Mr. Elton would consider marrying a girl with no family or fortune to recommend her. This leads to her constant conflicts with Mr. Knightley, who has a more realistic view of how the world works. Emma has chosen a vision for herself, of Harriet’s future happiness, and it does not much matter what Harriet wants — for Emma, it does not include a farmer. She routinely tries to force others to conform to her ideals, rather than dealing with the facts of the situation. In so doing, she loses sight of herself, and her own wants and needs, and only discovers them once she learns Harriet loves Mr. Knightley! Emma indulges her Se in small ways, by loving the outdoors, dreaming of adventures at the seaside, and taking or creating chances for Harriet to engage with Mr. Elton and other various potential suitors.

Enneagram: 2w3 so/sp

Emma prides herself on being helpful—she helped her governess to find a match, she’s helping Mr. Elton find a wife, she’s helping Harriet improve herself, and she wants other people to know and admire this about her. She finds it hard to deal with Mr. Knightley’s criticisms because they do not see the full scope of potential others can reach! Emma would much rather fix other people than herself. She can be two-faced and manipulative, appealing to Harriet’s feelings and shifting them toward the men she believes Harriet should be with. Like all 2s, Emma also does not know what she wants from life, until she almost loses Harriet (in her mind) to Mr. Knightley. This forces her to open up to her 4-ish inner intensity of emotion and discern the person she loves. Once love-sated, she no longer needs to interfere among her friends. Her 3 wing takes pride in being popular and influential, and is highly competitive; she resents Jane being better than her at the piano, and is happiest when Mr. Knightley pays attention to her, rather than listening to her. She is often a gossip and feels no shame in making fun of Jane behind her back. Emma likes to be the center of attention, to throw parties, and to be seen as the queen bee of society, and has no desire to let Mrs. Elton usurp her role!