MBTI Type: ESTP

Henry is an opportunist who likes to toy with female’s hearts for his own amusement, when there is nothing else to occupy his time and attentions. He can be both romantic and charming in his physical overtures (sending Fanny extravagant gifts, bringing her flowers, dancing with her at the ball) and short-sighted (furious after she spurns him and refuses his proposal, he immediately takes ‘consolation’ with her married cousin Maria and is ‘caught’ in the affair and forced to leave the countryside in disgrace). He’s eager to participate in plays and balls, to go on picnics and always be ‘doing’ things, and has very little interest in or patience for those quiet, solitary activities that Fanny so much enjoys (like reading a book in the library, alone). He shares the same logical approaches as his sister, which sneers at conventional morality and intends to make the most of whatever life presents him, with no real regard for how it impacts others. His decisions are sometimes callous and often self-serving, but he uses his tert-Fe for his own amusement, to intentionally play with female feelings. He pursues both the Bertram sisters, causing Maria to fall in love with him, only to spurn her for Fanny – and in chasing her, he falls in love with her for real. Henry can be romantic, expressive in his sentiments, and very convincing, and yet his Fe declarations of love cannot quite convince Fanny that he is ‘truthful.’ To prove to her that he does not care, and possibly to hurt her, he runs off with her cousin. One of Fanny’s complaints against him is that he wants to ‘be loved, but not give love in return.’ He is narcissistic and a ‘taker’ – a faker of more feelings than he genuinely feels, in order to convince others. Henry shows himself to have excessively poor judgment (inferior Ni blind spots) in that his affair risks his social condemnation and ruination; he refuses to ‘make it right’ by marrying Maria, and never considers the impact his actions may have upon his future prospects or his own reputation.

Enneagram: 7w8 sp/sx

Henry is witty, lively, charming, and wants to have a good time, but has no steadiness of character, something Fanny notices at once and that prevents her from seriously considering him as a marital prospect. He pursues pleasure for himself almost excessively, in a narcissistic manner (using and dumping women once they no longer hold his interest). When caught up in an affair and scandalized, he refuses to ‘do the right thing’ and marry Maria, leaving her to live the rest of her life in ruination while he, presumably, finds another woman who will not mind his infidelities. His 8 wing is hedonistic and wants things as soon as he lays eyes on them; he sees no reason to forbid himself anything, even if it ‘belongs’ to someone else (another man’s wife). He also lacks the need for family support that a 6 wing might provide.