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PERSONALITY TEMPERAMENTS:The driving force behind individual goals and objectives.By Bob Goldberg (ATM – S; Rational/Guardian)All of us join Toastmasters for some reason – for example, to develop public speaking skills, improve social skills, or to become more effective leaders. But how many of us are really conscious of the underlying behavioral forces that drive our daily existence? I am referring to a theory of personality temperaments: the four major and sixteen minor temperament behavior patterns that in many ways characterize our feelings, goals, interests, work and ultimately, our destiny. Many of you have heard about this concept under different names. Many know of it as the Myers/Briggs Type Indicator. Others see it in films like The Wizard of Oz but don’t recognize the concept. A few have read about it in different books. David Keirsey, author of Please Understand Me and Please Understand Me II, provides an in-depth analysis of the history, behaviors, interests, orientation, strengths and weaknesses of each of these major and minor archetypes. The Keirsey model of temperaments assumes individuals fall into one of four major categories based on a personality profile of being Introvert (I) / Extrovert (E), Sensing (S) / Intuitive (N), Thinking (T) / Feeling (F), and Judging (J) / Perceiving (P). Although there are sixteen possible permutations, research shows many behavior characteristics can be grouped into four main archetypal models. These four as named by Keirsey include the Artisan (SP), Guardian (SJ), Idealist (NF), and Rational (NT) temperaments. The Four Temperaments Artisans can often be described as people gifted in a particular technical skill such as handicraft, music, painting, sculpting, writing, acting, sports, etc. They also include martial arts and military tactics, politics and speech delivery. Famous Artisans include Ernest Hemingway, General Patton, Bruce Lee, Ronald Reagan, Franklin Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill. Artisans have an individualistic mentality and need lots of stimulation (Bill Clinton). They are skillful in the art of tactics, the use of materials, and techniques to further one’s advantage over another. They are most effective as negotiators. Guardians are often seen as traditionalists concerned about the organization of society, and the distribution of goods and resources. They include business professionals, government leaders and bureaucrats, charity and hospital administrators, and merchants. Famous Guardians include George Washington, George Bush, Harry Truman, John D. Rockefeller, J.C. Penney, and E.F. Hutton. Guardians are very concerned about the way societies are structured. They feel a sense of duty and allegiance to their country, and have a high standard of morality. Guardians are skillful business types. They provide a stabilizing role in society. Idealists, sometimes regarded as the dreamers and romantics of the times, desire to uplift the emotional well being and spiritual direction of others. They typically include teachers, psychologists, counselors, and religious leaders. Famous idealists include Gandhi, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Joan of Arc. No American President has ever been an idealist. They put morale over morals, have strong beliefs in their faith, and desire to be catalysts for change. They are also skillful in the art of diplomacy. Rationals are the deep thinkers and visionaries responsible for many of the technological breakthroughs and advances of modern society. They are typically found in the sciences, and industries undergoing dramatic change. Famous Rationals include Bill Gates, Thomas Jefferson, Albert Einstein, Adolph Hitler, and Abraham Lincoln. They are highly pragmatic, very analytical, yearn for achievement, and are always seeking greater knowledge. They are skillful in the art of strategic thinking. Historical Background These archetypal names and concepts were not invented by Keirsey, but date back to Plato (c.340 B.C.). Early medical thinkers extrapolated these concepts into models of sickness and health, believing illness was due to an imbalance of humours (fluids) - namely phlegm, bile, vomit, and mania. Galen, a Roman physician (c.190 A.D.), described the four archetypes as Sanguine, Melancholic, Choleric, and Phlegmatic. His theories on balanced health lasted through the nineteenth century. My personal favorite classification description and book is King, Warrior, Magician, and Lover, written by Robert Moore in the early 1990’s. Moore, a Jungian psychologist, published his theories on male archetypes alongside the poet and mythological storyteller Robert Bly. Bly used Moore’s esoteric archetypes, identified the character nature of them in stories like Iron John, and analogized their struggles to those of many men trying to sort out the various crises and dilemmas in their personal lives. The impact they had created the so-named "Men’s Movement", an awakening in men to better understand their emotions as archetypal temperaments. Although their focus was on men, both recognized these archetypes were sources of creativity and energy in all people. History, medicine, and psychology aside, we only have to look to the arts for a more modern and less intellectual example of temperament theory. The Wizard of Oz, a Hollywood classic, is seen by most as a story of a little girl in a childish fantasy dream. Yet a closer examination reveals the four major characters as individual temperaments missing something that will give them their core identity as described by Keirsey and Moore. Dorothy, the lonely wanderer, stumbles first upon the scarecrow, who wants a brain (Rational/Magician). She then meets the Tin man, who wants a heart (Idealist/Lover), and the Lion, who wants courage (Artisan/Warrior). Dorothy herself acts as the leader and takes responsibility for the welfare and needs of all her new friends, but lacks confidence and direction (Guardian/ King (Queen)). Presidential Temperaments Presidential politics also can be evaluated through temperament theory based on the book Presidential Temperaments by Choiniere and Keirsey. This fall’s presidential race features a battle between two types. Al Gore, a probable Rational type, is concerned about the environment, once claimed credit for the technological advance of the Internet, and is regarded as a fierce strategist in debates. His opponent George W. Bush, like his father, is a Guardian concerned about the integrity and honor of the office he serves. History generally favors Guardians over Rational types as President, perhaps due to reasons of stability (Washington), commerce activity (Nixon), and a better sense of connection with the public (Carter). Rationals, to achieve popularity, must convince the public they are capable of solving complex problems (Lincoln), or having done so are simply admired for past performance (Eisenhower/Grant/Jefferson). Toastmasters Temperaments So what does all this have to do with Toastmasters and our own personal goals and objectives? As members of our Club, we are continually trying to assess our own personal needs, while also trying to be of service to other members and the Club organization as a whole. Understanding temperament theory helps to focus our attention on areas important to us as well as understanding the opinions and needs of others. For example, a new candidate comes in and wants to know how Toastmasters can benefit them. The answer you give may undoubtedly influence their decision to join. Through the use of small talk you may be able to judge their likely temperament and then fashion an appropriate response. Temperament theory suggests you tailor your response in the following way: Artisans: They come to a Club to improve and sharpen their speaking skills. Discussions about various techniques in the manual such as vocal variety, working with words, organization, and maintaining eye contact with the audience will likely interest them. Artisans are often competitive types. Mentioning the Club contests may get them interested in joining. Anything the Club does to add excitement to the meeting will increase the chance of their joining. Artisans also will enjoy helping to operate and fix equipment the Club uses in its meetings. Guardians: The most likely to be Club officers, Guardians care a lot about the Club and how it is organized. Rules and procedures are very important to them. They want to know how the meeting is run, who is in charge, how funds are handled, and how problems are taken care of. Guardians are socially conscious people. They like to see individuals rewarded for the work they perform through trophies at speech contests, ribbons for best performance at meetings, and other prizes for completing a manual or serving an office. Guardians enjoy the practice of public ceremony through initiation of new members and officers as well. Idealists: Concern for the genuine feelings of Club members is most important to this category of personality types. Idealists would take interest in the Club’s mentoring program and evaluation portion of the meeting. They want to make sure constructive feedback is provided without any undue criticism. The educational process must serve the needs of the individual rather than just the Club. Members also must enjoy being in the Club and look forward to coming to meetings. Above all Idealists want to believe Toastmasters really can make a difference in their lives and in the world around them. Personal success stories of other members in the Club will ignite their passion for self-actualization.
Rationals: Educational achievement and measurable growth in developing communication and leadership skills are most important to this group of temperaments. Understanding how members advance in status through the various manuals and likely skills developed from various speech modules will heighten interests. Mentioning the names of the workbook modules (Storytelling, Interpretive Reading, Technical Presentations, etc.) will broaden the discussion. Rationals like problem solving, so inviting their opinion on substantive Club issues will generate greater participation. Profiling Determining the profile of others (particularly newcomers) by observation is admittedly not an easy or objective way to judge temperament. All of us are in fact a blend of the four types, each at varying strengths, and sometimes changing throughout our life. In general a person’s temperament is best determined using profile tests now found online at www.keirsey.com or http://www.keirsey.com/cgi-bin/newkts.cgi. I suggest you try this on yourself to get started and as you get comfortable learning more about it you may then be able to discuss and encourage others to discover and report their own temperament types. Testing does not guarantee an accurate assessment. It is best to compare your results with the personality characteristics of the four temperaments for accuracy. Personal observation forecasting requires either an understanding of the temperament behavior characteristics as previously discussed or understanding the components and characteristics making up the individual’s behavior profile. Determining the major temperament types SP, SJ, NF, or NT requires identifying only two of the four profile characteristics for a given individual. S types are further broken down into Judging (J) / Perceiving (P), indicating how focused a person is in making decisions and putting issues to rest. J types, being more business oriented (Guardian), are generally well organized, focused, and interested in putting issues quickly and efficiently to rest. This contrasts with the P types, who like to let decisions remain open and available for long term reflection. In contrast to J's they may often appear indecisive. From the P's perspective they see no reason to rush through things. Their work is seen in creative terms (Artisans). N types are broken down into Thinking (T) or Feeling (F) types. T Types find it easy to pronounce critical comments to people without regard to their personal feelings, particularly if they believe their comments are on the mark (Rational). F types are most sensitive to feelings of others and choose their words very carefully, not wishing to sound critical and produce a backlash (Idealist). Summary ________________________________________________________________________ Bob Goldberg, ATM-S, is an Actuary and member of the Notable Northgaters Club in Seattle, Washington. He is available as a guest speaker on the subject of Personality Temperaments in the Seattle area.
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Last Updated:
Thursday, July 12, 2001
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