not sure why, but i woke up way to early this morning (430am) and have just been reading a ton of stuff online since then. no particular topic, just anything and everything that seemed interesting. so now it’s on the topic of personality types… i’ve always found psychology to be a very intriguing area of study.
based on this listing, here are some types that i probably come closest to exemplifying, though not in totality:
“idiosyncratic type
- self-direction and independence are good. close relationshipes are bad.
- convention is bad. an interesting, unusual, and eccentric lifestyle is good.
- anything of the occult, extrasensory, or supernatural is good.
- one’s own feelings and belief systems are good.
- abstract and speculative thinking are good.
- being the object of attention of others is bad. the reactions of others to them are good or bad.“conscientious type
- keeping busy, working, productivity, and achievement are good. inactivity, idleness, lack of productivity and achievement are bad.
- having a strong conscience, strong moral principles and values, and firm opinions and beliefs are good. lack of concern for the goodness or badness of externals is bad.
- having everything done correctly is good. having things done incorrectly is bad.
- having all tasks and projects complete to the final detail, without even minor flaws, is good. any performance that doesn’t meet these standards is bad.
- sticking to convictions and opinions is good. compromise is bad.
- focus on details is good. preoccupation with order and organization is good. having lists, schedules, and rules is good. disorder and disorganization are bad.
- spending money only for the necessities is good. spending money for things other than necessities is bad.
- saving and collecting things is good. discarding things is bad“leisurely type
- having to fulfill routine social and occupational tasks is bad. being free to do as one pleases is good. compulsory activity is bad.
- being misunderstood and unappreciated by others is bad.
- resisting others is good. compliance is bad. external demands are bad.
- figures of authority and their behavior are bad.
- that others are apparently more fortunate is bad.
- others, especially those in authority, are alternately good or bad”
in terms of temperament, i most closely exemplify an idealist, which in Please Understand Me David Keirsey describes as:
“Idealists want to search for Self, to become themselves, to have a goal, a purpose in life, to be self-actualized, to be and become real, to be what they are meant to be and to have an identity which is uniquely theirs, to become self-actualized into a perfect whole and to have an identity which is perfectly unique, to have meaning, to have their significance appreciated, or at the very least, recognized as existing, to have integrity, that is unity, with no facade, no mask, no pretense, no sham, no playing of roles, to be genuine, to communicate authentically, to be in harmony with the inner experiences of self, to avoid a life of bad faith, to live a life of significance, making a difference in the world, to experience life as a drama, to be sensitive to the subtle gestures and metaphoric behavior in relationships, to help others become kinder, warmer, and more loving human beings, to reform the world, to romanticize their experiences, their lives, and the experiences and lives of others.”
…and the attributes of an idealist:
“Positive attributes:
altruistic, analytical, authentic, behaved, believing, benevolent, calm, caring, chart maker, communicative, compassionate, compliant, conscientious, considerate, creative, cultured, deep, deliberate, dependable, detail conscious, detailed, disciplined, emotional, empathic, enthused, enthusiastic, ethical, even-tempered, exacting, faithful, fervent, genuine, helpful, idealistic, industrious, inspired, intuitive, loyal, musical, nurturing, orderly, organized, perfectionist, persistent, personal, planner, pleasing, precise, prophetic, psychic, relating, reliable, respectful, scheduled, self-sacrificing, sensitive, serious, sincere, spiritual, subjective, sympathetic, systematic, thoughtful, understanding, unifier, unworldly, visionary, warm, well-behaved, well-organized.“Negative attributes:
alienated, bashful, confused, credulous, critical, depressed, detached, difficult, estranged, exacting, fussy, guilt prone, hard to please, hypochondriac, indecisive, inflexible, insecure, introvert, judgmental, loner, moody, moralistic, mystical, negative attitude, overly sensitive, perfectionistic, pessimistic, picky, revengeful, resentful, too sensitive, skeptical, self-absorbed, self-critical, self-righteous, stuffy, suspicious, touchy, unforgiving, unpopular, unrealistic, withdrawn, worry prone.”
interesting to note that barak obama appears to best fit the type 9 “peacekeeper” enneagram type. i probably fall more in line with the type 5 “thinker” or type 1 “reformer”.