Why Should I Know My Myers-Briggs Temperament?

Determining your Myers-Briggs temperament is one of the most important things you can do because it will help you understand your core needs, values, talents and behaviors!

Temperament theory suggests that we each have fundamental needs and desires that motivate us.  There are 4 basic categories of temperament.  Some people, for example, live for spontaneity and freedom (SPs), some for duty (SJs), some for control and understanding of the world (NTs) while others live for causes, self-realization and understanding of the self and others (NFs).  These 4 temperament types have been referred to by various names but I like and will use Renee Baron's description of them in her book, "What Type Am I?"  These names are:  (1) Action Seekers, (2) Duty Seekers, (3) Knowledge Seekers and (4) Ideal Seekers.

The Myers-Briggs temperaments are part of the Myers-Briggs Typing System.  There are 16 different Myers-Briggs types in this system and 4 different temperaments.  After you have learned more about your Myers-Briggs temperament you may want to learn about your Myers-Briggs type by taking the Myers-Briggs Type Test.  Each temperament correlates with 4 different Myers-Briggs types as follows:

Action Seekers:  Sensing Perceiving Types (SP Temperament)

The 4 SP types are:  ESTP, ESFP, ISTP, ISFP

SP's are motivated by the need for freedom and need to act.  They value living in the moment.

Duty Seekers:  Sensing Judging Types (SJ Temperament)

The 4 SJ types are:  ESTJ, ESFJ, ISTJ, ISFJ

SJ's are motivated by the need to be responsible in whatever social group they are in, whether it be the family, the workplace, or the community.  They value tradition.

Knowledge Seekers:  iNtuiting Thinking Types (NT Temperament)

The 4 NT types are:  ENTJ, ENTP, INTJ, INTP

NT's are motivated by a need for knowledge and competency.  They value the theoretical and the powers of the mind.

Ideal Seekers:  iNtuiting Feeling Types (NF Temperament)

The 4 NF types are:  ENFJ, ENFP, INFJ, INFP

NF's are motivated by a need to understand themselves and others.  They value authenticity and integrity and strive for an ideal world.

The Temperament Comparison Table        [back to Index of Temperament Types]

This table is partly derived from the 4 personal styles table on page 39 of "Follow Your True Colors to the Work You Love" by Carolyn Kalil and Don Lowry.

THE ACTION SEEKER (SP Temperament)        [back to Index of Temperament Types]

Action Seekers need freedom to act on their impulses, to take immediate action and have an ability to make an impact in the moment.   A zest for life in the here and now and a desire to test the limits best express their nature.  They can't stand being restricted or controlled.  They are spontaneous, optimistic and trust their impulses to lead them in the right direction.  They are keen observers of the environment and have a commonsense, hands-on approach to problem-solving.

Action Seekers enjoy a positive, upbeat partner who will share in their many experiences and adventures.  They like living the good life and are constantly making plans for fun-filled adventures.  They seem to have realistic expectations of themselves, others, and life, and don't waste energy wishing things were different from what they are.  They take what people say at face value and are not particularly interested in figuring out underlying motives or hidden meanings.  They just want to live life and experience it to the fullest.  They don't need to analyze and understand it.

As a parent Action Seekers can be enthusiastic, playful, and expose their children to many adventures.  They give their children freedom and autonomy and respect their individual wishes and desires.  They just want their children to do something practical with their lives and find work that they enjoy.  As a parent they can be overly permissive, nondirective, and fail to provide consistency, discipline, or planning for the future.

As a child and teen Action Seekers were often too busy doing activities and having fun to take time to sit down and study -- or at least wished they were.  They often jump from one thing to another, but can be involved in any activity for an extended period of time if it captures their attention.  Because they are risk-takers and enjoy immediate gratification, they sometimes find themselves in trouble when they "leap before they look."

Action Seekers dislike long lectures and explanations and often shun intellectual pursuits.  An action-centered, hands-on curriculum works best for them.  They like subjects that are practical, relevant, and immediately rewarding.  They like to make work fun and want their career to be stimulating and exciting.  They like risk and challenge and respond well to crisis.  They especially enjoy using their hands or body, as in sports or with crafts and machines.

Action Seekers with a strong Extraverting preference (ESTP, ESFP) are more talkative, gregarious, and initiate activities with friends.  Action Seekers who have a strong Introverting preference (ISTP, ISFP) are reserved and more interested in their inner world of thoughts and one-on-one conversations.

Unfortunately, Action Seeker children's natural talents and abilities are often overlooked and undeveloped in schools that use traditional teaching methods.  As a result, many Action Seeker children underestimate themselves and suffer from low self-esteem because the sit-down, follow-directions, speak-when-spoken-to school structure goes against their nature.  They are sometimes labeled as hyperactive, or as having Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).  Some even drop out and return to school only if they see that an education will be useful and practical in their lives.

Typical Action Seeker Values

Typical Annoyances and Stressors for Action Seekers

Typical Action Seeker Natural Gifts and Talents

Assembling things - fitting together the parts of things

Coaching - training intensively by instruction, demonstration, and practice

Competing - challenging another for the purpose of winning

Constructing - building something

Dancing - performing rhythmic and patterned bodily movements

Displaying things - arranging something in an eye-catching exhibit

Drafting - drawing the preliminary sketch, version, or plan for something

Entertaining - performing publicly for amusement

Gardening - cultivating a plot of ground with herbs, fruits, flowers or vegetables

Illustrating - providing visual features intended to explain or decorate

Influencing others - causing an effect on others

Manipulating - treating or operating with the hands or by mechanical means

Manufacturing - making from raw materials by hand or by machinery

Marketing - planning and strategizing how to present a product or service in the marketplace

Negotiating - conferring with another so as to arrive at the settlement of some matter

Operating tools - skillfully handling tools to perform work

Operating vehicles - driving cabs, limousines, heavy equipment, etc.

Performing - practicing an art that involves public performance

Persuading - influencing others in favor of a product, service, or point of view

Promoting - persuading people to see the value of an idea, person, activity or cause

Public Speaking - expressing yourself before a group

Repairing - restoring by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken

Responding to emergencies - being spontaneous and level-headed in emergency situations

Risk taking - having a dangerous element to life

Selling - promoting a service or product with the intent of getting someone to buy or accept it in exchange for something, usually money

How to get along with Action Seekers

Tips for Action Seekers

Further Description of Key Action Seeker Characteristics

Core Needs

Freedom to Act on Impulses: To understand Action Seekers, you really must grasp the nature of being impulse driven. This does not mean that they are totally impulsive and irresponsible. It does mean that well-functioning Action Seekers have managed to arrange their lives in such a way that they get to respond to impulses. These impulses are not just about fun or zany things; they often form the basis for exceptional problem solving. These impulses build inside them, and given that impulses do not last long, there is a tremendous urge to act on them. Action Seekers trust these impulses, and when all is going well, these impulses serve them well. When the impulses are no longer there, or when they have too many restrictions, Action Seekers suffer incredible stress and say they feel bored or empty.

Ability to Make an Impact: Many of us want to have an impact, but the need for the Action Seeker to elicit an immediate response from others is stronger and more concrete (here and now) than for the rest of us. This need for impact also shows in the drive to action to get a result.

Values

An appreciation of Aesthetics, the sensuous beauty of the immediate experience, captures an essential aspect of this temperament. Action Seekers value Variety, which is the essential aspect of art. The influence of their core needs shows in their drive to Action and love of Excitement and Stimulation and Immediate Adventure. Whatever they do, they want to Perform with Skill and appreciate skill in the performance of others as well. The relationships they seek are Fraternal – camaraderie with equals.

Typical Roles

Operator or Maneuverer: Action Seekers are often found in these roles in relation to people or machines; with people there is an element of persuasion. These roles require that they define the relationship and be more directive. In these roles, they might run a business, troubleshoot problems, train others, maneuver bills through Congress, operate equipment, and so on.

Player or Performer: These roles are more informative and allow for the tremendous talent of the Action Seeker in creating variations on a theme. Take the meanings in a general sense and notice how Action Seekers, especially Informing Action Seekers, make a performance out of anything.

Troubleshooter/Negotiator: To troubleshoot means to "read" a situation and see an opportunity or a solution to a problem. It requires a here-and-now focus and an ability to improvise. Negotiation requires reading very slight nonverbal cues to know just what someone is willing to give and then getting the two sides to agree.

Crisis Manager: Action Seekers are usually quite adept at managing a crisis, even though some don't like crises. A crisis provides the opportunity to use their talents. It meets their needs and values of responding to impulses, excitement, and stimulation and making an impact.

Typical Skills

Tactics: This means skillful management for a desired result. Tactics are an immediate action to achieve a desired end. It requires reading the immediate situation and making instant decisions in line with an objective. (Note that many people do not think of Action Seekers as decisive, but they can be very decisive.)

Variation: This is the ability to vary something while keeping its essence the same. Action Seekers are masters of the free variable. It is nearly impossible for them to not vary things.

Contextual Thinking: Action Seekers tend to reference everything to the present context. This tendency allows them to see the relevance of things, how they fit, and to notice when something is awry. Action Seekers prefer to learn in the applied context and tend not to like learning in the abstract.

Promote: This refers to the ability to see what someone's interest is in something or what someone's self‑serving interest might be. Action Seekers do this especially well as they "read" very slight nonverbal cues.

Adapt: This is to make small adjustments to make something fit. Action Seekers do this themselves as well as with objects and situations.

Perform: This means to do, to get things done. Given their core need to have impact, Action Seekers are skilled at making even the most mundane act a performance.

Behaviors

Impact Centered: Much of the behavior of Action Seekers is centered around creating an immediate impact, to see people's eyes light up or get a result from their actions.

Seizing Opportunities: Constantly reading behaviors and situations, Action Seekers often see opportunities others are not aware of.

Epicurean: This refers to a love of pleasures of the senses. Action Seekers want things to taste good, smell good, feel good, sound good, and look good. Sometimes neatness is about this aesthetic sense.

Spontaneous: Action Seekers are responsive to immediate situations and needs or even the impulse of the moment.

Restless: When there is a drive for action but waiting is called for, restlessness results. This may take the form of some kind of movement.

Entertaining: Very often Action Seekers love to entertain with their performances from flamboyance to a quiet remark that makes people laugh.

Impulsive: Action Seekers are so quick to read the needs of a situation, their behavior looks more impulsive than it may be.

Present Orientation: Action Seekers are oriented to the here and now. This orientation is clearly related to the need for freedom to act on impulses as impulses only occur in the present.

Fast Reacting: Action Seekers frequently react instantly to stimuli or circumstances.

Risk Taking: Where else would you find excitement and stimulation? Also, when you trust your impulses, you may not perceive situations as full of risk. The perception of risk may be in the eye of the beholder.

Improvising: To compose or perform on the spur of the moment, without any preparation. This also means making do with what is at hand and making up or creating an adaptation.

Cynical: The basic stance of the Action Seeker is cynicism. This is an astute ability to recognize that people do things for their own benefit and therefore to automatically question the altruism or goodness of their motives.

Stories: Action Seekers communicate best with stories since stories entertain, have impact, are concrete and contextual. Anecdotes bring abstract material to life and instill it with action.

Colloquial Language: Action Seekers tend to be on the cutting edge with their language. It, too, is contextual. They are such masters at variation that they vary language in such a way that they create the current buzzword of the day.

THE DUTY SEEKER (SJ Temperament)                    [back to Index of Temperament Types]

The Duty Seeker's strengths are being realistic, practical, responsible and loyal.  They like to stick to standard ways of doing things.  They respect and honor the traditions, customs, and laws of society which give them a sense of safety, stability, and belonging.  Feeling useful and needed is important to them.  Being of service and making things run the way they should gives then satisfaction.  Consequently, they have high expectations of themselves and others.

At work, Duty Seekers like to be fully in charge of their area of responsibility.  They want to be useful and have difficulty refusing to take on extra assignments.  Their attitude is "If I don't do it, who will?"  They have a strong work ethic and believe that everyone can make something of himself or herself if they just work hard enough.

Duty Seekers want to contribute to institutions they serve and they bring stability to an organization.  They like jobs where performance is judged by established rules and explicitly stated criteria.  They pay attention to an organization's hierarchy, have respect for the chain of command, and rely on stated policies and standard operating procedures.  Their natural resistance to change can be reduced once they understand the rationale behind the change.  In order to accept new ideas, they need to see the practical applications and benefits.  Their approach to problem-solving is to apply past experience and follow the rules.  They are usually precise with data, good with facts and figures and pay attention to detail.  They can be sticklers for accuracy in fact.  They have a good sense of time so they are realistic about how long it takes to complete tasks.

Duty Seekers generally don't like surprises, and have a gift for anticipating problems that might disrupt their stability.  They have a tendency to make decisions too quickly without considering possible options.  They are famous for having a good grasp of "common sense" in whatever they do.  Unfortunately, they sometimes have a hard time seeing beyond their common sense to consider the suggestions of others.

Duty Seekers are loyal and faithful partners and take their personal commitments and obligations seriously.  They often feel more comfortable being the giver or caretaker than being the receiver.  They tend to feel at ease in the traditional roles of provider or homemaker.  When not appreciated, they can feel bitter and hurt, but they have difficulty expressing it.  They can be pessimistic and worry excessively and think people who don't worry are irresponsible.

When stressed, Duty Seekers can be pessimistic and see no way out of difficult situations.  They tend to imagine worst-case scenarios rather than positive possibilities.  They like to anticipate bad news and are generally prepared for setbacks and unpredictable events which they believe are bound to occur.  At work they are often put in charge of disaster planning.  They save their money and are willing to make sacrifices in the present for the sake of future security.

Duty Seekers provide an ordered and predictable environment for their children.  They may find it difficult to allow their children independence and self-expression.  Commitment to family is seen as a responsibility and breaking family rules is seen as disloyalty.  They can sometimes instill guilt in their children when they don't meet their expectations.  Duty Seeker parents want their children to have the "proper" social attitudes and to obey the rules of society.  They tend to place importance on grades, college, and traditional education, and they encourage practical careers.

Duty Seekers with a strong Extraverting preference (ESTJ, ESFJ) are more talkative, gregarious, and initiate activities with friends.  Duty Seekers who have a strong Introverting preference (ISTJ, ISFJ) are more reserved and interested in their inner world of thoughts and one-on-one conversations.

As children and teens Duty Seekers are reliable and conscientious, and they try to please adults.  They become very responsible starting at an early age and can act like a parent toward other children, or even toward their own parents.  They thrive in an organized environment where there are clearly defined rules and routines.  They prefer subjects that deal with facts and have practical application such as history, geography, civics, biology, math, spelling, typing, computers, or business.  They like to participate in school activities and feel a sense of belonging.

Typical Duty Seeker Values

Typical Annoyances and Stressors for Duty Seekers

Typical Duty Seeker Natural Gifts and Talents

Administering policies - managing a course or method of action

Allocating resources - designing resources for a specific purpose

Attending to detail - paying attention to small items

Bookkeeping - recording the accounts or transactions of a business

Budgeting - planning the amount of money that is available for, required for, or assigned to a particular purpose

Calculating - determining by mathematical means

Caretaking - taking care of the physical needs of others, especially children, the sick and the elderly

Collecting data - gathering information

Coordinating - taking care of logistics for events to flow smoothly

Decision-making - bringing things to a conclusion

Delegating - entrusting responsibilities to other people

Dispatching - sending off or away with promptness

Establishing procedures - constructing a series of steps to be followed in accomplishing something

Estimating cost - judging approximately the value or worth of something

Evaluating - appraising the worth, significance or status of something

Following directions - doing specifically the things told to do by others verbally or in writing

Following through - completing an activity planned or begun

Guarding - protecting or defending

Maintaining schedules - overseeing something designated for a fixed, future time

Maintaining records - accurate and up-to-date record-keeping

Managing - directing or conducting business or affairs

Monitoring - watching, observing, or checking for a specific purpose

Organizing - arranging things in a systematic order

Paying attention to detail - looking for smaller elements

Planning - making a way of proceeding

Preparing - getting something ready for use or getting ready for some occasion

Recording - putting things in writing

Regulating - governing or directing according to rule or law

Securing - relieving from exposure to danger

Serving - making a contribution to the welfare of others

Supervising - taking responsibility for the work done by others

How to get along with Duty Seekers

Tips for Duty Seekers

Further Description of Key Duty Seeker Characteristics

Core Needs

Membership or Belonging:  There is a strong need for connectedness and affiliation among Duty Seekers.

Responsibility or Duty: Duty Seekers need to be and feel responsible. They hunger for responsibility. This need is so strong that they will take on too many responsibilities at times, and if they do not feel that they have done the responsible thing, they will experience stress.

Values

The relationships Duty Seekers foster are based on bonds within a group. Hierarchical Procedures let them know the structure of the relationships, and that in turn provides Stability and Security. Rules and Regulations and Conformity serve to Preserve Social Groups.

Roles

Monitor or Overseer: It suits the Duty Seeker temperament well to make sure that things are done right, and more directive Duty Seekers frequently find themselves in-monitoring and overseeing roles. In these roles, they are often given the authority required to regulate and standardize to keep production quality consistent.

Conservator or Provider: More informative Duty Seekers are drawn to these roles. In this way they contribute to maintaining life by saving and providing. They facilitate and accommodate, making life easier and more comfortable for those in their charge.

Stabilizer/Traditionalist: In a group, Duty Seekers are likely to be the ones who focus on traditional ways of doing things. This provides the stability to ensure that life goes on. Be aware that traditions vary according to the group. The membership group is what is important, not tradition in the absolute sense.

Rule Maker/Enforcer: Given their core need for responsibility and duty, Duty Seekers often find themselves making rules and enforcing them. Rules make things predictable and stable, as well as facilitate accountability.

Skills

Logistics: Getting the right things and the right information in the right place, at the right time, in the right quantity, in the right quality, to the right people, and not to the wrong people. All manner of things are logistical.

Measurement: Measurement is an important aspect of logistics. Duty Seekers are most interested in accurate measurement.

Sequential Thinking: Duty Seekers naturally look at things in sequence and are very interested in putting first things first and getting them in order.

Supervise: They take very seriously the responsibility of making sure things are done right.

Protect: Protecting is one important way of preserving the world.

Provide: Duty Seekers take pride in their ability to provide for others, either for their comfort or their material well-being.

Behaviors

Authority Centered: Duty Seekers are quite concerned with authority. They want to have the necessary authority to do what they are supposed to do, and they want those giving orders to be duly authorized to do so.

Stabilizing Organizations: In organizations, Duty Seekers often work toward making the organization stable. They put great stock in the procedures, rules, and regulations that make the organization last.

Economical: The drive to preserve life often translates into conserving resources-money, time, energy, and so on.  Duty Seekers hate to waste resources and may focus on money-saving efforts.

Structured: They want structure in what they do – sequence, schedule, a beginning and an end.

Dependable: Duty Seekers usually can be counted on to follow through on commitments. They often are so dependable that they are taken for granted. This does not mean they are the only ones who are dependable. It is just that they must be dependable or they feel shame.

Appraising: One of their talents is to notice when something is missing or not done right. Thus, they are prone to be critical of things that are out place or not done according to accepted standards or social norms.

Meticulous: Duty Seekers are very careful of small details that others may not notice. These are usually logistical.

Past Orientation: Duty Seekers look to the past to know what to trust for the future. Their point of reference is what has gone before and the tangible sense of their experiences.

Cautious/Careful: Wanting to protect and preserve, Duty Seekers are alert to danger and the possible things that could go wrong. They frequently give cautions and warnings about these negative possibilities. They recognize Murphy's Law - if anything can go wrong, it will - and prepare so things don't go wrong.

Responsible: They generally are very responsible, but that does not mean they never break rules or do irresponsible things. It does mean that they are likely to feel ashamed if they have not behaved responsibly.

Standardizing: Logistics become much easier when things are stan­dardized and uniform.

Fatalistic: This refers to the willingness to accept situations the way they are and not expecting them to change. This does not mean Duty Seekers are not willing to change; they just don't waste resources on change for change's sake. Not expecting things to change allows them to conserve resources.

Comparisons: Given their sequential thinking style, Duty Seekers frequently compare one thing to another. It is by making a connection to what they already know that they understand, explain, and trust.

Customary Language: In keeping with their traditional bent, Duty Seekers tend to use the language of the group to which they belong. They are not prone to be on the cutting edge of word use but will use words as they become more accepted among their peers.

THE IDEAL SEEKER (NF Temperament)            [back to Index of Temperament Types]

Ideal Seekers direct their intuition and insight toward understanding themselves and others.  They value integrity and strive for genuineness and authenticity.  They tend to have a vision of an ideal world and want to work toward creating that vision here on earth.  Seen as overly optimistic by others, they genuinely strive for an ideal they believe is real.  They enjoy work that allows them to use their creativity and individuality, and are not content to just make a living.  NF's like to use their insight to benefit other people and many focus their attention and energy on helping others to realize their potential.  They are often sensitive to others' emotional needs and are skillful at bringing out the best in people.  They can be disappointed when projects or people don't turn out as they expected, because they put so much faith and energy into them.

They like working in a friendly, conflict-free environment where personal and professional growth and development are encouraged.  They can be self-righteous about their values and take offense if others don't accept their ideas.  Working with people who don't encourage, appreciate, and affirm them can be difficult.  They have a strong desire for harmony and are good at conflict resolution.

Ideal Seekers like being mentally stimulated and coming up with new ideas and solutions.  After the initial challenge or newness disappears, they can get bored with a project.  They dislike standard procedures and tight supervision and can be too idealistic and independent-minded to work in most corporate, government, or military environments.  Ideal Seekers can have an anti-authoritarian attitude and often take sides with the underdog.

Ideal Seekers are warmhearted, affirming, nurturing, and empathic.  They can become overly involved in other people's psyches and lives, and must guard against sympathizing with another's hurt beyond what the person is actually experiencing.  They dream of having a deeply fulfilling and meaningful relationship with an "ideal" partner.  They like talking with their partner about plans and goals for the future.  Many Ideal Seekers enjoy sharing ideas, values, dreams, philosophy, spirituality, and new ways of seeing things.  A lot of effort, emotion, and enthusiasm is invested in their relationships, sometimes more than a partner of another temperament is comfortable with.  They frequently respond to the emotional demands of others and can feel overwhelmed, pressured, and exhausted if they don't set boundaries.  If they feel too suffocated by others, they can disappear.

Ideal Seekers seek self-actualization and meaning in their lives, and are interested in understanding and expressing their feelings.  They can become self-absorbed in their search for identity, tending to take everything personally.  They are easily hurt, sometimes even crushed, by criticism.

As parents, Ideal Seekers are affirming and encouraging and feel a strong sense of responsibility to help develop their children's minds and spirits.  They try to motivate, mold, and direct their children toward worthwhile goals and values.  They can be good listeners and tolerant of a child's moods and emotions.  Ideal Seekers encourage their children's individuality and creativity even if very different from their own.

Ideal Seekers who have a Perceiving preference (ENFP, INFP) often have a relaxed parenting style and can find it hard to set boundaries and to provide structure and consistency.  Ideal Seekers who have a Judging preference (ENFJ, INFJ) tend to be more consistent, systematic, and predictable as parents.  Their boundaries are more clearly defined.

As children and teens, Ideal Seekers have rich and active imaginations.  They are curious and innovative and are often involved in creative activities.  They are satisfied with the broad grasp of a subject without needing to master the facts or details.  They are cooperative and want to be affirmed by adults and other children.  They can, however, be unyielding if they feel misunderstood or if their values are violated.  Tense or hostile environments are especially difficult for children of this temperament.

Ideal Seekers with a preference for Extraverting (ENFJ, ENFP) tend to be outgoing, talkative, and gregarious.  Ideal Seekers with a preference for Introverting (INFJ, INFP) are more reserved and absorbed with their inner world.

Typical Ideal Seeker Values

Typical Annoyances and Stressors for Ideal Seekers

Typical Ideal Seeker Natural Gifts and Talents

Acknowledging others - recognizing and validating others for who they are

Building rapport - bringing harmony to a relationship

Building self-esteem - helping others feel good about themselves

Communicating - effectively exchanging verbal or written information with others

Consulting - giving professional advice

Coordinating - bringing people and activities together in a harmonious way

Counseling - helping others with their personal and professional problems

Enlightening - giving spiritual insight

Expressing feelings - openly communicating feelings with other people

Facilitating groups - assisting a group to harmoniously move in a positive direction

Fostering - nurturing

Guiding others - steering or directing people in a positive direction

Healing - restoring health

Helping others - improving the lives of others

Influencing others - having an effect on the lives of other people

Inspiring others - having an exalting influence upon others

Interviewing others - using good communication skills to obtain information from another person

Leading - acting as a positive role model more than being in a position of power or authority

Listening - hearing and paying attention to what others have to say

Mentoring - coaching and supporting others in the direction they want to go in

Motivating - acting as a catalyst to move others to action

Nurturing - developing and fostering the potential in others

Public speaking - effectively using language to make speeches in public

Recruiting - getting others involved in whatever they believe in

Supporting others - assisting others emotionally

Teaching - enlightening others and motivating them to learn

Training - directing the growth of others

Visualizing - imagining possibilities

Working as a team - bringing a group together to meet a common goal

How to get along with Ideal Seekers

Tips for Ideal Seekers

Further Description of Key Ideal Seeker Characteristics

Core Needs

Meaning and Significance: Ideal Seekers feel the need to contribute to the "greater good," to do something beyond the material and more toward the ideal.

Unique Identity: Ideal Seekers are forever in search of the answer to the question, "Who am I?"

Values

The values are closely related to the core needs. An integral part of Ideal Seekers' need for meaning and significance and unique identity is their search for wholeness and Unity, thus their high value on Cooperative Interaction and Empathic Relationships. If they do not have empathic, very personal relationships, they feel a sense of loss and emptiness. They will devote a great deal of time and energy to fostering and maintaining these relationships. Not only must these relationships be empathic, but they must also be Authentic. Ideal Seekers place a high value on being authentic and genuine themselves and want nothing fake or phony in their relationships. Ideal Seekers place a high value on Ethics and Morality and wanting to live in an Idealized and Meaningful World.

Roles

Mentor or Foreseer: While most Ideal Seekers find themselves drawn to these roles, Directing Ideal Seekers are most likely to fall easily into these roles. They are naturally tuned in to information about others and desire to help them develop their potential (self-actualization). These roles usually involve giving directives to others to achieve a helping effect.

Advocate or Proponent: Most Ideal Seekers advocate and spread the word. Informing Ideal Seekers find these roles particularly satisfying since these are information-giving roles.

Catalyst and Romantic Idealist roles are directly related to the core needs and values. In any relationship, Ideal Seekers are often catalysts for bringing out the best in others. People often report being more productive and creative in their presence. This makes Ideal Seekers' actual "job" difficult to see and describe in tangible ways. As romantic Ideal Seekers, they are not only romantic in the sense of love and romance; they tend toward the fanciful and imaginative.

Skills

Diplomacy: Ideal Seekers tend to build bridges between people and help them resolve deep issues behind conflict. This still is related to the core values of empathic relationships and unity.

Interpretation: Ideal Seekers have a talent for explaining to others what people mean or intend and to transform the communication while maintaining the meaning.

Integrative Thinking: Ideal Seekers have a talent for seeing similarities across sometimes disparate categories. It is related to the core value of unity.

Counsel: Ideal Seekers seem to know what to say to help others help themselves.

Reveal: They seem to have an antenna that allows them to know others' deeper motivations and a talent for expressing that knowledge so others also know it.

Facilitate: This term is used in the sense of easing relationships between people, of drawing out issues that need to be addressed.

Behaviors

Relationship Centered: Ideal Seekers' lives revolve around relationships, deep empathic ones. When push comes to shove, relationships will win out over tasks. They are willing to expend a great deal of energy to preserve relationships.

Creating Harmony: They will go to great lengths to create harmony in relationships. This does not mean they are totally averse to addressing conflict, and they will in fact brave conflict for the greater good of future harmony and integrity.

Spiritual: Ideal Seekers tend to focus on some greater good and often engage in spiritual practices.

Warm-Hearted: Ideal Seekers' tendency to instantly empathize with others makes them appear caring or warm-hearted.

Involved: They can be very involved and committed to relationships and causes. They tend to be intense. This is related to the values of empathic relationships and an idealized and meaningful world.

Praising: Ideal Seekers are natural givers of sincere compliments. It is almost as if they are often capable of seeing positive aspects that others miss. They believe that you bring out the best in people through praise. They are sometimes blind to faults and certainly are not prone to focus on them.

Impressionistic: They often have vague global impressions that are very meaningful and significant to them, which they trust. This is the opposite of the demand for precision of the Knowledge Seeker.

Future Time Orientation: Ideal Seekers are pulled by their vision of the ideal world in the future. Their focus is on "how it can to be", not on "how it is."

Inspiring: When they have a cause, they inspire others to action. This behavior springs from their strongly held beliefs.

Empathic: To be empathic is to feel what others feel. There seem to be two kinds of empathy. One is feeling what others feel when in their presence. The other is more predictive, knowing how others will feel in a given situation.

Imagining: Reflecting their idealistic, future orientation, Ideal Seekers tend to be imaginative, dreaming up all kinds of possible scenarios.

Credulous: Ideal Seekers tend to believe. They want to believe in the goodness in everyone and start with a position of faith first, skepti­cism second.

Metaphors: Metaphors build bridges between people by giving a common experience they can relate to, thereby increasing understand­ing. Ideal Seekers tend to develop metaphors easily, and their language is often rich with them. These metaphors are often deeply symbolic.

Global Language: Their language tends to mirror their impressions and they often speak in broad, general terms. Thus others can see their own personal meanings in what the Ideal Seeker has said and thus have their own unique identity. While this global language usually has a positive effect, it can sometimes lead to misunderstanding.

THE KNOWLEDGE SEEKER (NT Temperament)    [back to Index of Temperament Types]

Knowledge Seekers value knowledge and competency.  They prize intelligence in themselves and others, and feel compelled to constantly improve their base of knowledge.  Problem solving and mastering new challenges are stimulating.  They are often ingenious and insightful, adept at theorizing and conceptualizing, and strive to understand and explain the world around them.

Knowledge Seekers understand and synthesize complex information, anticipate future trends, and focus on long-range goals.  They enjoy new ways of doing things:  developing, designing, and building models, theories, and systems.  Dealing with day-to-day details and facts holds little or no interest to them, and is best if left to others.  They aim for self-mastery in everything they do and want to make a unique contribution to their field of work.

Knowledge Seekers value independence and autonomy and dislike hierarchy and bureaucratic structure.  They can be argumentative and opinionated when information from authorities contradicts what they believe.  They prefer a work environment that is based on objective and fair standards, and where achieving major goals and breakthroughs is part of the routine.  They desire recognition and admiration mainly from peers who are competent in their field.  They have strong convictions, trust their own judgments, and stand on principles no matter what the consequences.  They are skeptical of public opinion.

Knowledge Seekers can come across as know-it-alls and be critical of others' ideas.  They are complex and can be difficult for people of other temperaments to understand.  Because of the high standards they set for themselves, they can have a sense of inadequacy and self-doubt about their capabilities.  Sometimes they become self-critical, disheartened, and/or depressed if their own need for self-improvement falls short of these standards.

Knowledge Seekers share connections of the mind more than those of the heart.  They like relating through mental challenges such as interesting discussions, or games of chess and bridge.  They enjoy intellectual exchanges and like to argue and debate many sides of an issue.

Knowledge Seekers often live for their work and intellectual pursuits.  Relationships can take a backseat.  They can be oblivious of social conventions and may forget to observe rituals such as anniversaries or birthdays.  They are more comfortable expressing thoughts than feelings, and can be unaware and uncomfortable with others' feelings and sensitivities.  They dislike discussing personal issues and sentimentality, but they can let their guard down with people they trust.  If they feel rejected, they usually keep it to themselves.

Knowledge Seeker parents place strong value on knowledge and learning.  They foster intellectual independence and want their children to grow up expressing independent thought.  They take family responsibilities seriously but can pursue their careers and intellectual interests at the expense of spending time with their families.  Expressing warmth and affection to their children can be difficult.  Knowledge Seekers with a preference for Judging (ENTJ, INTJ) are often firm and consistent disciplinarians and tend to be controlling.  Knowledge Seekers with a preference for Perceiving (ENTP, INTP) are often more accepting and tolerant of their children's differences and don't try to impose their will on them.

Knowledge Seeker children and teens enjoy learning but need to be challenged or they may become bored.  They are inquisitive and constantly questioning.

Knowledge Seekers can be argumentative, strong-willed, and opinionated, and they are sensitive to being treated unjustly or unfairly.  They are frequently either high achievers, at the top of their class (more often ENTJ or INTJ), or they feel school is a waste of time and are not interested in grades (more often ENTP or INTP).  They like to be independent and often study subjects unrelated to the curriculum.

College is often more challenging and rewarding where they have more independence and can find other Knowledge Seekers to relate to.  Knowledge Seekers with a preference for Extraverting (ENTJ, ENTP) are often sociable and involved in school activities.  Knowledge Seekers with a preference for Introverting (INTJ, INTP) enjoy being alone with their interests and are not as likely to participate in social activities.

Typical Knowledge Seeker Values

Typical Annoyances and Stressors for Knowledge Seekers

Typical Knowledge Seeker Natural Gifts and Talents

Analyzing - separating or distinguishing the component parts of something to discover its true nature or inner relationships

Conceptualizing - forming abstract ideas in the mind

Consulting - giving technical information or providing ideas to define, clarify or sharpen procedures, capabilities, or product specifications

Critiquing - analyzing, evaluating, or appreciating works of art

Curing - restoring to health after a disease

Debating - discussing a question by considering opposing arguments

Designing - mentally conceiving and planning

Developing - making something available to improve a situation

Diagnosing - analyzing the cause or nature of a condition, situation, or problem

Editing - improving and directing publications

Generating ideas - brainstorming or dreaming up ideas

Intellectualizing - using the intellect rather than emotion or experience

Interpreting ideas - explaining the meaning of ideas

Inventing - developing or creating something for the first time

Learning - gaining knowledge

Observing - examining people, data, or things scientifically

Problem solving - identifying key issues or factors in a problem, generating ideas and solutions to solve the problem, selecting the best approach, testing and evaluating it

Proofreading - reading and marking corrections

Reasoning - using the process of conception, judgment, or inference

Researching - investigating and experimenting aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts

Synthesizing - integrating ideas and information

Thinking logically - subjecting ideas to the process of logical thought

Writing - expressing by means of words

How to get along with Knowledge Seekers

Tips for Knowledge Seekers

Further Description of Key Knowledge Seeker Characteristics

Core Needs

Mastery and Self-Control: Knowledge Seekers want to master whatever they set their minds to, while being able to predict courses of events. They must feel as if they have will power and control over themselves.

Knowledge and Competence: Their worst fear is to be incompetent. They want to know and understand the operating principles of the universe. Developing new knowledge, solving abstract problems, conducting scientific research, and being an expert all meet these needs.

Values

Knowledge Seekers seek Objective Knowledge and Truth, Concepts, Ideas, and studying. Knowledge Seekers promote Progress and Scientific Inquiry. They frequently find themselves in Expert Relationships where their friendships revolve around shared expertise and talking about knowledge. And of course, these all relate to Intelligence, as it is traditionally defined. It isn't just logic that appeals to Knowledge Seekers, but Logical Consistency. This means that they want arguments and persuasions to be logical throughout. They are most likely to look at the whole system and value the logic of it.

Roles

Organizer or Director: More directive and structured Knowledge Seekers find themselves drawn to the roles of organizer and director. These roles involve defining relationships, which Directing Knowledge Seekers are quite comfortable doing. The organizing is usually of a strategic, rather than a logistical, nature.

Engineer or Inventor: More informative and process-oriented Knowledge Seekers find themselves in design roles that require keeping the information flowing to make sure that every contingency is covered. Think of engineering and inventing in a very broad sense. These roles are design roles and require analysis, usually of complex systems.

Visionary: This role comes naturally to most Knowledge Seekers. They find it almost impossible to not think ahead, often way ahead of their time.

Perpetual Learner: This role relates to the core needs of knowledge and competence. Other temperaments like to learn, but for Knowledge Seekers, learning is sustenance.

Skills

Strategy: Knowledge Seekers tend to think of all the possible contingencies and develop multiple plans for handling all of them. In strategy, there is a level of abstraction required that is missing from the more logistical planning of the Guardian. To be strategic, one has to abstractly analyze a situation and consider heretofore unthought-of possibilities.

Analysis: Knowledge Seekers have a talent for being at least one step removed from something, considering it in abstractness. Distinguishing components and their interrelationships involves the use of reasoning.

Differential Thinking: Talent for seeing differences. This penchant is so inherent in the intelligence of Knowledge Seekers that they can hardly stop themselves from seeing differences.

Marshal: Marshaling is the tendency to lead or guide or array personnel in order, which is tied to strategy. Taken in this sense, it is the ability to see what skills are needed and to find people of the necessary expertise to get the job done and then mobilize them to do it.

Design: This is design in the sense of thinking of all the components necessary to make a system or an object work. The focus is not on variation as with the Artisan's design work. Knowledge Seekers usually design a whole system, considering all the relevant aspects.

Categorize: Categories are naturally created from Knowledge Seekers' differential thinking. This categorization process is integral to the mental functioning of Knowledge Seekers. Some engage in it so much that they won't file things until the proper categories are set up!

Behaviors

Knowledge Centered: Nearly everything Knowledge Seekers do is centered around the acquisition and sharing of knowledge. If they had their way, everyone would pursue knowledge (which they define differently than just information!)

Forming Hypotheses: Knowledge Seekers approach nearly everything as a hypothesis. This is closely related to the need for knowledge and valuing scientific inquiry.

Theoretical: Knowledge Seekers seem to have a capacity to look at situations from many different perspectives and to engage in "as if" thinking.

Cold-Logical: When one's favorite skills are to objectively analyze and when one's values center on concepts and knowledge, it can appear that one is cold in one's use of logic. This does not mean that Knowledge Seekers are without feeling; rather, to be objectively logical, they believe one must separate from emotion. The frequent use of "one" instead of personal pronouns is an example of this objectivity.

Oblivious: Knowledge Seekers can be so much "in their heads" (deep in thought) that they notice little else. They have the capacity to become so absorbed in thought as to not notice people or events around them, even if they are truly sensitive to these much of the time.

Critiquing: Analysis is not limited to objective events or data. It also gets applied to oneself, especially when one has not lived up to a level of competence expected of oneself.

Perfectionistic: Actually, all types can be perfectionistic in some ways about some things. For Knowledge Seekers, this perfectionism usually applies to theories and concepts as well as the accurate expression of them.

Infinite Time Orientation: While they are future oriented in their strategic orientation, they often do not think of time. Rather, they are in pursuit of the ultimate truths or theories that transcend time-past, present, future. (This does not mean they are always late!)

Problem Solving: So great is the hunger for solving problems that they may seek out problems to solve. This is the application of analysis.

Analytical: Given that analysis is one of their favorite skills, they tend to analyze a situation before they do anything else so they can take a strategic approach.

Inventing: Knowledge Seekers enjoy devising new and better ways of doing things. They rarely can stand to do something the same way twice.

Skeptical: In keeping with their theoretical and analytical stance, Knowledge Seekers question everything. They realize there is always another way to view things, so they accept very little on faith.

Conditionals: Their language reflects their theoretical approach to life and is full of phrases like, "if...then", "tends to", "hypothetically speaking", and so on.

Precise Language: They want the words chosen to express precisely what is intended and may nitpick over the tiniest nuance of meaning. They are offended by imprecise and vague language. Sometimes the "if" is unspoken or often unheard and others assume a definiteness that is not there.

Questions?  Comments?  Suggestions?  My e-mail address is:  grussrowe@cox.net

This page was last updated on 05/29/05.