Stephen

.

[SIZE="4"][CENTER][I]It's a less than fond farewell to thee
O man whose system infuriates me
I simply can't stand it
Your temperament shit
Falls far short even of astrology[/I][/SIZE]

[IMG]http://www.keirsey.com/images/keirseytimeline1.JPG[/IMG]

[SIZE="1"]^ Time travelers take note, this is your target, and when to find him. Bring the means to steal writing implements.[/SIZE][/CENTER]

Given that any system of typology is an oversimplification, on top of the fact that it's also not science, it's psychological theory. Still, the more I learn of David Keirsey, the more I realize that he is probably the single most important force behind the obnoxious type-based stereotypes that plague sites like PersonalityCafe.

Reading through Keirsey's writings, it's not hard to hate the people in the SJ temperament. After all, Keirsey apparently did as well. Dependable. Helpful. Hard working. Loyal. Responsible. Stable. Dutiful. Cautious. Humble. Trusting of authority. Traditional. Not so bad, right? What's insidious is that it's not all so bad on the surface, but a glance beneath reveals the traits that he felt typified this temperament. The SJs of the world are the ones who are so bent on tradition that anything new in their lives is a threat. They're the oppressors, the ones running the show, the ones who would rather do things the way they've always been done and will pitch a fit if you want to do something a new way.

Worse yet is the interpretation many bring from Keirsey. In fact, I daresay that for the most part, any time someone mentions the SJ temperament as a group, the conversation is about to go downhill. It's the most hated temperament on the site, and through inductive reasoning, many members decide their parents, or any other authority figure they don't like, must be an SJ of some kind. It doesn't matter that your parents are an INTJ and an ENFP, or as ESTP and an INFJ. They're all SJs, because they won't front you three hundred dollars to spend on a tattoo and a blowjob.

Part of the insult to SJs (and to SPs, to a lesser extent) is in the comparative praise Keirsey glues to the other temperaments. SJs are Guardians, but NTs are Rationals, which I think we can all agree implies that they're somehow more rational than the other temperaments. Definitions of "rational" include: agreeable to reason; reasonable; sensible; having or exercising reason, sound judgment, or good sense; endowed with the faculty of reason. No matter that INTJs and ISTJs are superficially identical in temperament, because the INTJ is somehow the rational one.

These words, Guardians and Rationals, are meant to take something that's already oversimplified and simplify it further into a single word representing what the group is best known for. They're just words, but words have power. Many of the members on this site are totally new to typology, and totally ignorant of Keirsey's forebears, like Carl Jung. Keirsey's temperaments are short, concise, and easy to understand, and this makes it like "typology lite" for the uninitiated. That's appealing in one sense, and horrible in another, because the ignorant are given a tool that they have no idea how to use.

Then there's the way these temperaments are grouped. They're not grouped the way Jung did it, which would put INFPs and ISFPs together, and ISTJs and ISFJs together, based on dominant function, Fi and Si respectively. Instead, Keirsey crosses the groups, putting, for example, all the xNFx types into a single temperament group. INFPs are grouped with ENFJs, despite having dramatically different functions and temperaments. ISFPs are grouped with ESTPs. I get the sense that he grouped them in a way that he'd find easiest to stereotype.

It's kind of disgusting.

Yet another insult is the way Keirsey's own website uses the temperaments to give relationship advice. Writer Dr. Lovegood :rolleyes: gives the following advice for those who would seek a relationship with an SJ.

[url=http://www.keirsey.com/personalityzone/lz32.asp]Keirsey's PersonalityZone - Personality and Your Relationships[/url]

[QUOTE]Guardian men are often very traditional in terms of gender roles. They tend to be happiest when they do most of the wage earning and their partner does most of the home making. While most are sensible enough not to expect obedience, they do still expect loyalty and respect. It is very important to avoid shaming them in public by talking down about them, making a scene, or cutting them down.

Guardian women are likely to be looking for a man they can depend on to be there for them when the going gets rough. Like Guardian men, they are likely to be happiest when they are doing more of the home making and their partner is doing more of the wage earning. Most Guardian women enjoy being treated as a rare and fragile object even when they are very tough-minded and ambitious in their careers. Do not embarrass them in public by showing any sort of romantic interest in another woman.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE]To keep your Guardian happy, upset their routines as little as possible. They can and do change, but they need a lot of lead time to do so. Also, most Guardians will actually change more efficiently without a deadline which can send them over the edge into anxiety or rage. Whenever feasible, follow their rules on the "right" way to: squeeze the toothpaste, stack dishes, brake the car, and tend to stains on clothing. If the two of you can't reach a compromise, it may be better to have two separate toothpastes or drive separately or whatever else is necessary to keep the two of you from getting on each other's nerves. Sometimes that involves doing chores outside of your mate's presence so your way of doing things doesn't precipitate an argument.[/QUOTE]

Sure am glad I don't have to deal with any SJs! They sound like such imperious dicks.