# Sticky  SJ – Stabilizers/Guardians



## Functianalyst

The expression of the Guardian temperament is related to a need for to belong to organisations, a desire for order, and a drive to be dutiful. Those who strongly express this pattern of emotional response make up roughly half of the populace and collectively provide the dependable backbone of our societies. It is the driving pattern behind commerce, shop keeping and sales, libraries and museums, as well as law and law enforcement. 


*1. Profile* 

The Guardian temperament was related to Concrete language use, an Affiliative attitude and a focus on Structure. We will begin by reviewing these three axis in the specific context of the Guardian temperament. Throughout this piece we shall be referencing the work of David Keirsey, marked [K], and his student Linda Berens, marked * .

Concrete language use reflects a focus on solid and sensible topics. For people expressing Guardian as their primary pattern, conversation will frequently be concerned with tangible elements such as money, goods and services, weather and housing, accidents and disasters, poverty and wealth, famous and infamous, and what is going on in the current TV shows or the popular movies. 

Keirsey notes how the flow of conversation becomes highly associative when it is dominated by the Guardian pattern: 

When [people strongly expressing Guardian] are reminded of something, however distant from or unrelated to the topic at hand, they mention it. And often this reminds others of something else, who then mention that. And so the conversation goes from topic to topic, by contiguity rather than implication, like a row of dominoes, each toppling the next… no single topic is pursued at length, and issues, if surfaced, tend not to get settled. [Such people] are very good at this sort of small talk, something [people expressing Rational] are very poor at… [K] 

Furthermore, the Guardian pattern is associated with remembering facts (what some would consider trivia):

On topics that interest them, [people expressing Guardian] are able to store an enormous fund of facts, which they will call up and, again, freely associate in conversation. They can remember people’s names, birthdays, the names of the friends’ parents and children, how those children are doing at school, who their relatives’ friends are, who’s gotten what job, who’s recently been born or has died (when, and of what), the date, time, and location of family, social, or civic events, and so on, one bit of information easily calling forth another. [K] 

Berens reiterates this point:

In the Guardian pattern, concrete language often references the past, the sequences of events, or how one fact is linked to another. 

Another aspect of the speech patterns associated with the Guardian temperament is an orthodox tendency, favouring both time honoured phrases, and local sayings:

[People strongly expressing Guardian] tend to use a rather conventional vocabulary and phrasing, often throwing in old sayings, proverbs, and adages (particularly about value and amount) such as “a penny saved is a penny earned,” “a stitch in time saves nine”, “one bad apple spoils the barrel”, or “it’s either feast or famine” [as well as using] words and sentences common to the area they call home. [K] 

The focus on their home region is critical to understanding the Guardian pattern; as we shall see later, a core need associated with this pattern is that of membership – and this need to belong means that people strongly expressing Guardian generally stay in the area they grow up unless other forces tear them away.

Concrete language is common to the Artisan pattern as well, but the language use associated with Artisan is less structured, and more focussed on immediate events (or the near future), with none of the tendency for quoting maxims or recalling trivia. 

The second aspect of the basic profile is a bias towards an Affiliative approach, that is, towards identifying with other people, and particularly with organisations and their appointed leaders – that is, with favouring the group over the individual:

For the Guardian pattern, affiliative roles have clear lines of responsibility and authority. This makes it easy to know where we belong and how we fit in. The concern is to maintain the group. 

The method by which the group is maintained from the perspective of the Guardian pattern is upholding the socially agreed rules:

[People strongly expressing Guardian] work hard to make and enforce the laws that govern actions, insisting that only by establishing and obeying rules and regulations can we hope to maintain civil order, and thus safeguard our homes, communities and businesses… 

[Their] grasp of regulation is exceeded only by their faith in regulation as the cornerstone of society. [Those expressing Guardian] have confidence that legal authority is the only proper means of sanctioning action or solving problems, and indeed, the numerous laws, bylaws, codes, ordinances, statutes and charters found in every community or institution exist for [them] as the best hope of maintaining civil order. [K] 

This focus on rules and law is in marked difference from the focus of the other temperament patterns – the Artisan and Rational pattern favour a more pragmatic approach, which will take precedence over any obstructionist rule encountered, while the Idealist pattern shares the Affiliative focus but is unconcerned with rules, being more interested in ensuring that individuals know themselves, and have the freedom to express their unique identities.

This is not to suggest that only people expressing Guardian will be law abiding – those that do not express Guardian are either quietly thankful that there are people out there maintaining order; observe the rules as long as it is to their benefit (especially in the case of expression of Artisan); or (often in the case of expression of Rational) harbour rather grandiose notions of how things should be run, with little or no capability to implement or enforce such wild ideas. 

(Anyone who has lived in a house with peers who express Guardian will have encountered this rule-based approach to life through such people's attempts to regulate household chores, often by means of a rota or some other agreed distribution of labour).

The third and final aspect of the basic Guardian profile is a focus on Structure, which further underlines the influence of rules and law on this temperament:

In the Guardian pattern, the interest in structure is concrete and procedural, Guardian structures provide rules, norms, roles, and responsibilities. Examples include sequential outlines, family tress, and organisational charts. These structures serve to inform others about what is appropriate and what can be expected. 

This focus on Structure is shared with the Rational pattern, but as we have already seen, the abstract language use associated with the Rational temperament leads to very different interests. The Guardian pattern is associated with maintaining rules and laws, while the Rational pattern is more interested in uncovering the laws of nature (as in science) or creating systems of rules (as in game design). 

The Guardian pattern's association with upholding rules and law may sometimes seem officious to those who do not express Guardian to any great degree, but it should not be doubted that in general terms those who express Guardian firmly believe they have the best interests of their family, organisation, town or country at heart, as we shall see by examining the type of intelligence associated with this pattern. 


2. The Logistical Intellect

According to Temperament Theory, each of the patterns is associated with a particularly kind of intelligence. The Guardian temperament is related to Logistical thinking: 

Logistics is the procurement, distribution, service, and replacement of material goods. Logistics is vital to the success of any institution – a business, a household, a school, an army – and [people expressing Guardian] can be enormously creative in seeing to it that the right personnel have the right supplies in the right place at the right time to get the job done.

[Such people] care about being reliable, particularly in the maintenance and continuity of materiel. In other words, [they] are less interested in fitting things together in new ways than in holding things together as they are… [Anyone that expresses the Guardian pattern] knows as well as others that change is inevitable, necessary, and even, on occasion, desirable; but it should be resisted when it is at the expense of old standby products and time-tested ways of the institutions that have served us well. Better that change occur through slow evolution than sudden revolution. [K] 

Without the Guardian pattern as a force working to maintain the agreed upon procedures, any large organisation simply could not function. Society in a very real sense depends upon logistics for its function:

[People expressing this pattern] excel at noticing when something required or agreed upon is not done and then following up to make sure it happens. Regulatory activities within society such as conserving, policing, guarding, counting, stabilising, and ritualising often come under their jurisdiction. They recognise that establishing and articulating the rules, sanctions, standard operating procedures, timelines, predictable routines, and protocol makes things easier for people and institutions. 

Berens summarise the talents behind logistics quite succinctly:

[Those who express Guardian] masterfully get the right things, 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. [They] know how things have always been done, and so they anticipate where things can go wrong. They have a knack for attending to rules, procedures, and protocol. They make sure the correct information is assembled and presented to the right people. 

When the Guardian pattern is supported by the Rational pattern, the focus of logistics tends to become administration:

Tough-minded [people expressing Guardian] are particularly interested in the role of administrator, that is, they are given to regulating those procedures and products in their charge in the light of a standard of performance. These administrators are the directive [side of the Guardian pattern], which means that their first instinct is to take charge and tell others what to do. [K] 

In general terms, this side of Logistical thinking can be understood as maintaining standards. Faced with operational problems, the logistical intellect can establish or standardise policies that will provide stability for the group, and oversee the implementation of these procedures, monitoring the plan as it is executed. This administrative side of logistics includes investigating what has happened before, examining and assessing the situation, before instructing how to meet the required standards.

Examples include the management of any organisation (such as project managers, office managers, factory supervisors, school principals and so forth), highly procedural financial work (such as accounting and stockbrokers) as well as government and law enforcement roles (such as police officers and civil servants). 

Conversely, when the Guardian pattern is supported by the Idealist pattern, the focus of logistics tends to become people and not procedures:

The friendly [expression of Guardian is seen in people who] are prone to choose the part of the conservator, that person whose job it is to support institutions by insuring the supply and security of those persons and properties they are responsible for. In their support role, [these people] tend to be more informative than directive, giving information – reports, accounts, records and so on – first, and giving orders only as a last resort… [K]

In general terms, this side of Logistical thinking can be understood as providing support. Faced with people in need, the logistical intellect determines what is required and supplies it, whether in terms of providing service and care, or protecting against danger, dirt or decay. This side of logistics attends to people’s comforts, and aims to make things easier for others, while sheltering and protecting in order to ensure people’s safety and general well-being. 

Examples include all manner of secretarial work, the role of a librarian or curator, shop keeping (and other sales positions, including telemarketing or insurance sales), caterers and other providers of food and drink, as well as roles reflecting direct care (such as teachers, counsellors, social workers, and child care providers), not to mention religious roles such as minister, priest, imam or rabbi, all of whom support the needs of their community in their own way.


3. Motivations 

Those who express the Guardian temperament as their primary pattern feel a powerful drive to belong. This need for group membership is not necessarily consciously known, but it is essential to the expression of this pattern:

[Those who express Guardian] like to be included in what’s going on. Thus, they find membership in family, groups, and organisations satisfying. They often view organisations as either families or armies united for some useful purpose. 

Keirsey suggests that this need to belong is a defence against insecurity:

Perhaps hoping in some degree to fulfil their search for security, [people expressing Guardian] are prone to join a number of social and civil groups. Maintaining their membership status in such groups is fundamental to [their] character; it is not too much to say that [people expressing Guardian] actually yearn to belong, needing each and every day to confirm that they are a member-in-good-standing. To this end, [such people], far more than others, create and foster the social arm of the institutions they serve: the church auxiliary, the PTA, the community service club, the lodge, the municipal or political organisation, the professional association. [K] 

As mentioned in the above quote, it is insufficient for someone expressing this pattern simply to earn membership – it is vital that they are seen as dependable, respectable and responsible. Their self-esteem depends upon this:

[For those people strongly expressing Guardian] self-esteem is greatest when they present themselves as dependable, trustworthy, or accountable in shouldering their responsibilities. “No matter what,” says [such a person], “you can count on me to fulfil my obligations and to honour my contracts.”

Self-confidence can be a problem for [them, however]. More than others, [such people] are innately modest, unassuming, even self-effacing – and putting themselves forward comes perilously close to showing off, a kind of behaviour which they find truly repugnant. But if having confidence in themselves is difficult for [such people], being respected by others is a great comfort, and public recognition is indeed the foundation of their self-confidence. Such recognition usually comes in the form of physical tokens of respect such as plaques, certificates, awards, and diplomas. [K]

This desire for responsible behaviour can become extended to others: 

Above all others, [people expressing Guardian] value the presence of order, lawfulness, security, propriety, bonds, and contracts. Activities that foster these principles keep life simple and insure the continuance of the world as it is known. 

Likewise the virtues of dependability, responsibility, obedience, compliance, and cooperation are necessary in their world, as these virtues add up to everyone contributing his or her fair share to the common good. As those who tend to make constant comparisons, [such people] are often concerned about everyone carrying a fair portion of the load for benefits received. 

Indeed, the Guardian pattern is preoccupied with morality – determining right from wrong:

[People expressing Guardian], even as children, feel responsible for the morality of their group, whether it be their family, their classmates, or their circle of friends. And they are never able to shake off that responsibility, even if they sometimes what to. 

The combination of a focus on morality and a need to belong is probably the reason that so many people who express Guardian tend to practice the dominant religion of their culture. In the The combination of a focus on morality and a need to belong is probably the reason that so many people who express Guardian tend to practice the dominant religion of their culture. 


4. Problems 

Everyone is stressed by different circumstances; one of the advantages of looking at behaviour in terms of the patterns of Temperament Theory is the capacity to identify different stressing factors that relate to the patterns. 

According to Berens, those who express the Guardian temperament strongly are stressed by both a lack of belonging, and the insubordination of others: 

Abandonment, exclusion, disrespect for authority, dereliction, and disobedience, all of which threaten the common bond, are particularly offensive and stressful to [people expressing Guardian]. [K] 

When stressed, such a person will complain to those around them (often privately), especially using words such as “sick”, “tired”, “sorry” or “worried”. This stress can be alleviated by the person in question being included in activities, or in current news (or gossip), or by expressions of appreciation such as the plaques and certificates mentioned previously. Alternatively, membership in a new organisation can help alleviate the stresses of the Guardian pattern.

A certain pessimism is also associated with the Guardian pattern:

Because so many of their efforts are holding actions, trying to maintain the status quo in fast-paced, ever-changing situations, [those who express Guardian] have learned to expect the worst. To be sure, even the most cursory glance at [someone strongly expressing Guardian] will detect a streak of pessimism colouring their attitude… they cannot easily shake off their worries about all the possible things that can, and often do, go wrong. After all, the Murphy’s of this world – surely [people expressing Guardian] -are the makers of the laws of pessimism. Remember Murphy’s Law, which says “whatever can go wrong will.” There are many variants of this basic law, such as “everything costs more and takes longer,” and Olsen’s addendum, “Murphy’s Law is optimistic.” [K] 

Oddly, Berens notes that many people expressing Guardian see themselves as optimistic, and that their pessimistic side may not be apparent to them:

[People expressing Guardian] frequently portray a mood of concern. While they see themselves as optimistic, the unknowns of the future invariably disrupt their world and give them plenty of experiences that can sometimes foster a pessimistic point of view. 

Keirsey suggests that this pessimism is not necessarily negative:

Above all else, [such people] are prepared, and even though many of their preparations are for things to go wrong, we must not conclude that they are gloomily forecasting calamity and disaster. Rather, we might see them as being realistic about setbacks and shortages. [K] 

Conversely, however, if this pessimistic outlook is not kept in balance it can develop into depression, especially if the membership needs of the individual are not being met:

Kretschmer was first to take a careful look at the dark side of character and he named [those who express Guardian] “Depressives”… seeing them as somber, doleful, and solemn... If [such people] are forced by untoward circumstances to become downcast for no apparent reason, it is because they are beset by strong negative feelings that overwhelm them and render them immobile and helpless. [K] 

Another problem associated with the Guardian pattern is a tendency towards blind trust in authority:

[Those who strongly express Guardian] trust authority. They believe in a hierarchical structure of authority – rule from the top down. They believe there should be subordination and superordination, that the actions of members of communities, schools, churches, and corporations, but also of families, should be governed by those in the highest positions… Moreover, [such people] have an abiding trust in the heads of church and state, and popes and pontiffs, presidents and prime ministers, and royalty of all types seem to capture their trust and their loyalty. [K] 

When such figures are worthy of this trust, the support of people expressing Guardian is what allows these systems to achieve their goals, and in this regard this trust can be admirable. But when the figures are unworthy of such respect, it can be exceptionally difficult to convince such people that there is a problem:

They trust hierarchy and authority and may be surprised when others go against these social structures. This blind trust in authority presents a possible explanation for the results of the famous Milgram experiment, in which some two thirds of participants were willing to administer what would have been a lethal electrical charge because they were told to do so. Since demographic studies show that 50-60% of the population display the Guardian pattern as either a primary or secondary pattern, the result of Milgram’s experiment seems less surprising in this perspective – although no less shocking. 

A possible defence against this problem of “only following orders” is to encourage those who express Guardian to temper their loyalty with the scepticism of the Rational pattern, the empathy of the Idealist pattern, or the drive for freedom associated with the Artisan pattern, since we all have the capacity to express all four patterns to various degrees.


Conclusion 

The Guardian temperament is defined as concrete affiliation with a focus on organisation. It drives those affected by it to seek membership and responsibility, and to trust in the authority of those institutions they have allied themselves with. The logistical intellect associated with this pattern is capable of establishing and maintaining procedures, as well as supplying support and protection. This intellect appears to be the force behind the law, commerce and the noble tradition of libraries.*

*Stressed by feelings of exclusion, or by the insubordination of others, the Guardian temperament is associated with pessimism and when it is out of balance, depression. Caught between a genuine desire to do what is good, and a need to be a dutiful and responsible member of the institutions and cultures they belong to, there is a danger that someone expressing Guardian will do what they are told without question. Nonetheless, the very fabric of society depends upon the assistance, protection and support of those that express the Guardian pattern, without whom none of the daily comforts we take for granted would be possible. *


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## Stephen

Adding a source for this:

Only a Game: Guardian


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## Liontiger

Wow. This is really great.


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## northernlady

Good or Bad it does describe me almost perfectly- accountant formerly in law enforcement, living in the city I was born in and fiercely loyal to my family and friends. But there is a side that isn't mentioned-- even when having fun doing something I still focus on doing it right be it dancing, gaming, target practice etc. Oh and I dislike trying to do new things in front of people, I want to be able to do it well before going public.


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## Senexx

Doesn't describe me perfectly as I'm more flexible these days with 'established rules' dependent on circumstance and context but otherwise it does give me a bit of insight into myself. That group affiliation part and potential depression rings true.


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## Happy29

Gosh, that sounds accurate! The part about saying I'm an optimist and really being a pessimist is me 110%. :crazy:


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## grumpytiger

Eh I don't relate to the sp-instinct bits about weather, housing etc. beyond the minimum level of interest. 

I relate to the concrete language but I don't relate to the tangential reminiscing much. Seems draining. I DO relate to linking concrete facts to each other, though and do recall absorbed facts easily when relevant to the situation. I could be more structured sometimes in my language use because I am nonverbal by default but once I switched properly to the verbal mode, I am good at this.

Not interested in relatives's relatives and friends and whatever, that seems like an SFJ thing, lol. Not interested in social/civic events either but my ISFJ mom is. 

The law-based orientation fits decently well, but I often choose to exist outside the system to a degree. I am not sure how comfortable I am with that. It's just how my circumstances are... I can see advantages too to it, though. I do enjoy those advantages. But then a lot of aspects will always bother me, subtly in the background but still eternally bothering me.

In a house full of "Guardians", I won't be the one to regulate the chores, and I will be pretty neutral about the whole thing with chores (sp-instinct) but I will follow the regulations alright if needed.

Oh and yes, concrete structure with responsibilities and organization of such. I definitely relate to this bit... Logistical thinking is totally alright by me.

Less interested in the pure focus on sp-instinct, again ("maintenance and continuity of materiel"), but I will do it where needed, I am neutral about it on the whole, I prefer it to be automatic habit. 

And yes, I notice and ensure that agreements/regulations are kept (preferably not directly about the sp-instinct stuff but that's okay too, as I said I am neutral about it on the whole). I am on the whole mostly goal-oriented but this stuff is somehow still important and inherent in things for me. 

And no blind trust in the authority in hierarchy even though otherwise I find such structures natural. No blind trust specifically means I don't really bother with worrying about whether authority is right or wrong, by default I just accept it as part of things in the world, but if it gets in my way I will follow my own head, not authority, if I can get away with it.

As for the bit on belonging... I never truly belonged anywhere lol. As I said above, it has advantages and disadvantages being outside the system so often. Also, if I'm to belong somewhere, I'd rather do it by focusing on necessary tasks, not emotionally, please. By the task focus it is quite natural though, really. I just never got to the point where I could say I *truly* belonged...

@northernlady yeahh where you say: "But there is a side that isn't mentioned-- even when having fun doing something I still focus on doing it right be it dancing, gaming, target practice etc. Oh and I dislike trying to do new things in front of people, I want to be able to do it well before going public." - these really fit me too.


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## ShushFox

Hey OP, mind making the font a bit bigger?


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