Oldham's
Personality Styles
Introduction
In 1984, John Oldham M.D. began
work on a personality system for normally healthy people based on
the neurotic categories of the psychiatrist's "bible",
the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,
referred to in shorthand as DSM. The first edition (DSM-I) was
published in 1952, DSM-II in 1968, DSM-III in 1980, DSM-III-R in
1987, and finally the latest, DSM-IV in 1994. Dr. Oldham worked
on the committee for DSM-IV and is one of the leading
psychiatrists in the United States. Currently, there are 14
different styles (or types) in Oldham's system. I have added 2
extra styles devised by Dave Kelly, since I feel they are worthy additions to
the system.
Our personality is comprised of
these 16 styles, each exerting a certain influence over us. Some
styles play heavily in our personality, others are virtually
non-existent. Some people have no predominant style and are
instead very well-rounded. Still, everyone has one style that is
predominant, and we can refer to that as what I call the basic
style. The few styles immediately behind the basic style, but
also play an important role in your personality are what I have
termed supporting styles. In most people, there is one basic
style with about 2-5 supporting styles, and the rest of the
styles play a moderate to zero influence.
Links
To take a test for this system,
read more about it, or discuss it, the following links are highly
recommended.
Tests
A and B - Test B is
probably the most accurate around.
Test
C - Another test, but the
results have been found questionable by many.
PTypes - A very large site which features type
correlations, celebrity types, analyzations, and more.
Jan's
Forum - The largest
discussion site for Oldham's styles, along with the Enneagram and
Myers-Briggs.
Descriptions
The following descriptions are
from the highly-recommended book The
New Personality Self-Portrait by John Oldham and Lois Morris. If you are
interested in this personality system, the book is vital for
understanding it. The two add-on styles called Inventive and
Artistic were created by Dave Kelly, based on the Compensatory
Narcissistic and Cyclothymic personality disorders, respectively.
The word in bold is the name of
the personality style. Code refers to the three-letter shorthand
code I devised for quick written communication of the styles.
Disorder refers to the corresponding disorder in DSM-IV. The
Enneagram, Enneagram Variant, Myers-Briggs, and Primary Function
rough equivalents according to myself are given. The MB types and
Functions may not match each other accordingly, but they each
match the Oldham style. Then there is a brief description of the
style, followed by an outline of its traits, written by Oldham
and Morris, with the exception of Inventive style description by
Dave Kelly and the Artistic style descriptions by Dave Kelly and
Cory Caplinger.
Adventurous - Aggressive - Artistic - Conscientious - Devoted - Dramatic - Idiosyncratic - Inventive - Leisurely - Mercurial - Self-Confident - Self-Sacrificing - Sensitive - Serious - Solitary - Vigilant
Adventurous
Code: ADV
Disorder: Antisocial
Enneagram: 7w8, 8w7
Variant: Sexual
Myers-Briggs: ESTP, ISTP
Function: Extraverted Sensing
Description: Throw
caution to the winds -- here comes the Adventurer. Who but
Adventurers would have taken those long leaps for mankind --
crossed the oceans, broken the sound barrier, walked on the moon?
The men and women with this personality style venture where most
mortals fear to tread. They are not bound by the same terrors and
worries that limit most of us. They live on the edge, challenging
boundaries and restrictions, pitting themselves for better or for
worse in a thrilling game against their own mortality. No risk,
no reward, they say. Indeed, for people with the Adventurous
personality style, the risk is the reward.
Nonconformity. Men and
women who have the Adventurous personality style live by
their own internal code of values. They are not strongly
influenced by other people or by the norms of society.
Challenge. To live is
to dare. Adventurers love the thrill of risk and
routinely engage in high-risk activities.
Mutual independence.
They do not worry too much about others, for they expect
each human being to be responsible for him- or herself.
Persuasiveness. They
are silver-tongued, gifted in the gentle art of winning
friends and influencing people.
Wanderlust. They love
to keep moving. They settle down only to have the urge to
pick up and go, explore, move out, move on. They do not
worry about finding work, and live well by their talents,
skills, ingenuity, and wits.
Wild oats. In their
childhood and adolescence, people with the Adventurous
personality style were usually high-spirited hell-raisers
and mischief makers.
True grit. They are
courageous, physically bold, and tough. They will stand
up to anyone who dares to take advantage of them.
No regrets.
Adventurers live in the present. They do not feel guilty
about the past or anxious about the future. Life is meant
to be experienced now.
Aggressive
Code: AGG
Disorder: Sadistic (removed from DSM-IV's personality disorders)
Enneagram: 8w7
Variant: Social
Myers-Briggs: ESTJ, ENTJ
Function: Extraverted Thinking
Description: Who's the
boss? The Aggressive type, of course. While others may aspire to
leadership, Aggressive men and women move instinctively to the
helm. They are born to assume command as surely as is the top dog
in their pack. Theirs is a strong, forceful personality style,
more inherently powerful than any of the others. They can
undertake huge responsibilities without fear of failure. They
wield power with ease. They never back away from a fight. They
compete with the supreme confidence of champions. How these
individuals use the power that seems always at their fingertips
depends on other styles in their patterns. When put to the
service of a greater good, the Aggressive personality style can
inspire a man or woman to great leadership, especially in times
of crisis.
Command. Aggressive
individuals take charge. They are comfortable with power,
authority, and responsibility.
Hierarchy. They
operate best within a traditional power structure where
everyone knows his or her place and the lines of
authority are clear.
Tight ship. They are
highly disciplined and impose rules of order that they
expect others in their charge to follow.
Expedience. Aggressive
men and women are highly goal-directed. They take a
practical, pragmatic approach to accomplishing their
objectives. They do what is necessary to get the job
done.
Guts. They are neither
squeamish nor fainthearted. They can function well and
bravely in difficult and dangerous situations without
being distracted by fear or horror.
The rough-and-tumble.
Aggressive people like action and adventure. They are
physically assertive and often participate in or enjoy
playing competitive sports, especially contact sports.
Artistic
Code: ART
Disorder: Cyclothymic (an affective disorder in DSM-IV)
Enneagram: 7
Variant: Sexual
Myers-Briggs: ESFP, ISFP
Function: Extraverted Sensing
The following description* was
written by Cory Caplinger. Based on information provided by PTypes.
- Mood
swings. Shifts from a moderately upbeat, outgoing,
creative character to a withdrawn and sullen depressive
one. When in a high state, they can be highly productive,
original, humorous, and engaging. During a low state they
become self-absorbed, pessimistic, apathetic, and may
resort to substance abuse. The mood swings happen
regularly in cycles, are similar to bipolar
(manic-depression) disorder, but not as extreme in the
polarity, and also the mood changes in the Artistic
personality are usually more so the result of within the
person and not triggered by external circumstances.
- Artistic
inclinations. People of this style often involve
themselves in some sort of creative output. They may go
into a state of inspiration where artistic production is
strong then fall into an apathetic daze, where it becomes
difficult, almost unbearable to create art. Since they
have a grasp on many corners of the human personality,
they have an advantage at expressing the nuances of a
particular viewpoint. Many of the world's great artists
have had this character style.
- Unpredictability.
They may take up new plans, jobs, residences, etc. out of
impulse. They despise routine and love improvising,
stimulation, and new experiences.
- Feeling-oriented.
Their impulses and feelings control their lives and
dictate their appearance and decisions. They rarely make
decisions through a systematic, logical follow-through
approach but instead base it on their current mood.
- Relationship
difficulties. Relationships can be trying for these
people. They may become promiscuous, unfaithful, or
difficult to handle.
- Low
self-control. They have a difficulty saying
"no" to themselves with their appetite. They
may go on shopping sprees, binge on food or drink, give
into sexual compulsions, etc. Afterwards, they may feel
guilty about it and restrict themselves from pleasure.
- Shaky
self-confidence. Can swing from delusions of
grandeur and superiority, and feeling very confident in
oneself, to a loss of self-esteem and hopeless despair.
The following
description* was written by Dave Kelly. Bibliography can be found
here.
- Mood
swings. Those of the Artistic temperament tend to
experience a greater range of emotion than those of any
other type. They are highly emotionally reactive.
- Artistic
inclinations. The Artistic type is the most inclined
of all the types to be involved with the fine arts,
music, or literature (Keirsey, 204). They take an
artistic approach to all aspects of their lives.
- Independent
work. Like "the majority of poets, novelists,
composers, and to a lesser extent, of painters and
sculptors," those of the Artistic type "are
bound to spend a great deal of their time alone (Storr,
ix)."
- Relationships
secondary. Those of the Artistic temperament
"are quite likely to choose relationships which will
further their work rather than relationships which are
intrinsically rewarding, and their spouses may well find
that marital relations take second place (Storr,
107)."
- Great
productivity. Persons of the Artistic type are
highly disciplined, gifted with superior powers of
concentration, and capable of producing great quantities
of high quality work; they also enjoy frequent periods of
recreation and inactivity.
- Disinhibition.
They are hedonistic and impulsive; "they live
Epicurean lives in the here and now, and as gracefully as
possible (Keirsey, 204)."
- Keen
perceptions. The Artistic temperament is especially
attuned to color, line, texture, shading - touch, motion,
seeing, and hearing in harmony. The senses of Artistic
individuals seem more keenly tuned than those of others
(Keirsey, 205).
- Kindness.
(Keirsey, 205). Although those of the Artistic type may
adopt an aggressive, tough exterior, they are remarkably
gentle, kind, and generous.
- Extroversion
and introversion. The interpersonal conduct of those
of the Artistic type alternates between the greatest
extremes of sociability and social reticence .
- Love of
nature. In many individuals of the Artistic type
there "may be found an instinctive longing for the
natural, the pastoral, the bucolic. They are quite at
home in the wilds, and nature seems to welcome them
(Keirsey, 206)."
*The description written by
Caplinger focuses on the average health and neurotic traits of
the Artistic personality, whereas Kelly's description focuses on
the healthy traits and the Artistic personality at its best.
Conscientious
Code: CNS
Disorder: Obsessive-Compulsive
Enneagram: 1, 6 (prussian), 3
Variant: Self-Preservational
Myers-Briggs: ISTJ, ESTJ
Function: Introverted Sensing
Description: Call them
the backbone of America. Conscientious-style people are the men
and women of strong moral principle and absolute certainty, and
they won't rest until the job is done and done right. They are
loyal to their families, their causes, and their superiors. Hard
work is a hallmark of this personality style; Conscientious types
achieve. No accomplished doctor, lawyer, scientist, or
business executive could get far without a substantial amount of
Conscientious style in his or her personality pattern. Neither
could a computer whiz, an efficient housekeeper, an accountant, a
straight-A student, a good secretary -- or anyone else who works
hard to do well. The Conscientious personality style flourishes
within cultures such as ours in which the work ethic thrives.
Conscientious traits -- hard work, prudence, conventionality --
may even confer a longevitity advantage. We address this style
first among the fourteen because the Conscientious style is
adaptable, common, and thus likely to be a principal component of
many diverse personality profiles. Indeed, within our society so
wide a range of Conscientious behaviors is considered normal,
even admirable, that it may be hard to draw the line between the
Conscientious personality style and the Obsessive-Compulsive
personality disorder (p. 77) that marks its extreme. What are we
to say about the man or woman who always takes a briefcase filled
with work along on a vacation? Is he or she a workaholic who
can't relax and is headed for an early heart attack? Or this a
person who loves to work, thrives on challenge, and is bound for
great things in his or her career? That depends on whether the
style enriches the six domains of this person's life or controls
and distorts them.
Hard work. The
Conscientious person is dedicated to work, works very
hard, and is capable of intense, single-minded effort.
The right thing. To be
Conscientious is to be a person of conscience. These are
men and women of strong moral principles and values.
Opinions and beliefs on any subject are rarely held
lightly. Conscientious individuals want to do the right
thing.
The right way.
Everything must be done "right," and the
Conscientious person has a clear understanding of what
that means, from the correct way to balance the
checkbook, to the best strategy to achieve the boss's
objectives, to how to fit every single dirty dish into
the dishwasher.
Perfectionism. The
Conscientious person likes all tasks and projects to be
complete to the final detail, without even minor flaws.
Perseverance. They
stick to their convictions and opinions. Opposition only
serves to strengthen their dogged determination.
Order and detail.
Conscientious people like the appearance of orderliness
and tidiness. They are good organizers, catalogers, and
list makers. No detail is too small for Conscientious
consideration.
Prudence. Thrifty,
careful, and cautious in all areas of their lives,
Conscientious individuals do not give in to reckless
abandon or wild excess.
Accumulation. A
"pack rat," the Conscientious person saves and
collects things, reluctant to discard anything that has,
formerly had, or someday may have value for him or her.
Devoted
Code: DEV
Disorder: Dependent
Enneagram: 9
Variant: Sexual
Myers-Briggs: ISFJ, ESFJ
Function: Extraverted Feeling
Description:
Devoted types care, and that's what makes their lives
worth living. You won't find anyone more loving, more solicitous
of you, more concerned for your needs and feelings or for those
of a group as a whole. At their best, individuals with this style
are loyal, considerate, ever-so-helpful players on the team --
whether it is a couple, the family, the assembly line, the
department, the religious or charitable organization, or the
military unit. Their needs are those of the group or of its
leader, and their happiness comes from the fulfillment of others'
directives and goals. Devoted people are the ones who tell you,
"I'm happy if you're happy" -- and mean it. The Devoted
style is common in our society, and it occurs among both men and
women. Traditionally this helping and giving personality style
has been particularily encouraged and approved among women. The
customary view of the good wife has been that of a tender-hearted
Devoted woman who lives through her husband and relies on him to
make the worldly decisions for her, while she dedicates herself
to providing a fulfilling home life for the family. As views of
women's roles change in this society, some women with this
personality style may have mixed feelings about expressing it.
Because of today's cultural pressures on women to step out of the
shadows of other people, both in and out of the home, they may
feel that wanting to make someone else happy is something to be
ashamed of. While these women struggle to come to terms with all
sides of their personality patterns, more men are feeling freer
to enjoy their own domestic, nurturing Devoted tendencies. In any
case, as we will see throughout this chapter, the Devoted
personality plays itself out in many ways in the personality
profiles of males as well as females, traditional and otherwise.
Commitment.
Individuals with the Devoted personality style are
thoroughly dedicated to the relationships in their lives.
They place the highest value on sustained relationships,
they respect the institution of marriage as well as
unofficial avowals of commitment, and they work hard to
keep their relationships together.
Togetherness. They
prefer the company of one or more people to being alone.
Teamwork. People with
this personality style would rather follow than lead.
They are cooperative and respectful of authority and
institutions. They easily rely on others and take
direction well.
Deference. When making
decisions, they are happy to seek out others' opinions
and to follow their advice.
Harmony. Devoted
individuals are careful to promote good feelings between
themselves and the important people in their lives. To
promote harmony, they tend to be polite, agreeable, and
tactful.
Consideration. They
are thoughtful of others and good at pleasing them.
Devoted people will endure personal discomfort to do a
good turn for the key people in their lives.
Attachment.
Relationships provide life's meaning for this personality
style. Even after a painful loss of someone around whom
their life was centered, they are able to form new
meaningful bonds.
Dramatic
Code: DRA
Disorder: Histrionic
Enneagram: 2w3, 7w6
Variant: Social
Myers-Briggs: ESFJ, ESFP
Function: Extraverted Feeling
Description: Dramatic
types are all heart. They have been granted the gift of feeling,
with which they color the lives of everyone around them. When
possessed of great talent, Dramatic men and women can transform
human emotion into the highest art form. Even in their daily
lives, their wit, their laughter, their sense of beauty, their
flamboyance, and their sensuality can lift the spirits of a
roomful of strangers. All the world's a stage for individuals
with this very common personality style. Life is never dull or
boring for them and certainly not for those who share it with
them. Dramatic people fill their world with excitement; things happen
in their lives.
Feelings. Dramatic men
and women live in an emotional world. They are sensation
oriented, emotionally demonstrative, and physically
affectionate, They react emotionally to events and can
shift quickly from mood to mood.
Color. They experience
life vividly and expansively. They have rich
imaginations, they tell entertaining stories, and they
are drawn to romance and melodrama.
Attention. Dramatic
people like to be seen and noticed. They are often the
center of attention, and they rise to the occasion when
all eyes are on them.
Appearance. They pay a
lot of attention to grooming, and they enjoy clothes,
style, and fashion.
Sexual attraction. In
appearance and behavior, Dramatic individuals enjoy their
sexuality. They are seductive, engaging, charming
tempters and temptresses.
Engagement. Easily
putting their trust in others, they are able to become
quickly involved in relationships.
The spirit is willing.
People with Dramatic personality style eagerly respond to
new ideas and suggestions from others.
Idiosyncratic
Code: IDI
Disorder: Schizotypal
Enneagram: 5w4, 4w5
Variant: Sexual
Myers-Briggs: INTJ, INTP
Function: Introverted Intuition
Description:
Idiosyncratic men and women are not like anyone else. They are
dreamers, seekrs of the spirit, visionaries, mystics. They march
to a distinctive beat, different from the conventional rhythms
that most people follow. They are true originals and often they
stand out, sometimes as eccentrics, sometimes as geniuses.
Inner life.
Idiosyncratic individuals are tuned in to and sustained
by their own feelings and belief systems, whether or not
others accept or understand their particular worldview or
approach to life.
Own world. They are
self-directed and independent, requiring few close
relationships.
Own thing. Oblivious
to convention, Idiosyncratic individuals create
interesting, unusual, often eccentric lifestyles.
Expanded reality. Open
to anything, they are interested in the occult, the
extrasensory, and the supernatural.
Metaphysics. They are
drawn to abstract and speculative thinking.
Outward view. Though
they are inner-directed and follow their own hearts and
minds, Idiosyncratic men and women are keen observers of
others, particularly sensitive to how other people react
to them.
Inventive
Code: INV
Disorder: Compensatory Narcissistic (not a personality disorder
in DSM-IV)
Enneagram: 3w4, 4w3
Variant: Social
Myers-Briggs: ENFP, ENTP
Function: Extraverted Intuition
The following description was
written by Dave Kelly. A bibliography can be found here.
Description: The
following ten traits and characteristics are typical of the
Inventive personality type.
- Idealized self-image.
Individuals of the Inventive type develop highly
idealized images of themselves with which they identify
and which they love. The person is his idealized self and
seems to adore it (Glad, 494).
- Subdued demeanor.
Persons of the Inventive type are energetic, but
phlegmatic in temperament. "They can be quiet,
rather private, subdued in demeanor, and have artistic
interests and aesthetic sensibilities (Riso, 102)."
- Attention. Individuals
of the Inventive type have a tendency to behave in such a
way as to attract attention. "They can be subtle
show-offs, but show-offs nonetheless (Riso, 103)."
- Openness to culture.
The Inventive person has unusual thought processes,
values intellectual matters, and judges in unconventional
terms. He or she is aesthetically reactive and has a wide
range of interests (McCrae and John).
- Intelligence.
"Intelligence will typically be emphasized in their
self-images and social dealings." They put great
stock in their ideas and demand that others do likewise
(Riso, 103).
- Competence. The faith
of those of the Inventive type is "in their ability
to improvise something, and they display an unusual
talent for rising to the expediency of a situation
(Keirsey, 184)." Their focus is on competent
excellence in performance.
- Innovation. The
Inventive type maintains an independent view and is
"the most reluctant of all the types to do things in
a particular manner just because that is the way things
always have been done (Keirsey, 183)." They are
inventors and innovators.
- Cleverness. They are
mentally bright and quick-witted. For those of the
Inventive type "to be taken in, to be manipulated by
another, is humiliating; this offends their joy in being
masters of the art of oneupmanship (Keirsey, 185)."
- Status. They are
highly competitive in pursuit of success and prestige.
They want very much to be outstanding in some way (Riso,
103), to gain recognition, even fame and glory.
- Self-consciousness
Persons of the Inventive type look to others for approval
(Reich, 47). They are very conscious of how others treat
them (Riso, 103) and highly sensitive to criticism
(Oldham, 89) and negative evaluation.
Leisurely
Code: LEI
Disorder: Passive-Aggressive
Enneagram: 6, 9w8
Variant: Self-Preservational
Myers-Briggs: ISTP, INTP
Function: Introverted Feeling
Description: Free to be
me -- no one can take away this right from a person who has a
Leisurely personality style. These men and women play by the
rules and fulfill their responsibilities and obligations. But
once they've put in their time, they will let no person,
institution, or culture deprive hem of their personal pursuit of
happiness, for to the Leisurely person this is what life is all
about. Some Leisurely individuals find their happiness through
creative pursuits, some by relaxing with a good book. What's
important to them is not how they choose to enjoy themselves but
that they are guaranteed this opportunity. If threatened, these
normally easy-going individuals will vigorously defend their
fundamental right to do their "own thing".
Inalienable rights.
Leisurely men and women believe in their right to enjoy
themselves on their own terms in their own time. They
value and protect their comfort, their free time, and
their individual pursuit of happiness.
Enough is enough. They
agree to play by the rules. They deliver what is expected
of them and no more. They expect others to recognize and
respect that limit.
The right to resist.
Leisurely individuals cannot be exploited. They can
comfortably resist acceding to demands that they deem
unreasonable or above and beyond the call of duty.
Maņana. Leisurely
men and women are relaxed about time. Unlike Type-A
individuals, they are not obsessed by time urgency or the
demands of the clock. To these individuals, haste makes
waste and unnecessary anxiety. They are easygoing and
optimistic that whatever needs to get done will get done,
eventually.
I'm okay. They are
not overawed by authority. They accept themselves and
their approach to life.
Wheel of fortune.
Leisurely people believe that they are just as good as
everyone else and as entitled to the best things in life.
They maintain that blind luck often accounts for who
fares well and who fares poorly.
Mixed feelings.
Although they feel impelled to proceed in their own
direction, when their choices put them in conflict with
the people they care for, Leisurely people are often of
two minds about how to proceed. They do not like to risk
important relationships, yet they need to feel free.
Mercurial
Code: MER
Disorder: Borderline
Enneagram: 4w3, 7w6
Variant: Sexual
Myers-Briggs: ESFP, ENFP
Function: Extraverted Feeling
Description: Life is a
roller coaster for those with the Mercurial personality style --
and they'll insist you come along for the ride. From the peaks to
the valleys, intensity imbues their every breath. Mercurial women
and men yearn for experience, and they jump into a new love or a
new lifestyle with both feet, without even a glance backward. No
other style, the Dramatic included, is so ardent in its desire to
connect with life and with other people. And no other style is
quite so capable of enduring the changes in emotional weather
that such a fervidly lived life will bring.
Romantic attachment.
Mercurial individuals must always be deeply involved in a
romantic relationship with one person.
Intensity. They
experience a passionate, focused attachment in all their
relationships. Nothing that goes on between them and
other people is trivial, nothing taken lightly.
Heart. They show what
they feel. They are emotionally active and reactive.
Mercurial types put their hearts into everything.
Unconstraint. They are
uninhibited, spontaneous, fun-loving, and undaunted by
risk.
Activity. Energy marks
the Mercurial style. These individuals are lively,
creative busy, and engaging. They show initiative and can
stir others to activity.
Open mind. They are
imaginative and curious, willing to experience and
experiment with other cultures, roles, and value systems
and to follow new paths.
Alternate states.
People with Mercurial style are skilled at distancing or
distracting themselves from reality when it is painful or
harsh.
Self-Confident
Code: CFD
Disorder: Narcissistic
Enneagram: 3w2
Variant: Self-Preservational
Myers-Briggs: ESTP, ENTP
Function: Extraverted Thinking
Description: Self-Confident
individuals stand out. They're the leaders, the shining lights,
the attention-getters in their public or private spheres. Theirs
is a star quality born of self-regard, self-respect,
self-certainty -- all those self words that denote a faith in
oneself and a commitment to one's self-styled purpose. Combined
with the ambition that marks this style, that magical self-regard
can transform idle dreams into real accomplishment. The
Self-Confident personality style is one of the two most
goal-directed of all fourteen (the other is the Aggressive
style). Self-Confident men and women know what they want, and
they get it. Many of them have the charisma to attract plenty of
others to their goals. They are extroverted and intensely
political. They know how to work the crowd, how to motivate it,
and how to lead it. Hitch on to their bandwagons, and you'll be
rewarded. The Self-Confident style adds go-getting power to other
personality styles. For example, it counteracts the Conscientious
person's tendency to get sidetracked by details, and it fuels the
Adventurous person's great feats of daring. It propels any
persoanlity pattern into the realm of success. Indeed, the
Self-Confident style confers an ability to be successful more
than any but the Aggressive personality style.
- Self-regard.
Self-Confident individuals believe in themselves and in
their abilities. They have no doubt that they are unique
and special and that there is a reason for their being on
this planet.
- The red carpet. They
expect others to treat them well at all times.
- Ambition.
Self-Confident people are unabashedly open about their
aspirations and possibilities.
- Politics. They are
able to take advantage of the strengths and abilities of
other people in order to achieve their goals, and they
are shrewd in their dealings with others.
- Competition. They are
able competitors, they love getting to the top, and they
enjoy staying there.
- Stature. They identify
with people of high rank and status.
- Dreams. Self-Confident
individuals are able to visualize themselves as the hero,
the star, the best in their role, or the most
accomplished in their field.
- Self-awareness. These
individuals have a keen awareness of their thoughts and
feelings and their overall inner state of being.
- Poise. People with the
Self-Confident personality style accept compliments,
praise, and admiration gracefully and with
self-possession.
Self-Sacrificing
Code: SAC
Disorder: Self-Defeating a.k.a. Masochistic (removed from
DSM-IV's personality disorders)
Enneagram: 2w1, 9w1
Variant: Social
Myers-Briggs: ESFJ, ENFJ
Function: Extraverted Feeling
Description: To live is
to serve; to love is to give. These are axioms for individuals
who have the Self-Sacrificing personality style. The way they see
it, their needs can wait until others' are well-served. Knowing
that they have given of themselves, they feel comfortable and at
peace, secure with their place in the scheme of things. At its
best and most noble, this is the selfless, magnanimous
personality style of which saints and good citizens are made.
Generosity.
Individuals with the Self-Sacrificing personality style
will give you the shirts off their backs if you need
them. They do not wait to be asked.
Service. Their
"prime directive" is to be helpful to others.
Out of deference to others, they are noncompetitive and
unambitious, comfortable coming second, even last.
Consideration.
Self-Sacrificing people are always considerate in their
dealings with others. They are ethical, honest, and
trustworthy.
Acceptance. They are
nonjudgmental, tolerant of others' foibles, and never
harshly reproving. They'll stick with you through thick
and thin.
Humility. They are
neither boastful nor proud, and they're uncomfortable
being fussed over. Self-Sacrificing men and women do not
like being the center of attention; they are uneasy in
the limelight.
Endurance. They are
long-suffering. They prefer to shoulder their own burdens
in life. They have much patience and a high tolerance for
discomfort.
Artlessness.
Self-Sacrificing individuals are rather naive and
innocent. They are unaware of the often deep impact they
make on other people's lives, and they tend never to
suspect deviousness or underhanded motives in the people
to whom they give so much of themselves.
Sensitive
Code: SEN
Disorder: Avoidant
Enneagram: 6 (phobic), 4w5, 9w1
Variant: Self-Preservational
Myers-Briggs: INFJ, INFP
Function: Introverted Feeling
Description: Sensitive
people come into possession of their powers when their world is
small and they know the people in it. For this commonly occuring
personality style, familiarity breeds comfort, contentment, and
inspiration. These men and women -- although they avoid a wide
social network and shun celebrity -- can achieve great
recognition for their creativity. Nestled in an emotionally
secure environment, with a few dear family members or friends,
the Sensitive style's imagination and spirit of exploration know
no bounds. With their minds, feelings, and fantasies, Sensitive
people find freedom.
Familiarity.
Individuals with the Sensitive personality style prefer
the known to the unknown. They are comfortable with, even
inspired by, habit, repetition, and routine.
Concern. Sensitive
individuals care deeply about what other people think of
them.
Circumspection. They
behave with deliberate discretion in their dealings with
others. They do not make hasty judgments or jump in
before they know what is appropriate.
Polite reserve.
Socially they take care to maintain a courteous,
self-restrained demeanor.
Role. They function
best in scripted settings, vocationally and socially:
when they know precisely what is expected of them, how
they are supposed to relate to others, and what they are
expected to say.
Privacy. Sensitive men
and women are not quick to share their innermost thoughts
and feelings with others, even those they know well.
Serious
Code: SER
Disorder: Depressive
Enneagram: 1w9, 6 (prussian)
Variant: Self-Preservational
Myers-Briggs: ISTJ, ISFJ
Function: Introverted Sensing
Description: Serious men
and women suffer no illusions. They don't hitch their wagons to a
star, count their chickens before they're hatched, sing that life
is just a bowl of cherries, or don rose-colored glasses to paint
their existence a more beguiling hue. Even when things are not so
pleasant, they seem them as they are. Of course, since the
current culture favors individuals who "think
positive", look on the bright side, and attempt to always
improve themselves, somebody with a Serious style may not exactly
fit the image. But Serious people don't expect to be popular.
What they sacrifice in silver linings, they gain in ability to
carry on in even the worst of circumstances. No other personality
style is quite so able to endure when a harsh climate seems to
descend on the planet. This is a no-frills, no-nonsense,
just-do-it personality style, whose strength in hard times cna
help everyone survive. Like many of the other personality styles,
it is one where a little goes a long way.
Straight face.
Individuals with the Serious personality style maintain a
sober demeanor. They are solemn and not given to
emotional expression.
No pretentions. They
are realistically aware of their own capabilities, but
they are also aware of their own limitations; they are
not tempted by vanity or self-importance.
Accountability.
Serious people hold themselves responsible for their
actions. They will not soft-pedal their own faults and do
not let themselves off the hook.
Cogitation. They're
thinkers, analyzers, evaluators, ruminators: They'll
always play things over in their minds before they act.
Nobody's fool. Men and
women with Serious personality style are sharp appraises
of others. In their ability to critique other people,
they are as unhesitating as in their own self-evaluation.
No surprises. They
anticipate problems and when the worst happens, they're
prepared to deal with it.
Contrition. Serious
people suffer greatly when they realize they've been
thoughtless or impolite to others.
Solitary
Code: SOL
Disorder: Schizoid
Enneagram: 5
Variant: Self-Preservational
Myers-Briggs: ISTJ, INTJ
Function: Introverted Thinking
Description: Solitary men
and women need no one but themselves. They are unmoved by the
madding crowd, liberated from the drive to impress and to please.
Solitary people are remarkably free of the emotions and
involvements that distract so many others. What they may give up
in terms of sentiment and intimacy, however, they may gain in
clarity of vision. Left to their own devices, Solitary
anthropologists, naturalists, mathematicians, physical
scientists, filmmakers, writers, and poets, can uncover and
record the facts of our existence to which our passions so often
blind us.
Solitude. Individuals
with the Solitary personality style have small need of
companionship and are most comfortable alone.
Independence. They are
self-contained and do not require interaction with others
in order to enjoy their experiences or to get on in life.
Sangfroid. Solitary
men and women are even-tempered, calm, dispassionate,
unsentimental, and unflappable.
Stoicism. They display
an apparent indifference to pain and pleasure.
Sexual composure. They
are not driven by sexual needs. They enjoy sex but will
not suffer in its absence.
Feet on the ground.
They are unswayed by either praise or criticism and can
confidently come to terms with their own behavior.
Vigilant
Code: VIG
Disorder: Paranoid
Enneagram: 8, 6 (counterphobic)
Variant: Social
Myers-Briggs: ENTJ, INTJ
Function: Extraverted Intuition
Description: Nothing
escapes the notice of the men and women who have Vigilant
personality style. These individuals posess an exceptional
awareness of their environment. Call them Survivors. Their
sensory antennae, continuously scanning the people and situations
around them, alert them immediately to what is awry, out of
place, dissonant, or dangerous, especially in their dealings with
other people. Vigilant types have a special kind of hearing. They
are immediately aware of the mixed messages, the hidden
motivations, the evasions, and the subtlest distortions of the
truth that elude or delude less gifted observers. With such a
focus, Vigilant individuals naturally assume the roles of social
critic, watchdog, ombudsman, and crusader in their private or our
public domain, ready to spring upon the improprieties --
especially the abuses of power -- that poison human affairs.
- Autonomy.
Vigilant-style individuals possess a resilient
independence. They keep their own counsel, they require
no outside reassurance or advice, they make decisions
easily, and they can take care of themselves.
- Caution. They
are careful in their dealings with others, preferring to
size up a person before entering into a relationship.
- Perceptiveness.
They are good listeners, with an ear for subtlety, tone,
and multiple levels of communication.
- Self-defense.
Individuals with Vigilant style are feisty and do not
hesitate to stand up for themselves, especially when they
are under attack.
- Alertness to criticism.
They take criticism very seriously, without becoming
intimidated.
- Fidelity. They
place a high premium on fidelity and loyalty. They work
hard to earn it, and they never take it for granted.