Type Flavors and Life Themes

[ygolo]

We talk a lot about the Myers-Briggs system and temperaments. We talk about functions and dynamics. We even sometimes mention interaction styles... very rarely.

But there are other personality categorizations that are discussed often in the Myers-Briggs related literature that are almost never mentioned on this forum...flavors and life themes.

Flavors

There are 4 dichotomies in terms of personality flavors:

• Style:Participative vs. Independent
• Perspective:Local vs. Global
• Demeanor:Soft vs. Hard
• Attitude:Mainstream vs. Counter-Cultural

Life Themes

• Makes people seem more SP
  • Physical
  • Creative
• Makes people seem more SJ
  • Establishment
  • Community
• Makes people seem more NT
  • Academic
  • Entrepreneurial
• Makes people seem more NF
  • Political
  • Growth

FLAVORS

• Style
  Introversion and extroversion determine where people get more energy, and to some extent whether they initiate or respond in interactions, it doesn't really say whether or not they find their way in the world on their own or by participating with others.
  
  Completely independent people look only to themselves for guidance. It is possible to have an independent extrovert.
  
  Completely participative people look at their path in life only in relation to how they fit in with others. It is possible to have a participative introvert.
  
  
  
• Perspective
  Sensing vs. iNtuitive is about being concrete vs. abstract, but there is another distinction about the way people process the world.
  
  People with completely Local perspectives will spend most of their time on their immediate surroundings and relationships; they don't care at all about the global events and trends, and believe they can't really affect these things. It is possible to have an intuitive with a local perspective.
  
  People with completely Global perspectives will spend most of their time thinking about the world and society and setting "big" goals, and "thinking big." They often ignore local relationships and surroundings in pursuit of their goals. It is possible to have a sensor with a global perspective.
  
  
  
• Demeanor
  Judging vs. Perceiving tells us about whether people approach their external world with a judging or perceiving function. This often translates to who has a more scheduled or probing approach to the world, and perhaps even who is more organized and timely.
  
  However, there is another dimension that determines how people approach their daily lives.
  
  People with completely Hard demeanors are very "success"-oriented. They are the types who want to climb the corporate ladder, get good grades, get the "brass ring," put some "feathers in their caps," "live large," become rich or famous, etc. They are the type A personalities. It is possible for someone to have a perceiving approach and a hard demeanor.
  
  People with completely Soft demeanors are very focused on self-growth, self-awareness and personal satisfaction, and taking it easy. They are the type B personalities. A judging (scheduled) person can have a soft edge also...imagine someone who gets up early each day, meditates, exercises a bit, eats a leisurely breakfast, goes to work, does only what is expected of them, and finally at home catches his/her shows, has dinner at a fixed time, and is in bed early at a consistent time.
  
  
  
• Attitude
  I think this one is fairly self-explanatory.
  
  Mainstream people follow the general cultural trends in terms of dress, and other matters of taste and activity.
  
  Counter-Cultural people like break with the trends and styles, and have a more differentiated style.
  
  It is possible to have counter-cultural SJs, and mainstream SPs for instance. I am sure we can think of examples of both.
  

So what is your flavor?

I believe I am actually participative, global, soft, and mainstream. Though I am very close on the first and last preferences.

LIFE THEMES

• Physical
  Involvement in sports, outdoor and nature activities, travel, and manual labor.
  These activities makes one seem more SP.
  
  
• Creative
  Involvement in arts, crafts, fashion, music, drama, and other aesthetical activities.
  These activities makes one seem more SP.
  
  
• Establishment
  Involvement in the corporate world, big business, government agencies and institutions, industry, large law firms, law enforcement, or the military.
  These activities makes one seem more SJ.
  
  
• Community
  Involvement in charity, volunteerism, neighborhood watch, home owners association, PTA, local government, or family activities.
  These activities makes one seem more SJ.
  
  
• Academic
  Involvement in teaching, training, scholarship, research, and anything else that emphasizes the life of the mind.
  These activities makes one seem more NT.
  
  
• Entrepreneurial
  Selling skills, innovations, products, and projects. Involvement in making a business. Being a “Jack of all trades.”
  These activities makes one seem more NT.
  
  
• Political
  Public life, politics, working for a cause, furthering a religion, and anything that works off of an ideology.
  These activities makes one seem more NF.
  
  
• Growth
  Counseling, health professions, psychology, human resources, life coaching, and any one-on-one personal growth or human issues related activities.
  These activities makes one seem more NF.

In the past, in what life themes were you involved?

What are your current life themes?

What life themes are you considering starting or ending in the future?

 

[Orangey]

Was it ever?

Edit: I've decided that it would be unfair to contribute to the potential derailing of this thread without having at least contributed a thank you for ygolo's post. I actually hadn't heard of "Life Themes" before. Seems interesting. Do you have a link handy?

 

[Oom]

I'd be Independent (only on a minor scale), Global (on a large scale), Soft (on a minor scale), and counter-culture (but not like those smug punk turds out there in their tight pants smoking their damn cancer sticks).

This is kind of refreshing. I like this little structure, where did you find it ygolo? Or did you make it yourself?

 

[Orangey]

I'd be Independent (only on a minor scale), Global (on a large scale), Soft (on a minor scale), and counter-culture (but not like those smug punk turds out there in their tight pants smoking their damn cancer sticks).

Same.

 

[yenom]

global, and a balance between soft and hard

i don't believe there is a straight path to reach my goals and be the best of everything I do. But I take advantage of opportunities as they come, and exploit them to the fullest.


independent and mainstream. These two are less significant.

 

[mpn]

Independent Global Soft Counter-Cultural

 

[ygolo]

I actually hadn't heard of "Life Themes" before. Seems interesting. Do you have a link handy?

This is kind of refreshing. I like this little structure, where did you find it ygolo? Or did you make it yourself?

I found this in Dario Nardi's book, Character and Personality Type: Discovering Your Uniqueness of Career and Relationship Success.

It is my interpretation to be sure. But everytime some one reads and then explains in their own words, you get that.

I'll post about life themes later today. I was on vent while I typed the flavors section, that's why it took so long.

 

[Costrin]

Independant, local, soft, counter-cultural. ILSC!
Creative, Academic, Growth.

 

[Athenian200]

Participative, Local, Soft, split on Mainstream/Counter-cultural (kind of do a little of both).

 

[LucrativeSid]

Independent
Global
Soft/Hard
Counter-Culture

 

[wolfy]

Participative
Local
Soft
Counterculture

Life themes
Physical
Creative

There's a decent preview of Character and Personality Type
on google books

 

[ygolo]

In the past, in what life themes were you involved?

I was involved in high-school sports and played outdoor basketball for many years at work (Physical). I was for a brief period involved in middle-school band (Creative). I have always worked for a Fortune 500 company (Establishment). I am pretty much a Jack of all trades (Entrepreneurial). I have been in school for 21 out of the 29 years of my life (Academic).

What are your current life themes?

I still work for a Fortune 500 company (Establishment). I am helping my former boss and current entrepreneur get his robot to do things (Entrepreneurial).

What life themes are you considering starting or ending in the future?

I want to start playing basketball again(+Physical). I want to get into a Ph.D. program for Physics (+Academic). I will likely not help my former boss regularly for too much longer (-Entrepreneurial). At some point I will leave the corporate world for research (-Establishment, +Academic) .

 

[lunalum]

I'm pretty sure I am IGHC then: Independent, Global, Hard, and Counterculture. I wonder how common it is for a P to be "hard."

My life themes are some combination of Academic, Entrepreneurial, Political, Growth, and Creative. Perhaps in that order too...

 

[Phantonym]

Flavours - Independent, local, soft, mainstream/counter-cultural (I do and choose what I like but not so that it sticks out like a sore thumb)
Life themes (past/current) - academic; (future) - maybe creative, community or growth

 

[Heart&Brain]

Flavors:
Global
Soft
Counter-cultural
...and, hm...
Participative on the outside but in reality a hard core of lonely independence inside is monitoring the participations.

Life themes:
Creative (used to be more, miss it)
Academic
Political
Growth (quite dominant at present, I wouldn't mind it calming down again soon)

 

[The Outsider]

Flavor: Independent, Global, Soft, Counter-Cultural.
Life Themes:
Past: Physical, Academic, Community.
Present: Creative, Academic, Growth, Political.
Future: Hopefully more physical again, as in outdoors and nature, not sports. I absolutely hate sports.

 

[garbage]

Leaning toward Participative, leaning toward Local, split down the middle of Hard/Soft, and seriously Counter-Cultural.

As far as life themes, Community, Academic, Entrepreneurial, Political, and Growth describe mine. I think it's pretty much where I need to be and where I need to continue to be, at least for the immediate future.

I'm focusing on growth right now, but I'll be scaling up the entrepreneurialship soon. I am also going to be traveling more, so.. more physical?

 

[ygolo]

I wonder how common it is for a P to be "hard."

Ps can have a hard edge. I am fairly close. I think flavors arefluid and can change ofer time.

I would I was hard even just a year ago. But that hard edge has gotten soft now. It is healthier for mw, right now.

 

[Kingfisher]

Independant
Local
Soft
Counterculture

i am extremely high in all of these except 'soft', which is about 60% or so.

life themes:
physical
creative

 

[Thalassa]

Hmm. Mildly participative, definitely global, soft, and counter-culture.

I think that political and growth have been themes in my life consistantly since my teens, which would make sense with me being an NF. However, I also have physical and creative themes in my life which is interestingly more SP. I'm currently at college so that would be NT. However, as much as I love learning, I would not choose to make academia my life.