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The 4 Languages of Temperament

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I receive interesting emails. Lets share one, unsure whether this would be better here or anywhere but here goes.

The 4 Languages of Temperament

There are four basic temperament languages and multiple dialects. Each person gains exposure to all four as they are growing up. Generally speaking, one of the languages will come much more naturally than the others although many people become fairly fluent in more than one. Few people if any are good in all four.

The language of Guardians is rooted in the past. Their talk includes a lot of past tense. Their language is the most traditional of the four. A lot of what they say depends upon multiple social assumptions. For example, a Guardian might say, "Come visit any time you're in the area!" What the Guardian probably means is that they have enjoyed your company. They certainly wouldn't expect you drop in without warning. If they really mean that they want to see you again, they'll pull out their PDA and put you in.

The language of Artisans lives in the present, that infinitesimal moment which divides the future from the past. Their language is likely to include the latest slang and happenings in what is important to them. Much of their language is present tense. Even when they are retelling something that happened in the past, they are likely to use the present tense to make the story more immediate and real.

The language of Rationals is based on the eternal or what can be proven to be true. Rationals are generally concerned with using the right word to accurately and expeditiously say what they mean. Their language tends to focus on ideas and abstract concepts with little focus on feelings or emotional well-being.

The language of Idealists is based on the future. Idealists look ahead to what they can see the future holds. When they talk, they often talk about what will be rather than what actually is. They can see the trends of people's behavior. Their language focuses on the abstract, like the Rationals, but focuses more on feelings and emotional well-being and less on ideas.

Let's look at how each temperament might say, "That outfit looks good on you." A Guardian may say just that or they might say, "That outfit really brings out your best features." An Artisan is more likely to say, "You look like a million bucks in that!" A Rational may not notice the outfit, but if asked to comment, is likely to say something like, "Nice." A Rational who has learned the art of compliments will give a much more satisfying response. An Idealist might say, "That outfit looks great on you! You look so self-confident!"

Now let's look at how each temperament might say (when asked for an opinion), "That outfit looks bad on you." Depending on the kind of Guardian, they might say, "That outfit doesn't do anything for you," or "The color's great, but I liked the first outfit better." Again, depending on the kind of Artisan, they might say, "Change," or "I've always thought you look great in your navy outfit." A Rational is likely to say, "I don't like it." An Idealist might say, "Let's go see what else you've (they've) got to make this outfit really you."

The point of this is that knowing a person's temperament can help you interpret their words. If an Idealist Champion says, "You are so smart!" it means something different than if a Rational Architect says the same thing. The Champion would be encouraging you while the Architect would be saying that they are impressed with your knowledge or intellect.

My question is explain your multiple dialects from being an Idealist (NF), an Artisan (SP), A Rational (NT), and a Guardian (SJ) point of view.

Do Guardians talk a lot in past tense?
Do Artisans talk a lot in the the present?
Do Rationals talk without emotions more often?
Do Idealists talk about the future more often?

Basically explain your natural language and communication tendencies.
 

Thalassa

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Yeah I'm an NF who likes to talk about what's going on now and in the future, and I also say things like "bro."

This is why I don't like Keirsey. I've actually seen someone say on this site "you must be SFP because NFPs don't say dude."

I was looking at Please Understand Me II yesterday, especially at the SJ Guardian section, and it's weird because he does seem to touch on truths of certain functions...like the cautious or more reserved nature of Si, the need of Se to prove themselves in some fundamental way tactically (he talks about SP audacity) ...so whenever I'm reading Keirsey I'm torn, I pretty much end up thinking "he gets it, but not quite."

He takes it too far and generalizes too much, tries too hard to fill in the gaps with details that could potentially be totally incorrect pending upon the culture or upbringing the Si or Se dom has been exposed to, et al.

For example, as a working class ENFP, do I speak more like an ESFP than an ENFP who is upper-middle class? I'm not joking. These things vary by life experience and interest, and Keirsey kind of glosses over that.

So I have David Keirsey pegged as absolutely being INTP because these seem like the faults of Ti/Ne/Si collectively, but especially Ne and Si.
 

Scott N Denver

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^ I also totally say "dude" sometimes. As in "dude, the view from that mountaintop was awesome!" or "Dude, what the hell are you doing?!?!"
 

Thalassa

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^ I also totally say "dude" sometimes. As in "dude, the view from that mountaintop was awesome!" or "Dude, what the hell are you doing?!?!"

I take great pride in punctuating my speech with words from the counterculture because I despise proper English for the sake of proper English, I see it as a total pretention and a disconnect from other people and what's going on.

I tend to mold my speech sometimes to who I'm talking to, as well, so I'm "speaking their language."

I think it's completely lame to not keep up with changing trends in language, because language is a fluid thing, not a static thing.

The entire purpose of language for me is self-expression and communication or bonding, not a social statement about my rank, class, or education, so I feel that this happens more effectively if I can both utilize "big words" and say polite things, but also always speak like a common person.

I essentially talk the same way that I did as a teenager. The way my speech is littered with "like" and "totally" and "anyway" is a manifestation of my youth that became a habit, and I see no reason to change it unless I'm at a job intereview or writing an assignment.

I majored in English, btw. I'm just of the school that votes language fluid and recognizes all dialects as valid rather than the English majors who are all like, "Forsooth and for shame! Ye olde English language is deteriorating! These children today!"

I would feel like some old idiot twat if I spoke that way. I tend to call people like that "too N" but I'm not sure if that's really what it is.
 

Thalassa

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Sweet fucking name, bro.
 

wolfy

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I find your mockery of the English language reprehensible. Reprehensible!!
 

Thalassa

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I know, I'm such a bro ho.
 

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Yeah I'm an NF who likes to talk about what's going on now and in the future, and I also say things like "bro."

This is why I don't like Keirsey. I've actually seen someone say on this site "you must be SFP because NFPs don't say dude."

I was looking at Please Understand Me II yesterday, especially at the SJ Guardian section, and it's weird because he does seem to touch on truths of certain functions...like the cautious or more reserved nature of Si, the need of Se to prove themselves in some fundamental way tactically (he talks about SP audacity) ...so whenever I'm reading Keirsey I'm torn, I pretty much end up thinking "he gets it, but not quite."

He takes it too far and generalizes too much, tries too hard to fill in the gaps with details that could potentially be totally incorrect pending upon the culture or upbringing the Si or Se dom has been exposed to, et al.

For example, as a working class ENFP, do I speak more like an ESFP than an ENFP who is upper-middle class? I'm not joking. These things vary by life experience and interest, and Keirsey kind of glosses over that.

So I have David Keirsey pegged as absolutely being INTP because these seem like the faults of Ti/Ne/Si collectively, but especially Ne and Si.

You maybe totally right, I say dude and cool a lot. Its almost my default expression of nope I'll say it only because if I really wanted to say what was on my mind, lets not go there. So I go like dude that's so cool. Okay scratch the bit like, that is patronizing but cool and dude are in my vocabulary at least in the physical sense far too often.

When I hear the term, like you know. Seems like an exaggeration, almost in rolling the eyes. Actually I noticed when my language center struggles to express case appropriate wordage I slip into the base words of cool and the like. hahaha lots of four letter words. Its almost like I am at a loss to say anything else while I know I have a wealth of information that could saturate most.

Probably that is the key comfort level. As you say mold the speech to speak the ways others are comfortable with. This is an adaptability of language which intrigues me, this multiple dialect coefficient. Are there expressions that materialize in form based upon situation and environment. Say under pressure wold NF, NT, SP, SJ totally change their reference point, appointing their shadows in instance of conversation to match the stretching of comforts and discomforts when speaking in different places.

Then are NF's trend focused?
Are NT's accuracy focused?
Are SP's substance focused?
Are SJ's traditional focused?
 

skylights

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ESFJ mom seems mostly rooted in the present. the "tradition" thing doesn't hold true for her. nor for ISFJ grandma.

i speak a language of possibilities. i guess that's future, though it's not always. i speak ideas.

i dunno, i think a lot of this has to do with age, culture, family background, socioeconomic class, location, etc. obviously we're all more likely to talk about things that matter to us in ways that make the most sense to us, so Ns will speak more abstractly, Fs more personally, Ss more concretely, and Ts more logically. i don't know that i would break down their language based on type any more than i would based on anything else.

i do know that it's helped me with clearly-expressed Ts to just ignore the personal implications of their words, which can rub me the wrong way if i take them beyond face value. that's less about temperament, though, and more about Thinking in general.

The point of this is that knowing a person's temperament can help you interpret their words. If an Idealist Champion says, "You are so smart!" it means something different than if a Rational Architect says the same thing. The Champion would be encouraging you while the Architect would be saying that they are impressed with your knowledge or intellect.

the only person i can ever imagine genuinely saying "you are so smart!" to would be a 1 year old. though, yes, it would be encouraging.

i can't see a rational architect saying it at all. :laugh:
 
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