Keirsey: Does Sensing Dominate/Intuition Support The 4 Temperaments?

["?"]

I started this thread at INTPC under another title, but realized that I would get a more diverse response here. Keirsey makes no changes to Myers-Briggs’ two letter temperaments for the intuitive types. He allows them to remain balanced in combining two distinct functions (perceiving (N) with a judging function T or F). These temperament functions are balanced as they should be.

When considering the sensing groups although I like the fact that he appreciates the distinction between Se types and Si types, he clearly veers from MB when omitting her two temperament functions ST/SF for his creation of SJ/SP. Based on what I recollect Keirsey saw the inherent differences between his SP parents and other children’s SJ parents. These groups superficially appear imbalanced now. Instead of now having perceiving/judging combination, Keirsey combines a distinct perceiving function (S) with a general judging dichotomy (J), and a distinct perceiving function (S) and then merely reiterating that with the P dichotomy.

But underneath was Keirsey’s effort well thought out with hidden implications in those changes? It seems that we can make an inference that the SJ types sharing the Si cognitive function dominates reducing the extraverted judging function (Je) to insignificance, and that the Se stands out to render the introverted judging function (Ji) non-existent for SP types.

Is Keirsey’s theory then functional in application when it comes to the two sensing groups? Can and do ESJ types give an appearance of reserve to onlookers? I know that even those ESTJ types that I know well seem to have a reserved demeanor about them and never seem to “lose it” in public. Is this the Si working in this group that allows them to appear introverted? It’s clear that Keirsey focuses on the Se function when considering the SP and is paramount even in the ISP type descriptions. Do ISP types give the appearance of being extraverts to onlookers? I can only speak of myself the amazement that I encounter when telling even those who have known me all my life that I am introverted.

Obviously if an inference is made that Keirsey intended to have the impact on the core groups of sensing, then I would think there have been some intent for the intuitive type groups as well. Can we infer that if sensing will dominate in SP/SJ groups then Ne/Ni subordinate to the judging functions T/F for intuitives? This seems to be at least apparent in the NT types who appear to pride themselves on their thinking abilities. I am not so sure for NF types in doing the same for feeling. What do you think?

 

[Jeffster]

Yes.

 

[Winds of Thor]

I started this thread at INTPC under another title, but realized that I would get a more diverse response here. Keirsey makes no changes to Myers-Briggs’ two letter temperaments for the intuitive types. He allows them to remain balanced in combining two distinct functions (perceiving (N) with a judging function T or F). These temperament functions are balanced as they should be.

When considering the sensing groups although I like the fact that he appreciates the distinction between Se types and Si types, he clearly veers from MB when omitting her two temperament functions ST/SF for his creation of SJ/SP. Based on what I recollect Keirsey saw the inherent differences between his SP parents and other children’s SJ parents. These groups superficially appear imbalanced now. Instead of now having perceiving/judging combination, Keirsey combines a distinct perceiving function (S) with a general judging dichotomy (J), and a distinct perceiving function (S) and then merely reiterating that with the P dichotomy.

But underneath was Keirsey’s effort well thought out with hidden implications in those changes? It seems that we can make an inference that the SJ types sharing the Si cognitive function dominates reducing the extraverted judging function (Je) to insignificance, and that the Se stands out to render the introverted judging function (Ji) non-existent for SP types.

Is Keirsey’s theory then functional in application when it comes to the two sensing groups? Can and do ESJ types give an appearance of reserve to onlookers? I know that even those ESTJ types that I know well seem to have a reserved demeanor about them and never seem to “lose it” in public. Is this the Si working in this group that allows them to appear introverted? It’s clear that Keirsey focuses on the Se function when considering the SP and is paramount even in the ISP type descriptions. Do ISP types give the appearance of being extraverts to onlookers? I can only speak of myself the amazement that I encounter when telling even those who have known me all my life that I am introverted.

Obviously if an inference is made that Keirsey intended to have the impact on the core groups of sensing, then I would think there have been some intent for the intuitive type groups as well. Can we infer that if sensing will dominate in SP/SJ groups then Ne/Ni subordinate to the judging functions T/F for intuitives? This seems to be at least apparent in the NT types who appear to pride themselves on their thinking abilities. I am not so sure for NF types in doing the same for feeling. What do you think?

The meaning(s) of ^the above said words^ convolutes the contexts in which the functioning traits are compartmentalized, above, respectively and throughout..the words appear pulling the temperament traits away from their broader thinking styles (N or S) and rearranging them into others in what appears a vague dislocation of sorts.

Kiersey wrote his analysis in specific context, categorically entailing each function and what it means to the overall makeup of type personality as such.

I understand wanting to take these parts apart, but contexts are ^switching and rearranging^..

Is this a method you are employing to better understand the overall picture of types and how they work?

If so, doing so for each of the 16 types may be a more focused way to see.

 

[Eric B]

While Keirsey did seem to loosely acknowledge the cognitive processes in his first PUM, the processes do not seem to figure at all in the creation of his model. What it appears he did was map the ancient temperaments, via Kretschmer's character styles, to the MBTI groups. Cyclothymes, who were marked by their happiness or sadness happened to map to Sensing attitude; Schizothymes, who were marked by their sensitivity or coldness, mapped to iNtuition plus judging preference. Since ancient temperament and character style were totally different frameworks than Jung and MBTI, they would not map symmetrically. (We're of course fortunate that they fit at all!)

(See this article on the "mirror" of the Keirseyan groupings! Keirsey's Mirror Temperaments. This guy also prefers the symmetrical Janet Germane temperaments: SP, SJ, NP, NJ, and has an unpublished study showing that while the Keirsey groups are good for difference between temperaments, a grouping with an even higher amount of difference is SJ, SP, EN, IN!)