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Most popular temperament for story writing?

great_bay

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Does anybody think the most common temperament as protagonist usually the SP group? I feels as if they are prevalent are most popular. The second is SJ that are the most common in fiction. NFs are uncommon and unsual. NTs are rare and really uncommon.

I don't know exactly why this is. Can anybody explain?
 

Smilephantomhive

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ISTJ
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sp/so
What genre are you reading? That might be the issue. I notice there are plenty of cool N characters in the books I read.
 

Zeego

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sp/sx
It makes sense that S types would be more common characters than N types in visual media, since characters are usually portrayed through their actions rather than their thoughts. In books there would probably be more N types compared to visual media.
 

great_bay

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I personally think there is some bias in MBTI for story writing. I was playing a game and I was certain how most of the characters were from the SP group either being ISFP and ESTP. How very strange how these were the most common MBTI in the video-game I played. This made me think how there are some bias in MBTI types in television.

So now I personally think that bias comes from the theme of the story. For instance, a comedy movie for females would be sensor feeling types like ESFP and ESFJ. No INTJs type 8 would be in the movie. A smart and intelligent person wouldn't fit in a comedy movie. A movie that is suppose to be about intelligent people outsmarting each other would probably for NTs. INTP and INTJ would be common. No ESFPs or ESFJ would exist in such a movie as the main character.

I think there is bias that exist depending on the theme of the movie. Some groups just fit better.

- - - Updated - - -

The author of Harry Potter is ENTP, social communist, olfactory temperament, auditory learner:

MBTI+: Political personality traits, temperaments, and learning styles

I always thought Harry Potter was ISFP.
 

Sparkykun

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Sep 24, 2017
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INFJ
I always thought Harry Potter was ISFP.

Interestingly, the author of Calvin and Hobbes is also of the olfactory temperament (likely INTP, Social Communist, olfactory temperament, visual learner)

People with the olfactory temperament appear to have a better ability to capture moods, and express them through writings and art
 

notmyapples

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INFP
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I'd probably say SP types are the most common due to the 'hero' archetype, but that's all dependent on the genre of the story. SJ types are decently common too, usually in fantasy stories where they're trying to introduce the world through the eyes of a person whose whole life is about to change. I rarely see NJ protagonists, despite them being used very commonly as villains or sub-category characters for fans to fawn over. NP types are sidekick characters to SP's. Or the rare exception of the ENTP, who is basically thrown into the mess to make it messier.

You could assign a genre to any type, they all fit well into at least one. Most mainstream media is more SP directed though.
 

great_bay

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I'd probably say SP types are the most common due to the 'hero' archetype, but that's all dependent on the genre of the story. SJ types are decently common too, usually in fantasy stories where they're trying to introduce the world through the eyes of a person whose whole life is about to change. I rarely see NJ protagonists, despite them being used very commonly as villains or sub

Yes, I agree with this post.

It's quite rare for me to see an ENTP character as the main character.
 

Agent Washington

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some comedy have some pretty smart protags but you seem to define only NTs as smart soooooo :shrug: the main comedic aspect comes from incongruity between their smartness and expectations by the ppl around them. a comedy with only dumb characters seem like it'd be really stupid as well

there's a bias because (shitty?) mainstream writing goes according to tropes, sps are useful for certain things because their actions don't have to be 100% accounted for, they just do
 

notmyapples

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some comedy have some pretty smart protags but you seem to define only NTs as smart soooooo :shrug: the main comedic aspect comes from incongruity between their smartness and expectations by the ppl around them. a comedy with only dumb characters seem like it'd be really stupid as well

there's a bias because (shitty?) mainstream writing goes according to tropes, sps are useful for certain things because their actions don't have to be 100% accounted for, they just do

Not saying that they are the only smart comedics, but XNTX comedy protagonists are the absolute best. 'The Switch' comes to mind, with Jason Bateman and Jennifer Aniston. That's more of a drama romcom though. XNTP represented in comedy are usually there to fill the cynical, nihilistic spot. I'm thinking Bo Burnham-esque style. I don't believe I've seen XNTJ types commonly in comedy or otherwise, although I would love to see one in a leading role outside of the whole villain mastermind thing. It's hard to put an Ni protagonist in comedy, I would think, and play it well to the mainstream.

I would say that different types play to different types of humor. SP types are more circumstantial and play on their surroundings, tone, and body language. A XNTP might appear more smart on the outside because that's the way their comedy comes across, using their Ne to poke holes into social systems and whatnot, but that doesn't mean they are the only smart ones. Same goes for XNTJ, whose commanding Te presence and Ni insight gives them a more wise, authoritative aura.

I agree, SP users are easier for stand-alone films if you don't want to spend a lot of time developing why they do certain things. Se is easiest to represent on television while both being enjoyable and incongruous.
 

PumpkinMayCare

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Um, from my experience it really depends on the genre. Most of my favourite books have an intuitive as the main character, and some of those books were beststellers or at least very popular. But there are always SP types mixed in. I do see a prevalence to females being NFs more often for some reason and the male hero being an SP, though.

Of course I think it sucks a lot that there's such an overwhelming majority of Sensors portrayed in movies/sensors from an intutives POV. But as far as books are concerned, I think it's pretty balanced - at least if you think about how the majority of the population are sensors. I myself am writing and sharing my novels for years on an online community for all kinds of literature and although my main characters are unsurprisingly often intuitives, they've been quite popular among the readers. But maybe that's exactly because there aren't so many intuitive main characters in novels normally and that's fascinating to them or something? I can only speculate.

As to why SPs could be portrayed more often in movies and literature I can only agree with the posts above me, the reasons listed here seem reasonable.


On a side note: My first book will be published in a month. I'm excited :blush::blush:
 
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