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Karl Pilkington from An Idiot Abroad

Doctor Cringelord

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I find myself agreeing with Karl most of the time on the Ricky Gervais Show, regardless of how much of an idiot he's supposed to be. He just lacks education and the ability to articulate his thoughts clearly at times.

I can certainly identify with that. I've sometimes had people raise their eyebrows or outright call me dumb merely because thoughts didn't come out of my mouth as I'd intended them to be heard.

I can sense he gets a bit frustrated because Ricky and Stephen don't really give him a chance to articulate his ideas and opinions--this makes for good humor but it often backfires and makes them look like asses themselves. I honestly don't think either of them are smarter than Karl, just better educated and more articulate speakers, but they often sound like closed-minded pricks who are unwilling to consider different ways of looking at things--this is a form of stupidity in itself.

I also think Karl plays up his character a bit. He's quite deadpan, in the most airheaded, aloof way, but he's obviously putting on a show. That takes a pretty good deal of intelligence to so convincingly portray a moron.
 
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I can certainly identify with that. I've sometimes had people raise their eyebrows or outright call me dumb merely because thoughts didn't come out of my mouth as I'd intended them to be heard.

Yes, I relate. They often come out in a bit of a mess, and watered down too. Maybe it is Ji (or low Je to put it another way).

What do you think Karl's type is then? And the other two actually.

I can sense he gets a bit frustrated because Ricky and Stephen don't really give him a chance to articulate his ideas and opinions--this makes for good humor but it often backfires and makes them look like asses themselves. I honestly don't think either of them are smarter than Karl, just better educated and more articulate speakers, but they often sound like closed-minded pricks who are unwilling to consider different ways of looking at things--this is a form of stupidity in itself.

Yeah they deliberately prod and poke him to get a good reaction, they've said it before. All of the humour comes out when he's put under pressure. The other two are certainly more close-minded... and Karl's thoughts are much more original; his worldview is very different.

I also think Karl plays up his character a bit. He's quite deadpan, in the most airheaded, aloof way, but he's obviously putting on a show. That takes a pretty good deal of intelligence to so convincingly portray a moron.

I'm not sure honestly. He was pretty much the same back when he was on XFM with them, and he wasn't famous. He probably exaggerates himself a bit now though.
 

Doctor Cringelord

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Yes, I relate. They often come out in a bit of a mess, and watered down too. Maybe it is Ji (or low Je to put it another way).

What do you think Karl's type is then? And the other two actually.

I think Karl is a Ti dom, probably INTP, although someone in this thread mentioned there is a certain practicality to many of his observations/conclusions, so perhaps he could be ISTP or even ISTJ--not to say that NTs can't be practical and STs can't be "out there" (because sometimes he is definitely "out there" with ideas). Ricky could be either ENTP or ENFP. I'm not sure about Steve. It seems that a lot of people type him as NT, but there's also a very SJ quality to him that I can't quite place.

Yeah they deliberately prod and poke him to get a good reaction, they've said it before. All of the humour comes out when he's put under pressure. The other two are certainly more close-minded... and Karl's thoughts are much more original; his worldview is very different.

ironically, some of his best utterances come out when they prod and provoke him. More often than not, it seems that they aren't laughing so much at what he says, merely at how he says it.
 

Tiltyred

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I just adore him. I agree that he's very practical minded. Case in point - when he visited a place where dwarves were on exhibition. They lived in little houses, made just for them, and they came out and did a performance on schedule a couple of times a day. Karl was enchanted by this and suggested his friend, the guy who played Willow, would be happy there. Because a dwarf has everything he needs, all right there in one place! A community of fellow dwarves, houses made to scale, and a job built right in that's easy to do. Why wouldn't that just be the perfect set up? , he reasoned. :smile:

An Idiot Abroad - Dwarf Village - YouTube
 
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I think Karl is a Ti dom, probably INTP, although someone in this thread mentioned there is a certain practicality to many of his observations/conclusions, so perhaps he could be ISTP or even ISTJ--not to say that NTs can't be practical and STs can't be "out there" (because sometimes he is definitely "out there" with ideas). Ricky could be either ENTP or ENFP. I'm not sure about Steve. It seems that a lot of people type him as NT, but there's also a very SJ quality to him that I can't quite place.

I'm starting to think he could be an ISTJ actually. Practical and can be very literal at times. He often has trouble with interpreting metaphors on the show. His different views could stem from an idiosyncratic Si worldview, which everything gets filtered through. He also does not like to step out of his comfort zone (which makes AIA so brilliant) he and apparently does DIY jobs around the house much of the time, which he says is his favourite activity.

Steve makes a lot of comments based on shared societal values, I think he might be an IxFJ of some sort.
 

Doctor Cringelord

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I'm starting to think he could be an ISTJ actually. Practical and can be very literal at times. He often has trouble with interpreting metaphors on the show. His different views could stem from an idiosyncratic Si worldview, which everything gets filtered through. He also does not like to step out of his comfort zone (which makes AIA so brilliant) he and apparently does DIY jobs around the house much of the time, which he says is his favourite activity.

Steve makes a lot of comments based on shared societal values, I think he might be an IxFJ of some sort.

Good point. I can't help but thinking that if he were an INTP or ISTP, he might approach his travels with a bit more enthusiasm and sense of adventure. Sorry, I don't mean to insinuate that ISTJs are immune to adventurous impulses.

I think this explains why he butts heads with the other two, at least in the way they interpret and view the world and culture. If Steve is an IFJ, as you suggest, then it's a matter of Fi vs Fe.
 

statuesquechica

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I'm starting to think he could be an ISTJ actually. Practical and can be very literal at times. He often has trouble with interpreting metaphors on the show. His different views could stem from an idiosyncratic Si worldview, which everything gets filtered through. He also does not like to step out of his comfort zone (which makes AIA so brilliant) he and apparently does DIY jobs around the house much of the time, which he says is his favourite activity.

Steve makes a lot of comments based on shared societal values, I think he might be an IxFJ of some sort.

I was surprised to see people's guesses that Karl was INTP...I don't see that at all. I think [MENTION=17266]Infinite Bubble[/MENTION] has the best analysis of his type at ISTJ. I don't see any N at all and he clearly likes his daily routines and rituals. He accepts change in his travel schedule, but not willingly, lol. He is fascinating to watch because his responses to his environment would be so different from mine.

I could see Stephen being INFJ and Ricky being ENTP...they have that magical kind of banter and energy that you can see between these two types and I just love seeing how they bounce ideas off one another and entertain themselves with their inside jokes.
 

Amalie Muller

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I am very confident Karl Pilkington is an ISTP. The more research you do on Pilkington, the clearer his preferences for Ti and Se become. Even going letter by letter he's a clear ISTP - if Karl took the test, he'd probably get ISTP.
 

Cellmold

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I was surprised to see people's guesses that Karl was INTP...I don't see that at all. I think @<a href="http://www.typologycentral.com/forums/members/17266.html" target="_blank">Infinite Bubble</a> has the best analysis of his type at ISTJ. I don't see any N at all and he clearly likes his daily routines and rituals. He accepts change in his travel schedule, but not willingly, lol. He is fascinating to watch because his responses to his environment would be so different from mine.

I could see Stephen being INFJ and Ricky being ENTP...they have that magical kind of banter and energy that you can see between these two types and I just love seeing how they bounce ideas off one another and entertain themselves with their inside jokes.

I can tell you that I've listened to an inordinate amount of the podcasts and more importantly the old XFM radio shows.

The man is NOT a J type of any kind. He actually hates planning and has brought up his idea of never planning for anything multiple times, I know J's are not entirely about plans, but he lacks that structure they normally try to bring to their lives. He was often frequently late in the old XFM shows and it's something Ricky has brought up before.

Not to mention their irritation at his laziness. Incredibly relevant to this also is his dislike of structured events... Like Christmas and pancake day.

In his words : "Just have it when you want".

An idiot abroad is completely different to the format of XFM or the podcasts and in them you really get to see his ideas and thoughts bouncing around, something which both Ricky and Steve have mentioned many times.

I'm on my tablet at the moment and YouTube is pain with it, so I'm going to get some videos to back my points up on my PC.

And yes he does have routines, evidence for Si maybe, but not Si dominance. His reluctance to go outside his comfort zone can more easily be explained by Lenore Thompson's point about INP types using their tertiary as a defence mechanism so they aren't forced into using their Ne on themselves in the form of their own potential.

In the audiobook Law and Order he even complains that Ricky has picked topics that don't "buzz him'

Now this last part is perhaps an extrapolation on my part, but between the two I associate that with Ne more than Si. He also comes up with nearly all the competitions or segments on the XFM radio show:

Monkey news, cheeky freak of the week, educating Ricky.... I could also see ISTP. But not ISTJ. There's actually quite an important point Ricky makes in which he notices that Karl doesn't just dismiss any conversation no matter how farcical.

Something people don't often see is that in the early XFM shows he actually demonstrates quite a bit of quick wit at times...not to mention digs at Steve's looks. Actually I think him and Steve rub each other the wrong way a lot of the time.

Karl and Steve at each other


Planning:


Idea for overpopulation and aging:


Predictions for the future

 

Cellmold

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This one because it's hilarious, like most:


And this one because I love it when Karl wins (@ 4:28 for victory):


He's more natural on the XFM radio shows and laughs a lot more, (sounds like muttley).
 

Amalie Muller

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I can tell you that I've listened to an inordinate amount of the podcasts and more importantly the old XFM radio shows.

The man is NOT a J type of any kind. He actually hates planning and has brought up his idea of never planning for anything multiple times, I know J's are not entirely about plans, but he lacks that structure they normally try to bring to their lives. He was often frequently late in the old XFM shows and it's something Ricky has brought up before.

Not to mention their irritation at his laziness. Incredibly relevant to this also is his dislike of structured events... Like Christmas and pancake day.

In his words : "Just have it when you want".

An idiot abroad is completely different to the format of XFM or the podcasts and in them you really get to see his ideas and thoughts bouncing around, something which both Ricky and Steve have mentioned many times.

I'm on my tablet at the moment and YouTube is pain with it, so I'm going to get some videos to back my points up on my PC.

And yes he does have routines, evidence for Si maybe, but not Si dominance. His reluctance to go outside his comfort zone can more easily be explained by Lenore Thompson's point about INP types using their tertiary as a defence mechanism so they aren't forced into using their Ne on themselves in the form of their own potential.

In the audiobook Law and Order he even complains that Ricky has picked topics that don't "buzz him'

Now this last part is perhaps an extrapolation on my part, but between the two I associate that with Ne more than Si. He also comes up with nearly all the competitions or segments on the XFM radio show:

Monkey news, cheeky freak of the week, educating Ricky.... I could also see ISTP. But not ISTJ. There's actually quite an important point Ricky makes in which he notices that Karl doesn't just dismiss any conversation no matter how farcical.

Something people don't often see is that in the early XFM shows he actually demonstrates quite a bit of quick wit at times...not to mention digs at Steve's looks. Actually I think him and Steve rub each other the wrong way a lot of the time.

Karl and Steve at each other


Planning:


Idea for overpopulation and aging:


Predictions for the future


Yes, you're right - Karl Pilkington is certainly not a TJ type. The reasons you mention are pretty good to show this. Also, I'd add that his Ti is very obvious - he builds his theories based on principles/"truths" he's discovered for himself, and has no interest in external validation for these principles, or in using an external model (Te). Also, his dislike of Christmas and similar traditional events could well be a sign of. repressing Fe. Yet another point: if he was an Si dom, I would expect him to have far more respect for, and a greater collection of, facts. Instead, he has no interest in raw factual data -at all - which makes it very unlikely he's an S dom (ISJ or ESP).

So ITP seems clear to me. However, I'd go for ISTP over INTP. He's never showed any sign of Ne in interviews - in fact he comes off as an ISTP stereotype almost. I'm willing to change my mind though. I'll have another listen to the XFM shows soon.
 
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All conjecture and personal interpretation and confirmation bias (myself included in fact) - why these threads are useless if taken too seriously.
 

Amalie Muller

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All conjecture and personal interpretation and confirmation bias (myself included in fact) - why these threads are useless if taken too seriously.

I disagree. If people would actually do a little research before posting, we would all come to some kind of agreement eventually. Just because many people don't understand what they are talking about, doesn't mean nobody does.
 
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I disagree. If people would actually do a little research before posting, we would all come to some kind of agreement eventually. Just because many people don't understand what they are talking about, doesn't mean nobody does.

The theory itself lacks rigorous structure.

Ah no I didn't take it that way, but you brought up an important point.

Oh good, I felt kinda bad afterwards.
 
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