[ISTJ] ISTJs and Family Tradition

[SavMandu]

I have a question about ISTJs being conservative versus following the family tradition. Would an ISTJ in the Kennedy family be more likely to follow their family's tradition in the Democrat Party or would their conservatism buck the family trend and essentially go the right of their traditions? Just a query...

 

[Cimarron]

I guess there is debate about this among the MBTI / personality-type authors, but I think "ISTJ conservatism" is not meant to align directly with "conservative" politics. It means "conservative" in a more dictionary sense: Sticking to the established and familiar structure, or being more hesitant than most to venture away from that.

Yet I've been thinking... Maybe it would be more common to see ISTJs handle their personal lives more "conservatively," maybe more cautious with spending money than most. The difference between that and your topic question is when politics becomes less about the way we handle our personal lives and more about political theory. Political issues often don't directly affect us, not in a way we can physically see or notice, so "conservative personality" doesn't necessarily become "conservative politics." It's just in the way we approach it, and the way we develop/acquire our political beliefs; we do those in an ISTJ way.

(So I think an ISTJ Kennedy would be more likely to think of himself/herself as a Democrat.)

 

[SavMandu]

Very thoughtful response, Cimarron. I tend to agree with you, but was distracted by differing opinions amongst the authors as well. For example, Frank Sulloway's "Born To Rebel," while dealing with birth order and the Big Five, tended to have more historical examples of conservative children going to the right of their parents. I've noticed the opposite in observations of ISTJs following the "family business," as far as religious and political attitudes went. A Kennedy ISTJ would have quite a heritage to fall back on...

 

[uberrogo]

Being consevative IS following the family tradition.