About Your Rational Temperament
Rationals are ingenious, independent people who can be both
strong-willed and skeptical. Typically focused on the world of ideas,
Rationals spend much of their time and energy understanding how things
work. Known for being strategic leaders and skilled thinkers, Rationals
are generally even-tempered, goal-oriented individuals who yearn for
achievement and accomplishment. People of this temperament can make both
reasonable mates and effective parents. Indeed they can be the kinds of
mentors that can help their children gain confidence and independence.
Valuing logic and pragmatism above almost all else, Rationals can
sometimes seem cold and distant to others. It's not that they don't care
about the people around them. It's simply that they're more oriented
toward ingenuity and results, than toward interpersonal exploration.
Being a Mastermind (INTJ)
All Rationals are solid planners, but Masterminds are head and
shoulders above the rest when it comes to complex operations planning.
Your type seems to have an innate ability to grasp a project's necessary
progression and understand how each step leads to the next. You can also
be first-rate when it comes to anticipating potential difficulties and
preparing alternatives. By trying to imagine every contingency, you'll
almost never set off on a project without a more than one plan in mind. If
Plan A fails, you'll move directly along to Plan B.
Although your combination of big picture thinking and
detail-oriented skills can make you a highly capable leader, you may not
always be eager to take command. Most times you'll prefer to stay in the
background until it's been demonstrated that you're the only person who's
equal to the task. Once you do agree to take charge, your kind is
thoroughly pragmatic. Masterminds understand that efficiency is
indispensable in a well-run organization. In fact, if you encounter
inefficiency, you can be quick to realign operations and reassign
personnel. Whether at work or in your personal life, you're not the type
to feel bound by established rules or traditional procedures. Nor are you
easily impressed by flashy trends or new buzzwords. The only ideas that
you'll adopt in your own life or accept from others are those that truly
make sense to you. Sometimes this decisiveness can come off as being a bit
harsh, but often you're willing to risk that for the sake of efficiency.
In
your career, your hard work and dedication to achieving goals are likely
to be rewarded. Masterminds in professional settings often rise to
positions of responsibility. Once in such a position, you'll likely
continue your goal-oriented ways, sparing neither your own time and effort
nor that of your colleagues and employees. As a result, coworkers will
likely come to know you as one who is highly effective, but who can also
be a taskmaster at times. However, this doesn't mean that you're an ogre.
Part of being effective means understanding that people work best when
they feel good about what they're doing. In most situations, you'll
verbalize the positive and avoid the negative; you're more interested in
moving things forward than dwelling on mistakes of the past.
Problem solving can be highly stimulating to Masterminds. So if
there's a puzzle or tangled system that needs sorting out, you'll probably
be eager to take it on. Decisions often come easily to you. In fact, at
times you may hardly be able to rest until you have things settled and
decided. However, even your quicker decisions are often based on some kind
of research. You're part of a highly theoretical group, one which often
insists on looking at all available data before embracing an idea or plan.
You may find yourself suspicious of any statement that is either based on
shoddy research or not checked against reality. In addition to these
traits, it's interesting to note that Masterminds tend to be much more
certain and self-confident than other Rationals. Although you may not
think about it often, you likely have a well-developed strong will of your
own that you put to use regularly.
Work and Career
In
your ideal work environment, your superiors would create a structure,
provide you with resources, set some general expectations, and let you
loose. Like other "creatives" (scientists, computer engineers and even
writers and designers), you're apt to do your best work in situations
where you can work autonomously and deliver finished products, rather
having to constantly check in or collaborate with others.
Like other Rationals, you are wired to acquire competence and
intelligence. As a result, you tend to thrive in intellectually
stimulating, innovative work environments where you can be recognized for
your expertise.
At Work with the Four Temperaments
At Work with Artisans: Artisans (SPs) are
wired to seize freedom and spontaneity. They hunger for the liberty to act
on their impulses, to play, and to create. They make up about 35% of the
population.
In
business, Artisans are crisis managers and troubleshooters. They can be
expert at solving problems and doing what is necessary, whether they are
expressly permitted to or not. They are practical, resourceful, flexible,
and risk-taking individuals. Coworkers are apt to enjoy their creativity
and verbal wit, but may perceive Artisans as indecisive or even as
troublemakers.
At Work with Guardians: Guardians (SJs) are
wired to seek belonging to a group or community. They often stabilize
relationships and institutions through their responsible, conventional
behavior. They make up about 45% of the population.
At
work, Guardians tend to be administrators and managers. They can be expert
at doing what needs to be done, and in the manner is must be done. They
are dependable, accountable, realistic, and service-oriented. Coworkers
likely appreciate their desire to belong and contribute, but may perceive
Guardians as being either slave drivers or sticks-in-the-mud.
At Work with Rationals: Rationals (NTs) are
wired to acquire competence and intelligence. Ordinarily, they strive to
learn, know, predict, and control the resources and ideas in their
environment. They make up less than 10% of the population.
In
the workplace, Rationals are often the researchers and strategists. They
can be expert at conceptualizing and seeing the big picture, as well as
architecting and implementing the necessary systems. They are logical,
precise independent individuals who usually are responsive to new ideas.
Coworkers often appreciate their ingenuity and competence, but may
perceive Rationals as being impersonal and not good with follow-through.
At Work with Idealists: Idealists (NFs) are
wired to pursue personal growth, authenticity, and integrity. They can
yearn both to develop fully as individuals and to facilitate growth in
others. Idealists make up 10-15% of the population.
In
work environments, Idealists are usually positive, helpful, and
people-oriented. They can be expert at dealing with the human resource
concerns of an organization, whether these issues are part of their job
description or not. Idealists are warm, idealistic, caring individuals.
Coworkers are apt to appreciate their authenticity and loyalty to the
human side of the business, but may perceive Idealists as not being
effective enough or even of being flaky.
Tips to Help You Find the Right Workplace
- Seek out a
place where you can exercise your intellectual freedom.
- Be wary of
positions that reward obedience to procedures and policies rather than
competence.
- Consider
getting formal training, certification, or education that would make you
marketable doing what you already know.
Rationals
tend to be about as satisfied in their work as their intuitive
counterparts the Idealists. About 75% are satisfied in their present jobs.
However in contrast to the Idealists, Rationals seem to base a great deal
of their satisfaction on being provided both challenging work and flexible
hours. In addition, their satisfaction was driven by like
company-sponsored beer on Fridays, pets allowed in the workplace, and
stock options. Rationals tend to have a wide set of interests. So although
they appreciate, and even demand, a challenge at work, most Rationals also
need time to play at their own outside interests.
Love and Relationships
You're an
open-minded person who wants to ensure that your life and relationships
run smoothly. Establishing a sense of routine helps you to do that. When
meeting new people, individuals who are chronically late, slovenly,
scattered, or otherwise flaky, can turn you off. However, you will
sometimes tolerate these qualities if a person is imaginative enough to
keep you intrigued. Like most people, you're apt to be drawn to the very
qualities in others that you feel you lack yourself. As a result,
carefree, more gregarious types can be very attractive to you. Chances are
you enjoy the ways an outgoing person can engage you and get you out of
your shell.
Your Compatibility with Other Temperaments
Rational (NT)/Artisan (SP): Rational/Artisan
pairings are likely to be irreverent and action -packed as both types are
usually equally willing to ignore convention and be focused on results.
Rationals can be fascinated by Artisans' aptitude for fun, improvisation,
and spontaneity. However if Artisan mates push their Rationals too hard,
the Artisans' fun and games can come to seem frivolous to Rationals.
Rational (NT)/Guardian (SJ): Rational/Guardian
pairings are often close partnerships focused on stability, reliability,
and a satisfying home life. While Rationals are wrapped up in their ideas,
Guardian mates happily see to the everyday workings of family life.
Problems may arise at times if Rationals are not getting the intellectual
stimulation they need from either their Guardian mate or in other areas of
life.
Rational (NT)/Idealist (NF): Rational/Idealist
pairings can be highly satisfying relationships be highly satisfying
relationships based on exploring the world of ideas. Imagining
possibilities - whether romantic or pragmatic -- and creating dreams for
the future can represent the epitome of quality time for this pair.
However, conflicts can occur if either partner's closely held ideals don't
match those of the other.
Rational (NT)/Rational (NT): Rational/Rational
pairings are almost always highly intellectually stimulating couplings. In
the best of situations this leads to engaging conversations and mutual
exploration. However, problems can occur if each partner becomes too
wrapped up in their own world to give adequate time and energy to the
other person.
Famous Masterminds
Did you know
that Sir Isaac Newton and author/philosopher Ayn Rand were both INTJs too?
It's not so surprising when you think about it. A brilliant scientist and
mathematician, Newton not only devised calculus but invented dynamics as
well. He also showed himself to be a Mastermind because he was not one to
suffer fools gladly. For her part as a Mastermind, Ayn Rand was one of the
strongest advocates for reason in modern times. Her renowned literary
work, "The Fountainhead," is based on rational precepts and her own theory
of Objectivism.
What Each Letter Means
The pair of
letters are E-I, S-N, T-F, and J-P. No single letter should be taken as
naming a type of person. For example, there are no "Extraverts" or
"Thinkers," as such. A personality is a complex union of traits. These
letters merely suggest stronger or weaker tendencies in a person's overall
makeup. The pairs of letters stand for the following qualities:
E =
Extraversion |
I =
Introversion |
S =
Sensation |
N =
Intuition |
T =
Thinking |
F =
Feeling |
P =
Perception |
J =
Judgment |
The terms Extraversion (E) and Introversion (I) describe two vastly
different social styles. People who score high in Extraversion on the
Temperament Sorter tend to be gregarious and expressive; those scoring
high on Introversion tend to be private and reserved.
People strong
in Extraversion are typically more comfortable socializing with groups
than being alone. They often report that they're energized by contact with
other people. These individuals usually have a large circle of friends and
are happy to approach others, even strangers, to talk. For people high in
Extraversion, social banter is usually an easy and pleasant thing.
Interaction is something that makes them feel alive. As a result, too much
quiet and seclusion can actually exhaust such persons. They tend to report
feelings of loneliness or power drain when not in contact with others.
On the other
hand, people prone to Introversion often seem more comfortable alone than
in a crowd. They tend to draw energy from private, solitary activities,
including reading, listening to music, and working by themselves on their
latest project or favorite hobby. Introverts usually have a few, long-time
friends, and can remain in contact with larger groups only so long before
their energies are depleted. If their job, family, or social
responsibilities require them to be outgoing or take center stage, they
can soon become exhausted and need down time in quiet places to rest and
recharge their batteries.
Remember,
however, that no one is simply an "Extravert" or an "Introvert." These
terms are merely end points on the E-I scale, with most everyone falling
somewhere in between. Most individuals embody a mixture of these two
social styles. Also, different tasks or roles at work or in the family can
bring out more Extraversion or Introversion in a person. This dimension of
personality, more than the other three, is fluid and situational.
The
Sensory/Intuitive (S-N) scale on the Temperament Sorter
differentiates between two distinct kinds of human focus. People with high
Sensory scores pay more attention to what is going on outside themselves
in the world of concrete things; people with high Intuitive scores pay
more attention to what is going on inside themselves in the abstract world
of ideas.
Sensory
people make up the vast majority of the population -- upwards of 85%.
These people seem more at home in the material world, where they spend
their time looking after the business of everyday living: food and
clothing, transportation and shelter, job and family, recreation and
social life. With their eye on physical realities, they tend to see all
the particulars of what is right in front of them. They typically focus on
what's happening in the here-and-now, or what has happened in the past,
rather than speculating about future possibilities. These are practical,
down-to-earth people who want facts, trust facts, and remember facts. They
believe in common sense and usually trust that experience is the best
teacher.
In contrast,
people who are strongly Intuitive seem more at home in the abstract,
conceptual world of ideas. Intuitive types deal in inferences, theories,
daydreams, musings, speculations, and symbols -- things that can only be
seen with the mind's eye. In fact, because they're so often focused on
their internal world, these individuals can sometimes miss a great deal of
what's going on around them. For highly Intuitive people, reality is not a
solid, present thing, but is more a mental image or a stage of development
toward some future ideal. The possible almost always looms large for
Intuitive people: whatever "is" can be better. They can be fascinated by
hypotheses and potentials. They are also often absorbed by their vivid and
complex imaginations. The S-N scale measures the most fundamental of the
four dimensions of personality. It's the first cut, so to speak, in
evaluating one's type.
However, this
delineation doesn't mean that being Intuitive or Sensory is an "either-or"
proposition. Intuitive individuals certainly turn outward at times and pay
attention to the world at large; they're just far more inclined to become
preoccupied with their own ideas. So too, Sensory people do sometimes look
inward to ponder and to dream. However, for the most part their flights of
imagination lag well behind their real-world observations. Neither type
can occupy both worlds at once, and each will usually show a clear
preference for one over the other.
The
Thinking/Feeling (T-F) scale assesses how people govern themselves and
make decisions. Everyone has both thoughts and feelings. However those who
score high on Thinking tend to use their head more when making choices,
while those scoring high on Feeling tend to follow their hearts.
People
falling on the Thinking end of the scale tend to be more comfortable
basing their actions on impersonal, objective factors. Thinking people can
be critical and exacting, both with themselves and others. They're often
convinced only by hard data and sound reasoning. Individuals who scored
highly in Thinking tend to be frank and straightforward. They are the kind
of people who are usually willing to speak their minds and stick to their
guns, even if it causes conflict with others. They're known for being
tough-minded in their decisions, preferring to keep emotions and desires
out of the process as much as possible. Thinking types do have powerful
feelings, but a strong show of emotion can embarrasses them. As a result,
they'll usually keep their feelings in check rather than appearing to lose
self-control, even at the risk of seeming hard-nosed or cold.
In contrast,
people on the Feeling end of the scale are typically more comfortable
basing their actions on personal, emotional factors. When considering
their course, this type will consult their feelings first and will almost
always show concern for others. For the most part, these individuals are
sympathetic and sentimental. As a result, many times they can be swayed by
powerful desire or a touching appeal. Feeling people tend to be
softhearted when making decisions. They don't like to hurt anyone's
feelings. It's not that Feeling individuals necessarily have more or
deeper emotions than those on the Thinking end of the scale. They simply
let their feelings show more easily. This tendency makes them seem warmer
and friendlier, which in turn can give them an easier time getting along
with others.
The
Judgment/Perception (J-P) scale measures how people process information
and arrange their lives. Those who score high on Judgment tend to make up
their mind quickly and commit to schedules, while those scoring high on
Perception prefer to keep their options open and their timetables
flexible.
People strong
in Judgment waste no time forming opinions or drawing conclusions. They
often report feeling a sense of urgency until a decision is made, and can
rest only after everything is settled. Closure and finality are important
to these individuals, as is orderly procedure. As a result, they can be
quick to make schedules, agendas, or timetables for themselves and others
to follow. People strong in Judgment will establish deadlines and take
them seriously, expecting others will do the same. They're usually
comfortable with routines and can be willing to do all sorts of
maintenance and cleaning up after a task, feeling that these are necessary
steps for a job's completion. For this type, neatness counts. They usually
feel unhappy or unsettled when their personal space is a mess.
Straightening things up is often near the top of their list.
For their
part, people given to Perception keep their eyes open to what's around
them, gathering information and looking for opportunities and alternatives
that might be available. They usually feel no hurry to nail things down or
settle on a finished product. Instead, they tend to prefer exploring
possibilities. These individuals are often playful and spontaneous in
action. Schedules can make them feel hurried and over-controlled; they
tend to look upon deadlines as mere reminders to get on with the job.
Also, People high in Perception prefer their work to be enjoyable and
meaningful. If a task of routine maintenance or clean up falls to them,
they may balk at doing it, or may leave it to someone else. Easy-going,
even somewhat impulsive, these people are usually quite tolerant of mess.
Their personal spaces are often cluttered with an assortment of things
they've picked up, used, then dropped and forgotten about.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is temperament?
There are two
sides to personality: One is temperament and the other is character.
Temperament is a set of inclinations we are born with, while character is
a set of habits we acquire as we grow and mature. Character is
disposition, developed over a lifetime; temperament is predisposition,
hardwired in from birth. Thus, those of the Artisan temperament are
predisposed to impulsive action, those of the Guardian temperament to
responsible service, those of the Idealist temperament to personal
development, and those of the Rational temperament to objective analysis.
Each type of person, unless blocked or deflected by an unfavorable
environment, will develop the habits of character appropriate to his or
her temperament.
Put another
way, our brain is a sort of computer that has temperament for its hardware
and character for its software. Our hardware is the physical base of our
personality, placing on each of us an unmistakable temperament signature,
some facets of which can be observed from a very early age. Our software
on the other hand, is made up of our individual experience and social
environment -- the forces around us that, with time and occasion, give
shape to our individual character.
Thus
temperament is the inborn form of human nature and character is the
emergent form that develops through the interaction of temperament and
environment. Personality, your unique personal style, is a combination of
the two.
How can the Temperament Sorter help me?
Fundamentally, the Temperament Sorter helps you to do two things:
Understand your own temperament, and gain insight to other peoples'.
Possessing this valuable knowledge of human nature can have a variety of
far-reaching effects on your life.
In the work
world, being savvy about your temperament can lead you to a clearer
understanding of your natural role and functions within an organization.
It can also help you better capitalize on your personal strengths to build
your success. By comprehending your coworkers' temperaments and how each
temperament relates, you can begin to master your interactions with
supervisors and staff. In addition, being able to interpret others' innate
styles can help you to meet their implicit expectations, as well as
increasing your own leadership abilities.
In your
personal life, being knowledgeable about temperament can help you build
strong, lasting ties with others. This is true because it aids you in
anticipating your loved ones' needs and respecting their different ways of
dealing with life. When you are responsive to others, you will naturally
be looked upon as dependable, responsible, helpful, and empathetic. These
are all wonderful qualities to bring to your personal relationships. In
addition, coming to terms with your own temperament and innate tendencies
can bring new levels of wisdom and self-knowledge to all of your
interactions, as well as identifying how your particular temperament
impacts and influences others.
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