Hi, I’m working (work in progress) on a system of classifying things into 4 types… or temperaments or “humours”
and I was looking for feedback…
BTW, there is also the 16 type Myers-Briggs type indicator and the 9 type enneagram (and many other systems)
In my system, there is an x and y axis and on the x there is aggressive vs unitive and on the y there is dogmatic vs creative.
I think there were 4 Jungian temperaments as well and they were:
sensation (aggressive)
feeling (unitive)
intellectual (dogmatic) [I know that proper intellectuals are supposedly non-dogmatic, but I think structured thought is dogmatic in some way)
intuitive (creative)
There are also mixes and labels:
dogmatism - fanatic/critic
dogmatic unity - shepherd (good king)
unity - lover
unitive creativity - entertainer (poet)
creativity - party animal
aggressive creativity - adventurer (powerful wizard)
aggression - brute
aggressive dogmatism - crusader (warrior)
I think they correspond to the 4 elements:
aggression - fire
unity - water
creativity - air
dogmatism - earth
Interesting stuff, but why are you doing it? What advantages will your system have over other similar schemes? Do you consider your system to more accurately represent reality than, say, the four humours?
Why do you consider intelectual and creative as opposites? You seem to have some serious definition problems… of your words, not necessarily your concepts.
BTW, for dogmatism, maybe they seek flawlessness - and maybe fear disgust.
And for creativity, maybe a “free spirit” is better because party animals are extroverts (free spirit might cover party animals and introverted artists)
Mangetout:
I find it rewarding for some reason… using my system I think it satifies the 4 aspects of me… it involves uniting everything, power (because I’m doing it), dogmatism and creativity.
I think it’s pretty easy to understand and it fits the 4 elements quite well.
Nava:
I have dogmatic and creative as opposites. And I think Jung had intellect and intuition as opposites, and I think dogmatic corresponds to intellect and creative corresponds to intuition. That doesn’t mean that intellectual and creative are perfect opposites… just like earth and creativity aren’t (total) opposites. (earth and air are supposed to be opposites)
Are you familiar w/ transactional Analysis? I’m have no training in psychology, but T/A seems to accomplish what your proposed system does and is less complicated and more practical in dealing w/ everyday situations.
I’ve also got other material such as wants and fears:
equal: flawlessness, cognitive dissonance/crisis of faith
positive: connectedness, alienation/rejection
negative: power, impotence
approx equal: newness, boredom
A.R. Cane
I had heard of the parent/adult/child roles in T.A. and read some more here:
I don’t think those 3 types correspond well with other personality theories
e.g.
since most other theories have 4 or more types. (mine has 4 main types [positive, negative, equal, approx equal] and many more if you go part way between the types - e.g. more or less nurturing or aggressive, more creative or ordered or observing/theoretical [centered]). I have no training in psychology either and this is meant to be a way of trying to organize archetypes/concepts and personality theories rather than being practical. It is sort of esoteric. BTW, I originally was interested in KWML http://www.doctorpaul.net/kwml.htm
and also masculine(yang) and feminine(yin) concepts and it just evolved from there.
pool:
Basically the row headings and column headings describe the enneagram personality type that is at the intersection… and the 4 elements are traditionally associated with personality types so I associated them with mine. I’ll try and justify the correspondences…
Water - seeks connection - water binds to itself and to other things. It nurtures.
Fire - uses aggression - fire is violent
Earth - seeks admiration - it is the 1 element worshipped the most (as Gaia, mother earth, etc)
Wind - seeks power - air is sometimes calm but can become a tornado.
(I know some descriptions could apply to different elements but I’ve made it so all of the descriptions kind of go along with each other)
