According to the Keirsey website there are four temperaments: the SJs/Guardians, the NFs/Idealists, the SPs/Artisans, the NTs/Rationals. Each of the temperaments is broken down further based on factors such as introversion or extroversion, so there are sixteen total temperaments. This post is a quick overview with some guesses as to which characters fit each broad type.
Keirsey contends "[a]ll Guardians (SJs) share the following core characteristics:
- Guardians pride themselves on being dependable, helpful, and hard-working.
- Guardians make loyal mates, responsible parents, and stabilizing leaders.
- Guardians tend to be dutiful, cautious, humble, and focused on credentials and traditions.
- Guardians are concerned citizens who trust authority, join groups, seek security, prize gratitude, and dream of meting out justice. "
This one seems easy. Superman and Captain America are Guardians. Nuff said.
Keirsey contends "[a]ll Idealists (NFs) share the following core characteristics:
- Idealists are enthusiastic, they trust their intuition, yearn for romance, seek their true self, prize meaningful relationships, and dream of attaining wisdom.
- Idealists pride themselves on being loving, kindhearted, and authentic.
- Idealists tend to be giving, trusting, spiritual, and they are focused on personal journeys and human potentials.
- Idealists make intense mates, nurturing parents, and inspirational leaders."
Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman, seems to fit here. I think that Professor X also fits here.
Keirsey further asserts "[a]ll Artisans (SPs) share the following core characteristics:
- Artisans tend to be fun-loving, optimistic, realistic, and focused on the here and now.
- Artisans pride themselves on being unconventional, bold, and spontaneous.
- Artisans make playful mates, creative parents, and troubleshooting leaders.
- Artisans are excitable, trust their impulses, want to make a splash, seek stimulation, prize freedom, and dream of mastering action skills."
Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, and Spiderman both seem to fit here.
Finally, Keirsy contends "[a]ll Rationals (NTs) share the following core characteristics:
- Rationals tend to be pragmatic, skeptical, self-contained, and focused on problem-solving and systems analysis.
- Rationals pride themselves on being ingenious, independent, and strong willed.
- Rationals make reasonable mates, individualizing parents, and strategic leaders.
- Rationals are even-tempered, they trust logic, yearn for achievement, seek knowledge, prize technology, and dream of understanding how the world works."
I think that Batman, Iron Man, and the Hulk fit here.
This is just a shell of an idea, but if Star Trek, Harry Potter, and other pop culture franchises can be used to illustrate Keirsey's ideas, it seems that comics offer many other rich illustrations.
