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Keirsey Temperament Sorter

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The Keirsey Temperament Sorter(KTS) is a self-assessed personality questionnaire designed to help people better understand themselves, first introduced in the book Please Understand Me. KTS is closely associated with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) however there are significant practical and theoretical differences between the two [personality questionnaires] and their associated different descriptions.

Historical Development

David Keirsey developed the Temperament Sorter after being introduced to MBTI by a friend; however, Keirsey traces the idea of temperament back to the ancient Greeks. Hippocrates, a Greek medic who lived from 460-377 B.C., proposed the four humours, which are related to the four temperaments. These were named and promoted by Galen: sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic, and melancholic. Keirsey extensively fleshed out the characteristics of the four temperaments in books Please Understand Me(1978) and Please Understand Me II(1998), and renamed them as Artisan, Idealist, Rational, and Guardian in his book Portraits of Temperament(1987). The chart below compares modern and ancient aspects of the theory:


Template:Temperament2

About the Sorter Descriptions

Temperament can be seen like the rings of a tree. At the inner ring a person is either introspective or observant. The second ring determines whether or not an individual is cooperative or is pragmatic. The third ring indicates whether an individual is directive or is informative. And the fourth ring indicates whether an individual is expressive or reserved.

  • The inner ring - Observant versus Introspective
According to Keirsey, everyone is both observant and introspective. When people touch objects, watch a basketball game, taste food, and in short perceive the world through their senses they are being observant. When people reflect, introspect and pay attention to what is going on inside their heads they are being introspective. Keirsey also believes that someone cannot observe and introspect at the same time. And he believes the extent to which people are being observant or are being introspective has a direct effect on their behavior.
People who are primarily observant are more 'down to earth', are more concrete in their worldview, and tend to focus on practical matters such as food and shelter. Keirsey likened observant people to Earthlings. Carl Jung used the word sensing to describe people who are primarily observant. People who are primarily introspective are more 'head in the clouds', are more abstract in their world view, and tend to focus on global issues. Keirsey likened introspective people to Extraterrestrials. Carl Jung used the word intuition to describe people who are primarily introspective.
  • The second ring - Cooperative versus Pragmatic
Keirsey uses the words pragmatic and cooperative when comparing the differing temperaments. People who are cooperative pay more attention to other people opinions and are more concerned with doing the right thing. People who are pragmatic pay more attention to their own thoughts or feelings and are more concerned with doing what works. There is no comparable idea of Myers or Jung that corresponds to this dichotomy, hence this is a major difference between the work of David Keirsey versus Isabel Myers and Carl Jung.
This ring determines a person's temperament. Rationals are 'pragmatic Extraterrestrials', Idealists are 'cooperative Extraterrestrials', Artisans are 'pragmatic Earthlings', and Guardians are 'cooperative Earthlings'.


  • The third ring - Directive versus Informative
The third ring distinguishes between people who primarily communicate by informing others versus people who primarily communicate by directing others. Each of the four temperaments is subdivided by this distinction for a result of eight intelligence types. These types are Engineers (Informative Rationals), Coordinators (Directive Rationals), Advocates (Informative Idealists), Mentors (Directive Idealists), Administrators (Directive Guardians), Conservators (Informative Guardians), Expeditors (Directive Artisans) and Improvisers (Informative Artisans).
  • The fourth ring - Expressive versus Reserved
The fourth ring describes how people interact in with their environment. Individuals who primarily say and do before they listen and watch are described as expressive whereas people who primarily listen and watch before they say and do are described as reserved. Each of the eight categories can be subdivided by this distinction for a total of 16 role variants. The 16 role variants are Composer, Crafter, Performer, Promoter, Protector, Inspector, Provider, Supervisor, Healer, Counselor, Champion, Teacher, Architect, Mastermind, Inventor, and Fieldmarshal. These 16 role variants correlate to the 16 Myers-Briggs types.

Myers-Briggs Types versus Keirsey's Temperaments

Isabel Myers type descriptions and David Keirsey character descriptions have several differences between them. One of the primary differences between the two models is that Myers was primarily focused on how people think and feel whereas Keirsey is focused more on how people behave. Keirsey notes that one can not directly observe that people think or feel. A second important difference is that the Myers used a linear four-factor model in her descriptions whereas Keirsey uses a systems field theory model in his descriptions. A third important difference is the emphasis Keirsey and Myers place on the four dichotomies. Keirsey believes that whether someone is observant or is introspective, is much more important distinction than whether someone is expressive(somewhat correlated to extroverted) or reserved(somewhat correlated to introverted). On the other hand, Jung, and hence Myers, placed the most emphasis on whether or not someone is extraverted or introverted. A fourth difference is the difference between ‘function attitudes’ in Myers-Briggs and temperament types in Keirsey’s models.

In order to compare the two models, Myers-Briggs types were grouped by function types. Introverted thinkers and extroverted thinkers were placed into the grouping ‘thinking type’, introverted and extroverted intuitives were placed into the grouping ‘intuitive type’, introverted and extroverted feelers were placed into the grouping ‘feeling type’, introverted and extroverted sensors were placed into the grouping ‘sensing type’.

Myers considers ESTJs and ENTJs, ISFPs and INFPs, INTPs and ISTPs, and ENFJs and ESFJs to be very similar because they are of the same dominant function attitude. ESTJs and ENTJs are both extraverted thinkers, ISFPs and INFPs are both introverted feelers, INTPs and ISTPs are both introverted thinkers, and ENFJs and ESFJs are both extraverted feelers. Keirsey believes that these same groupings are very different from one another because they are of different temperaments. ESTJs are Guardians whereas ENTJs are Rationals, ISFPs are Artisans whereas INFPs are Idealists, INTPs are Rationals whereas ISTPs are Artisans, and ENFJs are Idealists whereas ESFJs are Guardians.

The four temperaments

  • Artisan
  • Guardians are observant and cooperative. Protectors, Inspectors, Supervisors, and Providers are the role variants contained within this category. Guardians seek membership or belonging and are concerned with responsibility and duty. Their greatest strength is logistical intelligence. They excel at organizing, facilitating, checking, and supporting.
  • Idealists are introspective and cooperative. Healers, Counselors, Champions and Teachers are the role variants contained within this category. Idealists seek meaning and significance and are concerned with finding their own unique identity. Their greatest strength is diplomatic intelligence. They excel at clarifying, unifying, individualizing, and inspiring.
  • Rationals are introspective and pragmatic. Architects, Masterminds, Inventors and Fieldmarshals are the role variants contained within this category. Rationals seek mastery and self-control and are concerned with their own knowledge and competence. Their greatest strength is strategic intelligence. They excel at engineering, conceptualizing, theorizing, and coordinating.

The Eight Intelligence Types

  • Expeditors are observant, pragmatic, and directive. Crafters and Promoters are the two role variants contained within Directive Artisans.
  • Improvisers are observant, pragmatic and informative. Composers and Performers are the two role variants contained within Informative Artisans.
  • Administrators are observant, cooperative, and directive. Inspectors and Supervisors are the two role variants contained within Directive Guardians.
  • Conservators are observant, cooperative, and informative. Protectors and Providers are the two role variants contained within Informative Guardians.
  • Mentors are introspective, cooperative, and directive. Counselors and Teachers are the two role variants contained within Directive Idealists.
  • Advocates are introspective, cooperative and informative. Healers and Champions are the two role variants contained within Informative Idealists.
  • Coordinators are introspective, pragmatic and directive. Masterminds and Fieldmarshals are the two role variants contained within Directive Rationals.
  • Engineers are introspective, pragmatic and informative. Architects and Inventors are the two role variants contained within Informative Rationals.

The 16 Role Variants


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