Historical development

He further developed Hippocrates and Plato's study of temperance. Keirsey referred to himself and his works in the following terms suggested by Plato: artist (iconic), guardian (pistic), idealist (noetic), rationalist (dianoetic). For each temperament, Keirsey categorized it into two types (roles) that he divided into two categories (role variants). These 16 types are similar to the 16 personality types outlined by Briggs and Myers.

Following the end of WWII, Keirsey became acquainted with the works of Ernst Kretschmer and William Sheldon. A few years after receiving the MBTI, Keirsey developed his Temperament Sorter. A modern temperament theory was developed by Keirsey in his books Please Understand Me (1978), Portraits of Temperament (1988), Presidential Temperament (1992), Please Understand Me II (1998), Brains and Careers (2008), and Personology (2010).

Four temperaments

As one of Keirsey's four temperaments, the Artisan temperament is characterized by creativity and sensitivity. Correlating with the SP (sensing–perceiving) Myers-Briggs types, the Artisan temperament comprises the following role variants (listed with their correlating Myers-Briggs types): Composer (ISFP), Crafter (ISTP), Performer (ESFP), and Promoter (ESTP). Concreteness and adaptability are characteristics of artisans. Aiming to make an impact, they seek stimulation and virtuosity. Tactics are their strongest suit. Expertise in troubleshooting, agility, and manipulation of tools, instruments, and equipment is one of their strongest attributes.

In Keirsey, there are four temperaments, with the Guardian temperament being one of them. Myers–Briggs types with SJ (sensing–judging) characteristics can be categorized as the following Guardian temperaments (listed with their complimentary types): Inspector (ISTJ), Protector (ISFJ), Provider (ESFJ) and Supervisor (ESTJ). A guardian is organized (scheduled) and concrete. In their pursuit of security, belonging, and responsibility, they are motivated by their duties. Logistics is their greatest strength. Organization, facilitation, checking, and support are their strengths.

Keirsey defines four temperaments, among which the Idealist temperament is one. NF Myers-Briggs personality type (intuitive-feeling) corresponds to the Idealist temperament role variants (listed with their correlating Myers-Briggs types): Champion (ENFP), Counselor (INFJ), Healer (INFP), and Teacher (ENFJ). Idealists are abstract and compassionate. Seeking meaning and significance, they are concerned with personal growth and finding their own unique identity. Their greatest strength is diplomacy. They excel at clarifying, individualizing, unifying, and inspiring.

Keirsey defines the Rational temperament as one of the four other temperaments. Correlating with the NT (intuitive–thinking) Myers-Briggs types, the Rational temperament comprises the following role variants (listed with their correlated Myers-Briggs types): Architect (INTP), Fieldmarshal (ENTJ), Inventor (ENTP), and Mastermind (INTJ). Rational thinking is abstract and objective. These individuals are concerned about their own knowledge and competence, seeking mastery and self-control. They excel at strategic thinking. Engineering, conceptualizing, theorizing, and coordination are some of the skills they excel at.

The Four Temperaments in the Keirsey Temperament Sorter

Theory of temperment: Here, temperament is defined as a predisposition to adopt a particular set of habits. The concept of temperance is used to discuss common characteristics and differences between people. A person's temperament indicates his or her likely future behavior. These are the inclinations that are set at birth. There is a difference between temperament and personality, or temperament and environment.

A personality assessment is designed to help people to understand themselves better and others better. There are many personality assessments available worldwide, but this is one of the most popular. Despite their close association with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the KTS and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator have many practical and theoretical differences. Keirsey's purpose is to assist people in understanding themselves and their relationships with others and their environment both on a personal and professional level. It can be used for personal development, coaching, team building, and many other purposes.

Key skill 1: Self-management

What is the relationship between emotional intelligence and self-regulation?

Physical well-being. A person who is unable to control his or her emotions is probably also unable to control their stress. Serious health problems can result from this. As a result of uncontrolled stress, blood pressure increases, the immune system becomes suppressed, strokes and heart attacks are increased, infertility increases, and the aging process speeds up. Understanding how to handle stress is the first step in improving emotional intelligence.

The practice of mindfulness involves paying attention to what is happening right now without judgment. Most religions include a form of meditation or prayer similar to that of mindfulness cultivation. By focusing your attention on the present moment and paying attention to physical sensations and emotional responses, mindfulness helps you gain a wider perspective on life. Mindfulness makes you more focused and centered, as well as more aware of yourself.

Key skill 2: Self-awareness

Are emotionally intelligent people self-aware?

Mental health. Stress and uncontrollable emotions can also adversely affect your mental health, leaving you prone to anxiety. You'll struggle to form strong relationships if you can't understand, accept or manage your emotions. In turn, this can further exacerbate any mental health problems you have by making you feel lonely and isolated.

In order to cope with overwhelm, you must first learn how to manage stress, in order to start reconnecting with strong or unpleasant emotions and be comfortable experiencing and responding to them in a different way..

Key skill 3: Social awareness

Emotional and social awareness are enhanced by mindfulness

Social intelligence. You become more in tune with yourself when you are in tune with your emotions, which helps you connect with other people. Through social intelligence, you can determine which person is interested in you, reduce stress, balance your nervous system, and feel loved and happy.

Through social awareness, you are able to recognize and interpret the mainly verbal and nonverbal signals that your interactions with others produce. It allows you to understand how others feel, how their emotional state changes over time, and what is really important to them.

Being mindful is a key component of social awareness. When you're spending too much time thinking, scrolling through your phone, or simply lost in your own thoughts, you cannot pick up on nonverbal cues. You must be present in the moment to be socially aware. Multitasking can make you miss the subtle emotional shifts taking place in other people that help you fully understand them, even when we often pride ourselves on being able to multitask efficiently.

Key skill 4: Relationship management

Work better with emotional intelligence. As a team.

Relating to others. Understanding your emotions and controlling them helps you communicate your feelings and better understand how others feel. By doing so, you are able to communicate effectively at work and build stronger relationships in your personal life.

Learn to use non-verbal communication effectively. There's no way you can avoid sending nonverbal signals about what you're thinking and feeling to others. As you communicate your own emotions as well as read the emotional intentions of others, your face has many different muscles, especially near your eyes, nose, mouth, and forehead. No matter how much you ignore your brain's emotional messages-others won't. Taking note of your nonverbal messages can go a long way towards improving your relationships.

Observing similar nonverbal cues from groups of people can help you understand power dynamics and shared emotional experiences within the group. The short version is that you're empathetic and sociable.

In order to work well with others, you must be emotionally aware and be able to recognize and understand other people's experiences. In order to be effective, fruitful, and fulfilling in your relationships, you need to develop emotional awareness.

How Emotionally Intelligent Are You?

When we speak of emotional intelligence (EI), we refer to the capacity to perceive, control, and evaluate the feelings we have. Emotional intelligence is one of those traits that can be learned and strengthened. Others argue that it is inborn.

Expression and control of emotions are important, but so are the abilities to interpret, understand, and respond to those of others. Imagine being unable to understand why your friend is suffering, or why your coworker is feeling angry. Experts suggest that emotional intelligence can be more important than IQ in terms of your ability to be successful in life. Psychologists refer to this ability as emotional intelligence.

Emotional intelligence can be measured using a variety of assessments. There are two general types of tests of this nature: self-report and ability tests.

People who are emotionally intelligent understand that emotions are powerful, but also temporary. In the case of highly charged emotions, such as becoming angry at a co-worker, it would be prudent to refrain from responding right away. Everyone can then calm their emotions and think more rationally about all the factors surrounding the argument.

A person who is emotionally intelligent is not only adept at understanding how others feel, but also adept at understanding their own feelings. Individuals who are self-aware can take into consideration the many different factors contributing to their emotions.

Understanding and empathizing with how others feel is a large part of emotional intelligence. When you reflect on your response in a given situation, you are often considering what you would do.

People with high emotional intelligence are able to understand the perspectives, experiences, and emotions of others, and use this information to explain why they behave the way they do.