Guardians and Rationals

[RandomUser191]

this thread was inspired by looking at some of my friendships with rationals.

we're definitely very different from one another but i've noticed that one of the reasons why we often don't get along might be because we have the "wrong" similarities. i might be wrong since i haven't even read PUM II but oh well...

i can't speak for every rational and guardian out there but heck, both the guardians and the rationals i know are very stuborn. i remember a rational here once refer to me as "i feel like i've been talking to a tree stump". sadly i see where she was coming from and i have to say the same for rationals.

our egos. maybe it might not apply for everyone but i've noticed how it important it is for both groups to come over as strong, convincing, independent (although guardians tend to need more hand holding, it's still important to us to create the impression of independence). i don't remember ever being asked for moral support IRL by a fellow guardian or a rational.

might be a bit of a long shot but i know i have trouble with relying on others (despite wanting to believe in them) and the rationals i've known were often very sceptical about trusting or relying on others.

an example: i lent a friend some money and my mastermind friend who was standing beside me said "you'll never get it back" in a neutral tone right after the guy went away, despite the mastermind never really talking to the guy but as always, observing and forming an opinion.
in the end i got it back in a matter of days.

i bet there's more.


personal experiences are very much appreciated. i know there's an old guardian/rational thread where i wanted to "bridge the gap" and i know many rationals here don't get along with guardians IRL so i guess i just want to find some more common ground.

[Ranson]

I have a childhood friend who happens to be a Mastermind Rational, his father is a Guardian..Inspector I believe. From what I was able to observe from their relationship it was based on mutual respect..the father being supportive and giving his son space to be independent. The son was very respectful towards his father and admired his devotion. Oddly enough, he seemed to bump heads routinely with his mother, a fellow Rational.

In HS my religion teacher was also a Mastermind, although if I hadn't been versed in Keirsey Temperament theory at the time I might have misunderstood him to be a dictatorial Guardian, with a sensitive inner Idealist. Affinity for logic, broad theoretical discussion, excelling at contingency were the give aways that settled my mind on Mastermind.

In college I knew a couple the female was a Inventor(?) (rational for sure) the male a Protector...needless to say their relationship confounded me, they were the happiest couple you could come across. I think the key for them was being in the same field (engineering) and both having a wicked sense of humor..much laughter, much happiness I suppose.

I would cite more examples, but I feel I'm rambling...though I must agree with your observation, for every stubborn Rational I know a Guardian as adept at being a Mule.

[Goodrum]

There has been an interesting and consistent dynamic occuring in a small community where I rent out some property to scientists. Best that I can tell they consist mostly of rationals, both gender, all ages, all backgrounds, culture, countries...

There is an evident friction between the rationals and guardians within the microcosm, the rationals tend to hang out together if at all, the guardians I have heard complaining they (the rationals), are anti-social, not team players in the sense of joining in the community, participating, eg fundraisers, local committees, entertainment and sport. That has been a constant complaint, they seem to view the rationals with an intense dislike, very little appreciation for their research and work, in fact some have expressed 'it's not even proper work'. (Science research). Also they complain how impractical the rationals are in day to day life.

I'm unsure if the rationals have any depth of sense of the animosity, the interaction I have with them is basically business and they say everything is fine. It is a small community also, and very regional. It's also quite multi-cultural, but the people that make the effort to 'mix' is commended, and often the children make friends, kind of leading the adults into a relationship of sorts.

It's just a snapshot of a very small area in a very big country. I do not think it would reflect larger communities, there doesn't seem to be the minority under such microscope in bigger, more urban places.

Even ?the naughty behaviour of some of the younger, wilder artisans is forgiven?, but rationals and even the odd idealist are viewed as aliens. 'Odd', 'weird', 'anti-social' (some), and 'hopeless' in day to day life.

There is a further dynamic to the guardian perception of rationals, the artisans become involved, the guardians ?discredit? the rationals, then the artisans ridicule them, (mimic, set them up) it becomes almost a tag-team 'attack'.