Tag Archives: rational

Famous personality, Four Temperaments, General site information, In Memoriam, Keirsey Awards, Leadership

Keirsey Temperament Awards

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The Keirsey Temperament Awards for 2011

Each year an individual is awarded from each of the Four Temperaments: Artisan, Guardian, Idealist, and Rational.

The awards are given to individuals who are “famous” (if possible) and have significantly impacted the world, to illustrate and highlight the Four Temperaments.  Keirsey Temperament Theory maintains all four Temperaments play important roles in society and we need all kinds of people use their talents.

The selection is difficult, for sometimes Temperament is hidden because we are looking at these individuals from a far. We don’t know the individuals personally, and only through the media are we familiar with these people. The Keirsey Temperament Forum serves as a nominating committee. I am the judge and jury.

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Entertainment

Adventurous Twosome

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Among the many holiday gifts received this lovely season was that of the trailer for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey of course is one of two upcoming films directed by Peter Jackson based off of J.R.R. Tolkein‘s delightful novel entitled The Hobbit. Returning to Middle-Earth after more than a decade, the trailer for the first of the two Hobbit films introduces the new cast of Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and the company of dwarves led by Thorin Oakensheild (Richard Armitage) and sees the return of some old friends, including the older Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm), Gandalf (Ian McKellen), Galadriel and Gollum. Given such wonderful holiday entertainment news lets take a look at titular character Bilbo Baggins and his dear and old friend Gandalf the Grey.

Gandalf the Grey later known as Gandalf the White is an Istari, a race of superior men that were chosen to aid the people of Middle-Earth in the fight against evil.  Gandalf has been trying to prevent evil powers from rising in Middle-Earth for over 2,000 years, and does so for good at the end of The Return of the King.  Gandalf is the wisest and most powerful of the Five Wizards, and has spent much of his time on Middle-Earth learning, teaching, reading, and studying. Powerfully intelligent, infamously wise, highly pragmatic, rightfully skeptical, and extremely analytical Gandalf is a dynamic example of a Rational. Indeed Gandalf’s never-ending quest for wisdom and knowledge is undoubtedly that of a Rational.   However, as wise and powerful as Gandalf is: he has no desire for fame or recognition, and is primarily and strictly concerned with the mission he was given to protect Middle-Earth from evil.

Warm and eager was his spirit (and it was enhanced by the ring Narya), for he was the Enemy of Sauron, opposing the fire that devours and wastes with the fire that kindles, and succours in wanhope and distress; but his joy, and his swift wrath, were veiled in garments grey as ash, so that only those that knew him well glimpsed the flame that was within. Merry he could be, and kindly to the young and simple, yet quick at times to sharp speech and the rebuking of folly; but he was not proud, and sought neither power nor praise… Mostly he journeyed unwearingly on foot, leaning on a staff, and so he was called among Men of the North Gandalf ‘the Elf of the Wand’. For they deemed him (though in error) to be of Elven-kind, since he would at times work wonders among them, loving especially the beauty of fire; and yet such marvels he wrought mostly for mirth and delight, and desired not that any should hold him in awe or take his counsels out of fear. … Yet it is said that in the ending of the task for which he came he suffered greatly, and was slain, and being sent back from death for a brief while was clothed then in white, and became a radiant flame (yet veiled still save in great need).

Gandalf’s dear friend Bilbo Baggins, on the other hand, is a very friendly and well-mannered Hobbit who like all his hobbit brethren, is fond of food, drink, a full pipe, his friends and good cheer, and was known for greeting friends and family with hospitality saying “At your service and your families”. Being related to both the Tooks and the Baggins: two family groups that were fundamentally opposite in their mentalities, with the Tooks being more fond of adventures and wandering, and the Baggins who were more fond of the settled life, Bilbo had two different sides to him something he referred to as the “Took side” and the “Baggins side”.  This meant that he secretly relished having adventures but still wanted to remain settled and was very afraid.  Warmly hospitable, extremely dependable, surprisingly courageous, and unabashedly concerned Bilbo Baggins is a classic Guardian.  Indeed Bilbo spends half of The Hobbit voicing his concern and pessimism for the adventure he was forced into, but turns out to be the most courageous and stoic of them all.

“Good morning!” said Bilbo, and he meant it.  The sun was shining, and the grass was very green. But Gandalf looked at him from under long bushy eyebrows that stuck out farther than the brim of his shady hat.  “What do you mean?” he said. “Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?”  “All of them at once,” said Bilbo.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is slated for a December 14, 2012 release.

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Famous personality, In Memoriam, Rational

Naughty Boy

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As she walked away, she looked over her shoulder and gave an almost imperceptibly slight roll of the hip while mouthing the words “Naughty boy!”

He had been actually somewhat gracious in his reaction. That wasn’t his normal reaction, he being a direct and blunt “public intellectual:” he is not known for mincing his words or being upstaged by the Iron Lady.

Using his words as weapons, he had ripped into his opponents with relish: their station in life or credentials didn’t matter.

He loved to talk, preferably as part of an argument.  Most public pundits no doubt would be intimidated by him: he was articulate and extremely knowledgable, and Oxford educated. His encyclopedic literary and historical knowledge was unmatched in public discourse.

Skeptical and Cynical, he was known for his admiration of George Orwell, Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson and for his excoriating critiques of Mother Teresa, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Henry Kissinger.

Not a mainstream pundit.

My own opinion is enough for me, and I claim the right to have it defended against any consensus, any majority, anywhere, anyplace, anytime. And anyone who disagrees with this can pick a number, get in line and kiss my ass.

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Entertainment

The Bat Squad

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The Dark Knight Rises released it’s first full trailer Monday and HOT DAMN.  For those of you who do not know, Christopher Nolan‘s concluding film to his blockbuster Batman trilogy takes place 8 years after the previous one and will feature antagonists Bane and Catwoman.  Warner Bros. also released a 7 minute prologue to The Dark Knight Rises attached to the IMAX release of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol which was an introduction to new villain Bane.  Warner Bros studios has since received a lot of criticism for one particular issue that kept coming up: no one can hear what the primary antagonist Bane was saying.  Bane dons a grim-looking mask strictly of course for fashionable purposes but does so however at the cost of having a muffled and hard-to-understand voice.  The legend himself Christopher Nolan has reportedly commented that the studio is fully aware of the issue but will not make significant changes to the sound.  Apparently Nolan wants his audiences to have to listen up and ‘participate’ rather than just be dumb stupid idiots.  What Nolan evidently is not aware of is the fact that 99% of people are in fact dumb stupid idiots.  Despite Nolan’s slight misconception let’s take a look at The Caped Crusader himself and his well-rounded supporting cast.

Bruce Thomas Wayne is an arrogant billionaire industrialist and notorious playboy by day, and a ruthless masked vigilante by night.  Characterized by his physical prowess and technical ingenuity, Batman ‘strikes terror into the hearts of criminals everywhere’.  Indeed Batman has a thick skin and is a hard-nosed utilitarian, doing whatever it takes to get the job done. Bold, daring, impulsive and adaptable with a strict adherence to utility The Caped Crusader is undoubtedly an Artisan.

Alfred Pennyworth is Batman’s trusty, faithful, and tireless butler, confidant, and surrogate father figure.  Alfred has served the Wayne family and maintained Wayne Manor for all of Bruce’s life, and essentially raised him.  Serving as a beacon of strength and stability, Alfred helps Bruce Wayne keep his tumultuous two-sided life on an even keel.  Highly dependable, extremely stable, serving as a provider and a pillar of strength Alfred Pennyworth is a classic Guardian.

Lucius Fox is Bruce Wayne’s financier, gadget man, and the President and CEO of the international corporate giant that is Wayne Enterprises.  Fox is extremely intelligent and business savvy, and turned Wayne Enterprises from a failing venture into a successful multinational conglomerate.  Fox is very knowledgable in the realm of technology, and heads a lot of Wayne Enterprises‘ engineering projects like the creation of the Batwing.  Highly pragmatic, astutely skeptical, technologically intelligent, serving as a voice of reason Lucius Fox is a prime example of a Rational.

Finally Commissioner James Gordon is Batman’s trusted ally, connection to Gotham City’s Police Force, and a dear friend.  Commissioner Gordon and Batman share a deep and unrelenting desire to rid Gotham City of evil no matter what the cost.  A man of integrity and honor, Gordon quickly realized that Batman was one of the only men in Gotham City that he could trust.  In a city riddled with crime and corruption, Gordon is a beacon of light and hope, and has made many sacrifices in the name of making Gotham City a better place.  Highly altruistic, tacitly optimistic, and undeniably spirited serving as a bright light in a very dark city Commissioner Gordon is a true Idealist.

Together they make a very well-rounded Bat-Squad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yh6SriAjdE

Quote1.png Everything’s impossible until somebody does it. Quote2.png

— Bruce Wayne

Quote1.png We soldier on undaunted, you and I, Master Bruce. And if I may say so, sir… I couldn’t beg, borrow or steal a finer way to live my life. Quote2.png

— Alfred Pennyworth

Quote1.png Let me get this straight. You think that your client, one of the wealthiest, most powerful men in the world, is secretly a vigilante who spends his nights beating criminals to a pulp with his bare hands; and your plan, is to *blackmail* this person?  …..Good luck.   Quote2.png

— Lucius Fox

Quote1.png No — Gotham doesn’t die — not on MY watch! Quote2.png

— James Gordon

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Entertainment

Deductive Duo

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Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows opened this past weekend to an underwhelming box-office presence and mixed but positive reviews.  Warner Bros. was already reeling from a horrendous debut of its ensemble holiday rom-com New years eve proving once and for all that no one should ever make ensemble holiday rom-com’s of any kind.  Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows still ranked #1 at the weekend box office leading Hollywood to believe that people are cramming all of their holiday shopping in rather than seeing movies.  Most criticisms of the film arose mainly from it’s slight affinity for senseless action, and Robert Downey Jr. being an ex-coke-head-hooker-junkie portraying one of the most beloved literary intellectuals of all time.  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle‘s most infamous and cunning villain Professor James Moriarty serves as the primary antagonist in the film and does a great job at that.  Indeed the film becomes a very intriguing battle between two powerful intellectuals (Inventor vs. Mastermind), culminating in a deadly chess match.  Despite being a former cocaine addict, Robert Downey Jr. actually does quite well in portraying Sherlock Holmes, as Holmes was actually a bit of a cocaine addict himself.  Downey said he had researched the role much more this time around, further bridging the gap between him being a blazing Artisan portraying a brilliant Rational.  Criticisms aside Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is packed with action, romance, bromance, intellectualism, plenty of pipe-smoking, deadly chess matches, and smelly french gypsies so let’s go ahead and take a look at the dynamic deductive duo of Holmes and Watson.

Sherlock Holmes is a London-based private detective world renowned for his astute logical reasoning, his skills in the art of disguise, and his use of forensic science to solve cases.  Holmes prides himself on his ability to successfully draw large conclusions from minuscule observations.  Holmes is described by his dear friend Watson as ‘Bohemian‘: a very eccentric man “with no regard for contemporary standards“.  “What appears to others as chaos, however, is to Holmes a wealth of useful information.”  Indeed Holmes finds solving complex problems highly stimulating, and has an insatiable hunger for knowledge.  Certainly Sherlock Holmes‘ innovative attitude causes him to bend the truth and rules quite often, all of course on behalf of solving cases.  While Holmes’ demeanor often comes across as that of a distant or cold intellectual, while in the midst of an interesting adventure Holmes is capable of remarkable passion and can even display a flair for showmanship.  Highly eccentric, extremely intellectual, possessing an innovative attitude and entrepreneurial spirit Sherlock Holmes is the quintessential Inventor Rational.  Indeed Holmes‘ often relies on his talent for improvisation and expedient action, as do most Inventors, a habit that often gets him into trouble.  Not to worry though, as Inventors like Holmes’ entrepreneurial spirit often miraculously gets them out of the jams they put themselves in.  However, so does his dear friend Watson.

Doctor John H. Watson is Holmes’ faithful companion and trusty sidekick, and also Holmes‘ dearest and oldest friend.  Watson chronicles the majority of Holmes’ professional ventures, and is the narrator in most of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle‘s novels.  Watson is described as a capable and brave companion to Holmes, while also serving as a skilled sharpshooter and a talented doctor and surgeon.  Though the two companions have a close relationship, Holmes’ often appears to abuse Watson and take him for granted.  Watson often attempts to solve crimes on his own using Holmes’ method, with moderate success.  Though Watson never masters Holmes’ deductive methods, he is astute enough to follow his good friends line of reasoning.  Watson essentially serves as solid and consistent moral and physical support for his dear friend Sherlock Holmes.  Extremely dependable, highly attentive, and overwhelmingly patient serving as a great source of strength and stability for Holmes Doctor John Watson is undoubtedly an Inspector Guardian.  Indeed Watson puts up with quite a bit from his dear friend Sherlock Holmes, but offers thoroughness, detail, legality, and order to compliment the innovative talents of his esteemed colleague.

Guardians are comfortable with the Rationals’ skeptical attitude and obsession with their work, which seem very much like their own pessimism and sense of duty; they often admire the NTs ingenuity, which is such a reach from their own reliance on by-the-book routine.    Please Understand Me II, p. 227-228

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows can be seen at a theater near you.

Quote1.png When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.Quote2.png

—Sherlock Holmes

Quote1.png Holmes was a man of habits… and I had become one of them… a comrade… upon whose nerve he could place some reliance… a whetstone for his mind. I stimulated him… If I irritated him by a certain methodical slowness in my mentality, that irritation served only to make his own flame-like intuitions and impressions flash up the more vividly and swiftly. Such was my humble role in our alliance.Quote2.png

—Doctor Watson

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Entertainment, Famous personality, Rational

Creative Ecstasy

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Be Beautiful, Brilliant, and Bold

Frequenzsprungverfahren

“I’m a sworn enemy of the convention.  I despise the conventional in anything, even the arts”

Hedwig Kiesler, was declared the “most beautiful women in the world,” but she quickly got bored of the sobriquet.  She did not play the Hollywood game.  She spent many of her evenings creating.  But few would know, what she was creating for it was classified as secret for 40 years.

“Any girl can be glamorous — all you have to do is stand still and look stupid”

Six different husbands.  All married her for different reasons.  But not any like her father.  He loved his daughter for her intelligence, not for her beauty.  It was he, who encouraged her to ask how things work, which gave her a supreme self confidence even by the tender age of 15.  “I must make my own decisions.  Mould my own character, think my own thoughts.”

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Famous personality, In Memoriam, Leadership, Rational

Of Complex Character

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Gaia is a tough bitch.

Hot Cold Passion: a passion for science.

She was a Scientist, first.

And she was a Character — a very interesting, and complex character.

Having entered the science community as a woman, when men still dominated science, and being charmed by a huge scientific ego, Carl, she luckily had to explore the backwaters of evolutionary biology at the time, bacteria, not getting much support from him or her male contemporaries.  Of course, like all good science, that estuary of knowledge contained biological riches totally ignored by well established conventional scientific community.  Like Darwin before, she was sui generis: a driven, feisty, no holds barred, idea brawler — an intellectual maverick — by necessity and choice.  Initially ignored, she generated a fair amount of hostility from the conventional scientific community when they were challenged.

And intellectual mavericks, with persistence, are the only type to challenge the major ideas of conventional science, and win — somewhat.

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Entertainment

Eternal Romance

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The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 opens today much to the joy of pre-pubescent girls all over the country.  Breaking Dawn is the last of four vampire-themed fantasy romance novels, meaning that The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (to be released this time next year) will be the last time that we have to deal with this garbage. While some skeptics might call this stuff low-budget low-talent pop-teen fluffy bullsh*t, it has managed to gain quite a following so let’s not dampen the mood.  The Twilight Saga is a series of stories told primarily through the narrative of a young girl Bella and her romantic encounters with a vampire (left), and a werewolf (right).  The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 begins with a wedding between Bella and Edward (the vampire), so I guess we’ll see how that goes.  Twilight author Stephenie Meyer actually loosely based Breaking Dawn off of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, so it can’t be THAT bad.  Criticism aside if you are a hopeless romantic, The Twilight Saga has a lot to grasp on to so let’s go right on ahead and take a look at this delightful and charming story of true love.

Surely one of the most important and appealing concepts of The Twilight Saga is the idea that true love transcends time, as Edward is over 100 years old and yet falls deeply in love with the young human Bella.  Edward however is a pragmatist, and constantly warns Bella against being involved with him despite developing very strong feelings for her.  In the second book Edward even convinces Bella that he doesn’t love her in an attempt to protect her, as he knows that their relationship puts her in danger.  Highly skeptical of the dark world he lives in, extremely resolute in his concern for Bella, and very pragmatic about their forbidden relationship Edward Cullen is undoubtedly a Rational.  Indeed the couples’ entire relationship exists only with monumental amounts of self-control on behalf of Edward, something that Rationals pride themselves on. Bella’s scent is irresistible to Edward, and every second that he is with her his vampiric instincts are telling him to ‘bite’ her, but he ultimately cannot corrupt something that is so pure in his mind.

Despite Bella frequently asking Edward to turn her into a vampire so that they can be together forever, Edward believes that being a vampire is a curse and that they are soulless creatures with no place in heaven.  Indeed Bella possesses an unrelenting energy and passion for their relationship, and fell into a deep depression during their fallout in the second novel.  During such a dark period Bella discovered that she possesses intuitive powers, and can hear Edwards thoughts when she is in danger.  Highly sensitive, extremely empathic, deeply loving, and undeniably intimate Bella Swan is undoubtedly an Idealist.  Indeed Bella uses such danger-invoked telepathic abilities to justify nearly killing herself, a romantic cry for help that screams Idealist.  Certainly, Idealists (like Bella) “have a flair for dramatizing their courtships, and they spare no effort or flight of imagination to win the heart of their loved one.”

Undoubtedly, Bella Swan and Edward Cullen make a charming example of the profound connection between the Idealist Soulmate and the Rational Mindmate:

“The basis of the Idealists and Rationals compatibility is that they both live primarily in the world of abstract concepts–the world of theories and possibilities, of insights and symbols.  After dating more down-to-earth, literal minded Artisans and Guardians, an Idealist’s first encounter with a Rational can be a revelation, putting the NF in touch with a new and intriguing type of person, someone eager and able (like the NF) to dream the world, to build castles in the air, and to see far distances with the mind’s eye.  Also fascinating is the Rational’s calmness and autonomy, two characteristics which give the NT a strength of character—a firm grasp of who they are—that the easily ruffled, soul-searching NF greatly admires, and would like to emulate.” Please Understand Me II, p. 238

Of course once he ‘turns her’ and all the honeymoon and suspense is over, he’ll presumably get fat and lazy and the two will have to suffer through the woes of an actual relationship just like the rest of us.  The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 can be seen starting today at a theater near you.

Quote1.png Before you, Bella, my life was like a moonless night.  Very dark, but there were stars points of light and reason…And then you shot across my sky like a meteor.  Suddently everything was on fire; there was brilliancy, there was beauty.  When you were gone, when the meteor had fallen over the horizon, everything went black.  Nothing had changed, but my eyes were blinded by the light.  I couldn’t see the stars anymore. And there was no more reason for anything.’Quote2.png

—Edward Cullen

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Entertainment

Ancient Conflict

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Tarsem Singh‘s visually spectacular Greek mythology epic Immortals opened last Friday to mixed reviews and a $32 million box office weekend opening.  Some call it a “living, breathing, work of art” while others ask “doesn’t Greece have enough problems already?”  The film is an artistic depiction of several classic Greek myths including that of Theseus, the Minotaur, and the Titanomachy.  While the film does succeed in being an impressive visual spectacle, the story ultimately falls short and those looking for an emotional connection to the characters will likely be disappointed.  Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 37%  aggregate with its Top Critics giving it a 22%, while Metacritic gave it a 47 out of 100.  In other words when a movie gets “mixed reviews” it usually just means the movie sucks.  Most of the films issues lie in the screenplay, but if you are a movie fan or Greek mythology buff you should definitely check it out.  Regardless of Singh‘s artistic direction or perhaps lack-there-of let’s take a look at Immortals’ four main characters with limited spoilers.

A father-less peasant named Theseus played by the new Superman Henry Cavill serves as the Artisan in the film, being highly skilled in martial arts and utterly fearless.  Indeed it is Thesseus’ fearlessness that prompted Zeus to train him and provide guidance for him in the disguise of an old man.

An oracle priestess named Phaedra played by Freida Pinto serves as the Idealist in the film, being highly spiritual and gifted with visions and premonitions of the future.  Indeed it is Phaedra who took notice of Thesseus’ destiny and affinity to the gods, and helped guide him along his path.

A ruthless and bloodthirsty mobilizer named King Hyperion played by Mickey Rourke serves as the Rational in the film, who rose from an unwanted peasant to the most powerful man in Greece.  Hyperion is a mercilessly efficient leader and does whatever needs to be done to fulfill his aim of de-throning the tryanny of the Olympians.

The King of the Gods Zeus played by Luke Evans serves as the Guardian in the film, as the one who must enforce the rules of the Gods at all costs, while also protecting his Olympian family from the threat of the Titans.  Indeed Zeus is forced to execute martial law when one of his fellow Olympians breaks the rule of not interfering in human affairs.  He is also ultimately forced to defend his family’s right to the throne of Mount Olympus, which is probably the coolest part of the film.

Quote1.png If there was one human who could lead them against Hyperion, it would be Theseus.  But it has to be his choice. Quote2.png

—Zeus (Immortals)

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