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Please Understand Me II: Temperament, Character, Intelligence
The Please Understand Me Phenomenon
Keirsey and Bates's Please Understand Me, first published in 1978, sold nearly 2 million copies in its first 20 years, becoming a perennial best seller all over the world. Advertised only by word of mouth, the book became a favorite training and counseling guide in many institutions - government, church, business - and colleges across th
...morePaperback, 350 pages
Published
May 28th 1998
by Prometheus Nemesis Book Company
(first published 1998)
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Great stuff. Keirsey does a nice job developing a new schema on top of the Briggs tradition. He divides up the 16 personality types (based on 4 letter variables) into 4 major sections: Artisan, Guardian, Idealist, Rational. The book starts off looking at how similar 4 divisions have been made since the start of the the western tradition. Keirsey bases his criteria on observing how people use tools and how people use language. I can't speak for the other types but the Rational section nailed me w...more
Personality theory was may favorite psychology class in college, which is where I first encountered the MBTI, upon which this book is based. FWIW, one the full test I'm a moderate I, and nearly balanced on the other three scales, though INTP seems to fit the best.
To me, personality theory is a way of finding the demarcations between types of people; different theories will cut the pie differently and no one theory could ever hope to capture all variability. The MBTI creates binary sca...more
To me, personality theory is a way of finding the demarcations between types of people; different theories will cut the pie differently and no one theory could ever hope to capture all variability. The MBTI creates binary sca...more
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Myers-Briggs Type Indicator - MBTI, y'all. It's Jungian.
When the CERN rappers take on personality preferences, I'll totally let them use that to close out. Word to your SJ mother.
Myers-Briggs is the world's most used personality indicator and the basis for any understanding I have of all people. Please Understand Me II by David Keirsey covers practical aspects of the 16 Myers-Briggs types - communication style, decision making, interests, leadership style and tons more. ...more
When the CERN rappers take on personality preferences, I'll totally let them use that to close out. Word to your SJ mother.
Myers-Briggs is the world's most used personality indicator and the basis for any understanding I have of all people. Please Understand Me II by David Keirsey covers practical aspects of the 16 Myers-Briggs types - communication style, decision making, interests, leadership style and tons more. ...more
I read this book because I am project-oriented, because I like to put things and people into categories that I understand, and because I feel compelled to make sense of complex systems like how people are. I have been working on this off and on for many years, and this book is so much better than most of the popular "what makes you like that" personality books I have read that I wish I had read it first and saved some time! It has helped me appreciate and value the differences in oth...more
One of my (many) obsessions. Five years ago this book told me I was an INTP, and I was skeptical. I did not think four letters could sum an entire personality. Little did I know...they could and did! (Sort of.) Then I found out that skepticism is a typical INTP trait. Keirsey is also an INTP! So is (probably definitely) Thomas Pynchon! I've probably taken at least 30 variants of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator since, and while the one provided in this book isn't the best, the profiles are top-no...more
Okay--I got fanatical about the Jung Myers-Briggs theory of personality last year. I tested my family and many of my friends and acquaintances with an online test, and thought intensively about the theoretical and practical implications of the tool (i.e. the test) and the theory. I wanted something to further my knowledge of it and I wanted to see some ingenious ways of applying the theory--and hopefully some empirical research on such applications. Instead I found that most of the stuff Kiersey...more
So we have been having difficult with my son at school. He's smart, he's generally kind to people and respectful of adults. Yet school has been like pulling teeth since he started kindergarten. Enter an old friend of ours who happens to be a school teacher and she recommends this book to us, tells us to try and figure out what Bode is (and she has a hunch already after meeting him and hearing stories), and then we can understand better what makes him tick, what he likes, dislikes, how our parent...more
I've loved the Myers-Briggs Temperament Inventory since I first took it almost 20 years ago. I've found it to be instrumental in helping me understand myself in ways that I had never considered before. With the knowledge I gained, I have been able to embrace who I am instead of constantly working against myself, and have ventured on the path that has brought me to greater self-awareness and joy.
Please Understand Me is the single best book I've found describing the various MBTI temp...more
Please Understand Me is the single best book I've found describing the various MBTI temp...more
This is a good one for all you Meyers-Briggs junkies out there. I became guilty of this title when in high school I first took the test and began to discover why I relate to people in the way that I do. His explanations of the different temperaments were certainly clear enough for me to begin typing people I live and work with. In effect, I began to realize that we all have things that we are good at (and not-so-good at) and that the world would not turn the same way without them. I began to hav...more
Judy
added it
I read the Parenting section & had my teenagers do the 16 question Four Types sorter. It was a great reminder that my children have different personalities than I do (duh!). I of course learned more about myself as a parent than I did about my children - it's always good to have some help "looking in the mirror." The personality descriptions don't fit perfectly: for example, my voracious reader of fantasy has a predominant personality type that isn't supposed to do this. But don't l...more
This is a great book to read and learn more about the people around you. And I actually learned a lot about myself (for instance, I am not the temperament that I've been instructed to be for most of my life). I found this to be really informative, and actually a fun pasttime with my friends pointing out how closely each matched the personalities they were indicated to be. The book tends to drag a little in places, as it has some of the same basic information as introductions for the different te...more
There's a reason Nina says she's lost track of how many copies of this book she has purchased, lent out, and then never seen again. (I still have her copy... eeek!) This book is great for helping you understand yourself and also understand why other people see/feel/think about things differently than you all the time. I am much more aware of the different ways people experience and process the world after reading this book, which allows me to be much more strategic and empathetic about how I man...more
Thought provoking and informative. I read it as a tool to expand my horizons for character creation, and though, as a complete approach to personality it hovers over the left-brain camp, it does provide a sure footing for leaps into the fog of the collective unconscious. In my case it will be a reference that I turn to for a glimpse of the terrain, rather like google maps, but the real understanding will be more of a dash to the destination in rush hour traffic. That being said, it was rewarding...more
Although some people make themselves annoying with this book by quickly typecasting everyone publicly (people don't like being told who they are usually), its still a really amazing premise. It really helped me appreciate people better, especially my family, and understand why they didn't understand me. This book has made my life less frustrating, and helped me with sales and the ministry, where I need to quickly read someone (or at least get a loose approximation) and what they might value. ...more
Keirsey has done a great job of popularizing the Myers-Briggs approach to personality. This book is accessible, and each personality is represented well, with plenty of interesting sociological insights.
That being said, there are plenty of potential problems, and the system can obviously be abused. On the idealogical level, Keirsey seems to err on the side of genetic fatalism and a very rigid application of the 16 personalities. If you're an ESTJ, you've always been an ESTJ, and you ...more
That being said, there are plenty of potential problems, and the system can obviously be abused. On the idealogical level, Keirsey seems to err on the side of genetic fatalism and a very rigid application of the 16 personalities. If you're an ESTJ, you've always been an ESTJ, and you ...more
Many years ago we learned about the Myers-Briggs personality typing system, and one of the books we read was 'Please Understand Me' by Keirsey and Bates. I found it somewhat useful, but a bit simplistic, and preferred other books. This sequel is a complete re-write, with new information and far more helpful descriptions.
Keirsey uses the Myers-Briggs/Jungian terminology in his book, but rather than focusing on 16 different types of people he divides them into four categories, which h...more
Keirsey uses the Myers-Briggs/Jungian terminology in his book, but rather than focusing on 16 different types of people he divides them into four categories, which h...more
The protagonist of this book is Keirsey. For the past twenty years Keirsey has continued to investigate personality differences — to refine his theory of the four temperaments and to define the facets of character that distinguish one from another.
I would recommend this book to people who enjoy thinking really hard while reading a book. This book forces you to think really hard at all times.
If i were to rate this book out of ten, i would give it a seven. This boo...more
I would recommend this book to people who enjoy thinking really hard while reading a book. This book forces you to think really hard at all times.
If i were to rate this book out of ten, i would give it a seven. This boo...more
The first time I took the Meyers-Briggs (which Keirsey's is based on) personality test was in 8th grade -- my piano teacher gave it to all her students in order to help her understand our learning styles. From what she learned about me, I know I gained from this personal examination.
This book offers the details you want to read about when you're offered explanations from others such as, "I'm an INTP" or "I'm an ESFJ."
It's about tendencies, not absolut...more
This book offers the details you want to read about when you're offered explanations from others such as, "I'm an INTP" or "I'm an ESFJ."
It's about tendencies, not absolut...more
Outstanding reference. According to my teachers, the research does not support the Myers Briggs Personality Types. All I can say is--read it because this book has the MBPT test in it and you can grade it yourself and read your type. This book is the reason I got a degree in counseling. I highly recommend this book. I have used it to assist clients in understanding their special talents and drives. It's an excellent approach to understanding oneself.
I recently became interested in the 16 Myers-Briggs Personality types, so I thought this book would be a good choice for myself. I was right! It was a very informative, descriptive read that explained each of the 16 Types. A nice addition was the explanation of how personalities get along in relationships (marital and friendship). Reading this book gave me a better understanding of the types, with the specific 16 and the 4 temperaments as well.
Krismatin
is currently reading it
Describes sixteen basic personality types, argues that people try to reshape their spouses, children, friends, and coworkers into models of themselves, and discusses different styles of leadership...
Interesting profile quiz at beginning of the book will give you a better understanding of yourself and others...GREAT resource for illustrating how different people DO experience life differently
Interesting profile quiz at beginning of the book will give you a better understanding of yourself and others...GREAT resource for illustrating how different people DO experience life differently
This book helped me to understand my friends and eventually my wife. It helped me to know my students and tailor my instruction to their identity. There is a universal response when people take this test. If they are honest with themselves and in their answers, they say, "I can't believe a test like this would know me this well." It becomes a real liberating concept.
I just read bits and pieces of this, what did I learn? Okay, RElearn? Every person is a jumble of letters, ESTP, INFJ, ESFJ, ISFP, etc.(Each letter stands for a different aspect of your personality) And so, live and let live. There's no hierarchy, no personality is superior to any other. Lovely kaleidoscope of people makes the world go round, let's embrace our differences! Yay!
I really hate this title. Really lame. Info inside is pretty good and helpful. 16 personality types offer some decent general insight to yourself and others. Temperament test gives you a good basic template to start from and reading through the other templates helps to discover the nuances of your own unique personality.
For anyone with a genuine interest in the Myers-Briggs personality types this book is a must-have. This book taught me alot about myself, but more importantly, a great deal about my family, friends, and co-workers. It also goes into personality in childhood, parenting, and mating. It's a joy to read for us geeky personalogists!
Keirsey breaks down the basic precepts of human behavior and gives an excellent perspective on understanding and effectively interacting with others. One of the best references to be able to communicate with co-workers, friends, dates, spouses, kids - anyone. If you are in a position of leadership, you NEED this!
I was so thankful to read this book because it helped me to understand my family and friends better and helped me to see that differences in each person is good. God made each one of us all unique and our uniqueness is important we all have a purpose and a part to play in God's plan.It was a freeing book to read! :-)
My roommate in college who was a career counselor at the time first introduced me to this book and the world of Myers-Brigg. It completely revolutionized the way I saw myself and the people around me and helped me to navigate through the world of complex personalities. Highly recommend it!
This book is a positive and appreciative look at us in all our temperaments. It is not like a textbook in that it is so honoring and valuing of people. I have found it indispensable in developing a love for all kinds of people, including those very different from myself.
While there's the danger of seeing personality psychology as the basic explanation of all psychology, it's definitely useful when you want to understand people who are very, or perhaps just slightly, different from yourself. This book will make you a more tolerable person.
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