Mastermind (Role Variant)

The Mastermind Rational is one of the 16 role variants of the Keirsey Temperament Sorter. David Keirsey originally described the Mastermind role variant; however, the brief personality descriptions of Isabel Myers contributed to its development. Masterminds correlate with the INTJ Myers-Briggs type. They comprise about one percent of the population.

Overview

Masterminds are introspective, pragmatic, directive, and attentive. They tend to be capable leaders, skilled in contingency planning and entailment organizing, which are directive activities that tell the planner what activities to do and in what order to do them. Despite their leadership capabilities, Masterminds prefer to stay in the background until others demonstrate ineffective leadership. However, once in a position of power, Masterminds are known for their efficiency and willingness to adopt useful ideas.

Masterminds are strong willed, self confident, and decisive. They are also highly theoretical and the most open-minded of the 16 role variants. Before Masterminds adopt a theoretical notion, they insist on researching all the available data and checking the idea against reality. Masterminds are suspicious of theories based on poor research and will discard ideas that cannot be effectively implemented.

Masterminds are highly pragmatic, and they will put forth a great deal of time and effort to implement effective ideas. They are driven to solve complex problems and to create organized, decided, and executed solutions. Masterminds tend to make positive statements instead of negative ones, focusing on how to make the organization more efficient in the future rather than dwelling on past mistakes.

Notable Masterminds

For illustrative purposes, Keirsey and his son, David M. Keirsey, [cite web|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_pwwi/is_200009/ai_mark01016857|title=FindArticles|accessdate=2008-08-03] have identified well-known individuals whose "behavior" is consistent with a specific type. Unless otherwise noted, the categorization of the individuals below, whether living or dead, as Masterminds is a matter of expert opinion rather than the result of actual testing of the named individual.

* Isaac Asimov
* Niels Bohr [http://keirsey.com/handler.aspx?s=keirsey&f=fourtemps&tab=5&c=mastermind Portait of the Mastermind (INTJ)] "Keirsey Temperament Website", Accessed August 3, 2008.]
* William F. Buckleycite web|url=http://www.personalityzone.com/view/temperament/mastermind.html|title=Personality Zone Mastermind|accessdate=2008-08-04]
* Dwight D. Eisenhower
* Ulysses S. Grant
* Stephen Hawking
* John Maynard Keynes
* Lise Meitner
* Isaac Newton
* Friedrich Nietzsche
* Peter the Great
* Ayn Rand

References

ee also

*Rational temperament
*Keirsey Temperament Sorter
*INTJ
*Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

External links

* [http://www.keirsey.com/ Keirsey Temperament and Character] The Web Site for the Keirsey Temperament Sorter and Keirsey Temperament Theory.
* [http://www.keirsey.com/personality/ntij.html Mastermind Rational]