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Keirsey and Type

The temperament theory of David Keirsey has been formed from the ancient model of the four temperaments, which have been in existence for over 2,000 years. Keirsey has made the theory popular by relating his theory to the personality model of Isabel Briggs-Myers. The latter model is based on the personality theory of Carl Jung, which was developed during the early part of the 20th century.

This page examines the differences between the Keirsey model of temperament and Myers Briggs personality type. The two theories are often viewed as one and the same, but they are different. You may not easily recognise this, however, as the four letter code produced by the MBTI is also the ouput of the Keirsey Temperament Sorter. Because the four letters are the same in both systems, it gives you the impression that the theories are the same or, at least, coincide. However, this is not necessarily the case.

This article provides a summary of the two models, highlighting the similarities or, more relevantly, the differences between the MBTI and the temperament model. The article also tells you why the differences between the models are particularly important for users of the MTR-i team roles model.

Also, in Please Understand Me II, and at his site, Keirsey offers some criticism of the Jungian model of personality. The analysis offered at this site provides a reply to that criticism: Keirsey Temperament and Type