Article Written by Jack Falt, INFJ
They tend to use more abstract words that deal with theory, concepts, and ideas. They are more interested in the big picture than in the everyday details. The details can be filled in later although they are very good at taking care of all the details so as to produce the perfect outcome.
Their special skill is strategy. Strategy is the ability to look at a long range project and see all the possible situations and choose the right solutions to bring the project to completion in the best possible manner.
The animal metaphor represents
Rationals is the owl. The owl sits high up in a tree so it can observe
what is going on below it. It can sit quietly and then swoop down at the
right moment. Because the owl is quiet for the most part, it has the reputation
of being wise. Wisdom comes from knowledge and experience. Rationals are
continually acquiring knowledge and using it to produce better results
each time.
Rationals love to master anything that comes their way. Then they may lose interest in it and move on to another challenge. They may take on a sport until they have mastered it and reached their physical limit in that sport. They tend to play sports giving their total effort and haven't much patience with those who don't give it their best. They need to feel competent. However, their definition of competence far exceeds that of any other temperament. What was competence for them today becomes mediocrity tomorrow.
In school they look up to the competent teacher. They quickly write off teachers whom they deem incompetent. They can often grasp a concept quickly and soon get bored with lessons that go at a slower pace for the less gifted. Of course Rationals have the full range of intelligence from the mentally handicapped to those who are gifted as do the other temperaments. The intellectually challenged Rational can become very frustrated at not being able to understand a concept.
During their teen years Rationals are often involved in intellectual activities such as computer or debating clubs, or school newspaper production. Socially, their friends may be a bit on the eccentric side. Rationals are the temperament with the fewest numbers in the population, with males being three times more numerous than females. Being a Rational can sometimes be difficult for young women because of the stereotype that females should be more feeling and emotional. It is helpful for a young Rational woman to have an older Rational woman to be a model for her.
Rationals need to be achieving. Even a vacation is a time to accomplish something. They have to read X number of books. They want to able to cross the country in a specified amount of time. Even relaxing for Rationals has to be done in an efficient manner.
They can be very resolved. When something attracts their interest, they tend to follow it up to its full conclusion. They may multi-task with each task being worked on if only at the intellectual level. They are not ones to start things and then just abandon them without giving maximum effort, although they may skim over a number of topics to see what interests them.
Adult Rationals live more studious lives. If their work falls into the intellectual category, it can be the main focus of their lives. If their work is more mundane, they will often have outside mental pursuits to satisfy their needs. Justice issues are often a concern for Rationals. They can become very passionate when they see others being treated unfairly. Other temperaments respond to the situation itself: poverty, lack of water, etc. Rationals are more likely to compare how one group has all the resources while others have little or nothing, and try to bring about changes to the overall system.
As lovers and spouses Rationals can be quite critical. They don't see themselves that way. They see their comments as being helpful. Most partners don't really appreciate the error of their ways being pointed out to them, even if the remark was right on the mark. Rationals don't need the same amount of emotional connectedness that other temperaments do and so may appear to be cold or aloof. However, once Rationals realizes what their partners need, they can use their skills to be very attentive lovers. It is just that it tends to be a more intellectual procedure rather than a spontaneous emotional heartfelt gesture. It doesn’t mean that Rationals are any less capable of love. It is just that they express it in their own way. They have to learn to appreciate the differences in other temperaments. Rationals are often attracted to Idealistss because of their more nurturing nature.
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To help you determine your temperament go to the Temperament Colour Rating Quiz.
Jack Falt is a trained facilitator in the use of Personality Dimensions®, True Colors®, MBTI® and Self-Discovery Process®. He leads an ongoing Appreciating Differences group that studies personality types including the Enneagram and Emotional Intelligence in the Ottawa area. You may reach him at (613) 256-3276 or by e-mail at jfalt#trytel.com. (To use the e-mail address, replace the # with an @ symbol. This will help reduce the amount of spam mail received.) He has further information on his web site at http://www.appreciatingdifferences.ca/.