Customer Reviews

People Patterns: A Popular Culture Introduction to Personality Types and the Four Temperaments

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

People Patterns by Stephen Montgomery is a great introduction to David Keirsey's complex temperment theory. The approach is both fun and informative. You take a short test to determine your personality type (rational, idealist, guardian, or artisan) and then you can learn all about how your type and other types behave in different life situations, such as relationships and career. He gives some good career suggestions for each type. The really fun part is Montgomery's use of characters from popular novels and films to illustrate the different types. I particularly liked the Harry Potter references. One of his important points is that each personality type has their own unique talents and ways of approaching life, and it's a losing battle to try to change others to fit your blueprint. Try the test on your friends and family; it's fun and will change the way you look at others and yourself. Highly recommended!

I am a practicing Career Management Psychologist for the past 29 years and an early advocate of the work of Dr. David Keirsey in its application to career discovery and assessment. Mr. Montgomery, having edited Dr. Keirsey's three books since 1977, has a wonderful ability to take the power inherent in understanding one's "hard wiring" and applying it to the key issues suggested by Freud that lead to mental health i.e. love and work. What makes People Patterns particularly powerful is Mr. Montgomery's talent for explaining type and temperatment through the filter of popular culture. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Mr. Montgomery has a clear and incisive writing style that augments a simply brilliant ability to take the work of celebrities and accurately assess their type and temperament. Whether the spicy women of Sex and the City or the Houses in the Harry Potter tales, Mr. Montgomery grabs the reader with his deep and unabiding understanding of this aspect of the human condition. I can't recommend this book more enthusiastically. It has been a treasure for both me and my clients.

If understanding the depths of temperment is your objective, then this is a must-add to your phychology library. Although Dr. Keirsey's "Please Understand Me II" serves to verify the approach that temperment is nature within us, Montgomery's "People Patterns" augments this understanding for the person interested in a deeper comprehension of the subject. The two writings go hand in hand. It would serve the wise person to have a thorough collection of research on the matter to attend to those around them-as well as their own soul's understanding-and Montgomery's work is a piece of that knowledge pie!

Montgomery focusies on a MATRIX OF TEMPERAMENT, saying that people either make a habit of DOING WHAT'S RIGHT or DOING WHAT WORKS. Further, he says, people either make a habit of SAYING WHAT'S ACTUAL or SAYING WHAT'S POSSIBLE. This focus on the basic dimensions of temperament enables the reader to understand the numerous and bewildering differences in people's habits of working, mating, and parenting.

Montgomery does something else for the reader, which is to give current examples of the doings and sayings of all sorts of noted individuals in many walks of life, and in the new millennium to boot. Also he is accurate and eloquent in depicting mating of differing temperaments, and the parenting by differing temperaments of children of differing temperaments.

Very modern, very accurate. Hurray for Montgomery!

"People Patterns" by Stephen Montgomery is a book for those who want to augment their understanding of temperament. It serves to solidify the concepts described in the "Please Understand Me" series by Dr. David Keirsey.

"People Patterns" uses Keirsey's approach to temperament and applies it to modern-day fictional characters. In so doing, I found that author Stephen Montgomery tested my understanding of what I thought I had already mastered. I enjoyed being "right" in my suppositions as to certain characters' temperaments, and had to rethink my insights regarding others.

Not all books written about temperament are created alike; I have learned the hard way that not all authors of temperament books have the research or credibility to back their "findings." I respect Montgomery's interpretations over most every other author on temperament since he is a personal student of Dr. David Keirsey. Montgomery also uses direct quotes from "Please Understand Me II" in order to outline and explain various aspects of the fictional characters' temperaments. For the novice this is essential information, and for the "master" this is supporting evidence.

I highly recommend this book. I refer to it still, although I've already read it through completely. I enjoy being able to tell my friends that their temperaments are similar to that of the Scarecrow, Ron Weasley, Samwise Gamgee or Carrie Bradshaw, and being able to do so allows me to explain the concept of temperament more fluidly to those unfamiliar with it.

Jodi Michael Horner
Seattle, WA

I think this book does very little to add to Keirsey's work. It is basically the same thing and easier to read. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK FOR SHARING MBTI WITH OTHERS!

I am a teacher and have found this book to be VERY valuable in sharing with students and others MBTI personality type. Keirsey's book uses a lot of words, and technical descriptions that teenagers and others do not understand. People Patterns helps others learn by creating interest with simpler, shorter language. It also gets rid of Keirsey's graphs, which people find confusing.

Both Keirsey and Montgomery put a lot of faith in the MBTI test in their books. I have seen it have about a 40% accuracy rating. As a teacher I work with students much younger and less able to disguise their personalities. I have hundreds of social interactions a day and observe hundreds more. I have typed hundreds of students by observation and experience with greater accuracy (80-90%). I don't believe that either book teaches how to successfully 'type' another person.

I am disappointed that neither book talks about the four functions and the difference between being introverted or extroverted in feeling, thinking, intuition, or sensing. This is not the same as extroverted/introverted(E/I) personalities and is a vital component of typing others! A crafter artisan is as thinking and tactically analytical as types can be. From the outside observer they seem to be intensely emotional, especially angry or contentious. This is because a crafter is extroverted feeling and intraverted thinking, but they are still highly thinking people.

I recommend buying a supplement to this book. "Speed Reading People" is a helpful companion to fill in some of the gaps in Montgomery's and Keirsey's work, but it's not quite as scientific and far from perfect.

IN SHORT: Buy Keirsey's book for yourself, Montgomery's book for sharing with others and a supplementary book that discusses introversion/extroversion in thinking, feeling, sensing, and intuition if you want to become good at typing others without a test or to understand MBTI in more detail.

After reading Please Understand Me II: Temperament, Character, Intelligence, I was excited to read other books that dealt with these concepts to help me process my new realizations about human temperament patterns. Unfortunately, I was disappointed by People Patterns because the book consisted of an oversimplified repetition of what was already contained in Keirsey's book. The only new contribution made by Montgomery is that he indicates the temperaments of a number of fictional characters (although some of his characterizations are debatable).

Despite these shortcomings, I might recommend this book to someone unfamiliar with Keirsey's work, but would be more likely to recommend Keirsey's book itself due to its more comprehensive coverage on temperaments.

This book is much easier to read and understand than Keirsey's Please Understand Me II: Temperament, Character, Intelligence, which I will also discuss in this review, by way of contrast. I believe that a student of type should read that book. People Patterns can be a good introduction. I was very motivated to read and re-read Keirsey's work, and more than one reading was needed for me to really "get" much of it in depth.
Most people who could gain valuable insight from his work might be lacking the time or motivation to read Keirsey's book written in a more academic style. That makes People Patterns a really useful tool for a broader audience.
I do think that a bit more of Keirsey's insights could have been included, which is why I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5.
One if Keirsey's ideas that I believe is important for all and could have been explained more in detail in People Patterns is the discussion about misconceived ideas of Freud, Maslow and others. Their theories are just two examples of psychologists/analysts who describe human motivations from the point of view of their own "type", like the classic example of a fish in water asking "what water, I don't see any water". This one pointed view then discredits or downplays the validity of the motivations of other types.
Montgomery reviews the history of the four temperaments that has been consistent for thousands of years. He then goes on to state how Freud and Pavlov, among others, killed off the culturally recurring idea of four broad types in the 20th century with their theories that all people have the same intrinsic motivations. I wish he had expanded this topic a bit.
Here's a summary of some of Keirsey's insights on the "one motivation" theorists: Maslow's heirarchy theorizes (from his point of view as an idealist, according to Keirsey) that all humans do or should seek "actualization", spiritual oneness, as the highest form of human achievement. Not more than about 10% of people really do this, which causes proponents of this theory (often fellow idealist psychologists)to tut tut about how so many fall short in this regard.
Keirsey is revolutionary in his explanation that the highest accomplishments and life achievement goals of each type are different. A fully mature and developed guardian is quite different from that of a fully developed and mature rational, artisan or idealist.
Kiersey tells a story, asking us to imagine the frustration and confusion, let alone the despair, of a beaver being taught by a fox to stop making mud houses and instead to learn to raid the henhouse.
This understanding of the variety of human motivation could remove much of the pigeonholing that tries to tell women and men, too, what their roles "should" be.
Jean Shinoda Bolen wrote eloquently about this idea in her book Goddesses in Everywoman: Powerful Archetypes in Women's Lives. She writes of the "fads" in assigning singular "correct" roles for women that seem to cycle one at time from one generation to the next. The proper Victorian woman sheds her inhibitions to become the "flapper" who evolves into "Rosie the riveter" who then must be "the 50's housewife", and the "career woman" of the 80's, the "return to home" disillusioned career woman of modern times, etc.
Her use of Jungian archetypes is different from Keirsey's. She uses Greek goddesses, but both illustrate the mistakes we make in trying to find the "correct" motivation for all. She also states that more than one motivation can co-exist in a person. (for the record, it is a tenet of type theory that one develops the "skills" of one's opposite tendencies as one matures--although, I would say that one never becomes a wholly different person, just more balanced)
A woman who has a strong career drive may also want a child, but may not want or need a romantic partner, for example. A woman who wants a romantic partner may not feel the need to nurture a child. Letting people be who they are is the common theme.
The natural tendency to paste one's own motivations onto others as the "correct" one, goes on. I just read a blog about how being a parent is the true highest calling of all people. That made me sigh. I thought we were just to the place where men and women feel free to marry or not, reproduce or not. Now this again.
If you are concerned about helping yourself and others to find their own place in the world, based on their deepest tendencies, type theory is one valuable piece of the puzzle. I believe it should not be used in a rigid way, but rather as a way of allowing others to be themselves without needing to "correct" their style. This is not to make an excuse for rudeness, but rather a call for compassion for the strengths and weaknesses of others, which may be opposite one's own. A friend or child who has trouble being on time can be helped rather than shamed, for example.
People Patterns can be useful to help friends and co-workers reduce stress that comes from being frustrated by "why can't they act right, like I do" and "why don't they understand me" at home and work.
I am a much better trainer now that I realize my intuitive "explaining theory first, then method" is valuable mostly to other intuitives. It frustrates the "sensing" types who are more the majority, especially in the training I do. I adjust my style now to main topics and bullets for them, full of simple "how to's" in sequence, and include some expansions for any intuitives that might be in the room, if necessary.
It's straightforward: Intuitives tend to focus on theory and possibility, grasping ideas whole in a flash, while sensors focus on what is actual and here now, doing and thinking in 1,2,3 sequence. Not that they are mutually exclusive, but more one primary focus over the other. In fact, I can do a very mediocre job, from my point of view in a given training by following the textbook in "boring" rote, but the sensors will like it much better than a very creative, less structured training, however technically and creatively brilliant. My ultimate goal is to do both, have a coherent ordered script, and use creative, relevant information of interest. Without type knowledge, I might be trying to convince them to "just deal" with my style.
Further help for trainers can be found in Telling Ain't Training.
I can almost immediately recognize fellow intuitives who "get" my conversational topics from the context of a story and can finish my sentences. Sensors may or may not understand what my anecdote is illustrating until I make a concrete statement of intent. I have mentored some of each type, and the sensors, who love me anyway, have commented that my stories to illustrate a point don't always hit home for them like they do for the intuitives. If I am concerned about hurting someone's feelings, I don't like to give feedback that feels like being "blunt". With type knowledge and encouragement from the seeker of feedback, I can be more flexible to adjust to their style.
Type knowledge is not a trivial tool to have in working for more effective communication. To me it makes the difference in keeping or losing relationships of all kinds.
The world would experience much less conflict if we taught type in schools.
Keirsey's book, Please Understand Me II makes the point that K-12 schools are not built for the success of some types, being largely run by Guardian types with their focus on rules and order, however much they are necessary, some things get lost and left out. Our artisans, for one, who might be best involved in vocational training whether the arts or trades are frustrated in rote learning, sit still classrooms, and may be falsely labeled as "ADD".
That's another topic, but one that has profound implications.

Okay, maybe I'm geeky; but, I find the information contained in this little book fascinating. David Keirsey further developed the idea that there are four main personality types. Instead, he has added to that old idea by listing four different personality types under each of those four main headings. This makes sixteen personality types that more closely fit people. I was amazed. I know you will be too. Understanding these personality types definitely helps if you have to deal with people at all in your life. So, unless you live on an island by yourself (or something similar), this book might be very interesting to you. And, if it helps you deal with the other personalities in your life, so much the better.

If you've read-and understood-David Keirsey's Please Understand Me II-then don't buy this book. Don't even think about buying this book. Go read Keirsey's. If you tried to read Please Understand Me II, and couldn't understand it, then read this book.
The author uses the same descriptions-often the same phrases- and really doesn't add much to Keirsey's book at all. It is just a simpler version. If Keirsey isn't getting a cut from this book, it's probably the most blatant copyright violation in the world. (And if you are getting a cut, Mr. Keirsey-then please don't leave reviews and fail to mention that fact. It's misleading).
This book is simplistic and brief. It's the USA Today version of a NY Times article. It's the movie version of a literary classic. It's the cliff notes of Keirsey's book. And, in this reviewer's opinion, it's not worth buying.