Fours have a strong need to understand themselves and to express that understanding aesthetically. In their drive for self-understanding they may become self-absorbed and self-conscious. Fours frequently feel different from others. Fours unconsciously focus their attention on the finer points of what is missing, so that by comparison, what is available seems to lack appeal. Fours thrive on being important in the lives of other people, especially important people.
Possible Origins. Fours often had a rather solitary, frequently unhappy childhood. They felt abandoned by one or both parents and consequently turned inward for gratification. They grew up feeling alone and carried this aloneness into adulthood.
Flawed Fours. Fearful of being misunderstood or hurt if they express themselves directly, Fours may turn to artistic fields to communicate. If they are unable to express themselves, they become shy, painfully self-conscious and afraid of social interaction. Unhealthy Fours block out desires and expectations-so they will not be hurt when their desires are not fulfilled and their expectations are not met. Fours compete with peers for the respect of grand authority.
Well-Adapted Fours have learned to love others in spite of the fact that they themselves have felt unloved. Of all the types, they are most in touch with their inner feelings. They deceive themselves, and others, less than any other type. And freed of their potentially crippling self-consciousness, creativity can take free rein, often with quite spectacular results. Their sensitivity to the feelings and needs of others and their regard for individuality make them excellent parents, friends, and therapists.
Occupations. The need to express their special nature leads Fours to be poets, musicians, actors, and artists. They are also original in the way they shape their environment as well as in the way they express their feelings. Fours are uncommon among managers, but they may be a manager's secondary type. As managers they can see extraordinary possibilities in a common business situation. They can channel their creative energies into starting up a new, unique organization.
Finding Oneself:
Fours will probably agree with most of statements:
- I have the sense of something missing from life.
- I try to look casual and natural.
- I have always had an attraction for symbolism.
- People don't feel as deeply as I do.
- I like to do things properly and with class.
- My environmental surroundings are very important to me.
- It's easy for me to distinguish between "the best," and "the best known."
- I don't like to think of myself as being ordinary or having an ordinary problem.
- I find myself swinging back and forth between highs and lows. Either I'm very up or very down, I don't feel very alive when I'm in the middle.
- People have accused me of being overly dramatic, but they really don't understand how I feel.
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