My brain is on fire and has been for the last few days.  I have just re-re-re discovered the Jungian personality test and hit has crumbled my entire edifice of … almost everything.  All must change with additional knowledge?  Epistemology, values, morals, government policy, social policy, nature v nurture, my ultimate purpose, my values everything is now under review.

What have I have come across is the realization that we, genetically are very close to 16 species with miner random variations about that mean (and sometimes massive).   It seems that these personalities are largely formed when we are very young, if not at birth and really, becomes our fate.

Our fate is our character and character our fate.

One of the most powerful lessons of philosophy is that once you know a few axiom’s of other’s beliefs you can surmise whether other premises or what logics they will follow, adhere to and support. You can also speak to their believes and communicate with them better… or manipulate them better.

For example; if people believe in truth and that others can explain it then they will believe others when they are told how to live, i.e. religion.  If they believe in mercy over justice then they will not believe in the death penalty.

Many socialists and blank slate’ proponents will say that success depends on values and those values are taught via community and families thus the poor have nearly no chance of success.  So … axioms or philosophy is then dependent on nurture.  But what if it is dependent on genetics or locked in at age 12?

What if either by chance or genetically I am an ENFP. Being an ENFP means I am predisposed to have certain values, thus my values are dependent upon that?  We do know that success and happiness is dependent on right living so then my success and happiness is dependent on chance.  Our fate is our character.

What does this mean for social policy?  Jefferson argued that all man are equal under the law.  Nietzsche said equality was an illusion and a falsehood.  Plato, in the republic recounted how society should be lead by the guardians… the ones with gold in them to lead.  Maybe there is more truth to our ancient logic. 

I do not argue for the abolishment of those with less mental capacity at all.  If anything I do not conceder myself high enough up the latter to be a judger.  If that policy came to pass certainly I would be stripped of my influence too.

The entire edifice of my policy thinking was that man is most happy when he is free to pursue his destiny. But what if many segments of our population are genetically disposed to be told what to do, what if they need to be lead.  What if they are not happy unless they are marginally committed to a kind of serfdom.  Certainly, they are not comfortable with others being very free. 

It seems to me that “SJ” and “SP” personality types are so alien, so foreign to me that I can’t even stand being in the same room with them.  I have come to find out that I have segregating myself from them for years. I’ve been going to professional events, lawyer events, art events and never to bars.  Maybe that is why school is such torture for many children? 

Please don’t get me wrong, I know we need SPs & SJs.  Who would do repetitive tasks?  Who would get things done?  Who would consume movies, music and go to concerts? 

It appears that history is a long chain of these 16 types of personalities vying for control and expansion.  Each imprinting and enforcing values that make it easier for each to succeed.  Certainly in this society, “N”s have dominance.

Caesar, Jefferson, Reagan, Chavez, Obama et al come to power by promising the disenfranchised “S” and lower class “N”s more wealth out of the established “Ns”.  Caesar promised farm redistribution; Jefferson; equal protection under the law and voting rights; Reagan promised tax cuts, Chavez gave land reform and Obama health care redistribution.

All preached taking from those to give who had not, and rose to power.  Socialists will view this as class struggle but then what if this is genetic struggle?  Does it make it just? I argue yes, because even if we are all different species we still should not suffer and the goal of public policy should be to curtail the public’s suffering.

On a personal didactic note I encourage you to take the MBIT exam and post what you are.  I will get back to finance soon and will start posting more.  As and ENFP it is hard to focus on repetitive tasks…

-Saul Albom