Supernatural University: Supernatural Typecasting -- Sam and Dean Meet Myers-Briggs

[bardicvoice]

I now have proof that I am entirely too obsessed with this show, and I’m infecting others. (Bravo on that latter score … here’s hoping no one can be inoculated against the spread of this particular virus!)

I spent three hours today in a leadership seminar utilizing the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. For those of you unfamiliar with the MBTI, it’s a

Comments

[angharadd]

(English is not my first language, so please excuse me for all the mistakes I make)

I've read some of your essays over at TVGuide.com, and I'm really glad that you've moved to lj - tracking them is easier that way, and as they are brilliant, missing some would be a pity.

Also, YAY for discussing the boys' MBTI types! I've been harassing my friends on this subject for quite a while.

Great job on Dean! I've been usually picturing him as Thinker, but your essay made me revise it, and Feeler!Dean does indeed make a lot more sense.

I've been trying to pin Sam as one type or another for a long, long time, but nothing quite fits. I'm pretty sure he's Judging, as that usually goes together with rationality (which is pretty much a given, ie Stanford). But then, during the course of the series, he had one personality transplant too many, and this is pretty much the point at which I despair and declare that a TV show character is a type in and of its own, and a *very* flexible one at that, changing as different scripwriters come and go.

What I find the most bothersome about Sam being ENTP & Dean being ISFP is that that puts tham into the duality relationship, the most harmonious one and stuff, which just does not sound right to me. (I mean, they are not willing to accept each other's choices, they both suck at listening to each other's reasonings, and even when they do listen, they don't understand what they hear half the time.)

Thank you for writing this essay!

[bardicvoice]

Thanks for coming by and chatting, angharadd! I'm happy to meet you!

I think that Sam may well be on the borderline between Judging and Perceiving, because he displays split traits depending on circumstances. I can understand that, because I'm borderline on two stats myself: while I'm a pronounced Intuiter and a pronounced Perceiver, I'm right smack in the middle between Thinker/Feeler and Introvert/Extravert, no more than five points to either side. People generally can't peg me on the T/F scale at all, and usually mistake me for an Extravert.

What makes it fun is that I have an extremely strong logic/rationality bent (I'm a lawyer by training), but my bottom line choice determinant is my internal value system: I'm a Feeler. On the I/E scale, I come across as an Extravert because I approach people without hesitation and I can be a very flashy performer in conversation, but the truth is that the only time I can draw energy from other people is if I'm in performance mode, for example, when I'm teaching or briefing, and thus putting on a show. Otherwise, once I finish interacting with people, I positively need to withdraw into myself in order to recharge my batteries. So, no matter what I look like, I'm an Introvert.

I think the case with Sam might be similar, with his J/P score running close to the middle of the scale. It's a thought, anyway!

I'm really glad you enjoyed the meta, and I hope to hear from you again!

[angharadd]

The thought of Sam being the mixed type had never crossed my mind, which is, clearly, dumb of me. Wow, that is an option. But I'm still a little uncertain about ENTP choice, as both being an ENTP myself & knowing a bunch of ENTPs in RL, I can't fit some of Sam's choices into the general pattern.

Sam the Supernatural Enigma, heh XD

Hi ENTP here

[ext_1618592]

Actually Sam could be a ENTP I'm good friends with an ISFP and we get along really really well... Until we don't. We have very, very different views of the world and often clash with all the shit Sam and Dean go through the amount they clash isn't so out of the water. Still. I don't think Sam is an ENTP, while ENTP's are generally very smart we are total procrastinators very laid back.. Most of the time, and not prone to the very irrational way of thinking Sam portrays.

Reason one. Ruby. While true to nature Sam like an ENTP wouldn't hold it against her that she's a demon and would be open to change in opinion however I get the real feeling that Sam trusts her far, far to quickly to be an ENTP. Speaking in my own experience I tend to suspicious and constantly second guess myself and the people around so as to view everything as objectively as possible. Sam doesn't do this, he decides he trusts Ruby and rarely second guesses her after that.

Reason two. Father relations. I shouldn't use this one because I would have done exactly what Sam had done. Later this argument will make sense bear with me.

Reason three. The fact he keeps messing with death. An NT probably isn't going to mess with death... Okay they would in a super evil world domination scheme, but most NT's would see the big picture here that he's gonna die anyway and ya it hurts like hell and you miss them and would do anything to have stopped them dying in the first place but that doesn't mean you would play with something you could see the sense of. An NTP particularly is going to reluctant to make the decision seeing so many sides, logically and not having the J firm decision sort of skill.

What I'm trying to build up is I think Sam is an INFJ they are the most extroverted introverts and posses a lot of ENTP qualities, INFJs also have a real balance in logic and feeling so they are very very complex characters who could easily appear as many types since they have such a range of qualities.

Nice essay though I really, really like the Dean being an ISFP idea it fits, he acts exactly like my friend. Another alternative type ISTP for the more classic less thought out reasons. ^^