The 4 Temperaments

Lewis Temperament Order

LTO^TM Personality Types & Temperament

LTO^TM is the most accurate and helpful system of personality types. Brian Lewis fully unified Jung/Myers type theory and Plato/Keirsey temperament theory, with 48 new LTO^TM personality types defined by temperament order, without mapping. The temperaments Guardian, Artisan, Idealist and Rational and Intragating/Extragating combined to make the 48 LTO^TM types.

People and Their Differences

One of my greatest realizations about people is that we all seem to be inclined towards a few very similar ideas about others, "If they were like me, life would be so much easier," and, "Why don't they see things the right way." If someone else does something differently, or thinks about something differently, our automatic response is, "They are just wrong." And from within one person's own point-of-view that kind of thinking is easy to defend. Assuming that another person held the same things as most important, was aware of the same information, had the same strengths, and followed the same pattern of behavior, then yes, they could simply be wrong.

But what if people hold different goals as most important? What if people have different awareness of their world and of themselves? What if people have different strengths and weaknesses? What if people have different wants and follow different drives? What if people have different gifts to contribute to the world? What if people think and feel differently? What if people are simply different?

Seeing yourself as right makes it easy to see others as wrong. It is easy to look out at others as irresponsible, boring, mean or stupid. It is easy to ignore others' strengths and gifts, and see only where they lack yours. It is easy miss what others hold as most important, and see them as failing to achieve what is most important to you. It is easy to revel in our own strengths, and not appreciate the strengths of others. What is difficult is to become aware, to discover our own weaknesses, to realize our limitations, and to understand the gifts of others; not to condemn others for what they are not, but to appreciate them for what they are.

We must all learn that trying to change others into copies of ourselves is not the path to better relationships or a better world. Each way of living contributes an important factor to society. Each type of person plays an important role in our daily lives and in the great scheme of civilization. People do not change, and it is a good thing that they don't. Each type of person is not only OK, they are necessary. Every unique way of seeing the world and every differing set of strengths is what has allowed humanity and civilization to become what it is today. This kind of acceptance is difficult for us all. How understanding and appreciative we are of others—especially those with behavior different from our own—is a great measure of the quality of our own character.

-Brian Lewis

External Personality Links