Book Review

Montgomery, Stephen.  The Pygmalion Project:  Love and Coercion Among the Types.  Vol. One:  The Artisan.   Del Mar, CA:  Prometheus Nemesis Book Company, 1989.

Drawing on David Keirsey and Marilyn Bates's book, Please Understand Me:  Character and Temperament Types, Montgomery's thesis states that in many of our closest relationships, we work towards shaping them into the people we wish they would be.  In the beginning, we are attracted to their unique personality traits, different from our own.  But with time, we make them our "Pygmalion project", and begin to criticize, coerce, reason and even flatter them towards becoming more like ourselves.  Our motives are selfish and sometimes even unconscious.  Inevitably, we push our relationships beyond the others' limits of tolerance and we become frustrated in our attempts.  All Pygmalion projects are doomed to fail; either our loved ones retailiate and the relationship becomes a battlefield, or intimacy turns to cold stone.

Montgomery sets out to show how the types in literature relate to other people and what becomes of their Pygmalion projects.   Using the Keirsey/Bates temperament sorter, in this book he looks at the "Artisans" the "SP" group, which includes the "Players", SFPs, which are further sub-divided into "Sensualists", ISFPs, and "Performers", ESFPs, and divided also into "Operators", STPs, which are sub-divided into "Instrumentalists", ISTPs and "Promoters", ESTPs.

The Guardian

(The Doer, Traditionalist)

Stabilizer, Organizer, Care- giver, Consolidator

Mythology:  Epimetheus - God of duty and responsibility (husband of Pandora)

- Strives to conserve

-Realistic, thorough, dependable

- Knows and enforces the rules

- Wants control over the "tools"

- Seeks rewards for service rendered

- Values a job well done

ESTJ - Supervisor

ESFJ - Provider

ISFJ - Protector

The Artisan

(The Adventurer, Free Spirit)

Trouble-shooter, Performer, Negotiator

Mythology:  Dionysus - God of fertility and wine (son of Zeus)

- Impulsive, spontaneous, free

- Thrives on action, excitement

- Generous, fraternal

- Cheerful, artistic

- Needs to be free to do things

- Lives in the moment

ISTP - Crafter

ESFP - Performer, Politician

ISFP - Sensualist, Composer

The Idealist

(The Change Agent, Diplomat, Oracle)

Energizer, Catalyst, Artist

Mythology:  Apollo - Giver of prophecy, bearer of truth

- Needs to grow and change

- Acknowledgment of creativity

- Needs to be free to be herself

- Dislikes criticism

- Prefers variety of responsibilities

- Seeks intimate relationships

ENFJ - Teacher

INFP - Healer

ENFP - Champion

The Seeker

(The Rationalist, Achiever)

Visionary, Architect, Competitor

Mythology:  Prometheus - Rebel, stole fire from the gods

- Competent, leader, winner

- Wants recognition of ability

- Acts on ideas, problem solver

- Conceptualizing, setting high standards

- Grasping the big picture, underlying principles

INTJ - Mastermind

ENTP - Inventor

INTP - Architect, Entrepreneur

To see more on Keirsey/Bates Temperament Sorter:   <http:  The Four Temperaments >