I know there will be a few in here whose immediate reaction will be "No Way! Bush is NOT like me!!!" I would like for this thread to stay away from politics, and stick with typology, and hopefully we can approach the subject with open minds, remembering that NF's have the most complex personalities, and that because we tend to protect and hide much of ourselves, we are the hardest type to spot.
I could not track down any valid source which stated Bush's type (although there are innumerable sites that speculate). The only thing everyone seems to agree upon is that he is a hard core J. Everything else is open to debate, so let's at it.
One of the problems with this sort of thing is that every individual seems to home in on one or more aspects to traits as being the essense, when in fact the reliability of the MBTI is the fact that it has so very many questions, so that if 4 questions throw you off or are exceptions for you, that the other six questions will properly identify your trait. One website I visited stated that Bush was a Sensor based on his "living in the moment" and used parties and sports as evidence. But using that as the measure, *I* would be considered a sensor -- I think we are happier living in the moment and have tried to cultivate this in myself from a very young age, and I also have many Sensing types of hobbies such as doing my nails or cooking gourmet (you should smell my spice cabinet). However, I score as a hardcore iNtuitive. All this to say I hope we can all be tolerant of divergent opinions in this thread, and let's listen to each other and see if we don't say "hmmmmmmmm."
Okay let's get to the nitty gritty. When I remember the Bush presidency, the one characteristic that overwhelms all others is that he would stand his ground even if all the world be against him. THAT, I think, is an NF trait. I see it in Obama as well. Like all traits, it has an up side and a down side. The up side is that such a person will even defy authority if the authority is asking of them something that violates their conscience. These are the folks that hid Jews in WW2, who refused to press the button during the Milgram research. They have a certain nobility. But the downside is that they often lack what I call the "reality check," the kind of pragmatism that realizes something isn't working and is willing to change. It includes a certain difficulty with compromise, an essential trait for anyone in democratic politics. Where most politicians will realize, "I have to give in on this issue in order to get what I want on that issue," the idealist will stick to his/her guns, and clog up the workings of the legislature. I see all of this in Bush. Basically, Bush and Obama have very different ideals, but similar idealistic traits. I might even suggest that it's idealists who either loved Bush or absolutely despised him -- the conflict of ideals, NOT a difference in temperament.
The room floor is now open for discussion!
I could not track down any valid source which stated Bush's type (although there are innumerable sites that speculate). The only thing everyone seems to agree upon is that he is a hard core J. Everything else is open to debate, so let's at it.
One of the problems with this sort of thing is that every individual seems to home in on one or more aspects to traits as being the essense, when in fact the reliability of the MBTI is the fact that it has so very many questions, so that if 4 questions throw you off or are exceptions for you, that the other six questions will properly identify your trait. One website I visited stated that Bush was a Sensor based on his "living in the moment" and used parties and sports as evidence. But using that as the measure, *I* would be considered a sensor -- I think we are happier living in the moment and have tried to cultivate this in myself from a very young age, and I also have many Sensing types of hobbies such as doing my nails or cooking gourmet (you should smell my spice cabinet). However, I score as a hardcore iNtuitive. All this to say I hope we can all be tolerant of divergent opinions in this thread, and let's listen to each other and see if we don't say "hmmmmmmmm."
Okay let's get to the nitty gritty. When I remember the Bush presidency, the one characteristic that overwhelms all others is that he would stand his ground even if all the world be against him. THAT, I think, is an NF trait. I see it in Obama as well. Like all traits, it has an up side and a down side. The up side is that such a person will even defy authority if the authority is asking of them something that violates their conscience. These are the folks that hid Jews in WW2, who refused to press the button during the Milgram research. They have a certain nobility. But the downside is that they often lack what I call the "reality check," the kind of pragmatism that realizes something isn't working and is willing to change. It includes a certain difficulty with compromise, an essential trait for anyone in democratic politics. Where most politicians will realize, "I have to give in on this issue in order to get what I want on that issue," the idealist will stick to his/her guns, and clog up the workings of the legislature. I see all of this in Bush. Basically, Bush and Obama have very different ideals, but similar idealistic traits. I might even suggest that it's idealists who either loved Bush or absolutely despised him -- the conflict of ideals, NOT a difference in temperament.
The room floor is now open for discussion!
