magibrain Meyers-Briggs meta, (or) numerology, but not, (or) why only Jack can lead this team

[magibrain]

Randomly, I went off and found Meyers-Briggs types for all four members of Classic SG-1. At least, all four members of Classic SG-1 as my brain interprets them, and my brain occasionally contradicts canon in rather spectacular ways (frex, magibrain!Sam is largely asexual, and Chimera never happened), so for this to make any sense you're going to have to buy into my versions of the characters for a post or so.

So.

The 30-second introduction to Meyers-Briggs types, if you're unfamiliar: people are evaluated on four sliding scales:

1. Extroverted(E)/Introverted(I)
2. Sensing(S)/iNtuiting(N)
3. Thinking(T)/Feeling(F)
4. Perceiving(P)/Judging(J)

...and the interactions of those four tendencies combine to make a more holistic portrait of their inclinations and personality. It's not a perfect system, and there's variation within the types (especially when it comes to the strength of dominance of any characteristic), but it's a neat diagnostic tool and fun to play with.

ON WITH THE SHOW.

The types I picked out were these:

Jack O'Neill - INTJ ( http://typelogic.com/intj.html )

INTJs are known as the "Systems Builders" of the types, perhaps in part because they possess the unusual trait combination of imagination and reliability. Whatever system an INTJ happens to be working on is for them the equivalent of a moral cause to an INFJ; both perfectionism and disregard for authority may come into play, as INTJs can be unsparing of both themselves and the others on the project. Anyone considered to be "slacking," including superiors, will lose their respect -- and will generally be made aware of this; INTJs have also been known to take it upon themselves to implement critical decisions without consulting their supervisors or co-workers. On the other hand, they do tend to be scrupulous and even-handed about recognizing the individual contributions that have gone into a project, and have a gift for seizing opportunities which others might not even notice.

Daniel Jackson - INFJ ( http://typelogic.com/infj.html )

INFJs are champions of the oppressed and downtrodden. They often are found in the wake of an emergency, rescuing those who are in acute distress. INFJs may fantasize about getting revenge on those who victimize the defenseless. The concept of 'poetic justice' is appealing to the INFJ.

"There's something rotten in Denmark." Accurately suspicious about others' motives, INFJs are not easily led. These are the people that you can rarely fool any of the time. Though affable and sympathetic to most, INFJs are selective about their friends. Such a friendship is a symbiotic bond that transcends mere words.

INFJs have a knack for fluency in language and facility in communication. In addition, nonverbal sensitivity enables the INFJ to know and be known by others intimately.

Sam Carter - INTP ( http://typelogic.com/intp.html )

Precise about their descriptions, INTPs will often correct others (or be sorely tempted to) if the shade of meaning is a bit off. [...]

A major concern for INTPs is the haunting sense of impending failure. They spend considerable time second-guessing themselves. The open-endedness (from Perceiving) conjoined with the need for competence (NT) is expressed in a sense that one's conclusion may well be met by an equally plausible alternative solution, and that, after all, one may very well have overlooked some critical bit of data. An INTP arguing a point may very well be trying to convince himself as much as his opposition. In this way INTPs are markedly different from INTJs, who are much more confident in their competence and willing to act on their convictions.

Mathematics is a system where many INTPs love to play, similarly languages, computer systems--potentially any complex system.

Teal'c - ISTJ ( http://typelogic.com/istj.html )

They seem to perform at highest efficiency when employing a step-by-step approach. Once a new procedure has proven itself (i.e., has been shown "to work,") the ISTJ can be depended upon to carry it through, even at the expense of their own health.

ISTJs are easily frustrated by the inconsistencies of others, especially when the second parties don't keep their commitments. But they usually keep their feelings to themselves unless they are asked. And when asked, they don't mince words. Truth wins out over tact. The grim determination of the ISTJ vindicates itself in officiation of sports events, judiciary functions, or an other situation which requires making tough calls and sticking to them.

His SJ orientation draws the ISTJ into the service of established institutions. Home, social clubs, government, schools, the military, churches -- these are the bastions of the SJ.

First of all, I love that we have an asskicking team made up entirely of introverts. It's basically the best thing ever. Second of all, take a look at this:

J | I N T J
D | I N F J
S | I N T P
T | I S T J

Do you see it?

Everyone on the SG-1 is Jack's MB type with one deviation. And of those deviations, they cover each of the non-introvert spots, and each one is the only one with that deviation. It's like Jack, if he is an INTJ "systems builder," built SG1 so that he'd have a majority of traits in common with them (and them with each other), but each one offered a different strength or perspective to complement his own. And each person occupies a unique position in the team – Daniel is the only one with dominant Feeling, Sam the only one with dominant Perceiving, Teal'c the only one with dominant Sensing. Jack doesn't have any type values which are unique to him, but his job is the system, and managing all those "individual contributions that [go] into a project".

And I wasn't even looking for patterns when I found those type correspondences. I was just looking for which descriptions fit.

It's like the time when I decided that SG-1 was a project by the Asgard to recreate the Four Great Races in miniature, and the parallels kept getting spookier. I think my brain is an alchemist.

(other potential post-cut closing teaser line: "And this is why SG-1 was tragically canceled at the end of the seventh season.")

[ETA]: I feel like Jonas is probably an ESTP, and I haven't watched nearly enough of S9 and S10 to guess on Cam and Vala.