Description -
Fours are vital to the health of any group because they are able
to view things from a new slant and are not bound by
tradition. They can keep an organization from slowly dying out
of untested and outdated assumptions. More in touch with their
feelings than other styles, they
are in danger of sinking into moodiness if they meet with resistance to
their ideas. The same talent that allows Fours to "look outside the box" can
lead them to wonder why they never see things the way others do, and subsequently to
question if they are flawed--their conversation is ripe with sad stories. Their
driving force is envy, which shows up in dissatisfaction, a perception that
"the grass is always greener somewhere else." Development options include focusing more on strengths
and resources and less on the "tragedy" of life, learning to develop the
possibilities of their current jobs, shifting their moods through physical exercise or
creative outlets, reframing self-criticism in more positive ways, and championing a
program or process they believe in. A key development need is equanimity, the ability to live fully in the present moment.
Typical Comments - "People call me because they know I'll come at
things from a totally different angle." "I buy into the 'vale of tears' theory of life.""I seem to feel things more deeply than others." "I always felt like an outsider as a child."
Case Description of a Four
Poems That Speak to
Fours
"Worth Waiting
For"
