The Protector Guardian is one of the 16 role variants of the Keirsey Temperament Sorter, a self-assessed personality questionnaire designed to help people better understand themselves. David Keirsey originally described the Protector role variant; however, a brief summary of the personality types described by Isabel Myers contributed to its development. Protectors correlate with the ISFJ Myers-Briggs type.
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Overview
Protectors are observant, cooperative, informative, and attentive. They are greatly concerned with the security of others and they often find assisting the downtrodden or people with disabilities to be satisfying. Protectors also find personal fulfillment in ensuring the safety of others and may be attracted to jobs that enable them to do this as medical practitioners or insurance agents. Protectors are also quite skilled at executing routines and this enables them to be skillful in jobs that require conservation skills such as curators or police officers. Protectors are thorough, frugal and they abhor the squandering of material resources.
Protectors are comfortable working alone and they are often uncomfortable being in positions of authority. When they are in positions of authority, they often try to do everything themselves. Protectors have a very strong work ethic and this can lead them to be overworked. The least hedonistic of the role variants, Protectors are willing to complete jobs other role variants manage to avoid, especially if it enables them to help those in need.
Protectors often talk about daily life and every day concerns; however, they are not as sociable as other role variants. They tend to be talkative only among a close circle of friends. Protectors' shyness with strangers can make them seem to be cold even though they are often warm and sympathetic. Protectors are often undervalued as their commitment to security and their economies are often taken for granted.
Protectors value traditional ways of doing things and are not interested in experimentation or speculation. They deeply value family history, heirlooms and property as well as cultural norms and traditions. Protectors firmly believe in the stability offered by credentials, titles, offices, birth and other forms of traditional authority. Protectors dislike situations where the rules are constantly changing.
Notable Protectors
For illustrative purposes, Keirsey and his son, David M. Keirsey, have identified well-known individuals whose behavior is consistent with a specific type. Unless otherwise noted, the categorization of the individuals below, whether living or dead, as Protectors is a matter of expert opinion rather than the result of the named individual taking a personality type inventory.