The Oscars MBTI: Terence Fletcher, ENTJ, “Whiplash”

(Before we begin: Trigger warning for verbal, emotional, and even physical abuse. I myself had to keep some Angry Birds Star Wars handy while watching Whiplash, just so I didn’t get too keyed up. The film is very well-made, and deserves all its praise and awards, especially for J.K. Simmons, who’s a delightful person completely unlike his character. If you’re sensitive to the sorts of situations portrayed in the story, though, you don’t have to see it—or even read this post, quite frankly. Also, spoilers.)

ENTJ, the Commander, the Field-Marshal, the Trailblazer

Best Supporting Actor of 2014, J.K. Simmons

Terence Fletcher is pretty much as big a stereotype of the evil, unhealthy ENTJ as you’re going to get this side of Twyin Lannister. Director Damien Chazelle instructed actor J.K. Simmons: “I want you to become non-human. I don’t want to see a human being on screen anymore. I want to see a monster, a gargoyle, an animal.” That’s the kind of character we’re dealing with here. Buckle up.

Dominant Function: Extraverted Thinking (Te), “Organize the Experience”

Fletcher wants to win. He wants to win every competition, and win it perfectly. He wants only the best students in his studio, and he will resort to insults and abuse to perfect them and mold them to his ends.

He picks at every mistake and demands perfection, repeatedly stopping the band after only a few notes if they don’t sound right. He threatens punishment for potential mistakes, and even humiliates and kicks out a student who’s not sure if he made a mistake, because not knowing was bad enough. It’s all in pursuit of Fletcher’s goals.

In the last act of the movie, Fletcher sets in motion a plan to destroy his former victim/protégé Andrew. He knows Andrew was the one whose testimony got him fired (Ni making the Intuitive conclusion), but he pretends to be friendly with him, and invites him to play in his new group. Once they get on stage for a big performance, Fletcher announces a new number that Andrew has not rehearsed, and the trap is sprung.

Auxiliary Function: Introverted Intuition (Ni), “Anticipate the Experience”

Before I even saw Whiplash, I knew enough about the character to assume that Fletcher would end up being an ENTJ or ESTJ. Both are led by their dominant-Te, and both often get cast in movies as domineering authority figures. The difference comes in where they get their authority from.

ENTJ: Saito, “Inception”

ENTJ, the Commander, the Field-Marshal, the Trailblazer

Saito’s the Executive Producer. He’s the one with the money, the one writing the checks and funding the whole enterprise. He loves the idea of the movies, but he also wants to make sure he gets his money’s worth. If he thinks things aren’t going in a profitable direction, he can turn into a bit of a control freak, and he’s the only one who dares order the Director around.

Dominant Function: Extraverted Thinking (Te), “Organize the Experience”

Saito takes matters into his own hands. He’s not above a bit of threatening to get Dom Cobb to take the Inception job. When the team is trying to figure out how to get on Robert Fischer’s plane, he simply buys the airline. Saito puts himself on the team despite everyone’s objections, in order to make sure the plan goes right. It’s kind of like a producer casting himself, or adding a pet issue to a movie that sticks out with its obvious artifice (catch Kevin Smith’s story about the giant spider for an example).

Auxiliary Function: Introverted Intuition (Ni), “Anticipate the Experience”

Although Inception holds something of a mythical status amongst dream-workers, Saito has zeroed in on it as the key to his goal. He knows the idea he wants planted, and he knows the man he wants for the job. He’s certain that breaking up Fischer’s company will ensure the long-term survival of his own company.

ISTJ: Arthur, “Inception”

ISTJ, the Inspector, the Sentinel, the Trustee

If Dom Cobb is the director, then Arthur is the Assistant Director, or maybe the Line Producer. If you’ve ever been on a real movie set, you might be surprised to see that it’s less often the Director who’s barking orders than it is the A.D. They’re the one carrying the clipboard with the day’s schedule on it, making sure everyone is exactly where they need to be when they need to be there, relaying the director’s orders to the rest of the crew, and tapping their watches when things go overtime (the Line Producer also worries about the schedule, because they’re keeping track of the budget).

Basically, the director is the big visionary, and the Assistant Director brings the vision to reality. Without Arthur, most of Cobb’s schemes would probably stall out in the early planning stages. Arthur brings the dependability, practicality, and straight-forwardness of the ISTJ to the ever-changing dreamworld.

Dominant Function: Introverted Sensing (Si), “Relive the Experience”

Arthur grounds Cobb’s recklessness and tends to the details of his crazy plans. He’s skeptical of the Inception plan because “that worked so good [last time]!” Practical and cautious, he likes to have all the necessary information he needs before taking action. His thoroughness has served him well, making him seasoned and experienced, so that he goes about his work with practiced professionalism. When he misses the information about Robert Fischer having extraction defense training, he takes it as a personal failure to do his job.

Auxiliary Function: Extraverted Thinking (Te), “Organize the Experience”

As the Point Man, Arthur executes and implements Cobb’s ideas. He dislikes mistakes and oversights, and chews out their first Architect when he gets the carpet wrong. Later, he reams Dom for not telling them they could all die for real on the Inception job. When Cobb is away, Arthur takes Ariadne under wing and explains more of the practical rules of dream-sharing in order to prepare her for the job.

ESTJ: Saavik, “Star Trek: The Original Series”

The Director, The Achiever, the Organizer

portrayed by Kirstie Alley

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, (and by Robin Curtis in ST:III &IV)

Most Vulcans are ISTJs. Call it youthful energy maybe, but Saavik seems more of an extraverted go-getter than most of her fellows, so I’ve typed her as an ESTJ. ISTJs and ESTJs do share the same functions, but in Saavik’s case, the first two are flipped. She’s still using her Vulcan sensibility and upbringing (Si), but it’s in service to her Starfleet career goals (Te).

(Note: I’m focusing this profile on the Kirstie Alley portrayal of Saavik from ST:II. I honestly have nothing against Robin Curtis, but her take on the character feels fundamentally different, maybe even like an INTP. Alley debuted the character and remains the face that everyone thinks of when they think of Saavik.)

Dominant Function: Extraverted Thinking (Te), “Organize the Experience”

Saavik likes to achieve and succeed. Her first complaint about the infamous Kobayashi Maru test is that, “There was no way to win.” It’s during that test that we see her command capabilities, and she very ably organizes the training crew to achieve her objective. When she asks Kirk if she can speak frankly with him, he replies, “Self-expression doesn’t seem to be one of your problems.”

Saavik makes the most of her opportunities on the Enterprise. She eagerly accepts the chance to lead the ship out of Spacedock when they first embark on their mission. She talks her way onto the Away Team when they arrive at Regula I. She straight up tackles David to keep him safe when the mind-controlled Captain Terrell starts firing his phaser. When Kirk leaves the bridge, he puts Saavik in charge.

Saavik bugs Kirk throughout the movie to tell her the secret of the Kobayashi Maru. She’s bothered by her failure and wants to know how he beat the test. When he finally reveals that he cheated, she’s disappointed: “Then you never faced that situation.” She doesn’t accept his “win” as legitimate.

Auxiliary Function: Introverted Sensing (Si), “Relive the Experience”

For all her ambition, Saavik prefers to make informed decisions. She carefully gathers data before delivering her orders during the Kobayashi Maru test (later, she re-runs the test in her head, trying to determine where she went wrong). She quotes regulations when they first encounter the Reliant—regulations which Kirk ignores, landing the whole ship in danger. He later tells her to always quote regulations to him.

ISTJ: Sarek, “Star Trek: The Original Series”

ISTJ, the Inspector, the Sentinel, the Trustee

portrayed by Mark Lenard

Season 2, Episode 15, “Journey to Babel”; ST:TNG Season 3, Episode 23, “Sarek”, and Season 5, Episode 7, “Unification I”; Star Trek III-VI

Most Vulcans portrayed in Star Trek are ISTJs. The combination of sensible tradition (Si-dom) and fact-based decision-making (Te-aux) naturally orients them to this personality type. The characters of Spock and Sarek set the bar in The Original Series, and very few have matched it.

Dominant Function: Introverted Sensing (Si), “Relive the Experience”

Sarek believes in the tradition and millennia-old philosophies of Vulcan culture, and raised his half-Vulcan son Spock to follow them. Although Spock considers himself a devoted Vulcan, his choice to join Starfleet rather than the Vulcan Science Academy created a rift between the two men. Sarek cannot seem to forgive or forget Spock’s choice, and they don’t speak to each other for 18 years.

As Mark Lenard said in an interview:

“Sarek, like many people of strength and societal importance, believes in the superiority of the Vulcan way [….] And the fact that Sarek’s son, whom he nurtured and taught, the one who expresses the best that is the Vulcan society, should go off and share all this knowledge with others hurt him deeply, I think.”*

Sarek also meditates frequently. While Si is usually talked about as the “memory and tradition” function, it’s actually more about recalling and being aware of inner sensations—these can include memories, knowledge, and also bodily sensations. An Si-user understands these things the more they process them, folding them into their growing knowledge of the world around them, whereas an Se-user grasps onto physical experience immediately and responds in the moment. Sarek considers his meditation time personal and sacred, and when he’s unable to achieve it later in life due to his illness, he becomes confused and unbalanced, and loses his direction.

ENTJ: Miss Piggy, “The Muppet Show”

ENTJ, the Commander, the Field-Marshall, the Trailblazer

Miss Piggy was first performed by Richard Hunt (of Scooter fame) in the first season of The Muppet Show, before he and Frank Oz began switching duties. Then Frank Oz broke out with that voice and that attitude, and the rest is history. Miss Piggy is often held up as a positive, strong female character, but sometimes I wonder if she’s a dude’s caricatured idea of a strong woman—melodramatic, flamboyant, yet butt-kicking.

I say this, and yet my first public performance was with Miss Piggy and Snoopy puppets, when I made my kindergarten class sit and watch a show I’d made up. They were unimpressed.

Maybe I’m reading too much into it. Even with her typical Muppet-style dysfunctions, Piggy’s a fine example of an ENTJ, and the first lady ENTJ I’ve had the pleasure to profile for Heroes and Villains. She’s kind of a big deal, is what I’m saying.

Dominant Function: Extraverted Thinking (Te), “Organize the Experience”

Miss Piggy is a woman who knows what she wants. She won’t let anything or anyone (or any weirdo-whatever-he-is) deter her from her goals, and she works hard to get there. She demands to be heard, and she often demands stage time from her reluctant boyfriend/producer, Kermit.

Time and again, Piggy rescues herself from whatever predicament she’s gotten into by the end of the movie (any Muppet movie, just pick one) when the others prove themselves to be useless at helping her. She often takes charge of situations, especially when Kermit’s not around to focus everyone. In The Muppets (2011), she organizes the kidnapping of Jack Black, which she admits is not an action Kermit would approve of, but it gets the job done.

Miss Piggy’s intense drive to succeed has the unfortunate side effect of distracting her from her personal commitments. After fawning all over him, she abandons Kermit twice in The Muppet Movie to follow a job lead. She’s not afraid to literally walk all over her amour when her career goals demand it.

Without Miss Piggy’s star power, however, The Muppet Show wouldn’t be the success that it is. She throws herself into every pursuit with full commitment, whether it’s singing, acting, modeling, or—as any good Muppet does—laughing her head off at her own dumb jokes (Piggy cracking herself up is my favorite Piggy; just watch an episode of Dr. Bob). And when it comes down to it, she’ll stand up for her frog and her friends, and woe to anyone who picks the other side.

INFP: Kermit the Frog, “The Muppet Show”

INFP, the Healer, the Dreamer, the Clarifier

So Kermit is my hero.

I realized early on in my MBTI-nerdom that we shared the same personality type, and all the strengths and weaknesses that go with it. By then, I’d already started collecting Kermit stuff. It began with a PEZ dispenser and now occupies a shelf in my living room. I appreciate Kermit’s willingness to be himself, to encourage the best in others, to roll with life’s chaos and keep moving, and his ability to come out of a self-critical tailspin and find his dreams again.

Dominant Function: Introverted Feeling (Fi), “Evaluate the Experience”

At his best, Kermit the Frog presents as chill, calm, polite, and even gallantly gracious. He has a high standard of professionalism and always says nice things about his guests. He has a strong desire to make the world a better place by making people happy through singing, dancing, and telling jokes.

He appreciates his own uniqueness and specialness, or “Bein’ Green,” a lesson he has to remind himself of from time to time. He also appreciates others’ individuality and quirks, which makes the Muppet Show a haven for the weirdos that work there. He has a strong inner sense of right and wrong, too, and can’t be convinced for anything to work for Doc Hopper’s frog leg restaurants—in fact, he denounces the commercials as the most horrible, despicable thing he’s ever seen. Kermit often finds himself standing up for the group against ruthless villains who would destroy their misfit, makeshift family group.

ESTJ: Reverend Mother, “Sister Act”

The Director, The Achiever, The Organizer

Extraverted Thinking (Te) likes to get things done. So does Extraverted Sensing (Se). Neither likes to sit still and watch the world go by, but both have different approaches to their work.

Te makes plans, rules, and structures, and builds upon facts. Se jumps in with whatever they have on hand and makes it work. One is a Judging function—“We will do it this way”—and one is a Perceiving function—“We will do it (who cares how)!”

Deloris Van Cartier exemplifies Se, in that she explodes onto the scene and gets things moving. As Sister Mary Patrick says over ice cream, “Ever since you came here, things have just happened!”

Meanwhile, though she’s just as capable of accomplishing great things, Professor McGonagall…sorry, wrong ESTJ…Reverend Mother prefers making a concise plan of action.

Their conflict over how to lead the sisters is a classic Judger vs. Perceiver argument, and core to the movie’s emotional arc.

[Note: All the header images in this post are from scenes in which Reverend Mother is sitting in her pew watching the choir, with no dialogue, because Maggie Smith is such a boss that she can describe an entire character arc with nothing but reaction shots.]

Dominant Function: Extraverted Thinking (Te), “Organize the Experience”

As leader of the sisters at St. Katherine’s, Reverend Mother is as Deloris describes her, “a formidable woman.” She leads with a firm hand and tells Deloris she expects her to behave exactly as a nun would, according to all the rules, during her time with them. She has new clothes and a new identity all picked out for Deloris and instructs her in the vows a nun needs to know.

She’s also quite blunt when Deloris says her old life was better. “Your singing career was almost non-existent,” Reverend Mother reminds her, “and your married lover wants you dead.” The facts hurt, but they’re the truth.

Though Deloris chafes at the rules, Reverend Mother wants the best for her and for all the sisters. She takes Deloris in partly because the Bishop convinces her that reforming Deloris will be a challenge worthy of her. She doesn’t get emotionally worked up over the choir’s sudden success like the rest of the sisters do. Rather, she explains in a very practical speech to Deloris that all the new activity will fail long-term without “Mary Clarence” around to keep everyone excited.

Like any Te-dom, Reverend Mother needs to feel useful. She requests a transfer when she believes that Deloris’ presence is making her outdated. However, when Deloris is kidnapped and no-one knows what to do, Reverend Mother takes charge and gets the sisters to Reno to save her. In the climactic face-off with Vince, Reverend Mother steps up to speak out and defend Deloris.

She can’t deny the very real positive affect Deloris has had on the church, and she decides in the end to stay at the convent to continue her work. “We can’t both of us leave,” she tells Deloris with a smile. Somebody has to lead the sisters, and she’s rediscovered that she’s up for the job.

ISTJ: Sister Mary Lazarus, “Sister Act”

ISTJ, the Inspector, the Sentinel, the Trustee

You’re never too old to learn something new, they always say. They also say, however, that the older you get, the more set in your ways you become. Who do “they” think they are, anyway?

The promising thing about MBTI is that it expects that we’ll grow. The cognitive function stack is organized so that we work our way down as we mature. We start off with our strong dominant function, and as we journey through life, we gradually learn to use to use the rest of our cognitive abilities to become more balanced, healthy, and effective.

For an INFP like me (or Sister Mary Robert), that can be learning to find practical ways to execute my ideas by harnessing my inferior Te—to plan a move across the country, to speak up for what I believe in, or you know, to keep up with a blog. For an ISTJ like Sister Mary Lazarus, it can be connecting with her inferior Ne, which opens her up to novel and daring ways of accomplishing traditional goals, gains her a new friend, and brightens up her life in her later years.

So for some of us, maturity looks like responsibility, and for some of us, it looks like playfulness.

Dominant Function: Introverted Sensing (Si), “Relive the Experience”

Sister Mary Lazarus respects tradition and history. She’s been a nun through “four popes now,” she proudly announces to Mary Clarence. She’s not impressed with these progressive, “newfangled convents,” and misses her old convent in Vancouver, where they lived barefoot in the woods with no running water. “Now those were nuns!”

She’s suspicious of Mary Clarence’s presence in the choir. “Out with the old,” she concludes, worried that Reverend Mother is trying to get rid of her. Mary Clarence, however, appeals to her sense of duty and discipline as a nun to help train the sisters.

Auxiliary Function: Extraverted Thinking (Te), “Organize the Experience”

Sister Mary Lazarus takes great satisfaction in her work. She leads the choir when we first meet her, though it’s more out of a sense of duty than ambition. They’re pretty terrible, but she doesn’t push them beyond their previously established rehearsal routine.

However, once she sees what they’re capable of, she takes the lead as Mary Clarence’s right-hand nun, drilling the sisters till they’re perfect. She’s out there in the thick of it when the sisters reach out to the neighborhood, helping fix cars and build a playground. When it’s announced that the Pope will be visiting to hear their choir, Mary Lazarus proclaims joyfully, “We’ve got to get busy!”

INFP: Sister Mary Robert, “Sister Act”

INFP, the Healer, the Dreamer, the Clarifier

I fully expected all the sisters in this series to be SJs—the group known as the Guardians, who hold society together and keep the lights on for the rest of us. Drop an Artisan type like Deloris in the middle of them, and behold! Hijinks ensue.

And yet, floating around all of these highly disciplined nuns, I discovered a happy little shy fellow INFP. If this were a stage musical (which the movie became eventually), she would be called the ingénue. In this movie, she’s called Sister Mary Robert.

Dominant Function: Introverted Feeling (Fi), “Evaluate the Experience”

“Do you know how sometimes it’s as if you have to be yourself or you’ll just burst?”

The dialogue is a little on the nose, but it succinctly describes the life struggles of a shy Fi-dom. Mary Robert has always known that the life of a nun is her calling, but she hasn’t found a meaningful way yet to express her purpose. She keeps quietly to herself and does barely more than lip-sync along with the choir.

In a quiet little scene late at night, Sister Mary Robert confesses to Sister Mary Clarence: “I’ve always felt that there’s something inside of me that I want to give. Something that’s only me and nobody else. Does that sound like a terrible thing? Like pride?”

Mary Clarence (aka: Deloris) tells her no, that doesn’t sound like pride at all. Being a fellow Fi-user, Deloris understands the driving need to express one’s individuality. Part of her mission becomes bringing Sister Mary Robert’s personality out of its hiding place.

A mistake I see made often when people try to distinguish between Fi and Fe goes something like this: “Fe is concerned about others,” while “Fi is concerned about itself.” Empathy versus selfishness.

Not quite.

Sister Mary Robert still wants to do good in the world for others, but it has to be something personally meaningful, something that feels uniquely valuable. An Fe-dominant character like Sister Mary Patrick (she’s up next) will throw themselves enthusiastically into every opportunity that presents itself. An Fi-dom like Mary Robert will happily join in the same pursuits, but more pensively, more deliberately. Both want to do good, but one is more choosy, while the other is up for anything.

Sometimes you need go-getters like Mary Patrick to get everyone moving—or else nothing would ever get done—and sometimes you need a person like Mary Robert to carefully evaluate the goal to make sure it’s truly worth it.

With both of these strong Feeling-led women on board, the choir at St. Katherine’s was bound to do something special. They just needed the catalyst of an ESFP like Mary Clarence to get them started.