Back in 2008, I wrote a Dr. Seuss-inspired explanation of several personality trait-related systems. Forthwith:

Types And Styles And Body Parts, Oh My

MBTI describes how I interact with the world.
NLP explains why I write and do not make murals.
A & P claims to know why I am a boy not a girl.
And… What’s that? I’ve set your brain a-whirl?

How to decipher this alphabet soup?
How to apply it to you and your group?
How to do this yet not make your brain troop
Home to its sofa, completely pooped?

I will explain this alphabet soup,
And how to apply it to all in your group.
When I finish your brain may spin in a loop!
Or it may be dancing and singing “Shoop Shoop”.

Myers And Briggs And Their Guinea Pig

Some years ago a lady named Briggs,
Her daughter Myers, and their guinea pig
Into personalities started to dig
And found explanations they believed were quite big.

They wrote up their findings and collapsed them into
A Type Indicator instrument meant to let you
Determine your type preference and those of your crew
To help you understand them, whatever they do.

Misses Myers and Briggs came up with four ways
To look at all people and how they behave,
Their view of the world, and what things they crave.
So that when you work with them, your mind won’t be crazed.

The Gang Of Four

They developed four axes, with two letters each;
One on the left side, quite out of reach
To those on the right side, far across the breach
Of personality conflicts which cause many to screech.

The first set describe how you get energy;
Whether you like people, or they cause you to flee.
The second set explain how the world you see,
From high on a mountain, or low like a bee.

The third set discuss how you decide what to do:
Is it logic you use, or do emotions hold true?
The fourth set’s your lifestyle: is work or play you?
And now on to details, four pas de deux.

Intro, Extra, Energy

“I” stands for “Introvert”. We need time alone;
Invite us to parties and we respond with a groan.
All of that talking! Soon our energy is spent
And back home we flee to recharge in our tent.

“E” is our counterpart, “Extravert”s they
Count everyone as best friend and love to say “Hey!”
Talking and talking is how they recharge,
At home and at work and in the garage.

Us Is need some time to decide what to say;
Es often feel that we take all day.
Es, on the other hand, talk in order to think;
Under all that noise we Is flounder and sink.

Concretely Abstract

“N” means “iNtuitive”, and people like us
Think in abstractions, big pictures we suss.
Ideas and theories are where our minds thrust;
Ask us for details and our minds go bust.

“S” is the other side, and this I have too;
We “Senser”s sense everything; we live in a zoo
Of details and feelings and smellings and hues.
If we can’t experience it we don’t believe it’s true!

We Ns would like Ss this one thing to learn:
Stop with the details – they are not our concern!
We Ss ask Ns to remember in turn
To give us those details for which we so yearn!

Feeling Logical

“T” is for “Thinking”, so called because we
Decide with our brains, not our feelings.
We use our logic to decide and to see
Exactly how we want our world to be.

“F”, on the other hand, logic deplores
At least when it means pushing people down to the floor.
While “Feeler”s do use logic, it leaves them quite sore
For emotions and values are what form their core.

Ts, it would behoove us to come down from our tower
And come to know those feelings from which we so cower.
Fs, use your logic, and you’ll find the power
To talk with us Ts without getting sour.

Timely Play

“J” is for “Judging”, though not the critical kind.
It simply describes the way we unwind.
Or don’t, for we often put our play far behind
Our work which we want to be completed on time.

“P” stands for “Perceiving”; however I call it “Play”!
For us Ps care for naught but having fun all the day.
“Structure”‘s a word we’d rather not say!
We don’t mind it, you know, yet we keep it at bay.

Decisions! Decisions! We Js want them made now!
While delaying decisions is us Ps’ solemn vow.
By working together we turn furrowed brows
Into great outcomes that make us yell “Wow!”

New Lingo Please!

NLP is a science (tho some say it’s not)
Which claims to explain how people come to a thought.
Neuro Linguistic Programming can help you avoid being caught
In the communication perils with which life is fraught.

This science holds that people think, say, and learn
In characteristic ways, and that you can in turn
Identify their style and go on to discern
Words to use with them that won’t make them burn.

Listen to people’s words as they speak.
Watch their responses when you open your beak.
Do they talk about hearing? Or taking a peek?
Or maybe of feeling. Then your words you tweak.

Trio Of Tastes

Visual people learn with their eyes.
They peek and they look and their world clarifies.
“I see what you’re saying!” they exclaim with a cry;
Use picture words back else you’ll be in disguise.

Auditory people learn with their ears;
Tho some choose to read rather than hear.
“Sounds good to me” lets you into their mind peer;
Use hearing words back and your meaning is clear.

Kinesthetics are the third group you’ll find;
They touch and they feel life into their minds.
“You hit a sore spot” says one of this kind;
Use sensing words back else they will feel blind.

Finally! The Finish!

So that is MBTI, and that is NLP.
Which still leaves the puzzling, mysterious A&P.
I know some about “A” and much less about “P”;
Your doctor knows much more, that I guarantee!

“A” is for “anatomy”, where you learn to see
How to tell your elbow from your hand and knee.
“P” describes your insides, your “physiology”
How it works and functions, why you smell and see.

If this introduction leaves you wanting more;
If these words, you feel, have opened a big door;
I urge you these topics to go and explore.
Only don’t go too fast – your brain it might get sore!