Temptation, Personality, and What to Do About It

Been tempted lately? If you have, you are not alone. Temptation is something every human faces on a daily (some of us hourly) basis. Temptations can range from small annoyances to major life disruptors.

We’re going to explore what temptation is all about and then focus sharply on what it means for the different personality types and type groups. We’ll also be customizing advice for each group that reflect what our research has shown about their unique takes on temptations.

While, of course, you should get plenty of information just reading about temptation and your own personality traits, you might want to check out the other types, roles and strategies as well. You may find it useful to know what other people in your life might be experiencing.

Along with that, within each group section, we’ll include some solutions to temptations geared specifically toward the folks in that section. But that by no means suggests that the advice can’t be used by everybody.

Introduction

Some religions used to talk about two kinds of sin. They still might. There is the “sin of commission” and the “sin of omission”. The first is doing something you’re not supposed to and the second is not doing something you should. Temptation follows the same pattern. Some temptation is like eating the extra piece of office birthday cake because it’s sitting there in the break room calling your name (sin of commission). Some temptation is like sitting in the overstuffed easy chair watching “The Walking Dead” or “The Good Wife” when the dishes are piled high in the sink and need washing. The dishes from both yesterday and today (sin of omission). Sin of omission often boils down to taking the easy way instead of the right one, or indulging in laziness.

We can all think of examples of things that pull us to do what isn’t in our long-term best interest, or not do the things that are. We know that arriving at a better future often requires that we delay gratification. But we don’t always have the type of respect for the future that helps us deny the pull of temptation. Satisfaction today can be more appealing than reward tomorrow. “So what?” some might ask. “Everybody gives in to temptation occasionally. What’s the harm?”

You’ll be hard pressed to find a modern discussion of temptation and delaying gratification without running across the famous Stanford Marshmallow Study. We’re no different. It’s an important study that shows us why temptation is a big deal.

In the gaily-named Marshmallow Study, four year olds were told that they could have one marshmallow immediately, but if they waited for 15 minutes, they could have two. Two-thirds of them immediately or soon after downed the single marshmallow as we might expect from children. One third, the high resisters, withstood the temptation in favor of a larger gain that would come if only they could white knuckle the temptation for just a few minutes.

If that were the end of it, the test and immediate results would be interesting enough showing us how the different children responded in their unique ways to the test. But later on, the researchers began to wonder about their subjects and began to follow them through their childhood and into adulthood.

This is the good part: the high resisters consistently performed more successfully in life. They did better in school, on standardized tests, had a better body mass index as well as several other measures that most would say marked fruitful transitions in life. These findings clearly suggest that the marshmallow study had wandered into the area of established and enduring traits.

Should anyone be surprised that those prone to being more disciplined are also likely to be more successful? Probably not. We all know that if we do the things we’re supposed to (avoiding sin of omission), and avoid doing the things were not supposed to (avoiding sin of commission), we have a better chance of thriving. However, it’s always great when research backs up such ideas.

And while we can’t directly link personality traits with the results of the marshmallow experiment, it is interesting that the test described traits that seemed to endure into adulthood. The suggestion of an enduring trait that parlays delaying gratification into success is in itself too tempting for those of us interested in personality types to resist looking into.

That leads us to you. By virtue of the fact you are reading this online, you live in a time where instant gratification is not only provided but encouraged. The internet and smart phones are wonderful things – but they push all kinds of instant access to all kinds of things. Our gadgets are training us to do just the opposite of delaying gratification. When this meets up with the siren song of human appetites, resisting temptation can be challenging in the 21^st century.

Due to our interest and the times we live in, we asked our website members to answer a series of questions about how they handled temptation. As is usually the case with our polls, a clear picture of the roles personality traits play emerged. In the following sections we’ll explore exactly that: how the different personality styles deal with temptation. By the way, if you wish to participate in similar studies and get a sneak preview of their results, head to the Members Area and the Additional Tests tab therein.

Finally, all temptation is not created equal. One person’s vice may not necessarily be another’s. For some people, the damage of indulging in a behavior or bad habit may not be the same as it is for others. For example, temptations involving spending money may not matter as much if the individual has the means, the financial security and lives in a society where people admire or even accept consumerism. Dropping a little money on the latest trendy gadget may not be a big deal unless the buyer is also worried about how to put food on the table next week.

Reminder: it’s important we keep in mind that the results are based on one group’s relative position to other groups, and focuses on that group having more or less of a tendency than the others. There are no absolute statements provided here about any individual within a group or type. No group’s members answered “yes” 100% of the time to any question. In the end, some individuals from each group went against their group’s broader tendencies. We have no absolutes to discuss in this article – only inclinations.

Note: The word “sin” is used here as a synonym for the word “temptation.” Using the same word can be tedious and “sin” is a colorful alternative to temptation. There are no theological or cultural judgments attached to the lighter way that the word “sin” is used here.

Strategies, Traits and Temptations

In a Nutshell

In general terms, personality types with the Extraverted and Turbulent traits don’t handle temptation as well as those with the Introverted and Assertive traits. Consequently, those with the Social Engagement Strategy, containing both the Extraverted and Turbulent traits describe themselves through our mini-tests as the Strategy that handles enticements and delaying gratification least well.

Part of the reason for this may be that there are perceptive differences between the Assertive and Turbulent individuals. Assertive people, who are less perfectionistic, may not notice temptations as easily as the more sensitive Turbulent people might. Turbulent people tend to be too quick to condemn themselves for giving into even mild temptations.

All perspectives have their problems. While those with Turbulent personality types tend to see their failings everywhere, Assertive people must be careful not to be overconfident and see too few. Introverted people may not meet as many temptations because of their preference for a quieter life. The Extraverted may be more willing to jump into life’s temptations simply for the stimulation found there.

What We Found

Those familiar with our theory will know that Strategies are the preferred ways of dealing with the world and the general tactics used for achieving goals. Strategies are determined by matching either an Introverted or an Extraverted trait with either an Assertive or a Turbulent trait. All individuals fall into four categories which speak to confidence level, social engagement, emotional volatility, and the degree one depends on the opinions of others.

Independent of what your Role and Type might be, everybody falls into one of the four Strategies. In terms of temptation, it’s reasonable to think that the Strategy you prefer either tempers or bolsters the other traits in your personality. If your Type is inclined to take that second helping of mashed potatoes and gravy, your Strategy might pull you away from a whole second helping, influencing you to take only half instead. Or maybe, depending on how “lenient” your Strategy is about such matters, perhaps you’ll enjoy a third helping. Think of it as a mild pull or a mild block on what your basic core traits would influence you to do, and you’ll have the idea.

Our polls show that individuals with either or both the Introverted trait and Assertive trait are less likely to say they are the victims of temptation. Introverts may be influenced by their lack of exposure to opportunity. It can be harder to sin if you don’t show up. If you don’t go to parties with opulent buffets, you can’t eat the foods that aren’t good for you on those specific tables. And what other “sins” are lurking within crowded gatherings? Choosing to occasionally be locked away in their Fortresses of Solitude may lessen the Introverts’ exposure to tempting situations.

“I don't want to be alone; I want to be left alone.” ― Audrey Hepburn

While not necessarily definitive, it is interesting how similarly Introverts and Extraverts agreed with “Do you find it easy to get up in the morning if you can sleep in without consequences?” – 51.95% and 47.01% respectively. Getting up when one doesn’t have to usually doesn’t have a strong social component. Does this response hint at the power of social influence and exposure, and the difference between Introverts and Extraverts?

Do you find it easy to get up early in the morning if you know you can sleep in without any consequence?

One of the starkest and most interesting differences between Extraverts and Introverts was their responses to the question, “In a romantic relationship, do you try to explore the physical side of it as soon as possible?” 54.05% of Extraverts answered “yes” to only 30.71% of Introverts. Part of the reason for the result might be opportunity. However, Introverts are not necessarily living lives with less romance than Extraverts. Theirs is just quieter and perhaps more private. Then what would hold them back from pursuing the physical side of love as quickly as the Extraverts?

“An extrovert looks at a stack of books and sees a stack of papers, while an introvert looks at the same stack and sees a soothing source of escape.” ― Eric Samuel Timm

Introverts live more internally and are less likely, in general, to be as enthusiastic or excited about external things like Extraverts are. All things being equal, they prefer to lessen stimulation rather than to increase it. By contrast, Extraverts adopt a bon vivant approach to the world and dive into the stimulation pool seeking ever increasing amounts. Where the Introvert may hesitate awhile at the edge, the Extravert plunges right in. Why would the expression of their styles be any different when it comes to matters of intimacy?

In a romantic relationship, do you try to explore the physical side of it as soon as possible?

Turbulent people show a sensitivity of a different kind. They are perfectionistic and hard on themselves. They are often overly concerned with how others view them. Compare this to Assertive people who are confident, relaxed and rarely care much about impressing anyone. These two descriptions give us hints as to why those with the Turbulent trait might regard themselves more as victims of temptation than those with the Assertive do.

“Perfectionism is self-abuse of the highest order.” ― Anne Wilson Schaef

If the goal is perfection, then having just one extra-slice of cheesecake at the office party takes on the weight of a major sin. Perfection carries with it “all or nothing” thinking. The simple act of eating a slice can totally destroy the perfect diet in the mind of the Turbulent individual. The diet becomes hopelessly flawed. But for someone with an Assertive personality type, who is not so hard on themselves, an extra-slice is probably just not that big of a deal. In fact, it may not register as a transgression at all. This in itself can be problematic for the Assertive individual.

So, do the Assertive vs. Turbulent responses we received in our test show the actual responses to temptation? Or does this self-assessment instead compare the views of people who are hard on themselves against those who aren’t? Is it about perception or reality?

In some ways, the question of reality versus perception doesn’t matter. If someone is plagued with feelings of inadequacy in the face of temptation, they will act differently than someone who isn’t. Paradoxically, as sensitive as Turbulent personality types are to perceived “sins”, they may surrender to new temptations quicker than Assertive ones. In their imaginations, they’ve failed so often to reach perfection, why would this time be any different? The Assertive person would not be burdened with so much negative self-judgement leading to self-doubt.

Since these tests are self-reporting, perhaps the most telling question is “Do you sometimes see yourself as a prisoner of your own desires?” This question provides a general assessment which reveals a mindset while covering a variety of potential unnamed “sins.” From our mini-test, those with the Social Engagement Strategy (Extraversion and Turbulence combination) overall felt they were the victims of want much more than the other Strategies did.

Do you sometimes see yourself as a prisoner of your own desires?

Finally, financially speaking, people with personality types embracing the Social Engagement Strategy were the least likely to say they saved money. They said they liked to reward themselves by spending some of their paycheck in celebration of simply receiving it. Those who fall into the Social Engagement category may want to keep an eye on their financial health and perhaps get help setting up a budget to allay some of the temptations money presents them.

Do you set aside a portion of your income for emergencies?

Do you find it hard to resist buying something you like, even if you know it is not the best time?

After getting paid, do you spend some money right away to reward yourself?

Areas of Concern

The major areas of concern for Strategies and temptation focus on the Turbulent and Assertive traits.

Any Turbulent person hampered by excessive perfectionism would make their life much easier by adopting the phrase: “good enough is good enough.” While their perfectionism may always hum in the background, it is possible to blunt its sharp edges enough to make life more enjoyable and reasonable. Giving oneself an occasional break can help a lot. You don’t want that extra slice of pizza every time, but once in a while won’t kill you. Bon appétit.

Secondly, chances are good that the Assertive personality types actually do handle temptations a little better than Turbulent ones simply because they approach the world with a positive confidence. On the other hand, it’s possible to become too confident and to see too few things as temptations. For example, “I’m confident I can handle my weight” might be a way of rationalizing an extra helping of pasta. However, we know enough extra helpings of starchy foods can lead to obesity. It’s just a mathematical and biological reality and no amount of confidence will allow a person to eat with abandon. To the extreme, “I can handle an affair” or “I can handle trying heroin” can be drastic life changers leading to potentially disastrous results. People with Assertive personality types may want to check-in occasionally with themselves to make sure they are drawing a firm enough line between being confident and over-confident when it comes to taking on temptations.

How Do Different Roles and Types Handle Temptation?

Analysts

I think, therefore, I resist temptations.

Overview

Our poll finds that Analysts see themselves as the least likely to give in to temptation although this is cumulative and not consistent across individual Analyst personality types. When they succeed with temptation, it is probably due to their focus on the future and their analytical skills giving them a real connection to potential consequences. Unlike Vegas, they see clearly that what happens in the present doesn’t stay in the present.

One area where Analysts might need to take care is when the feelings and welfare of others are affected by their behaviors. Empathy is not the Analysts’ strong suit, and this may create complications. When we do find Analysts saying they take others into account, as some Analyst types do, it’s reasonable to assume that it is less about empathy and more about maintaining the social system and order. But does the reason matter as long as they are behaving generously toward the needs of others and calibrating their behavior accordingly?

What We Found

Before we consider the questions and some of the problems temptations might present for them, let’s briefly review what makes an Analyst an Analyst. These are serious people who are always using their imagination and intelligence. While they may not always pay enough attention to the smaller details in their lives, they are, nonetheless, practical. They grasp the wide-ranging scope of the big picture and then tame it with logic. They are forward thinkers and they find different ways to funnel their broad ideas into a practical future.

Consider temptation. One technique that some use to deal with temptation is to think of the consequences and long-term effects of doing something to squelch immediate urges. Enjoying a bowl of Häagen-Dazs might be very satisfying now unless you really concentrate on the possibility of an expanding waistline and the health problems that come from too much sugar and fat. If you can sell yourself on the benefits of being slimmer for a better, healthier tomorrow, you might talk yourself out of scooping too much of the frozen bliss from the round container. And this is exactly what Analyst personality types do.

In a real sense, handling temptation is the same as having respect for the future. What you say “yes” or “no” to now positively or negatively affects your quality of life later. And isn’t that exactly how Intuitive people think? Analysts (as well as Diplomats) have this respect. They focus on the future and its possibilities. As Thinkers, Analysts use logic and rationality to honor what is to come. They are made for analyzing the consequences of too many calories, unhealthy fats and sugars or any other harmful temptation put before them.

As an example of how Analysts handle the most straightforward temptations, let’s take a look at this question in our survey:

Do you often find it hard to resist grabbing some snacks when they are right in front of you?

So, speaking in terms of tendencies, Analysts are more likely than other groups to resist snacking. As we saw with the Marshmallow experiment in the introduction, our response to food is often emblematic of our response to other temptations, and may even reveal something of our overall approach to life.

Analyst personality types, especially those who rely on the Judging trait, perform a “risk/benefit” analysis with almost everything, sometimes formally but often informally. This is tempered a little but not absent in those Analysts with the Prospecting trait. This natural state of calculating results and foreseeing consequences works to their advantage for putting their temptations in perspective.

Analysts also endorsed the statement “In your opinion, does taking easy routes prevent people from achieving something great in life?” at a higher percentage than other groups. Intuitive folks see the world in more layered ways, probably influencing them to avoid the “temptation” of taking the easy route. The “easy route,” in their opinion, would be the route that causes people to miss important things along the way. Taking the harder way, while sometimes filled with complexity and adversity, is also filled with possible treasures. Sure, you can take the tram to the top of the mountain, but think of all the scenery, foliage and wildlife you’d experience if you hiked it instead.

To bring this to our subject of temptation, this shows a respect for delaying gratification as a means to a more positive future. As a generalization, Analysts are perhaps more willing than most to put in the work and put off certain gratifications if it means a payoff later.

Areas of Concern for Analysts

None of us lives as an island. There is an interpersonal side to temptation. Sometimes, succumbing to our desires without thinking of others can be hurtful. Affairs are probably the most notorious expression of this, but there are surely less dramatic, everyday ways that our behaviors cause pain.

Analysts were the group overall least likely to worry about how their behaviors affect others. However, before we question the sensitivity of the group as a whole, 57.19% of Analysts said they did consider others before acting. Some Analyst types even agreed with the question more than the average of all personality types. Nonetheless, there is a tendency to let rationality rule and when it does, feelings are not always taken into account. Analysts may want to keep this tendency in mind, and work with it if they see it affecting the quality of their lives.

Do you carefully evaluate how your actions may affect other people before acting?

Architects (INTJ, -A/-T)

“The most powerful control we can ever attain, is to be in control of ourselves.” ― Chris Page

The serious and complex Architects are apparently too busy figuring out the universe to be bothered by the temptations with which most of us are plagued. In addition to their esoteric focus, they have all the main traits that can help a person avoid being dragged into temptation – subdued Introversion, visionary Intuition, rational Thinking that foresees consequences with clarity and care, orderly Judging trait. Because of this, the Architects’ answers in our mini-tests suggest they handle temptations better than most.

Even though that sounds impressive, it’s relative to how other types answered the same questions. For example, 53.55% of Architects claimed to make healthy food choices when given a chance. So, while they exceeded the overall average of 47.52%, it’s still a fairly lukewarm majority. Only a little more than half of the Analysts look for the word “organic” on the label when they are at the market even if the food pictured on the package doesn’t look so good.

By their self-assessment, people with this personality type are more careful than most about money, general discipline and showing patience (delaying gratification). Here are a couple of sample questions to illustrate:

Do you often find it hard to resist grabbing some snacks when they are right in front of you?

Do you set aside a portion of your income for emergencies?

Note: “Overall Average” in these and following tables refers to the average score of all personality types, not just those belonging to a specific group.

Architects said, at a higher percentage than average, that they evaluated the effects of their deeds on others before acting. Usually, we don’t think of Analysts as having high levels of empathy. Compassionate approaches are usually reserved for those with the Feeling trait. It’s reasonable to speculate that when answering this question, Architects didn’t suddenly change how they decided things – from rational to emotional. The rational Architects may see not rocking the boat as expedient. There are advantages to keeping the people around you content. While Feeling personality types may do so for emotional reasons, Architects are likely to act in this way with more strategic motives.

Such considerations are as likely about keeping the Architect’s social and work systems running smoothly as it is about a concern for others. For example, they may avoid the temptation of a sexual affair less because of their concern for partners’ feelings than the fear that having an affair will disrupt their carefully constructed lives. Architects would want to avoid such dalliances to maintain overall stability as much as anything else. And isn’t that as good a reason as any? That doesn’t mean love and respect aren’t present in some way. It just isn’t the filter through which they most likely make decisions.

We find that Architects, on a more philosophical level, agree more than average that their own needs come before others. For such rational thinkers, this is analogous to the flight attendant telling passengers to don the oxygen mask should the cabin depressurize before trying to help their loved ones. It isn’t necessarily that Architects think of themselves first in an obliquely selfish way. Taking care of oneself can be an essential first step to taking care of someone else.

Do you carefully evaluate how your actions may affect other people before acting?

Do you believe people should not be expected to consider everyone’s needs before taking care of their own?

Similar to many other Introverted types, Architects were among those least likely to agree with the question: “In a romantic relationship, do you try to explore the physical side of it as soon as possible?” As explored in the section “Strategies, Traits and Temptations”, some of the reasons for Introverts having a consistently low agreement with this question, may be lack of exposure to the right situations and their more reticent approach to life than their Extraverted cousins. In other words, they put themselves out there a bit more slowly – but not just with sex. With everything. In the chart below, you’ll notice a stark difference between Extraverted Analysts and Introverted Analysts.

In a romantic relationship, do you try to explore the physical side of it as soon as possible?

There’s no doubt it’s fine to take a relationship slowly, but too slowly can be disastrous. Architects may need to remember that sometimes giving into “temptation” (for lack of a better word) can help a relationship grow. A little passion can be a vital ingredient when falling in love. There’s delaying gratification and then there’s missing gratification altogether. Care should be taken.

Relative to other types, Architects are temperate in their approach to life. They handle their temptations in a disciplined way. While their answers indicate that they factor people into their decision-making process, it is probably less a sentimental consideration than an efficiency concern. Overall, Architects say they handle life’s common temptations well – perhaps a little too well when it comes to romantic passion.

Logicians (INTP, -A/-T)

“By dawn he had surrendered, gratefully, to the old inertia, the product of always seeing both sides of every question.” ― Robert Harris

Logicians are just one letter (trait) away from the Debaters which we discuss below, but what a difference a letter makes. Whereas Debaters can be “in your face” with their arguments and their ideas, Logicians do more or less the same thing, only in their heads and only with themselves. They are constantly in a state of internal debate. This internal versus external expression also plays out in their handling of temptation.

Logicians are the personality type that agreed at the highest percentage of not just Analysts, but of all types to the question “Do you change your long-term goals often?”

Do you change your long-term goals often?

When it comes to working their plans and planning their work, Logicians are less inclined to stick to any plan they make. While Intuitive people generally look to the future and future consequences often influence how they act, the Prospecting trait counteracts that to a degree. The trait adds an attraction to things that are spontaneous (read as “living in the moment”). When making New Year’s resolutions, Logicians may develop an amazing list with the best of intentions. However, by February, they’ve re-written the list six times, and each time they’re sure the current list is better than the previous – until next week when they revise that one.

“Extraverts communicate well with others; Introverts communicate well with themselves.” ― Pablo

Logicians, especially Turbulent ones, constantly second guess themselves. It’s easy to see that if one should decide to avoid a temptation without the ability to follow through on a plan to do so, it might be difficult to pursue that goal. While they may come up with a dozen plans to eat less and lose weight, if that plan changes daily, it has little chance of working. It could be low carbs/high protein today and high carbs/low protein tomorrow. If their inner debate keeps Logicians in the inertia that comes with second guessing, it is likely to leave them in a weak position when they need to counter temptations. The main ingredient of a strong resolution is... well, resolve.

Logicians can also be short on empathy at times, so they may not always let the needs of others serve as a guide for their behavior. If you’re concerned about others, you may not be so quick to spend some of the shared household funds for personal and pleasurable reasons. As discussed elsewhere (see Architects), there are times when putting one’s own needs first is the rational thing to do. Learning to distinguish between selfishness and rational self-interest may be something many Analysts need to sort through, including the Logicians.

Do you carefully evaluate how your actions may affect other people before acting?

Do you believe people should not be expected to consider everyone’s needs before taking care of their own?

Logicians’ biggest challenge in life is tendency to second guess themselves. While generally knowledgeable, this personality type runs into the fact that life is complex. There are too many choices and Logicians are too likely to find it difficult to stick to one of them. This can hamper a Logician’s resolve when it comes to controlling temptation. Logicians also tend not to take others into consideration. They may act selfishly as a result and not think as much about how giving into temptation might impact others.

Commanders (ENTJ, -A/-T)

“Good habits are worth being fanatical about.” ― John Irving

Commanders. The name alone evokes a sense of discipline. These natural leaders don’t find themselves with that reputation by accident. Without discipline, there is no leadership and, relevant to our conversation, it also takes discipline to delay gratification. This alone suggests that temptation probably doesn’t gain many footholds among Commanders. They are masters of delayed gratification... mostly.

They are by far the most likely (80.36%) of all personality types to agree with the question: “In your opinion, does taking easy routes prevent people from achieving something great in life?”. That may mean resisting late nights out partying or too many lazy afternoons doing nothing in front of the television. They further support this philosophy by being below average among those who say they often change their long-term plans. Commanders are strong-willed and not likely to let temptation (sins of commission) nor shortcuts (sins of omission) sidetrack them from their goals.

In your opinion, does taking easy routes prevent people from achieving something great in life?

Do you change your long-term goals often?

In addition, the Commanders’ formidable discipline goes beyond the big picture of long-term plans. They are more likely than most personality types to avoid eating in-between meals, to avoid available snacks, and to choose healthier foods when given the choice. They keep a portion of their paycheck aside as an emergency fund more than most and favor delaying a purchase until the time is right. They feel little need to reward themselves when they get their paychecks. They are somewhat more likely than others to get out of bed even if there are no consequences for ignoring the alarm clock. All-in-all, it’s a pretty tidy package for Commanders when we look at them through the lens of the things that tempt the rest of us.

Interestingly, Commanders are much more likely than average to agree with the question: “In a romantic relationship, do you try to explore the physical side of it as soon as possible?” One of the weaknesses noted in their profile is impatience. When they apply all of their confidence and willpower to more carnal interests, it could well express itself in the form of rushing into physical intimacy. Whether we should consider this a rare example of Commanders being unable to delay gratification or whether this is another thing altogether may provide us with a topic for future research. It’s fair to ask: does their response to this question relate to delaying gratification, or does it more concern a type of highly assertive living?

In a romantic relationship, do you try to explore the physical side of it as soon as possible?

Commanders are slightly below average in claiming that they take others into account before they act. One may expect a bigger difference, but like with the Architects, this probably has less to do with empathy than it is about practicality. For instance, our other study showed that Commanders are actually the most likely type to be more authoritarian than democratic in leadership positions – 68.06% of Commanders agreed with that statement as opposed to the average score of 45.30%.

Commanders may not always be aware of or even consider the emotional reactions to their behaviors. They may have even responded to this question without thinking much about how their behavior might do damage to others at all. First of all, people with this personality type see themselves as fairly righteous. Secondly, they might simply decide, when their behavior affects others, to view it through the filter of keeping the engine of their social or professional systems running smoothly.

Do you carefully evaluate how your actions may affect other people before acting?

Commanders are also significantly less likely than average to say that they feel they are prisoners of their own desires. Keeping in mind that this is self-assessment and being aware of their common traits, it probably is an accurate measure of themselves.

Do you sometimes see yourself as a prisoner of your own desires?

Commanders are strongly disciplined and feel they are in charge of themselves (as well as others). They describe themselves as able to delay most gratifications and demonstrate strong willpower.

They also find themselves watching out for others and considering others before they act. For Commanders, that may be about preserving order as much as anything else.

Debaters (ENTP, -A/-T)

“There are crimes of passion and crimes of logic. The boundary between them is not clearly defined.” ― Albert Camus

How we handle food can sometimes give a snapshot of how we handle life. We find the Debater personality type to be slightly above average when it comes to choosing healthy food over delicious but not as nutritious food. However, out of all Analysts, they are the type most likely to say they have trouble resisting snacks placed in front of them.

If you have to choose, do you pick healthier, but less tasty food, hoping that will pay off in the long-term?

Do you often find it hard to resist grabbing some snacks when they are right in front of you?

Choosing healthy food is a decision based on information and the snacks are more of an impulsive reaction to a present stimulus. It’s a bit of a metaphor for Debaters themselves. Debaters are in some ways the disciplined masters of knowledge and yet, they have an impetuous streak. If instead of the question being about snacks, it had been, “Do you often find it hard to resist decimating your opponent in an argument should the opportunity exist?” you can bet that Debaters would score highest with that question as well. There’s a sort of impulsiveness and appetite hiding behind a disciplined intellect that makes them formidable.

One of the weaknesses noted in the Debater profile is their insensitivity to others. As mentioned above, this applies to a discussion of temptation in that people sometime temper their indulgences if they believe their behavior is going to harm others. However, according to our poll, Debaters admit to having little regard for the impact their actions have on others, scoring well below average.

Do you carefully evaluate how your actions may affect other people before acting?

Do you believe people should not be expected to consider everyone’s needs before taking care of their own?

Do you find it difficult to wait for your turn when playing board games with others?

They are the most likely among Analysts and far above average of all personality types in finding it difficult to wait for their turn at a board game. This probably speaks to the Debaters’ overall inability to hold back on the sense of satisfaction they get when scoring a point – whether the point is part of a board game or an argument. They like to show their stuff, vanquish their opponents and they do it all for no other reason than they find it fun or gratifying.

Notably, Debaters also scored well below average with regard to saving money for emergencies.

Do you set aside a portion of your income for emergencies?

Debaters admit to poor saving skills and are somewhat undisciplined spenders. A high percentage of them treat their paychecks as a reward and say they have trouble resisting something they want to buy even if the time isn’t right to buy it. The Debater finance responses clearly hint at their preference for immediate gratification.

Like their Analyst cousins’, the Commanders, Debaters are much more likely than average to say that they try exploring physical relationships as soon as possible after becoming part of a romantic couple. Part of this may be due to their Extraversion. They are enthusiastic when they couple and are known to try and push the limits.

In a romantic relationship, do you try to explore the physical side of it as soon as possible?

Finally, the percentage of Debaters who agree that they are the prisoners of their own desires is significantly higher than the other Analysts and the average of all personality types. This self-awareness is likely the product of their analytical side having a good look at their spontaneous side. They are astute at systems and probably understand the system closest to them well enough. These impulsive intellectuals are insightful enough to understand the two aspects of themselves and to comprehend themselves as prisoners of their own desires.

Do you sometimes see yourself as a prisoner of your own desires?

A combination of intellectualism and impulsivity, Debaters will argue at the drop of hat and grab the cookie in the middle of the table just as quickly. Their self-awareness extends to knowing this about themselves. They are not always sensitive to needs of others and concern for others may not factor in when they deal with temptations. They are less likely than others to factor in how their behavior might impact others.

Diplomats

When it comes to temptation, let your heart be your guide.

Overview

Not surprisingly, Diplomats put value on how their behavior affects others. They will always have that on their scope as they deal with temptations – especially the kinds that impact others. On the other hand, our poll suggests that money temptations are a challenge for the Diplomats more than any other group. They find saving money harder than most personality types, and our results suggest they have some difficulty controlling spending. Diplomats’ expectations for themselves (and others) are high and they take it to heart when they do succumb to temptation. They can be a little hard on themselves. However, with their unique perspective, these personalities may not always have a conventional view of what is a temptation and what isn’t.

What We Found

Leave it to Diplomats to be the stars when it comes to the people side of temptation. What we do often affects others. Take gossiping, for example. Everyone does a little of it. Most of us know we shouldn’t talk about other people. But gossip can be too juicy to ignore. Oh, who are we kidding. Whole entertainment industries have been built around it.

But Diplomats are likely to feel uneasy around gossip. They are more likely than most to consider how it might affect the person who is the subject of the mischievous talk. How would they feel if they knew they were being discussed like this? That’s a significant concern for these personality types.

In our test, we asked: “Do you carefully evaluate how your actions may affect other people before acting?” 81.74% of Diplomats said “yes” while only 57.19% of their Intuitive cousins, the Analysts, did. In a related question, “Do you believe that people should not be expected to consider everyone’s needs before taking care of their own?” only 42.71% of Diplomats said “yes” as opposed to 68.31% of Analysts.

Do you carefully evaluate how your actions may affect other people before acting?

Do you believe that people should not to be expected to consider everyone’s needs before taking care of their own?

This is consistent with everything else we know about Diplomats and highlights the difference between those personality types who decide through the Thinking trait and those who decide through the Feeling trait. It’s not only important for Diplomats to consider the feelings and welfare of others, but to actually act accordingly. This may cause them to resist doing certain things if it might hurt others. When it comes to temptation, their empathy is perhaps their most potent restraint.

On the downside, Diplomats are generally weaker than others when it comes to matters of money. They were not particularly eager to answer positively to “Do you set aside a portion of your income for emergencies?”, scoring third. They were also the group most likely to answer “yes” to “Do you find it hard to resist buying something you like, even if you know it is not the best time?”, and scored second for “After getting paid, do you spend some money right away to reward yourself?”

What would make that so? Diplomats typically do not work solely to become rich. Instead, they like their work to be meaningful and finding important work is a priority for them. Nonetheless, money may still serve a purpose for their self-esteem. In their expansive way of connecting things, these personality types may see money as a reward to be enjoyed rather than a simple concrete compensation for services rendered. Money may have an emotional significance for some Diplomats. Money may be a stroke from the universe for doing good, and its purpose is to make one feel good and happy.

Do you set aside a portion of your income for emergencies?

Do you find it hard to resist buying something you like, even if you know it is not the best time?

After getting paid, do you spend some money right away to reward yourself?

Since this test is self-reporting, one of the more interesting questions is the general one that asks “Do you sometimes see yourself as a prisoner of your own desires?” Diplomats were the most likely group to answer affirmatively.

Do you sometimes see yourself as a prisoner of your own desires?

Some caution should be taken with the results of this particular question. Diplomats often see themselves as spiritual people or at least as people on a path to improvement. They are likely to think of themselves in terms of their potential and how evolved or enlightened they are. The yin to that yang is that where there is perception of an unmet potential, there may also be a sense of lacking. Because of this sense, Diplomats may be a bit hard on themselves. Being as honest as they can, a fairly indulgence-free life may still not meet the idealistic standards they hold for themselves sufficiently. A negative view of their control could be more perception than reality.

Areas of Concern

Money. That’s the thing that stood out consistently with Diplomats (as a group) – spending it, saving it, using it as a reward. None of the responses were so off the charts that we need to take their credit cards from them. Nonetheless, they were consistently the group most likely to succumb to money temptations.

When it comes to money, the classic solutions to problems are usually the best. Budgeting and keeping records of where the money goes is always the most effective remedy for a dysfunctional relationship with it. Any means of taking the mystique and symbolism out of money and discovering how to treat it simply as a tool may help Diplomats handle their finances better.

Advocates (INFJ, -A/-T)

“The future depends on what you do today.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

Advocates are happiest when their talents are used to bring a greater good to the world. They love things to be balanced and in harmony and their relationship to temptation is an extension of that. They, like all Diplomats, are significantly above average when it comes to considering others before they act, and believe that the needs of others should be consider before their own. This is a powerful dynamic that influences how these altruistic individuals respond to temptations that touch other people.

Do you carefully evaluate how your actions may affect other people before acting?

Do you believe that people should not be expected to consider everyone’s needs before taking care of their own?

Avoiding temptation is done in service of a better future. Advocates, on some level, dedicate their lives to bridging the incompleteness of the present with a future they hope will be fuller and more perfect. They are dreamers but not in service of their own gain. In some ways, they truly want to make the world a better place even if only starting in their own backyards. Giving in to temptations and bad behaviors, according to their own interpretation of what those may be, is a very substantial matter to Advocates.

However, Advocates understand that this mildly utopian vision is not an easy-peasy thing full of short cuts and built on simple platitudes. They feel you’ve got to work to get there. People with this personality type agreed significantly more than the average with the question in our poll that asked if taking the easy route prevented people from achieving greatness. Like many types with the Judging trait, Advocates were also less likely than most to say they change their long-term goals often.

This all speaks to a dedication which is an essential element of a typical Advocate. Because of this serious attitude, a hedonistic surrender to temptations would not likely satisfy them, and they would see giving in to it as a contradiction of their very lifestyle. That doesn’t mean their philosophies are dreary and without pleasures. But woven into those pleasures are some fairly strict rules about right and wrong which Advocates take seriously. Their standards for right and wrong, however, may not always be aligned the those of their culture.

In your opinion, does taking easy routes prevent people from achieving something great in life?

Do you change your long-term goals often?

An above average percentage of Advocates saw themselves as “prisoners of their own desires.” As mentioned in the introduction to Diplomats, this may be about self-perception rather than any objective reality. There is nothing about their survey results that mark Advocates as particularly infamous “sinners”. However, when the goals are high, as they are with these idealists, there may be a sense of inadequacy wherever one finds oneself on the way to the idyllic.

Do you sometimes see yourself as a prisoner of your own desires?

As an example of things not being as bad as they look, Advocates are the least likely among Diplomats to say they have trouble resisting money temptations. They put money aside for emergencies more than other Diplomats and above the overall average. They are less likely to splurge as a reward after getting their paychecks. They are below average at finding it hard to resist buying that thing they want if the timing is bad. Money and material possessions rarely serve as a primary motivation for Advocates, and that may explain the results we have for the financial question in our polling. They clearly see themselves as more disciplined with money than the other Diplomats are.

Do you set aside a portion of your income for emergencies?

Do you find it hard to resist buying something you like, even if you know it is not the best time?

After getting paid, do you spend some money right away to reward yourself?

Moving onto another topic, an above average percentage of Advocates admit that resisting snacking can be tough, and they come in about average when it comes to eating between meals. However, the Advocates scored significantly higher than the average of all personality types when asked whether they would choose healthier foods over less tasty foods in hope of a future pay off.

The last question can serve as a larger metaphor for what makes Advocates tick. While snacking and eating between meals are usually more impulsive acts, learning to recognize healthy foods and deliberately choosing them is a more planned and conscious effort. To do so, you have to understand food and then make a decision to delay pleasure whenever necessary in service of your future health. In fact, it would not be out of character for Advocates to make healthier eating a larger cause and advocate it for others. Highlighting healthy food is easy to turn into a cause or a crusade even if done alone. Not snacking is simply avoiding something and may not feel as much like a mission. Snacking may not have the same passionate energy behind it.

If you have to choose, do you pick healthier, but less tasty food, hoping the will pay off in the long term?

Do you often find it hard to resist grabbing some snacks when they are right in front of you?

Are you usually pretty good at resisting the urge to eat in between meals?

“Quick-loving hearts ... may quickly loathe.” ― Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Finally, Advocates are the least likely among Diplomats to explore the physical side of romantic relationships quickly after one forms. They also come in far below the overall average. First thing we might notice is that Advocates are Introverted. As we’ve seen elsewhere, Extraverts are more likely to pursue a physical relationship much faster than Introverts.

In addition to that, Advocates are one of the personality types who invest their emotions most deeply in relationships. Diplomats have a very romantic streak. A love relationship, for them, is a soulful experience which they highly romanticize. Advocates are likely to take their time and get to know someone up front before they even begin to think about physical intimacy. They may endow the physical side of love with an almost spiritual quality and most of them would not engage in physical expressions lightly. This also reflects their answers to the earlier question about taking the easy way or whether the hard way produced a greater outcome. Diplomats are more likely to take the time and energy needed to first create a solid spiritual or emotional bond before pursuing a fleshlier union with someone.

In a romantic relationship, do you try to explore the physical side of it as soon as possible?

Advocates are serious idealists and when they avoid temptation, they are likely to do so for those reasons. They have strong standards attached to their world-view and this may temper their giving in to indulgences. They may, in fact be more facile at handling larger temptations that go against their values than smaller temptations that don’t. They may feel like they have failed at temptation more than they have simply because their ideals are too lofty. They will take care that their actions don’t hurt others. Romantically, they take their time hoping to build a more spiritual/emotional connection with another before moving on to the physical.

Mediators (INFP, -A/-T)

“Although I love elegant parties, dancing and dining and spending the night with a sweet woman in my arms, my life belongs to literature.” ― Roman Payne

Most Mediators are not going to rush into a physical relationship with a new love interest. Besides being Introverts, they are too poetic and want a heartfelt spiritual connection before they make that kind of a move. That doesn’t mean they don’t have their impulsive side. But when it comes to people, they value what is honest and the deep, and they are unlikely to indulge in anything too casually especially if the feelings of others are involved. There are many sonnets (metaphorically or real) to be written before things get the more hands-on treatment in their romantic relationships.

In a romantic relationship, do you try to explore the physical side of it as soon as possible?

Do you carefully evaluate how your actions may affect other people before acting?

Mediators are much more likely than an average personality type to believe they should consider others’ needs before taking care of their own. Putting other people’s needs above their own can have a profound effect when deciding whether to do something or not. There are two sides to this coin. It is a loving, altruistic position. But if taken too far, it can rob Mediators of satisfaction in life and infringe on their self-care. If they worry too much about others, they may lose themselves.

Do you believe that people should not be expected to consider everyone’s needs before taking care of their own?

However, it’s a bit different with the daily temptations of eating the right food and being frugal. Perhaps, with these types of indulgences Mediators don’t feel they are hurting anybody but maybe themselves. Their responses in our test demonstrate that they do have a more impulsive side and that they don’t feel as fully in control.

For example, this personality type falls far behind other Diplomats when it comes to choosing healthy foods over better tasting, less healthy foods. They are also less likely than average to save for emergencies, not eat between meals, resist buying something they like, and more likely to feel a need to reward themselves.

If you have to choose, do you pick healthier, but less tasty food, hoping the will pay off in the long term?

Do you set aside a portion of your income for emergencies?

Are you usually pretty good at resisting the urge to eat in between meals?

Do you find it hard to resist buying something you like, even if you know it is not the best time?

After getting paid, do you spend some money right away to reward yourself?

In many ways, Mediators prefer spontaneity over the long-game. They are more likely than average to say they often change their long-term goals. They are least likely among Diplomats to see the “easy route” as an inhibition to achieving great things and are below the overall average among all types. This speaks to their rather dreamy and poetic approach to life where delaying gratification isn’t so much of a thing. While Mediators enjoy many satisfying morsels of life using this approach, discipline in the face of temptation may be somewhat lacking. “Sure, I don’t always eat right, but with all the beauty swirling around us... who cares? Have you tasted this! It tastes amazing.”

Mediators may want to take care with money and health. While their approach to life is rewarding in its spontaneity and an appreciation for life as it comes at them, financial and physical health will generally not take care of themselves. Discipline and planning all play a part and they often involve a concerted effort at delaying gratification. Mediators might want to give themselves a little extra push in these areas.

These poetic and spontaneous individuals may not always attend to the details or stick to long term plans. Mediators make a distinction between temptations that affect only them and those that affect others. They may not worry so much about those temptations that affect only themselves. While they may not want to abandon their special outlook, people with this personality type still might benefit from settling into some long-term goals with some measurable outcomes, especially in the areas of finance and health.

Protagonists (ENFJ, -A/-T)

“There is no greater evil than men's failure to consult and to consider.” ― Sophocles

“Being a people person” doesn’t even begin to cover this inspiring personality type. The results for the question “Do you carefully evaluate how your actions may affect other people before acting?” show Protagonists were nearly 20% above the overall average, a rare sight when it comes to such polls. This makes them wonderful leaders who put the welfare of their friends and followers ahead of their own wants and desires.

Not only do Protagonists carefully evaluate how their actions affect others, but their profile suggests they may even take on the pain they’ve caused to others if they inadvertently do. They are deeply committed to harmony and happiness and feel they have failed if they don’t achieve it. Since you will always be on their radar, you can expect to have a positive experience if you hang out with these gregarious and thoughtful individuals.

Do you carefully evaluate how your actions may affect other people before acting?

Protagonists are fairly unremarkable in their treatment of temptations. They hover around average when it comes to food temptations and they regard themselves as patient and fairly disciplined a little above. They are just above average in saying they explore the physical side of a romantic relationship as soon as possible, probably owing mostly to their Extraverted natures.

The one area where Protagonists did represent a spike in the statistics was in regard to spending habits. They found it harder than most to resist buying something they wanted, even if the time wasn’t right.

Do you find it hard to resist buying something you like, even if you know it is not the best time?

On the other hand, with the other two financial questions, the Protagonists clearly suggested they were thrifty and responsible. They were above average in saying they saved some of their income for emergencies, and they were below average in viewing their paychecks as a reason to reward themselves. Perhaps the Protagonists’ inconsistent spike seen in the question about buying at the wrong time needs further research to determine if this was a simple anomaly or if there was some other identifiable reason for this response.

Do you set aside a portion of your income for emergencies?

After getting paid, do you spend some money right away to reward yourself?

Like their Advocate cousins, Protagonists tend to believe that taking shortcuts may prevent a person from achieving great things. Those with the Judging trait are somewhat more likely to answer question about sticking to plans and embracing challenges more positively than those with the Prospecting trait. We see this difference clearly comparing the Judging and the Prospecting Diplomats. For the Protagonists, this translates into a leadership skill as they stand steady while helping others develop a vision. Like Moses leading his people through the desert, Protagonists stand by others through thick and thin as they find their metaphorical Promised Lands. For this, Protagonists need to have a fairly firm handle on delaying gratification. They can’t usually blend selfish impulses into such overall responsibility.

In your opinion, does taking easy routes prevent people from achieving something great in life?

However, like every highly altruistic type, Protagonists may need to learn to separate themselves from others and it may be healthy for them to be a little selfish at times. Things don’t always have to be so hard and leaders/influencers don’t always have to be so self-sacrificing.

The Protagonist personality type seems fairly adept at handling most temptations. These individuals are very sensitive to the people around them and take great care to make sure anything they indulge in does not harm others. They seem quite ready to delay gratification for later rewards. If there is anything that a Protagonist might want to attend to in this area, it may be that they are too altruistic. They may at times want to indulge their own desires and to take care of their own needs.

Campaigners (ENFP, -A/-T)

Campaigners are the more public face of the mysticism and creativity that the Diplomat role group represents. If the spiritually and mentally free-spirited Diplomats had a PR department to represent them, it would be made up of Campaigners.

What does this have to do with temptation? Campaigners are not bound by the social reticence of the Advocate and the Mediator nor are they constrained by the need for the stability that influences the Protagonists. That means they are out there observing, doing, meeting and trying things all in the name of figuring out this big pulsating puzzle that is the universe.

“Do what I do. Hold tight and pretend it’s a plan.” – Doctor Who

Think of certain incarnations of Doctor Who as an archetype for the Campaigner. Informal (or formal) fan clubs of sorts even form around the excitement these people carry with them. To pull off such adventurous exploration as they do often takes a certain level of spontaneous abandon – a kind of diving into life. Where there is abandon (Prospecting) combined with access (Extraversion), indulgences are more likely to thrive.

Campaigners may even embrace the bigger concepts of eating better and spending money wisely on a theoretical level. They may go so far as to advocate these ideas to others as a way to inspire them to live better lives. But when it comes down to their own lives, these understandings may not impact them so much in their day-to-day existence. It’s not hypocrisy or hedonism. It’s a different focus where such details may not carry a lot of weight.

People with the Campaigner personality type do not always attend to the particulars of their lives to the extent they should especially if doing so steals satisfaction from the moment. When it comes to the things that usually tempt most people, they are likely to relate to them more emotionally than rationally. So, while Campaigners may preach a good sermon, they aren’t above the sinners – and that kind of real-person accessibility may add to their charisma.

If you have to choose, do you pick healthier, but less tasty food, hoping the will pay off in the long term?

Do you set aside a portion of your income for emergencies?

Like other Diplomats (although somewhat less than the others), Campaigners are concerned with how their actions might impact others. When deciding whether to succumb to temptation, they are likely to factor in what their behavior might do to those they care about, if anything. While they are the least likely among Diplomats to say they do so, they still remain above average among all types when it comes to caring for others when acting.

Do you carefully evaluate how your actions may affect other people before acting?

Do you believe that people should not be expected to consider everyone’s needs before taking care of their own?

“You can devise all the plans in the world, but if you don’t welcome spontaneity; you will just disappoint yourself.” ― Abigail Biddinger

The idea of sticking to long-term plans and respect for taking the harder, but more rewarding way are pretty negligible for the Campaigner. They are too spontaneous to take a deliberate life design too seriously. Because of this, something like dieting or budgeting may not be the easiest thing that they do. Campaigners would probably jump enthusiastically into such a program but would have trouble sticking to it.

One of the problems Campaigners might face with temptation is their tendencies to overthink things. Where someone else might forgive themselves with an “I’m only human,” Campaigners may take their failures at even reasonably small temptations into dark places where a healthy self-esteem shouldn’t go. This may especially be true if Turbulence is part of their personality package.

Giving into temptations enough times may begin to add up for people with this personality type, and to create excessive anxiety and stress. Taking minor lapses less seriously may in the long run give them the confidence they need to succeed the next time. Their sensitivity may be their worst enemy when it comes to reflecting on their behavioral flaws.

Social and spontaneous Campaigners have an infectious enthusiasm that draws in followers and associates. While they may embrace ideas and paths that require delaying gratification and planning, they don’t always apply them to their personal lives. They need to take care to not overthink the impact of what they do or fail to do. This can lead to stress and harsh self-judgment.

Sentinels

Duty and temptation rarely mix.

Overview

Sentinels are good at avoiding temptation. They take care of things they deem important and show respect for social structure and values. This discipline seems to extend to temptations. At the same time, this doesn’t mean these personality types see all temptations as equal, and there may be times when Sentinels give into enticements that they regard as insignificant. In alignment with recent research, their conscientiousness may, over the course of a day, deplete their willpower. It might be helpful if they know about their susceptibility to having their willpowers’ batteries drained.

What We Found

“Perhaps I might have resisted a great temptation, but the little ones would have pulled me down.” ― Edith Wharton

Our poll finds the Sentinels are the group least likely to see themselves as “prisoners of their desires.” Yet, there are still some areas where Sentinels feel they are only average at best when dealing with temptations. It would be easy to stereotype the conscientious Sentinels as temptation champions just saying “No” to any enticement that comes along and a resounding “Yes” to their responsibilities. But it’s never quite that easy, is it?

The Sentinels deal well with temptation because they create a structured life filled with good habits. They resist spending money unwisely, and they are happy getting out of bed on time even if they don’t have to. However, when it comes to other temptations, like those involving food, they are somewhat less stringent and fall somewhere in the middle of the other groups.

Sentinels are strident adherents to traditions, standards and values. Where the Intuitive types create their worldviews using material from their inner resources, Observant types, like the Sentinels, are more likely to look at sources outside themselves for guidance. Sentinels in particular adhere to conventional wisdoms and traditions and let those dictate what is a temptation and how it should be handled.

Sentinels play the long game and are likely to stick with their long-term goals without changing them along the way. This consistency allows them to deal better with unexpected temptations. They are “on track” and are likely to do what they can to stay there. While Sentinels seem to consider consequences like their more Intuitive cousins do, their behavior is more determined by exterior values and more established paths than it is for Intuitive personality types.

This structured outlook defines what is “out of bounds” and then influences the Sentinel to stay within those bounds. The more widely accepted the standard in their community, the more likely the Sentinel will feel that it must be respected. For example, Sentinels are the group least likely to answer “yes” to the question: “In a romantic relationship, do you try to explore the physical side of it as soon as possible?” While sexual mores may have loosened in many parts of the world, most cultures still value a certain amount of time before things get physical in a relationship. Sentinels would be sensitive to the expectations where they live and abide by them.

They are also less likely to commit “sins of omission.” It is unlikely Sentinels fall for the temptation of shirking their duties. Their primary motivation in life is to take care of business. While admirable, there are some downsides to such dedication.

Sentinels might want to consider recent research exploring the finite nature of willpower. The research suggests a person can use up their resolve. To oversimplify the theory, if you’re good all day, it might be harder for you to be good at night. The more exhausted one is from doing the right thing, the harder it is to continue following the straight and narrow as the day progresses. Some evidence even suggests there’s a nutritional component to this.

By nature, Sentinels are more likely to delay gratification throughout the average day than any other group. This perhaps leaves them depleted as the day wears on. For Sentinels, it may be easier to jump out of bed on time in the morning with a fresh supply of willpower than to walk away from the leftover donut in the break room at the end of the workday.

Sentinels hovered around average when the questions involved food temptations. They typically did better than average with money questions. Money tends to be a larger issue than whether to eat a late afternoon donut or not. It usually deserves more deliberation, depending, of course, on the amount. It is unlikely anyone will go home and casually blow their emergency funds on some extravagance simply because they had a bad day at work. However, the same may not be true for ordering that extra-large pizza. The weight of the temptation’s impact may influence whether Sentinels give into temptation or not. This is why food is marginally tempting to Sentinel personality types while spending money carelessly seems less tempting. Just because they are conscientious doesn’t mean everything carries the same importance.

Areas of Concern for Sentinels

Sentinels need to make sure they are taking care of themselves while they are taking care of business. Enjoying some breaks during the day, relaxing with some unstructured time and eating small, healthy snacks can go a long way to helping them avoid temptation and depleting their willpower. Some studies even suggest lower glucose levels are associated with this depletion.

Sentinels will pay attention without question to the things that separate being responsible from not being responsible. These personality types are going to do what needs to be done. But they may need to pay special attention to the seemingly small temptations in life that add up and cause problems later. An occasional piece of cake is not a big deal. However, a couple of pieces every day have the obvious consequences.

Logisticians (ISTJ, -A/-T)

“The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook.” ― Julia Child

To start with the outlier piece of data, Logisticians were the Sentinels least likely to find it easy to get out of bed early if they could sleep in without consequences. In fact, they were the only Sentinels who agreed with this question below the average of all types. While that might seem odd for a hard-working Sentinel, Logisticians might be forgiven considering the amount of responsibility they take on. After all, who would begrudge them sleeping in occasionally if the right opportunity presented itself and doing so harms nothing?

Do you find it easy to get up early in the morning if you know you can sleep in without any consequences?

Along with the rather minor sin of sleeping in occasionally, the Logistician personality type also consistently fell on the wrong side of average for eating healthy and resisting food temptations. These Introverts, unlike their Extraverted counterparts, are probably not eating the wrong food due to the abundance of opportunities out on the social circuit. It’s reasonable to speculate that Logisticians might instead be prone to “stress eat.” They can take on too much responsibility and food often softens the harsh edges of stress and provides comfort. There’s nothing like a satisfyingly familiar dinner of comfort foods at the end of a hard day or snacks throughout the day to help get one through hard hours of keeping things on track.

If you have to choose, do you pick healthier, but less tasty food, hoping that will pay off in the long-term?

Do you often find it hard to resist grabbing some snacks when they are right in front of you?

Are you usually pretty good at resisting the urge to eat in between meals?

At the same time, there is good news: when it comes to money temptations, Logisticians are likely to handle them better than average. In fact, they represent the lowest percentage among all personality types who said they spent money right away after being paid as a reward. In addition, they were a little above average at saving for emergencies and were well below average for buying something they liked when the time wasn’t right.

After getting paid, do you spend some money right away to reward yourself?

Do you set aside a portion of your income for emergencies?

Do you find it hard to resist buying something you like, even if you know it is not the best time?

With this in mind, the difference between the food temptations and the money temptations may show something about the Logisticians’ characteristics. It’s reasonable to think that food intake is about personal care and health. Money often extends beyond personal care and is about supporting or contributing to a family, leaving an inheritance or not being a burden on others. Indeed, their sense of responsibility and carrying the weight of expectations may take the place of the Logisticians’ focus on caring for themselves.

Of course, we know that taking care of oneself allows a person to continue to care for others longer. Nonetheless, it may not always be as obvious as a bank balance.

Surprisingly, Logisticians were just below average of all personality types when it came to the idea that taking the easy route may impede attaining greatness. On one hand, we think of this Type with their noses to the proverbial grindstone and always hard at work. On the other, as the name Logistician suggests, they may be more interested in efficient accomplishment rather than any philosophical argument about whether the steepest path is the best path.

If you’re a practical Logistician, why would you do the hard thing just for the sake of doing the hard thing? How is that helpful? Isn’t efficiency the goal, not sacrifice? If there was an efficient route, that would surely be the way this personality type would choose regardless of whether it was hard or easy. This preference for pragmatism is perhaps the second criteria after social convention for Sentinels when they deal with temptation or think about delaying gratification.

However, keep in mind this is relative. Six in ten Logisticians still believe the easy route prevents greatness. Nonetheless, they came in at percentage that was a little less than the average of all 16 personality types.

In your opinion, does taking easy routes prevent people from achieving something great in life?

The Logisticians were also the most likely among Sentinels to say they changed their long-term goals often. However, there are two ways to look at this. Either you change plans because you can’t stick to one or you change plans because flexibility is a smart way to respond in an ever shifting world. For the Logisticians, the reason they agreed with the question at a higher percentage than the other Sentinels may be a little of both.

Logisticians don’t ordinarily lack the discipline to stick to things when they are involved with a project or logistical matter – they are still less likely to say they change their goals than the average of all personality types. But if that plan was a diet, perhaps in light of our other data, it might be a matter of not being able to stick to a plan. It may not have the feeling of significance that has Logistician placing at the top of their priority lists. It’s hard to say which applies here from this question alone. Perhaps further research might differentiate the kinds of goals and consider the various reasons for changing them.

Do you change your long-term goals often?

As is more typical with the Thinking trait than with the Feeling trait, Logisticians are less likely to factor in other people’s feelings when considering their actions than most. Logisticians are more likely to center their response to temptation around a sense of duty and cultural standards. Empathy, emotion, or other human connection may not have quite as much to do with it.

Do you carefully evaluate how your actions may affect other people before acting?

There may not be much practical difference if the Logistician’s particular society highlights caring for others. This would be the standard Logisticians would adopt for their behaviors and everyone would be fine, right? Maybe in an institutional or a work setting that would be true. But in more personal circumstances, people like to know they’re cared for because they are loved or appreciated more than simply because it’s an obligation. Logisticians do care for others in their own way, but they may need to deliberately try to connect with others on a more emotional level.

While actually quite loyal and family-oriented, Logisticians may need to add a little warmth to their approach. Do they avoid certain temptations that may affect others because of some legalistic standard or is it because they fear hurting people they care about? Is it enough to behave out of duty, which Logisticians will do with enthusiasm, or do some relationships need something more? Do they stay faithful in a relationship because they want to or because they have to? The wrong answer may not be very flattering to their spouses or love interests. Connecting on an emotional level with more feeling-oriented others may be a test some Logisticians face from time-to-time.

Typical of Sentinels, people with this personality type do better taking care of their money than watching what they eat. Logisticians were the least likely among other Sentinels to see taking the hard way as the road to greatness. This is probably a practical matter for them. Why delay gratification for the sake of delaying gratification if there is both an easy and efficient way? They also tend not decide their behaviors based on other people’s feelings but are more likely to base it on efficacy and cultural standards. This may something Logisticians may want to keep an eye on because some relationships demand more.

Defenders (ISFJ, -A/-T)

“Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles.” ― Confucius

If you need a hand, this personality type is there for you. If you want someone to think about you first before they behave in ways that might affect you, there are only a few types more willing to do so. In other words, a Defender is the person you want for a neighbor or working at the desk next to yours. Whatever your team is about, you want a few loyal Defenders on it.

This loyalty extends to temptation as well. If Defenders believe that their indulgences might inflict pain or difficulty on another, they will more than likely factor that in before they give in to a temptation. You might even picture them going so far as to avoid that extra-helping of pie because they want to grow old and remain healthy to see their grandchildren.

Defenders were one of the personality types most likely to agree with the question: “Do you carefully evaluate how your actions may affect other people before acting?” They even answered “yes” at a higher percentage than any of the hyper-empathic Diplomat types. Their answers are a combined reflection of their responsible spirit and their native need to create harmony.

Do you carefully evaluate how your actions may affect other people before acting?

Do you believe that people should not be expected to consider everyone’s needs before taking care of their own?

Their sense of responsibility generalizes to most of the typical food and money temptations that we addressed in the mini-test. While not as many Defenders may choose healthy foods over less delicious fare, they claim to do better than average when it comes to snacking and eating in-between meals.

If you have to choose, do you pick healthier, but less tasty food, hoping that will pay off in the long-term?

Do you often find it hard to resist grabbing some snacks when they are right in front of you?

Are you usually pretty good at resisting the urge to eat in between meals?

Similarly, with regard to money, Defenders say they set aside funds for emergencies, delay buying something they want at the wrong time and don’t see their paychecks as some kind of reward to be exploited more than most. When one is motivated by concern for others, money can often take a central place in that concern. Taking care of loved ones often involves financial stability. Caring people typically want to make sure their family and loved ones will have what they need to live comfortably in the present or the future. It represents a sort of harmony that comfort and enough provisions help provide.

Do you set aside a portion of your income for emergencies?

Do you find it hard to resist buying something you like, even if you know it is not the best time?

After getting paid, do you spend some money right away to reward yourself?

Moreover, Defenders were the least likely of all 16 personality types to say that they tried to explore the physical side of a romantic relationship as quickly as possible. While the Defenders’ Introversion may lead them to stroll at a more leisurely pace toward intimacy (as it does with most Introverts), so does their penchant for emotional decision-making and their orderly approach to life. They want to make sure that solid foundations are in place before moving a relationship to the next level. They wouldn’t want to rush either themselves or their romantic partners into something for which neither is ready. Their respect for traditional morals and cultural timelines on coupling may slow things down a bit as well, depending on their culture.

In a romantic relationship, do you try to explore the physical side of it as soon as possible?

The Defenders’ responses to the romance question may at least partly correlate with their Introverted reticence and partly with their caring for others and their desire to follow social convention. That’s a fairly complete package of motivations for avoiding certain types of temptation.

As a result of their focus on doing the right thing, Defenders will likely develop a strong ability to delay gratification and to practice patience. Their quiet sense of duty blended with their concern for others almost requires that they do.

However, sometimes that which is admirable becomes problematic if a person fails to achieve balance. Defenders may delay gratification to the point where they receive no gratification at all. They may at times confuse taking care of themselves with being indulgent. Creating a dreary life of self-denial can end in sad regret if a person is not careful. Some Defenders may need to learn that seeking some personal satisfaction is healthy and that there are responsible ways to find it without diminishing their ability to live compassionately.

Finally, Defenders are one of the personality types least likely to say they frequently change long-term goals, with the overall average being nearly twice their score. This again speaks to their ability to forego immediate satisfaction in favor of hitting a target further on down their timeline. Defenders have an idea about the way life should go and it’s not surprising when they stick doggedly to that plan. This probably helps them maintain a more prudent lifestyle than others.

While the keeping of long-term goals is admirable, the downside is that it can calcify into an inflexibility which can make life much harder than it need be. A willingness to roll with life’s changes may make the difference between stagnation and growth. Occasionally, it may be helpful for Defenders to revisit whether they are too set in their ways or not.

Defenders are caretakers and make sure that things flow as they should. When they come across a temptation, they most likely think about how it will affect others more than they worry about themselves. Consequently, they tend to be disciplined when it comes to resisting common temptations. They are superstars when it comes to patience, perseverance and delaying gratification. However, this personality type may also wander too far into self-denial and fail to balance it with self-satisfaction.

Executives (ESTJ, -A/-T)

“Our bodies are our gardens to the which our wills are gardeners.” ― William Shakespeare

Executives displayed many interesting distinctions that set them apart from other Sentinels in our temptation mini-test. Some of their responses, if taken out of the context of the full battery, might have some thinking Executives are actually closet Explorers instead of Sentinels. That they do not always see themselves as paragons of prudence makes them an interesting variation within their group.

Other examinations show that, in most ways, Executives are as conscientious as any other Sentinel. They are even more likely than the others to choose healthier foods. But they are much more likely than most to proceed quickly to the physical side of a relationship and to find it hard to resist buying something at the wrong time simply because they like it. They are significantly less likely than other Sentinels to care how their actions affect others, and to set aside a portion of their incomes for emergencies. Some of these departures from Sentinel sensibilities are quite pronounced and many of their results are even extreme outliers when compared against the average of all 16 personality types. The question then becomes: why are Executives so different?

If you have to choose, do you pick healthier, but less tasty food, hoping that will pay off in the long-term?

In a romantic relationship, do you try to explore the physical side of it as soon as possible?

Do you find it hard to resist buying something you like, even if you know it is not the best time?

Do you carefully evaluate how your actions may affect other people before acting?

Do you set aside a portion of your income for emergencies?

Are you usually pretty good at resisting the urge to eat in between meals?

Executives tend to be strong-willed individuals who know what they want. They do have a strong moral compass. However, that compass’ True North is determined by convention and efficiency rather than by their concern for others. This may account for some of their answers.

When it comes to certain types of temptations, our sample Executives may calculate the cost and, if it’s not too high or doesn’t go against conventional thinking, they may allow their strong wills to run free.

In addition, Executives are enamored by social status and driving the right car can be just the thing to make their neighbors or colleagues turn their heads. Buying something they like even if it’s at the wrong time may be acceptable and carry less stigma in more consumer-driven cultures. They may even see it as an image enhancer that will pay off in places where the right image is important. This personality type may rationalize a luxury purchase as an investment. Consider the real estate agent who buys a high end luxury car to impress clients. It’s both an extravagance and a tool. So, while we may subjectively view their answers as demonstrating weakness in the face of temptation, it’s also possible that from the Executives’ world view, it’s less of a sketchy indulgence.

Having said this, nothing explains why Executives are so much less likely than other Sentinels to put money aside for emergencies. That they neglect to do so does not help in our argument about how conscientious they are despite some extravagance. Perhaps more research on this is indicated.

In the case of our study, the Executives’ discipline was revealed primarily through their approach to food. Executives were more likely than the average personality type to say they are able to resist eating in-between meals. This is perhaps a nod to their sense of order. Eating whenever a person feels like it has an element of chaos to it which would not sit well with your average Executive. As noted above, they were also the most likely type to choose healthy foods when given a choice. It seems orderly, effective eating is attractive to Executives.

Executives are less likely than most to become impatient while waiting for their turn during a board game. They also claim to hold fast to long-term goals and to not changing them frequently. They appear to deliberately stride through life with a steady sense of confidence and stability. While they see no inherent benefit in taking the hard way to a goal, they are not likely to be tempted to take impetuous shortcuts. They can wait their turn at a board game and they can wait if it means a more effective outcome.

Do you find it difficult to wait for your turn when playing board games with others?

Do you change your long-term goals often?

Clearly, an area that Executives may want to pay extra attention to is how their behavior affects people as individuals. They may, at times, objectify people rather than see them as feeling individuals, and this may give them the reputation of being cold and distant. They may not be as quick as others to notice or to care if their indulging in a temptation causes pain to another. This lack of concern for the feelings of others can take a toll on relationships.

It’s interesting that Executives responded at such a low percentage when asked if they evaluated how their behavior affected others before acting (only 44%, which is 22.28% below average). Yet, they were well above average in agreeing that they pursued the physical side of romance as soon as possible in a relationship (56%, which is 12.02% above average). One might speculate that these two responses could indicate a potentially difficult situation should they meet in real life. Executives may be tempted to move forward physically without regard for the other person’s needs, which could damage a fledgling relationship. They may want to make sure adequate foundations are established before being too willful in their seduction.

Executives’ answers to many of our questions were unique among the Sentinels and sometimes among all personality types. These strong-willed and rational individuals are driven more by efficacy and convention than they are by a sense of caring for others. This doesn’t mean they are hard-hearted. When it comes to dealing with temptation, our mini-test suggests that Executives give in fairly easy to money temptations but are careful with food. Some of this may have to do with a world view that appreciates status and success. They are, overall, patient individuals who are rarely seduced away from long-term goals.

Consuls (ESFJ, -A/-T)

“I belong to the people I love, and they belong to me--they, and the love and loyalty I give them, form my identity far more than any word or group ever could.” ― Veronica Roth

Consuls are the least likely to say they are “prisoners of their own desires.” They have a good reason to assess themselves that way. With only two exceptions, they answered all the questions in a way that highlighted resisting temptation, having patience and delaying gratification.

They lead all other personality types in saying that they set aside a portion of their income for emergencies and that they consider others before acting. The two questions seem to go hand-in-hand, at least for the Sentinels. It’s easy to speculate that financial responsibility also represents responsibility to many different others: family, society, debt-holders, etc. It is true to their form that Consuls are happier when those around them are happy.

Do you set aside a portion of your income for emergencies?

Do you carefully evaluate how your actions may affect other people before acting?

So, where do Consuls fall into temptation? They admitted to preferring easier routes when it comes to achieving their goals, scoring lowest among Sentinel personality types and below overall overage. They also came second among Sentinels when asked whether they liked to sleep in every once in a while. Neither are exactly major crimes. And while these responses suggest some minor weaknesses, when balanced against the rest of the Consuls’ responses, they still look pretty strong.

Consuls, especially Turbulent ones, can be a little needy and want approval that may not always come. Some temptations can be seen as a form of minor self-stroking, e.g. rewarding oneself after a paycheck. Some may use snacks and buying themselves gifts as a way to pat themselves on the back for a job well done. Of course, the severity of these temptations depends on how often the person snacks and how large the reward is each payday.

There’s nothing wrong with rewarding oneself as long as it is done consciously and isn’t just and attempt to fill a hole left by others’ inattention. If it becomes too much about filling a need rather than a want, there’s always a chance that it begins to take on compulsiveness and a sense of being out of control – a bit like an addiction. Rewarding oneself can be the right thing to do unless it’s for the wrong reasons.

In your opinion, does taking easy routes prevent people from achieving something great in life?

Do you find it easy to get up early in the morning if you know you can sleep in without any consequences?

Apart from admitting to some minor weaknesses, Consuls assess themselves as church-picnic pure. The blend of Extraversion and Feeling traits makes them wonderfully supportive. They are loving people who would rather do just about anything than hurt someone with careless behavior. They had the lowest percentage of all personality types when it came to spending money at the wrong time and were among the least likely to change their long-term plans. They were by far the type with the lowest percentage among all Extraverts to rush into the physical side of romance. In other words, people with this personality type see themselves as being strongly disciplined and able to handle temptations.

Do you find it hard to resist buying something you like, even if you know it is not the best time?

Do you change your long-term goals often?

In a romantic relationship, do you try to explore the physical side of it as soon as possible?

As mentioned above, Consuls can be a little needy. They are warm and loving people – with a real uptight streak lurking just barely below the surface. They may appear more happy-go-lucky than they are. Their ability to handle of temptation might at times be a form of impressing others. This may not be as satisfying as they would hope, depending on whether or not it garners the attention sought. Consuls may want to evaluate their motivation occasionally to see if they might feel better about things without so much approval-seeking. It’s hard to pin one’s actions entirely on whether someone else appreciates it.

When it comes to clean living, in any traditional sense of the word, Consuls pretty much corner the market. They admit to some small indulgences, but overall, they report patience, ability to delay gratification, and overall immunity to temptation.

However, the downside of this glowing report is that Consuls like to have their virtues noticed and praised. They may find that they do not receive this from others and may feel some frustration when their discipline and hard work go unnoticed. This may bring them to a point where they try too hard and begin to appear needy.

Explorers

“Lead us not into temptation. Just tell us where it is; we'll find it.” ― Sam Levenson

Overview

Explorers were the most likely to say they give in to temptation, are not as concerned with the needs of others, and they don’t stick with plans. This reflects their overall “live in the moment” attitude and their fondness for handling life as it comes at them. Avoiding temptation is about respecting the future and delaying gratification. Explorers are simply less focused on the future (or the past) than other personality types. Because of this, future consequences hold less weight for them and inform their decisions, compared to other type roles.

What We Found

When it comes to temptations, our study confirms that Explorers truly live in the moment. Our results suggest they are prone to giving into temptation. Forget the consequences that come tomorrow. They are far less of a concern for Explorers than for others. They approach the world in a relaxed and flexible manner and deal with things as they occur, not caring much about what payment the future may require.

Explorers are practical on many levels, but it’s a unique kind of practicality that takes place solidly in the present. For these personality types, it’s about doing. It’s not so much about thinking about the future to assess consequences, nor looking back and relying so much on past experience. Such past or future thoughts may seem a bit too ethereal for these practical thinkers to spend much time considering. That doesn’t mean they never think about the future nor learn from the past. It’s just not as much a focus for them than it is for others. This attitude is clearly reflected in their relationship to temptation.

A high percentage of Explorers acknowledged they had trouble delaying gratification more often than those in the other Roles. In other words, Explorers don’t see themselves as much of a match for temptation. But they also possess an independent streak that may leave them not caring much if they are a match or not. “Behaving oneself” might feel too much like following the herd for some Explorers.

“There are several good protections against temptation, but the surest is cowardice.” ― Mark Twain

Explorers are the most footloose of all type roles. They are spontaneous, impulsive and often nonconforming. Typically, they enjoy finding trends to chase and experiences to be had. “Life is short and there is so much to try,” might be the refrain of the Explorers’ theme song. It takes little imagination to see where that might influence how they deal with temptation.

Food seems to frequently be a touchstone when we talk about temptation. Explorers make up the group which was the least likely to say they would pick healthy foods if given a choice. They would also most likely have trouble resisting available snacks and would find it difficult to resist between-meal noshing. One can’t help but see these results in the context of what we already know about Explorers and think of the phrase, “Eat, drink and be merry.”

According to our poll, six out of ten Explorers see themselves as prisoners of their own desires, coming in just slightly below Diplomats. 55.65% of them want to pursue the “physical side” of romance as soon as possible after the relationship forms. That may not sound like a large percentage until you consider that Explorers come in almost 17% higher with this question than the next highest group (Analysts).

Do you sometimes see yourself as a prisoner of your own desires?

In a romantic relationship, do you try to explore the physical side of it as soon as possible?

When you think of Explorers, you also think of kinetic energy. They are often very hands-on and movement-oriented. While that doesn’t necessarily speak to impatience, 56.03% of Explorers, representing the highest percentage among groups, said that they found it difficult to wait their turn when playing a board game. One can imagine someone with an Explorer personality type pumping his or her leg in anticipation waiting to advance his or her game piece across the board. They want to play the game, not watch it. Impatience nearly serves as the consummate definition of “not delaying gratification.” That the Explorers come in so far above the other Roles in this regard suggests that patience is perhaps not their strongest suit. They are not individuals who are likely to wait around for much.

Do you find it difficult to wait for your turn when playing board games with others?

With regards to the other people, Explorers were relatively unconcerned about how their behavior affected others when compared to the other three Roles. As would be expected, those Explorers who rely on the Feeling trait were more likely to show concern for others than those dependent on the Thinking trait.

While 61.21% of Explorers said they considered the impact of their actions on others before they acted, a completely identical percentage said that they didn’t think others’ needs should necessarily be placed before their own. Both responses indicate that Explorers are not particularly interested in putting other people before themselves in most situations.

Do you carefully evaluate how your actions may affect other people before acting?

Do you believe that people should not be expected to consider everyone’s needs before taking care of their own?

When it comes to choosing to give into indulgences, regard for others can be very important. For example, if you combine the earlier mentioned enthusiasm for getting quickly to the physical side of romance with a blunted regard for the needs of others, illicit love affairs might be the outcome. Romantically committed people with low regard for others and an eagerness for physical experiences may at times have trouble in the face of sexual forbidden fruit. By no means is that to say that Explorers are prone to cheating, but it may be an area that requires them to pay some special attention. Anybody is susceptible to temptation, but some are more susceptible to some temptations than others.

Explorers were least likely to consider taking the easy route as detrimental to accomplishing great things (53.04%). They were also more likely than others to say that they often change their long-term goals (47.83%). Both positions reflect kind of a present focus and preference for immediate action over careful planning.

For most of us, getting off track from a long-term goal may represent an inability to delay gratification or to stick to things. However, Explorer personality types have a different view of these things and may not see long-term planning as necessarily the most effective way to approach life. They are famous for thinking on their feet. In response to society’s biases for planning and staying on the “straight and narrow,” some Explorers may flat out disagree if pressed to say so. These personalities may see the improvised, flowing path as the wisest.

Areas of Concern

While it’s great to live in the moment, delaying gratification, in some instances, is essential to long-term well-being. Good, moderate habits can help us maintain our health, our relationships and even our finances. For the Explorers, the challenge may be to balance their valuable spontaneity and joie de vivre with keeping an eye on the future and taking it somewhat more seriously.

The Explorer’s relationship to what the rest of us would regard as temptation holds some potential social difficulties as well. As we have discussed elsewhere, many Explorers had problems in school because the traditional institution doesn’t fit the way they approach life. But even as adults, far past school, living too much outside of established expectations can create some difficulty. Disregarding social and cultural norms can be like high school all over again, putting Explorers in the position of going against the grain. Someone with an Explorer personality type may want to count the cost of living a life of indulgence and being too bohemian.

Because of their independent streak, relationships may always be a bit more challenging for Explorers who don’t always think of the needs of others. Temptation may be part of that. Living even a little too hedonistically does not always go well with committed relationships. It can upset the people in one’s life who matter. Occasionally, a special effort and compromise may be required.

Virtuosos (ISTP, -A/-T)

One can imagine the very tactile Virtuoso luxuriating in the comfort of a warm bed or moving more quickly than most toward the more physical side of a romance. In fact, as they live in the moment, leap-frogging from one hands-on experience to the next, they might even develop a sense of mild hedonistic abandon. But the key word here is mild. In some ways our study shows they are like their closest counterpart, the Entrepreneur (see below), but toned down probably due to the influence of their Introversion.

Virtuosos are the lowest among all personality types to agree with this question:

Do you find it easy to get up early in the morning if you know you can sleep in without any consequences?

While one might assume this question is about laziness, it can also suggest a sensual experience – the wonderful feeling of enjoying the warm bed on a cold morning. Virtuosos are energetic people who love going from project to project, and from experience to experience. So we can probably rule out this temptation being primarily about laziness for the Virtuoso.

Along with the idea of enjoying the pleasant feeling of sleeping between the sheets, the question introduces the idea of consequences. In general, Virtuosos do not focus on consequences to the degree that most people do. They have no problem pushing the boundaries if they need to in order to accomplish an end. In fact, sometimes they don’t even need an end. They may exert force against boundaries just to see how far they can push things. So, Virtuosos may simply disregard the part of the question about the consequences that come into this line of questioning. And they may somewhat disregard the concept of consequences altogether at times.

Virtuosos are also significantly less likely than average to consider how their actions affect others before acting. They agree more than most that people should not be expected to put the needs of others before their own. While they tend to be popular in spite of their Introverted selves, relationships can sometimes be somewhat disposable. And in spite of their native sense of fairness, people with this personality type may not think quite as much about others if their temptations impact more than just themselves.

Do you carefully evaluate how your actions may affect other people before acting?

Virtuosos, when compared to their Explorer cousins, have some notable distinctions. They are more likely than other Explorers to make healthy food choices when one is available. They also feel they have more control over snacking than other Explorers do.

If you have to choose, do you pick healthier, but less tasty food, hoping that will pay off in the long-term?

Do you often find it hard to resist grabbing some snacks when they are right in front of you?

Virtuosos are also the most likely among Explorers (and above the overall average) to put away a portion of their income for an emergency. Similarly, they are more reluctant to spend some money right away to reward themselves after getting paid. We clearly have Virtuosos breaking ranks with other Explorers when it comes to temptation. This is reflected throughout most of the questions in our poll.

In our mini-test, Virtuosos were likely to indicate a preference for delaying gratification. This may indicate that their complex blend of Introverted, Thinking and Prospecting traits acts as a certain stabilizing factor when it comes to temptation. That said, even though they have a sense of fair play, Virtuosos may not always look out for the needs of others before they act. They are also very tactile individuals and may find sensual temptations more of a challenge than they are to most.

Adventurers (ISFP, -A/-T)

It’s not surprising that the passionate and freedom-loving Adventurers score well above not only other Explorers, but also the overall average of all personality types with the following question:

Do you change your long-term goals often?

Similarly, Adventurers are also fairly disinterested in saving money for emergencies:

Do you set aside a portion of your income for emergencies?

Why stay focused on a specific goal or hold back from spending money when there is so much of the world to explore and reinterpret? But is this response more about refusing to plan far into the future, or about giving into the need to get out there and experience things? When you think about it, the latter can be a temptation of different kind.

While people with this personality type seem to admit to similar levels of transgressions with food and money as the other Explorers, there are a few surprising differences. For instance, Adventurers are significantly more likely than the average personality type to believe that people should consider everyone’s needs before taking care of their own. That’s not the case with other Explorers and may be a good example of Adventurers’ sensitivity and need for social harmony. Since they are so attuned to what others are needing, Adventurers’ empathy may influence their response to this particular kind of temptation.

Do you believe that people should not be expected to consider everyone’s needs before taking care of their own?

Adventurers are also the least likely among Explorers to try to accelerate the physical side of romance and fall well below the average of all types in agreeing with our question. This is most likely due to the general reticence that comes with Introversion paired with their need to prioritize emotions. People with this personality type are also as relaxed in life as they are passionate. This may all add up and account for their feeling no need to rush into the physical side of romance.

In a romantic relationship, do you try to explore the physical side of it as soon as possible?

The take away is that Adventurers are likely to care about the people their behavior (read “temptations indulged in”) affects. On the other hand, they are probably the most independent and unpredictable among all personality types. Such a seemingly paradoxical combination can be expressed in very complex ways that may not always be well-understood by those around them. Knowing that their hearts are definitely in the right place should be some comfort to the people in their lives.

Even though Adventurers are energetic and as likely as other Explorers to have a tenuous grasp on control when it comes to temptations, their Introversion perhaps puts a mild damper on the degree of their indulgence. People with this personality type tend to be more moderate. While they value caring for others and putting others’ needs first, they are typically independent and unpredictable which may create a tension for them and those around them should a temptation somehow involve others.

Entrepreneurs (ESTP, -A/-T)

“The biggest human temptation is to settle for too little.” ― Thomas Merton

Here’s a tip if you’re getting married. Find an Entrepreneur to plan your bachelor or bachelorette party. It will be memorable. Of course, there is the danger that you will wake up on a roof of a Las Vegas casino, and won’t make it back for the ceremony on time.

That, of course, could be an exaggeration... depending on which Entrepreneur you assign the party duties to. Regardless, your chances of an extreme evening increases with their very input. Their relationship to temptation, as explored through our mini-test, is shaky to say the least. The only places they came close to the average of all personality types was in answering questions about getting up in the morning even if they don’t have to, snacking, and setting aside some income for emergencies. Other than that, all the other Entrepreneur responses skewed away from the average in favor of giving into temptation, sometimes by as much as 40 percentage points.

Entrepreneurs live big. They are an embodiment of the saying attributed to Goethe: “Boldness has genius and power and magic in it.” This is often the secret to their successes. People with this personality type, especially Assertive ones, can also be charming and sociable. But as with most good things, there lurks a dark side. When does living big become living too big?

Our test results generally fit all we know about this personality type perfectly. These passionate people live for the moment, but not in some cheap thrills way. For them, it’s an exploration of life and a desire to live it fully. There’s so much to be or to experience, it doesn’t make sense to most of these rational Extraverts to deal with something as provincial as social conventions and rules. Why choose healthy and possibly bland food when, instead, there is a sizzling steak or a scoop of glorious gelato waiting for them around the corner?

Another example is Entrepreneurs’ response to the question asking if they seek to explore the physical side of things as soon as possible after romantic relationship begins. The percentage of Entrepreneurs who said they did was 80.95%, nearly twice the overall average of 43.98%. There’s no judgement here, but the difference is quite telling. The Entrepreneurs held the highest percentage of all personality types in this category, with their closest contenders, Debaters, lagging far behind with just 65.82%. Most would agree that this suggests some obvious things about their unwillingness to delay gratification.

In a romantic relationship, do you try to explore the physical side of it as soon as possible?

An area of concern for Entrepreneurs is the way that their actions affect other people. In response to the question “Do you carefully evaluate how your actions may affect other people before acting?”, only 23.81% of Entrepreneurs agreed with the statement whereas the average percentage among all personality types was 66.28%.

In other words, people with this personality type may feel their actions are separate from any responsibility to others. It’s fine to give in to temptation if you are the only person affected, but it can get complicated if other people are touched by it as well. This is also backed by the similar statement about principles, “Do you believe that people should not be expected to consider everyone’s needs before taking care of their own?” where Entrepreneurs agreed 76.19% against the average of 56.53% among all types.

Do you carefully evaluate how your actions may affect other people before acting?

Do you believe that people should not be expected to consider everyone’s needs before taking care of their own?

Independence is one of the hallmarks of being an Explorer. Individuality can be a strength or weakness depending on how it is applied and to what extent. According to their responses in our mini-test, Entrepreneurs take independence to a whole new level.

Like many personality types that prefer the Thinking trait, Entrepreneurs are not always sensitive to others. They might be attentive and gregarious, giving the sense that they are watching out for those they care about. However, the feelings and the needs of others may not actually influence their behaviors so much. For some, this display may be more of a social persona than a heartfelt concern.

Interestingly, while Entrepreneurs acknowledge that they are the type most likely to give into temptation, they also consider themselves about average when it came to describing themselves as the “prisoners of their own desires.” Again, one has to wonder if there’s a unique perspective from which some Explorers come at such things. Entrepreneurs may not see eating poorly or not saving money with the same gravity others do. They may shrug it off as part of life and something more conventional people worry about – but not them.

Do you sometimes see yourself as a prisoner of your own desires?

Entrepreneurs in our study were more likely than any other type to answer questions with responses which were furthest from the averages of all personality types, and in favor of succumbing to temptation. In other words, they felt they gave in more to temptation than the others felt they did. They are also remarkable in claiming more than all other types not to take the needs of others into account when they act – presumably this includes when indulging in temptations that affect others.

Entertainers (ESFP, -A/-T)

“My fault, my failure, is not in the passions I have, but in my lack of control of them.” ― Jack Kerouac

While Entertainers are very much Explorers, their Feeling trait gives them a unique approach to temptation. Like other Explorers, they claim that they are less likely to handle temptation well than types in other roles, but there are some clear differences from some of the other Explorers. Considering other people takes a primary role when an Entertainer chooses to respond to anything in life, including temptation.

Judging from their responses, Entertainers are the most likely type to snack, and they are also significantly less likely than the average personality type to eat healthy. They were the least likely of all types to say they could resist eating between meals. They are also the type most likely to spend money as a reward after payday and one less likely than the average to resist buying something when it might not be the best time. In those ways they match their other Explorer cousins.

Are you usually pretty good at resisting the urge to eat in between meals?

However, the Feeling trait makes a huge difference. In response to “Do you carefully evaluate how your actions may affect other people before acting?” Entertainers were 18.1% above the average of all types in agreeing that they do.

Do you carefully evaluate how your actions may affect other people before acting?

Needless to say, in this area, all Explorers are not the same. Entertainers combine their strong sense of the aesthetic with a wit and charm that engages those around them. But along with that, people with this personality type can be very supportive. While they can sometimes exude an aura of superficiality, in reality, they sincerely care about the people in their lives. They are likely to insert significant others as an essential factor into any equation that involves whether or not to give into temptation.

Do you believe that people should not be expected to consider everyone’s needs before taking care of their own?

So, while Entertainers are prone to say they are like any other Explorer when it comes to succumbing to temptation, their Feeling trait tempers their response when other people are involved. As a real world example, they might buy that bottle of top shelf wine in celebration of their latest paycheck if they are on their own. However, if the money goes into a joint account, they will likely think twice about it.

The Entertainers were the type to say, more than any other personality type, that they sometimes felt they were the prisoner of their desires. Entertainers typically like a bit of drama blended into their existence and they may be more prone to think of dealing with the same temptations we all do in more theatrical terms. “I am the chief among sinners,” they might declare with their fisted forearms pressed against their foreheads.

Do you sometimes see yourself as a prisoner of your own desires?

Interestingly, Entertainers are the only personality type among Explorers who agreed above average with the question “In your opinion, does taking easy routes prevent people from achieving something great in life?” Explorers are not known for deferring to the future. Taking the “easy route” today sounds like a no-brainer if your focus is on right now. It isn’t clear why the Entertainers break ranks with other Explorers in our data. Perhaps it’s fodder for more research.

In your opinion, does taking easy routes prevent people from achieving something great in life?

Entertainers are very much like other Explorers – they claim they give into common temptation more than non-Explorer personality types feel they do. However, Entertainers decide things using their feelings and this may mitigate some of their results if other people are involved. They were the type most likely to describe themselves as “prisoners of desire” although that could simply be a matter of dramatic flourish which they tend to enjoy.

Some Final Words

We really enjoyed working on this analysis, and we hope you also found it useful and enlightening. Our thanks go out to the 1587 members who have completed the Temptation mini-test so far – if you wish to participate in this, or any other survey, please head to the Members Area and then the Additional Tests section. You will have plenty of surveys to choose from.

There is a lot of data yet to be analyzed – for example, differences between countries or continents, links between temptation and various seemingly unrelated behaviors, influence of age and gender, and so on. We hope to be able to publish more similar insights in the future, either in the research section, or by incorporating them into our premium profiles. Thanks for being with us and for helping us decipher more of the inner workings of the human mind.

And of course, if you have any suggestions, comments or criticism, please do leave a comment below or get in touch with us privately. Your feedback is always greatly appreciated!