Most people tend to think that most people think in the same way that they do. I did too. A case in point: most people tend to talk to other people as if their reasoning is going to make sense to them; sometimes it does, often it doesn’t.
One factor why someone might not hear what another is saying, or how someone can arrive at different solutions for the same problem, is the fact that people think in different ways. David Keirsey, based on the work of Myers-Briggs, delineates this wonderfully in his book Please Understand Me II (the title could be better – but don’t let that dissuade you). Keirsey points out that, in this model, there are four main ways of thinking, according to the main personality types: rational, idealist, artist, guardian. For instance, rationalists (like me) enjoy precise logic and don’t become hung up on tradition when it doesn’t serve a purpose; guardians, on the other hand, value custom and tradition even if there are more practical and efficient ways to accomplish a task.
These personality dynamics play a significant role in understanding interactions no matter what your profession.
