Social Correlates of Hogwarts Houses

[jmwcfo]

No: HPFGUIDX 174994

Folks, the topic of Hogwarts House personality analysis has already 
been analyzed in scientific literature! 

I believe the strucure of personality types and temperaments has shown 
to be a useful tool in exploring this aspect of the Potterverse.

For those who have the patience to delve into personality type 
analysis, here is a bit of background, and some sources to explore:

1. The conceptual framework for personality typing began with Socrates 
and Plato (if not earlier), and its progress can be traced through a 
series of philosophers and scientists.

2. In the modern era, Jung is often cited as the father of personality 
typing.

3. The analytical work of Myers and Brigg is brilliant.  They defined 4 
pairs of parameters which define 16 personality types that cover 100% 
of humanity.  Essentially, there are four continuums:

          Introversion (I)<----> Extroversion (E) 
This measures the extent to which a person's energy level is generated 
internally vs. externally. Note this is *NOT* the normal, every day use 
of these terms.  Introverts, in this sense, are not shy or lacking in 
self-confidence; extroverts are not necessarily bubbly, confident and 
loud.

          Intuition (N) <----> Sensation (S)
This measures the tendency to be abstract (I imagine/think, therefore I 
am), vs. the requirement for physically measurable evidence to "prove" 
reality (I use my senses, therefore I am).

          Thinking (T)  <----> Feeling (F)
Self-evident.  Logical and consistent vs. touchy-feely.

          Judging (J)   <----> Perceiving (P)
The need to be decisive, seeking closure and finality (ready, aim, 
fire) vs. the need to explore options and reluctantly decide, issues 
always remaining open for revisit (ready, aim, aim, aim, aim...).

I am a businessman (who uses this structure in hiring decisions, and in 
understanding the people I live and work with), not a professional 
pyschologist and am trying to keep this short.  Don't write nastygrams 
about how I horribly screwed up the above definitions. I really won't 
care.  Perhaps that's because I consistently test as INTJ.  The most 
astute readers might suspect I am off-the-chart I and T, and moderate N 
and J.  Those readers would be Ravenclaws, and so they would be correct.

4.  David Kiersey (with Marilyn Bates) summarized the 16 personality 
types into 4 Temperaments in the book "Please Understand Me, Character 
& Temperament Types." [Promotheus Nemesis Book Company, P.O. Box 2748, 
Del Mar, California 92014, Gnosology Books Ltd, 1984]. 

NOW HERE IS THE POINT..........

In the LATEST editions of this book (Please Understand Me II), not only 
do Kiersey/Bates update their brilliant analysis of the 16 types, and  
summarize them into 4 temperaments, but.....

THERE IS A CHAPTER ON THE POTTERVERSE!!!!!!!!!

IIRC, the latest edition was written after GoF was published.  In this 
chapter, Kiersey/Bates analyze the Hogwarts Houses and assign each to a 
different temperament! 

While I do not fully agree with their analysis, it is beautiful in its 
objectivity, logic and structure.  The authors are consistent in their 
application of the perspective that the Temperaments (or personality 
types) are DIFFERENT from each other, yet NONE are superior/inferior or 
worthier/worthless than the others.

There are at least 10 billion web sites that discuss these concepts.  
One I found tonight, http://www.friesian.com/types.htm#potter is worth 
15 minutes or so of your time, and includes a few paragraphs applying 
these concepts and structures to the Potterverse.  There is also a link 
to an essay that compares Potterverse to sociopolitical issues to the 
RW, again with objectivity and logic.

BTW, types are determined by taking Myers-Briggs tests, which consist 
of of anywhere from 50 to 100+ questions.  This leads to my final 
conclusion concerning the Sorting Hat.  The Sorting Hat is the WW 
version of the personality typing test.  Just as the test does 
not "force" you to be something you are not - it just measures what you 
already are - so does the Hat.  Just as the test could not make you be 
something you are not, neither does the Hat.  It just objectively 
measures your personality traits, determines your Temperament (out of 
the four possibilities) and gives you a home (each possible home 
assigned to a temperament) to share with you co-tempermentalists.

Are the Temperments assigned to humans genetically, at birth?  Or they 
a combination of genetic predisposition with childhood environmental 
exposure?  Are they set in stone, or are they fluid, evolving over a 
lifetime?  I do not know.  I suspect that much has already been 
explored in scientific research.  Those who are interested will enter 
into informed and objective debate after reviewing the literature.