The Thomas Concept - Pattern IV

I didn't mean to take a week off from blogging, but life got in the way. My apologies to my loyal readers. I'll try to get back on track. Before the break, I was discussing The Thomas Concept and the patterns of strength. For those who don't know anything about it, The Thomas Concept is yet one more way of summarizing human behaviors and breaking them into recognizable personalities for whatever use you have. I use them for creating believable characters (which is why I'm writing about them on this writing blog). In the past, my employers used The Thomas Concept to help co-workers get along better and be more productive as a team. Today's post deals with Pattern IV personalities and how to use them as characters in your writing.

The Pattern IV person is "contemplative, intense, reflective, persistent, introspective, self-sufficient, philosophical, individualistic, insightful, inventive, precise, profound, accurate, earnest, experimental, perceptive, serious, and ingenious." The concentrate deeply on one thing at a time.

Relationship Strengths: A Pattern IV person focuses his attention on his own thoughts. He follows ideas rather than people. He works out his problems alone. He's reserved and private, and selective in choosing friendships. He's reticent in social situations.

Vocational Strengths: The Pattern IV person has original ideas, creates new products, takes initiative to explore and invent, is a catalyst for chance, and is an inventor.

Wants Others To: The Pattern IV person wants others to be thoughtful and reserved, ask for their thoughts and ideas, give them time to think, respect their privacy, and let them make their own decisions.

This pattern reminds me a little of the INTP (Architect) personality from the Myers-Briggs core personalities. My husband is an INTP, so I can see the Pattern IV strengths in there. However, Pattern IV might even more closely resemble the INTJ (Mastermind). I'll let others more familiar with the Thomas Concept make that decision. Famous INTPs include Albert Einstein, Abe Lincoln, and Seven of Nine from Star Trek Voyager. Famous INTJs include General Colin Powell, and Stephen Hawking.

(This photo of Seven of Nine courtesy of wikipedia)

How can this be utilized in your novel? Pit your Pattern IV character against someone who needs to be involved in every step of whatever process is going on. The Pattern IV person wants to work alone. By having someone constantly try to push themselves into the solution will cause great stress for the poor Pattern IV guy who just wants to be alone with his thoughts and ideas. Better yet, make the stressing character loud, obnoxious, flighty, spontaneous, and in desperate need of attention/validation. Sparks will fly.

Can you think of other ways to stress this character? Share your thoughts in the comments section. I love hearing from you!

-Sonja