📖 Overview
David West Keirsey (1921-2013) was an influential American psychologist and personality researcher best known for developing the Keirsey Temperament Sorter and authoring the bestselling book "Please Understand Me." He served as a professor at California State University, Fullerton, where he focused on understanding human behavioral patterns and personality types.
After serving as a Marine fighter pilot in World War II, Keirsey dedicated his career to studying temperament patterns and developing a systematic approach to understanding personality differences. His work built upon historical ideas about temperament while creating a modern framework that identifies four basic temperament types and sixteen character variations.
The Keirsey Temperament Sorter became one of the most widely used personality assessments in the world, employed in both professional and educational settings. His books "Please Understand Me" (1978) and "Please Understand Me II" (1998) have sold millions of copies and been translated into multiple languages, establishing Keirsey as a leading authority in personality psychology and temperament theory.
👀 Reviews
Readers see Keirsey as a personality type expert who made Myers-Briggs concepts more accessible through his books "Please Understand Me" and "Please Understand Me II."
Readers appreciate:
- Clear explanations of complex personality concepts
- Real-world examples that help with self-understanding
- The temperament framework (SP, SJ, NF, NT)
- Practical applications for relationships and careers
Common criticisms:
- Oversimplification of personality differences
- Outdated cultural references and gender roles
- Some find the writing style dry and academic
- Limited scientific evidence provided
Ratings across platforms:
Goodreads:
- Please Understand Me II: 4.05/5 (7,800+ ratings)
- Please Understand Me: 4.07/5 (4,300+ ratings)
Amazon:
- Please Understand Me II: 4.6/5 (1,100+ reviews)
- Please Understand Me: 4.5/5 (800+ reviews)
Multiple readers note the books helped them understand themselves and others better, though some mention the concepts can feel too rigid or deterministic.
📚 Books by David Keirsey
Please Understand Me (1978)
A foundational text introducing the Keirsey Temperament Sorter and four basic personality types, containing the original personality questionnaire and detailed type descriptions.
Please Understand Me II: Temperament, Character, Intelligence (1998) A comprehensive revision and expansion of the original work, featuring refined temperament theory, updated type descriptions, and new research on personality patterns.
Portraits of Temperament (1987) A detailed examination of the sixteen personality types, focusing on their behavioral patterns, relationships, and roles in various settings.
Brain Circuitry of Personality and Type (1986) A technical exploration of the neurological basis for temperament differences and personality patterns.
Brains and Careers (1992) An analysis of how different personality types tend to perform and develop in various career paths and professional environments.
Please Understand Me II: Temperament, Character, Intelligence (1998) A comprehensive revision and expansion of the original work, featuring refined temperament theory, updated type descriptions, and new research on personality patterns.
Portraits of Temperament (1987) A detailed examination of the sixteen personality types, focusing on their behavioral patterns, relationships, and roles in various settings.
Brain Circuitry of Personality and Type (1986) A technical exploration of the neurological basis for temperament differences and personality patterns.
Brains and Careers (1992) An analysis of how different personality types tend to perform and develop in various career paths and professional environments.
👥 Similar authors
Isabel Briggs Myers
Co-creator of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator which shares foundations with Keirsey's work in personality typing. Her book "Gifts Differing" explores psychological types based on Jung's theories, making it directly relevant to readers interested in temperament theory.
Carl Jung His theories on psychological types formed the theoretical basis that Keirsey later built upon. His work "Psychological Types" introduces concepts of introversion/extraversion and cognitive functions that are fundamental to understanding personality type systems.
Otto Kroeger Applied personality type theory to workplace dynamics and organizational behavior through books like "Type Talk at Work." His practical applications of type theory complement Keirsey's work by focusing on real-world implementation.
Linda Berens Developed the Interaction Styles model which integrates with Keirsey's temperament theory. Her work provides additional frameworks for understanding human behavior patterns and communication styles.
Roger Pearman Created assessment tools and wrote extensively about type development in professional settings. His research on type dynamics provides practical applications that expand on Keirsey's foundational concepts.
Carl Jung His theories on psychological types formed the theoretical basis that Keirsey later built upon. His work "Psychological Types" introduces concepts of introversion/extraversion and cognitive functions that are fundamental to understanding personality type systems.
Otto Kroeger Applied personality type theory to workplace dynamics and organizational behavior through books like "Type Talk at Work." His practical applications of type theory complement Keirsey's work by focusing on real-world implementation.
Linda Berens Developed the Interaction Styles model which integrates with Keirsey's temperament theory. Her work provides additional frameworks for understanding human behavior patterns and communication styles.
Roger Pearman Created assessment tools and wrote extensively about type development in professional settings. His research on type dynamics provides practical applications that expand on Keirsey's foundational concepts.