Interviews -- Dylan Coleman

Dylan Coleman's interview is embedded below:

Here are some observations about Dylan:

• Very jovial demeanor, chuckles very frequently.
• Shows a range of motion while speaking.
• Dylan continues to add clarification without being prompted, the thoughts seem to continue on.
• Repeatedly describes and emphasizes *places.* Sometimes saying things like "I didn't like the place where I was living" without feeling much of a need to explain reasons why. Most emphasis on places seem to describe companionship rather than culture explicitly.
• Unreserved emotional language. "I love my brothers very much", "I am usually the one to rebuild or make up", "Have been living very intimately." Very openly describes emotional states. Language does not show much emotional reserve.
• States a mixed, uncertain self-efficacy of aptitude in working with own hands.
• "Relaxed" attitude described and also shown. Describes enjoying the relaxation and not-incredibly-stressful job at a bookstore. Some language about being lazy, uncertain and unconcerned about what to do next, and in a phase of life to sit back and enjoy current surroundings (including many pets).
• Interesting although isolated comments about "unforeseen problems", for instance describing potential career path as a massage therapist. Dylan described his interest in doing a massage therapy career, but others pointed out possible problems and that men aren't usually successful in this business. Instead others' provided the unforeseen problems and gave different vocational suggestions more suited to Dylan's circumstances and temperament.
• Use of words like "profitable", "lucrative." Also shows understanding of nonscientific nature of typology: "I am not really taking a serious interest in typology but I do wonder if there is valid science there."
• Several isolated comments about philosophy: "Very interested in unraveling the secrets of the universe." Stands out slightly from the rest of the interview which does not devote a lot of time to explaining philosophical or intellectual pursuits overall.
• Describes himself as variously approachable, polite but somewhat curt when bothered at work, sometimes a bit blunt. Somewhat mixed amicability.
• Describes relationships as not necessarily close but easily able to pick up at a moment and be friendly and casual.
• Describes a somewhat limited, insular social circle.
• Describes dislike of competitive environments.
• A resident of Florida who actually pronounces the word "Florida" in the uncommon way still used in the New York area and perhaps sparingly elsewhere in the northeastern US with the merged but unrounded /ɑɹ/ vowel instead of /ɔɹ/. At least some/most of the time.

My typing of Dylan follows quite directly from the observations. The primary observations are Dylan's relaxed demeanor, joviality, and straightforwardness. Broadly I think Dylan's responses and behavior are very much like the accepting, relaxed attitudes of Si dominant types.

The comments about unforeseen difficulties with being a massage therapist, and after more consideration and persuasion the choice to pursue a different path, is also very much like Si-leading and Ne suggestive. It is telling that other people pointed out the possible problems and made other suggestions that are appropriate to Dylan's set of skills (more abstractly, his potential).

I think the interview offers very mixed evidence to differentiate between SEI ad SLI. There are some hints that seem to suggest SEI, such as the jovial demeanor, emotional language and also the very open emotional language. There is also pretty considerable use of business language more commonly seen extroverted logical types, and some descriptions of being blunt and a bit gruff (although the latter evidence is a bit ambiguous in my opinion).

The observation above describing some isolated almost awkwardly out of place comments about philosophy and "the mysteries of the universe" in a very general way is one of the better hints in my opinion. An orientation towards the philosophical -- often in a somewhat general way -- is in my opinion somewhat common to the ego structure of SEIs with Ti estimative. By contrast I think SLIs' philosophical musings are often a bit more verbose and often socially oriented (for instance, Thoreau's essays on nonconformism or Aldo Leopold's concept of "land ethic"). Of course this is a subtle point that does not directly contradict a typing of SLI but I think it fits SEI somewhat better.

SLI is certainly a reasonable suggestion and I agree with some of the interviewer's suggestions about how SLI better resolves some observations, especially about businesslike language (although the observations of being a little but "curt" or gruff at times and sometimes dealing with unwanted people do not seem out of place for SEI in my opinion). But overall I think Dylan's behavior is a little bit more parsimoniously explained by seeing him as SEI with a positive attitude, Ti values, and somewhat colorful emotionality, who has also developed some businesslike language.