My Child Likes Fantasy, But You Say It's Not Part of Their Type?!

This is a comment that I get a lot. The interesting thing about our types is that even though we or our children's type says we are drawn or will probably like something, sometimes it's different. This can be because of our experiences and also looking at the reason behind why they like it.

The concrete vs abstract thinking is what I think gets confused the most. Just because a type is concrete or abstract, it doesn't mean they do the other or are not capable of doing it. When a type is said to be concrete or abstract, it is what their first inclination is or what they are drawn to more often.

So going back to the fantasy comment. When we look at why a child likes something, it can give us a lot of insight. When a concrete type (Helper or Artisan) likes fantasy or magic stories or games, which I say usually is more attractive to abstract types (Feelers and Thinkers), it is probably because of the adventure side of it. Also if the story is very straight forward and exciting, they could be drawn to that. This can still make a lot of sense to them in their concrete dominated minds.

Abstract types like fantasy stories and games because of the complex themes and symbols/metaphors. They like to look for the connections and meanings behind the symbols and metaphors. They can also like nonfiction and realistic fiction, especially if there is something they are researching or trying to learn about.

To illustrate the idea that all types can do, play, or read the same thing and they might all like it, but for different reasons, I'm going to talk about each type playing with blocks. The Helper probably plays with blocks and builds a sturdy tower, house, or building. They are looking for a secure structure and a completed project. They might also start making patterns out of the blocks or sorting them by color or shape. A Player might be trying to build as tall a tower as possible and it might be wobbly as they try to push the limits of the blocks. When they are done trying to do that, they will probably knock it over looking to make a loud noise or to see how cool it looks as it falls. The Feelers will probably build a building or house and then create a story to go along with it. If you ask them what they are doing, they will probably have an intricate storyline that goes with their building. A Thinker will probably be testing out some hypothesis with their blocks, or trying to make an engineering marvel. They might also pretend it is something more than blocks and building something like a robot or machine.

When thinking about what you want to teach your children, look at the lessons or activities and what is going to draw your child to it. You can push them to try different things by making sure they have things in the activity that will appeal to their type.

In conclusion, all types can have different reasons for liking the same things. So give your children the chance to experience different stories and activities. Especially if they ask to try something that may not seem like it would match with their personality type, there may be something in it that is attractive to part of that type. :)

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