You want to talk to your Aunt Bess about libertarianism. You begin by explaining that "everyone should be free to do whatever they like, as long as…" and before you finish your sentence, you see obvious fear in her eyes. She looks like she might run away from you!

Later, you get into a discussion with Cousin Ben about what's wrong with society today. You say, "A libertarian world would be a lot safer and secure than what we have now," and as you start to explain why, you notice that he's not really listening. He interrupts to suggest, "Wanna ride on the back of my new motorcycle?"

Let's face it: not everyone thinks like we do. People are different in many ways, including how they gather information, how they make decisions, what they hold of highest value, what lifestyle they prefer, and what they find interesting.

The good news is that once we understand some of these differences, we can make a quantum leap in our ability to persuasively present libertarian ideas to others.

I'd like to share a model with you that will help you do just that. (And we'll see how this model applies to Aunt Bess and Cousin Ben.)

Most widely used

Why are people so different? One fascinating and scientific explanation was developed by Katherine Briggs and her daughter Isabel Myers in the 1920s and 30s. Combining decades of Briggs' observations with the work of psychologist Carl Jung, they came up with a series of questions called the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) -- and what an eye-opener it is!

The world's most widely used personality test, the MBTI is valued in business, personnel, counseling, and management. The central idea behind it is that we all have specific and very definite preferences in four key areas:

1) We get energized from one of two sources: internal or external. That is, our energy primarily comes either from being alone and having quiet time, or from interacting with other people. Depending on our preference in this area, we are either Introverts or Extraverts, respectively (designated I or E).

2) We gather information primarily from either our senses or from our intuition. We tend to think either concretely or abstractly. This makes us either Sensors or Intuitives (designated S or N). By the way, it is estimated that about 70% of the population thinks concretely, thus the glazed-over eyes when I discussed the abstract concept of a free market.

3) We make decisions in one of two ways. We rely primarily on objective and logical criteria, or we prefer to consider how the decision will affect the people involved (including ourselves). These two decision makers are classified as Thinkers or Feelers (designated T or F).

4) We approach life in general in one of two ways. We either like to have closure and tend to make decisions as quickly as possible, or we prefer to keep our options open and postpone decisions as long as possible. These two choices determine whether we are Judgers or Perceivers (designated J or P).

By combining the four preferences, we come up with 16 different "types" with a four-letter designation (i.e., INFP, ESTJ, etc.). No one type is better or worse than another -- they're just different.

Different strokes...

Keep in mind that we're talking about preference. What this means is that the differences between us have to do with how we prefer to approach things and what is most important to us. Each type has its own strengths and weaknesses, and as individuals we are more comfortable when we are in alignment with our preferences.

The MBTI is not about being labeled or pigeon-holed. It is a powerful tool that gives us a far better understanding and appreciation of ourselves and others. And of course it doesn't explain everything about one's psychology.

But once you determine what "type" you are, you can read about yourself in a number of books on the subject -- and believe me, you will be amazed! You might even suspect that the authors have been spying on you! The accuracy of MBTI profiles is astonishing, and you will receive invaluable insight into why you think and act the way you do.

And when you discover what type other people in your life are, you will find a whole new world of understanding. Suddenly things make sense that never did before.

For example, in a seminar I conducted for a human services organization, the staff and director learned why they had such conflict when it came to goal setting: we discovered that the director has a preference for long-range visionary goals, while 90% of her staff has a preference for a pragmatic, day-to-day approach. With this insight, we were able to devise strategies for more harmonious planning and conflict resolution.

Four temperament types

In his groundbreaking book, Please Understand Me, David Keirsey took the 16 Myers-Briggs personality types and reduced them to four "temperament" types. This makes it much less complicated to figure out and understand a person's type.

The four temperaments are: Intuitive Thinkers (NTs), Intuitive Feelers (NFs), Sensory Judgers (SJs), and Sensory Perceivers (SPs).

The Advocates has put together descriptions of the temperaments on color-coded cards which help people quickly figure out their types. NTs are "Green Cards," NFs are "Blue Cards," SJs are "Gold Cards," and SPs are "Orange Cards."

What "color" are you?

Here are key words that describe each "color":

Green Cards (an estimated 12% of the population): Objective, rational, logical, conceptual, curious, competent, scientific, intelligent, knowledgeable, and wise.

Blue Cards (an estimated 12% of the population): Compassionate, caring, warm, communicative, cooperative, romantic, creative, sensitive, and harmonious.

Gold Cards (an estimated 38% of the population): dependable, Responsible, sensible, helpful, hardworking, stable, loyal, organized, practical, punctual, and traditional.

Orange Cards (an estimated 38% of the population): Spontaneous, active, adventuresome, risk-taking, competitive, flexible, cheerful, realistic, charming, skillful, and fun.

The libertarian type

Over the years, observers have noted that most libertarians are Green Cards -- a temperament type that makes up only 12% of the population. In fact, in 1987, when David Bergland and Marshall Fritz first introduced the libertarian movement to "temperament types," their libertarian audience was 98% Green Cards.

Fortunately, it has been my observation that there has been a major shift in the last few years. Recently, when I've surveyed groups of libertarians, only about half turn out to be Green Cards!

This is a definite sign that libertarians are reaching out and appealing to other types.

Do we need other types?

We need all four types in the libertarian movement. Why? First of all, to reach the general public, we must appeal to that 88% who view the world differently than Green Cards.

Secondly, each type brings its own special gifts to the table.

Green Cards bring logic and reason. They help explain the concepts of liberty and develop the theories behind libertarianism. Blue Cards bring passion and people skills. They are the ones who care most about the needs of others and dedicate themselves to a "cause."

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Gold Cards can provide the organizational skills. They are the most dependable and reliable; they make things happen and they keep things on track. Orange Cards bring creativity and excitement. They are the artists who help us find new ways to approach things. And they bring fun to the movement.

For example, what if you knew the "types" of the individuals in your local or state libertarian group? You'd have a Gold Card managing the office and the database, and a "Blue Card" developing relationships with the local media. Not only would the organization be more effective, but each individual would be happier!

All of these skills are needed if we are to have a growing movement for liberty.

Attracting other types

In my opinion, each of the four temperament types is naturally attracted to specific political views. Green Cards are naturally attracted to libertarianism. Gold Cards are naturally attracted to conservatism. Blue Cards are naturally attracted to liberalism. And Orange Cards tend to be skeptical about politics.

Interestingly, I think it's difficult for conservatives to attract anyone but Gold Cards, and it may be hard for liberals to attract other types than Blue Cards. On the other hand -- though Green Cards are the "natural" libertarians -- libertarianism is attractive to all types.

Let me repeat that: Libertarianism is attractive to all types -- provided we learn to communicate the ideas in a way that each personality type can understand and appreciate.

Understanding types

Knowing our own types and the types of others gives us an opportunity to establish rapport with other people. Can this be helpful in spreading political ideas? You bet it can!

How different the outcome might have been had you known that Aunt Bess is a Gold Card and Cousin Ben is an Orange Card. You would reverse the two approaches.

As a Gold Card, to Aunt Bess the most important thing in politics is stability, tradition, safety. When she hears about "everyone doing their own thing" it naturally scares her.

A better approach for her would be, "Libertarianism is the philosophy of the founding fathers  the best of American tradition." In your discussion about the benefits of a free market, tell her the story of how Underwriters Laboratories came up with the idea of standardizing electrical plugs, solving a major fire safety problem  without government involvement.

Cousin Ben's not particularly interested in safety and security. He likes to take risks, and he doesn't want others telling him what to do. He will be open to libertarianism when you tell him that libertarians are really the only political group that believes he should decide whether he wears a helmet when he rides his motorcycle.

Let's look at what it is about libertarianism that appeals to each of the types.

Blue Cards: Libertarianism is the most compassionate philosophy. Application of libertarian principles leads to the greatest good for the most people -- particularly the poor and disadvantaged. It gives people more choices to "be themselves." It provides more opportunities. Talk to this type about the benefits of liberty to people.

Example: "Libertarians want people to be able to make their dreams come true, to live up to their potential." "When people have more choices, they're happier." "Libertarians want to strengthen private charities, which have a great track record for helping those who are less fortunate."

Gold Cards: Libertarianism is our American heritage. The Founding Fathers were basically libertarian. This is the tradition of America. Application of libertarian principles brings about a predictable order to society. Libertarianism works.

Example: "Libertarianism is truly our American heritage." "If Thomas Jefferson were alive today, he'd call himself a libertarian." "Here's a practical solution to the problem of violence in our cities..."

Orange Cards: Libertarianism is the one political philosophy that allows the individual to be in charge of his own life -- leaving him free to take risks, to have adventures, to live his own life as he pleases. Libertarianism is really the only political philosophy that will be really attractive to this type.

Example: "Libertarians believe you should be free to go sky-diving or bungee-jumping; after all, you're only free when you can decide what risks you want to take."

Green Cards: Libertarianism is logical and reasonable. It makes sense. Green Cards love the abstract principles involved, and they're easily able to see the big picture of the marketplace, the cause and effect of things. They also are attracted to a philosophy that has basic principles from which you can draw conclusions and apply to specific problems. With this type, talk about basic principles and abstract concepts -- and recommend books to read.

Example: "Libertarianism is a well-thought-out system of ideas arrived at through reason and logic."

Talking to groups

Note: Knowledge of "types" is most useful when speaking one-on-one to people you know well enough to make an educated guess about which type they are (or who have shared this information with you).

However, here are a few tips on using type when speaking to audiences:

1) If your audience is composed of people from a specific organization or profession, you can make some good guesses about the type of the majority of the audience. For example, a group of environmentalists is probably mostly Blue Cards. Accountants are likely to be Gold Cards. Skydivers, Orange Cards. Computer programmers, Green Cards.

2) For a general audience, sprinkle comments throughout your talk that will appeal to each type.

3) It is estimated that around 70% of Americans are "sensing" types (Gold Cards or Orange Cards). This means that they prefer to think concretely instead of abstractly. So, keep discussion of abstract concepts to a minimum and give plenty of specific examples.

Truly all types can -- and should, in my humble opinion! -- be libertarian. And you can help them find this out if you take the time to learn about the different types and how to communicate with each.

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Finding out more

How can you begin to learn more about these ideas? I highly recommend LifeTypes by Sandra Hirsh and Jean Kummerow for understanding all 16 personality types. I guarantee that one of the chapters will describe you! It's an easy-to-read, logical, interesting, and fun book that you will refer to over and over again.

I also recommend reading Please Understand Me II. The book explains the theory in detail and includes a short test to help you establish your own type. Its author, David Keirsey, was the one who developed the system of combining two of the four preferences to form four possible "temperament types" (NF, NT, SP and SJ) which we refer to as Green Cards, Blue Cards, Gold Cards, and Orange Cards.

The Advocates has a wonderful audio tape of David Bergland's explanation of types and how libertarians can use them called "Libertarian Temperament Or Temperamental Libertarians?"

(Note: You will receive a FREE set of color-coded Type Cards with your order of any of these products.)

It takes some study to obtain a useful understanding of type, but it's an investment that will payoff handsomely. You'll learn that using "types" is practical, logical, relationship-enhancing, and fun -- thus appealing to all types!