Peter Geyer
Type Coaching and Training

James Newman was interested in type theory and research, primarily from a neuropsychological basis. I had read and listened to his work before writing to him, amongst others, for assistance with my thesis on the origin and development of the MBTI. He rang me one Saturday morning and we had a lengthy discussion. I was interested in the history of ideas as some background for what I would write, and he recommended an excellent book, Richard Tarnas' The Passion of the Western Mind (Ballantine 1993), told me he 'hated Sartre', and wished me well.

I saw James a few times at APT conferences but never introduced myself to him; I don't do that well. He was the convenor of research symposia for a few conferences, and I attended a couple. He seemed to like getting into academic argument pretty quickly, having a blunt exchange with Eric Braverman at the Kansas City conference. His readiness to critique others was quite at variance with the flavour of APT conferences, where the geniality can become excessive and counterproductive. I especially enjoyed the contributions of Theodore Millon and John Mayer to his symposium in Boston in 1997, as those two significant researchers in psychology clearly had respect for each other, for each other's work and for the MBTI.

A key contribution was his symposium on the MBTI and the NEO-PI, the instrument which exemplifies the 5-Factor model of personality and is a major competitor to type. I didn't attend that session, but I have the tapes and found the discussions and presentations insightful - particularly when Peter Myers, who was not presenting at the seminar, spoke briefly about his mother Isabel and her comparable work and insights into the 5-Factor model.

Finally, I remember his comment that 'Neuro-Linguistic Programming has no scientific basis', by which I think he meant in part that the brain didn't operate as contended by NLP writers. Having found a copy of Korzybski's Science and Sanity (a key influence on the development of NLP) recently, I can see what he means.

Type's not as intellectual as it might be. In losing James Newman, the type community has lost someone who was able to speak about and facilitate such discussions. He preferred INTJ.

John DiTiberio came to my attention through his published work on writing styles and some general insights into education. His CPP booklet (written with Allen Hammer) Introduction to Type and College also aroused my interest in what he did.

I would have liked to have had his insights available to me when I was struggling with attending university in 1969 and 1970; I might not have waited seven years to return and try again. His writing style was gentle, but authoritative and informative.

I didn't listen to John at the conferences until the APT conference in Phoenix last year, when I attended a symposium where he spoke about using Robert Kegan's work (In over our heads, Harvard, 1994; and The evolving self, Harvard, 1982) with type. I'd read In over our heads with enjoyment some time ago and was interested in what would be said.

John provided an insightful perspective on the process of type development, different from what I had heard, and interspersed that with insights into his method of counselling. He showed a real concern with how children are all too easily diagnosed with some pathology or other these days.

He was very insightful and intellectual in what he said, but in a different way to James Newman. I liked his comment that development was 'movement, a process, not a set of stages per se' and that 'some processes are revisited throughout the life cycle.' It makes it harder to teach type development, but I think that's how the life cycle seems to work, for me at any rate. Probably another reason why Jung didn't want to get too systematic.

John's presentation was the highlight of the symposium for me, and he was obviously respected by his group of genial and open co-presenters. I would have liked to have learned more from him and certainly preferred his counselling process to a few recent experiences. Ultimately, though, I'm pleased to have heard something of what he had to say in person.

I'm sure the type community will miss his gentle insights. John preferred INFP.

What's in a name? that which we call a rose,
By any other name would smell as sweet.

Juliet, in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

A thousand pictures can be drawn from one word.

The Moody Blues 1972, 'I'm Just a Singer in a Rock and Roll Band'

'The question is,' said Alice, 'whether you can make words mean so many things.'

'The question is', said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be the master - that's all.'

Lewis Carroll 1872, Through the Looking Glass

Photograph courtesy of Jamie Johnston, CAPT Library. PETER GEYER (INTP) is a consultant, researcher and writer in the field of C G Jung's theory of psychological types. He conducts MBTI Accreditation programs and presents internationally on a regular basis. Peter is a life member of AusAPT and a professional affiliate of the Australian Psychological Society.