The Quintessential ISFP
As a kid, I love-love-loved Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel, “Treasure Island”. It was the perfect mix of adventure and intrigue, nobility and tragic failure for my ravenous appetite. I wouldn’t hesitate to assert that the original Jim Hawkins is an ISFP. But when I recently I watched Disney’s interpretation of the classic pirate story (“Treasure Planet”) for the first time, I was instantly struck that here was the perfect example of a young ISFP character. Hence the name of this blog, and our first character analysis. In functional order:
Introverted Feeling (Fi)
Fundamentally, James “Jim” Hawkins follows his own code of morals and feelings. While he is considerate and sensitive to the feelings of others, especially his mother’s, he is very independent because his motivation comes from his personal convictions. His conflict at the beginning comes from within, as he struggles to be true to himself while still doing the right thing. It frustrates him that his mother perceives him as a failure, because that isn’t how he sees himself, and that’s not who he wants to be. But despite this frustration, he refuses to “be” anyone other than himself, attempting to show his affection through tenderness and service. His mantra is encapsulated in the soundtrack: “And I want to tell you who I am / Can you help me be a man / They can’t break me / As long as I know who I am.” He often hides his feelings behind anger and stone-jawed stubbornness, but they are powerful and extremely sensitive and he has a very difficult time expressing them except through his physicality, especially his eyes. His friendship with Long John Silver is in typical Fi-fashion, based on instinctual and wordless understanding, with only rare moments of outward affection. (His mechanical talent has led some to type him as ISTP, but his identity is not tied to systems of thought or object-based curiosity, but rather his feelings for people and experiences. He attaches emotion to things that an ISTP would not.)
Extroverted Sensing (Se)
As with all SPs, it thrills Jim to the core to be at the heart of the action. His reflexes are swift and his prowess with fast-moving technology is excellent. Like a true SP, he loves extreme sports (solar-surfing, anyone?). He is observant to details and quickly takes action based on his observations, as when he questions Long John Silver about being a cyborg. His Fi-Se pairing gives him an intoxicating love of adventure and beauty that is almost spiritual, as captured in the film’s soundtrack: “And I want a moment to be real / Want to touch things I don’t feel / Wanna hold on and feel I belong.” (Due to Fi, his exhilaration tends to preserved inwardly until it bubbles out in a rare whoop or holler, when he knows he’s by himself.) He is smooth and cat-like in his motions, and has good “street-smarts.” He possesses a keen sense of humor and sarcasm that he doesn’t hold back. Physical labor doesn’t phase him in the least: if he thinks he should do it, he does it ’til he drops.
Introverted Intuition (Ni)
ISFPs often have incredible instincts about people, but they are willing to set them on the side if their present experience gives them a reason to question them. Just so, Jim quickly guesses that Long John Silver is the cyborg he’s been warned about. Yet he drops his guard once he senses LJS’s authentic feelings of affection, and despite later betrayal, follows his gut in trusting him when it matters the most. The weakness of Jim’s Ni is apparent in his reluctance to make plans about his future, choosing instead to grasp onto the hope offered by immediate opportunities.
Extroverted Thinking (Te)
Jim is not a particularly organized or rule-oriented young man. He ignores rules and expectations of his behavior when they contradict his pleasure-seeking or his moral code. Rather, he only regrets such mischief when it hurts someone he’s chosen to care about. He prefers keeping his negative feelings to himself or displaying them in quiet gestures of defiance rather than talking through them. The weakness of his Te means he struggles to coherently explain himself, instead erupting into outbursts when feeling misunderstood and later coming to regret these. Yet there is a sense of efficiency in his movements and thoughts, and he dislikes useless prattling or meaningless displays of affection.
Other thoughts:
*Jim Hawkins perfectly captures the tide of defiance and submission constantly shifting in the ISFP, as he struggles to preserve his authenticity and avoid conflict at the same time.
*Jim manages to be at once puppy-eyed sweet and tough-as-nails. This is a defining characteristic of the well-developed ISFP, who can embrace all the world throws at him while selectively choosing what to allow into his deep heart.
*Like most ISFPs, Jim is not dramatic in his expressing himself the way an Fe-type is, choosing rather to express his feelings in poignant silences, choice words and very meaningful eyes.
*Jim also evidences the ISFP combination of random xSFP clumsiness and ISxP fluid grace.
In short
James “Jim” Hawkins is high up on my list of favorite ISFPs. It’s rather true that the ISFP “moral pleasure-seeking” experience is hard to understand without living oneself, but despite being the 15-yo protagonist of a Disney cartoon–or perhaps because of it–Jim manages to capture the experience of the “moral pleasure-seeker” MBTI type in a very accessible manner.
Treasure Island Types 