o_19kdfsn0q18e31dfraas1esh19vta.pdf

off when he got angry enough.
In the financially shaky times in which we live, it is interesting to note how this INTJ handled a
financial crisis where even he admitted it would be beneficial to give up one of the operating
principles that usually guided the company.
He [Bowditch] ...considered it very important that no money should be received in trust from foreigners
or residents out of New England; both as a means of preventing ill-will of any kind, and that the whole
affairs of the company might be more strictly local, and therefore more safe, than they could be if its
dealings were more widely extended. And thus it once happened, in a severe financial crisis, when it
would, in his own opinion, have been advantageous to the community, in the particular case, to have
dispensed with the rule, that he yet looked to ultimate consequences, and refused a deposit of one or more
hundred thousand dollars, which a resident in Nova Scotia wished to place with the institution.
Note his emphasis on safety, which is prevalent in all descriptions of his business practices. This is
a good attitude for an insurer to have; it is also a part of the INTJ character. Of all the Rationals,
INTJs are the least inclined to take risks (of any kind) or speculate wildly with money. As you can
imagine, these traits can be valuable in both mitigating and preventing financial crises. But note
also the emphasis on "ultimate consequences." This is the INTJ future orientation in action. They
are always looking towards the long term benefits or cost of an idea.
Believe it or not, the emphasis on the future is not necessarily the best strategy for crisis
management. One of the traits that ESTPs are known for is their especial ability to tackle major
organizational problems, i.e. bringing a company back from the brink of bankruptcy. 160 The way
they achieve this result is by disregarding all cherished traditions of the past and ruthlessly ignoring
all benefits that could be obtained in the future through sacrifices in the present. Essentially, they
focus on the immediate moment—what will work now and make money? If an idea doesn't
contribute towards that goal, they throw it out.
But as seen in Bowditch's case, INTJs are less willing to sacrifice the future for the moment. It
might be said that ESTPs are life's crisis handlers, while INTJs are life's crisis preventers. With
their eye towards the future and their cautious focus on safe investments, INTJs are less likely to be
blindsided by changing circumstances or caught without money when it is needed. The reason
Bowditch was able to keep his eye on the future in this crisis was that he had managed his company
well enough that he did not have his back to the wall. In fact, he came through the financial crisis
with flying colors:
During the late disastrous period, when every bank in the United States was compelled to suspend specie
payments, Dr. Bowditch conducted the affairs of the Company with such caution, that—though this was
the largest moneyed institution in New England, having a capital equal to that of ten common banks, and
though its dealings were necessarily extended throughout the community—the actual loss sustained by
the reckless management of other institutions, and by the numerous bankruptcies which destroyed all
commercial confidence, was less than that of any one bank in the city, and was more than balanced by the
reserved profits resulting from the success of a financial measure which he had previously suggested and
executed.
Most insurance companies promise to help you through the storms in your life. It takes a real
insurance company to survive storms of its own.
Bowditch had an interesting ability in crisis situations: he could detach completely from the
emotional aspect of it. This seeming ability to "turn off" one's emotions is an NT phenomenon
which derives from a combination of high objectivity, self control, and willpower. When the
160 Keirsey, 1998