Personality Type One

Ones are also known as the

Activist, Corrector, Crusader, Evangelical Idealist, Improver, Inspector, Judge, Paragon, Perfectionist, Purist, Reformer, Resenter, Good Person, Moral Teacher, Reformer

Overview

Values

conscience, morality, justice, truthfulness, honesty, principles, self-discipline, rectitude, ethics, logical consistency

Main Motivation

To be good, fair, and to have integrity

Ones like to see themselves as reasonable, objective people. They want to be good, to be fair, and to have integrity. Ones believe that by being good, they will avoid any criticism from others and from their own inner critic. Ones feel that in order to reach such high standards, they must exhibit a great deal of self-control. Their own wants and desire must be replaced with what is right. In fact, they often see their inner world of emotion and impulses as out of control, so they need to repress those emotions and wants to focus on doing the right thing. Their inner critic is always pointing out what they should do. It is hard for them to act spontaneously without feeling guilty or selfish.

Ones do not have a great deal of confidence in themselves (and their inner critic is always reminding them of their shortcomings). However, Ones put their confidence in their values and beliefs. Their strong convictions often give them a sense of being on a mission.

Ones seek to improve things (eventually to perfection) and their convictions lead them to make the world a better place. They feel they are the best person for the job because they are so objective and hardworking. Others are swayed by their own selfish wants and emotions. Ones, on the other hand, feel they can control such biases and remain uninfluenced by personal or emotional appeals.

Average Levels

Level 4: Idealistic Reformer

Plays the role of the Moral Teacher

Level 5: Orderly Person

Manipulates others by correcting them and pointing our what others should do

Level 6: Judgmental Perfectionist

Undermines others by "proving" others are wrong through angry criticisms

Average Ones, see themselves as moral teachers. They often see others as disorganized, irresponsible, and indifferent to doing things properly. Ones feel that they are personally responsible for showing others the proper way. Average Ones apply their standards to themselves and to others, leading Ones to correct others and point out where others have lost their way. Others may resent the "moral superiority" expressed by the One, sometimes leaving the One to say "I'll do it myself." Ones feel personally obligated to improve things: "If I don't do it, no one will." Unfortunately, Ones don't always trust others to do things, because it probably wouldn't be done as well as the One could.

Average Ones are true workaholics, feeling good when they make progress on their to do lists. Only after they have worked hard enough will they take a break -- free time has to be earned. Taking a holiday or leaving the office early may make them feel guilty.

Average Ones have high ideals and force themselves to live up to them, lest anyone (including their Inner Critic) point out their mistakes. As a result, they feel they must justify everything they do. They focus on what's wrong or out of place. They are methodical, anal, maintaining their endless lists and schedules. Their self-control must continue to increase to keep their stress from showing, however their irritation at the world often manifests itself in physical tension. Their demeanour is stiff, tense, irritated, and unrelaxed. They are emotionally undemonstrative, sometimes leading others to find them cold.

Average Ones start to see things in terms of good and bad. Their black and white thinking makes it difficult to deal with ambiguity. As they become more stressed, they must continue to repress their impulses and desires. They cannot afford to be spontaneous, because that would be losing control over themselves.

Average Ones believe they are right most of the time. Ones often get frustrated because others don't listen to them. Their frustration becomes anger when they (and others) fail to meet the One's high expectations. Although Ones don't generally admit being angry (after all they control their feelings), this emotion tends to build up under the surface as resentment.

When orderliness in insufficient, perfection is required. They must completely control themselves. They feel that nothing is ever good enough. To compensate, they become dogmatic, inflexible and have extreme difficulty with criticism. They judge others critically and find faults to feel superior.

Unhealthy Levels

Level 7: Intolerant Misanthrope

Level 8: Obsessive Hypocrite

Level 9: Punitive Avenger

Ones become unhealthy when they exclude themselves from their own criticism. They become intolerant and obsessive, angrily attacking and punishing those who don’t “measure up.” By doing so, they become depressed and tormented by intense anger.

What leads Ones down the wrong path when they believe that their inner critic alone knows what is good and bad. This belief leads to an overall judgmental attitude.

Healthy Levels

Level 1: Wise Realist

Level 2: Reasonable Person

Become attached to values of reason, objectivity, and moderation

Level 3: Principled Teacher

Feel good about themselves when they do what is right

Healthy Ones have let go of their forced perfection. Things don't have to be perfect to be good enough. They are principled and teach by example.  Healthy Ones still have a strong sense of conviction, but they apply their standards to themselves and not to others. They are not willing to compromise their principles and may become crusaders and advocates for a just cause. They are passionate about their convictions - honesty, justice, and fairness. They believe that their convictions will have a positive effect on the world.

Guided by their moral compass, healthy Ones have great reason. They become connected with their inner instinct as their conscience (not their inner critic) guides them. They believe that true objectivity and integrity comes from living a balanced (and emotional) life. They freely admit their mistakes and learn from them.

At their best, healthy Ones let go of the belief that they can judge everything objectively, without emotional influence. They are extremely wise, accepting of others and other viewpoints and they can see the common truth behind these various views. They balance their objectivity with subjectivity, their inner desires, and wants, thus truly achieving integrity. Healthy Ones believe that reality is Truth, and that perfection is reality. The truth will prevail, and that good will be done even if I'm not around. They have tremendous faith that the universe will unfold as it should and that they are part of that perfect unfolding.

Similarities to other Types

Common Traits with other Types
Ones seek Autonomy (like Eights and Nines)
Ones handle problems with a Competency approach (like Threes and Fives)
Ones are Compliant to their inner rules (like Twos and Sixes)
Ones are sometimes Frustrated by reality not living up to their ideals (like Fours and Sevens)

Conflict Scenarios
Competency vs. Competency Ones in conflict with Ones, Threes, Fives
Competency vs. Reactive Ones in conflict with Fours, Sixes, Eights
Competency vs. Positive Outlook  Ones in conflict with Twos, Sevens, Nines

Multimedia

Watch a One talk about his type
Dr. David Daniels describes Ones
Don Riso on Ones

Theme Songs

These "Theme Songs" express some of the most important issues of Type One.

• conviction

• discipline

• order

• passion and anger

The Impossible Dream

From the movie Man of La Mancha
music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion

This song is about dedication to a cause. I think the part about marching into hell for a heavenly cause really captures the sense of mission that Ones feel.

Lyrics

To dream the impossible dream,
to fight the unbeatable foe,
to bear with unbearable sorrow,
to run where the brave dare not go...
To right the unrightable wrong,
to love pure and chaste from afar,
to try when your arms are too weary
to reach the unreachable star!
This is my quest -- to follow that star
no matter how hopeless, no matter how far
To fight for the right
without question or pause,
to be willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause!
And I know if I'll only be true
to this glorious quest
that my heart will be peaceful and calm when I'm laid to my rest.
And the world will be better for this
that one man, scorned and covered with scars,
still strove with his last ounce of courage
to fight the unbeatable foe,
To reach the unreachable stars!

Cello Suite No 1 1. Prelude

The music of J.S. Bach is orderly, symmetric, and almost mathematical. This piece starts orderly, but the melody begins to stray. Order is imposed once again as the tune falls in line.

This video is of Yo-Yo Ma

Well-Tempered Clavicord

Another "orderly" piece by Bach.

Moonlight Sonata (Presto)

This piece by Beethoven reflects the inner turmoil of Ones. The song begins with a rising intensity reflecting the inner drive to complete their work. The progress is punctuated with short outbursts of anger as the One criticises herself for not living up to her expections. She quickly gets back to work and the cycle repeats.