I continue to be preoccupied with refining the framework of the Four Tendencies. In a nutshell,

– Upholders respond readily to outer and inner expectations (I’m an Upholder, 100%)
– Questioners question all expectations; they’ll meet an expectation if they think it makes sense (my husband is a Questioner)
– Rebels resist all expectations, outer and inner alike
– Obligers meet outer expectations, but struggle to meet expectations they impose on themselves

To help clarify the categories—and to help us all understand ourselves better—I’m devising a reading list.

I want to provide examples of the Rubin Tendencies from well-known movies, TV shows, and literature, or from memoirs, autobiographies, or biographies.

I just started looking for these examples, and I could use many more suggestions. I highly recommend everything on this list, by the way, even aside from the light they shed on the Tendencies.

Upholder:

—Book: J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter books — the character of Hermione Granger. In particular, her campaign on behalf of house elves in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a good illustration of a classic Upholder looking for the rules beyond the rules.

—Movie: The Bridge on the River Kwai — the character of Nicholson

Questioner:

—No example yet. Help!

Rebel (these are both autobiographical, and I’m sure these two Rebels would be annoyed by the fact that I’ve slotted them into a category):

—Memoir: Geoff Dyer, Out of Sheer Rage

—Magazine article: Elizabeth Wurtzel, “Elizabeth Wurtzel Confronts Her One-Night Stand of a Life,” New York Magazine, January 6, 2013

Obliger:

—Novel: Laurie Colwin, Family Happiness — a brilliant portrait of an Obliger in full Obliger-rebellion

I think—but I’m way behind in watching, so this is very preliminary, and may be disproved by episodes that I haven’t seen yet—that in the TV show Girls, the four characters embody the Four Tendencies. What do you think, does this work?

Upholder: Marnie

Questioner: Hannah

Rebel: Jessa

Obliger: Shoshanna

NOTE: I’m using these terms with very specific meanings, so for instance, a person who is doing rebellious things may or not be a Rebel.

As you can see, this list is very preliminary. So your suggestions are most welcome.