Thinkers who tend to withdraw and observe

People of this personality type essentially fear that they don’t have enough inner strength to face life, so they tend to withdraw, to retreat into the safety and security of the mind where they can mentally prepare for their emergence into the world. Fives feel comfortable and at home in the realm of thought. They are generally intelligent, well read and thoughtful and they frequently become experts in the areas that capture their interest. While they are sometimes scientifically oriented, especially with the Six wing, just as many Fives are drawn to the humanities and it is not at all uncommon for Fives to have artistic inclinations. Fives are often a bit eccentric; they feel little need to alter their beliefs to accommodate majority opinion, and they refuse to compromise their freedom to think just as they please. The problem for Fives is that while they are comfortable in the realm of thought, they are frequently a good deal less comfortable when it comes to dealing with their emotions, the demands of a relationship, or the need to find a place for themselves in the world. Fives tend to be shy, nonintrusive, independent and reluctant to ask for the help that others might well be happy to extend to them.

Fives are sensitive; they don’t feel adequately defended against the world. To compensate for their sensitivity, Fives sometimes adopt an attitude of careless indifference or intellectual arrogance, which has the unfortunate consequence of creating distance between themselves and others. Trying to bridge the distance can be difficult for Fives, as they are seldom comfortable with their social skills, but when they do manage it, they are often devoted friends and life long companions.

Fives are usually somewhat restrained when it comes to emotional expression, but they often have stronger feelings than they let on. Few people know what is going on beneath the surface, as Fives have an often exaggerrated need for privacy and a deep seated fear of intrusion. Because of their sensitivity and their fears of inadequacy, Fives fear being overwhelmed, either by the demands of others or by the strength of their own emotions. They sometimes deal with this by developing a minimalistic lifestyle in which they make few demands on others in exchange for few demands being made on them. Other Fives make their peace with the messiness of life and engage it more fully, but they almost always retain their fears that life is somehow going to demand more of them than they can deliver.

Fives, especially with the Four wing, sometimes mistype themselves as Fours. Such Fives recognize that they have strong emotions and don’t identify with the often extremely cerebral portrait of type Five. But, Fives, unlike Fours, always retain some degree of discomfort when it comes to the expression of their emotional states. However much facility they may gain with it, the language of emotion is not their native tongue.

Okay, that’s me.

Yet another Italian playlist, this time inspired “Girlfriend in a Coma”, a documentary about Italy by Bill Emmott and Annalisa Piras. A mix of true traditional tracks from Italy’s past for difficult times such as these. A sort of wake-up call to Italians at home and abroad.

Hope you enjoy.

John Steinbeck interviewed by N. Benchley,

The Paris Review

Diego De Silva, Mia suocera beve. (via nonlasciarmi)

(via rollotommasi)

(via lalumacahatrecorna)

Oggi è stata una di quelle giornate in cui non sono riuscita a fare niente di quel poco che mi ero promessa di fare, ovvero leggere articoli per la tesi e scrivere una mail al mio relatore per fissare un appuntamento. La verità è che sono fin troppo preoccupata per il futuro per riuscire a concentrarmi su una stupidissima ed inutile tesi sull’editoria, un settore in cui non riuscirò mai ad entrare perché riservato a raccomandati e blindato ai semplici appassionati di letteratura.

Sono troppe le domande che continuo a pormi: riuscirò mai a trovare un lavoro? Dovrei tornare in Italia una volta conseguita la laurea oppure restare in Olanda, in mezzo ad un popolo cui, pur condividendo la mia seconda nazionalità, non mi sento affatto affine, e dove il razzismo inizia subdolo a serpeggiare? Cosa ne sarà di me e del mio ragazzo? Attualmente conviviamo, ma cosa potremo mai fare se non riusciremo a restare qui, oppure a trovare un lavoro in Italia? Dovremo separarci e rassegnarci a vederci nei fine settimana oppure (peggio mi sento) trasferirci entrambi a casa di uno dei due?

Ho appena trascorso cinque giorni con mia suocera, venuta a trovarci e a fare la turista, e tremo al solo pensiero di dover vivere sotto al suo stesso tetto in futuro. Non perché sia una cattiva persona, anzi; ma perché dopo quattro anni di vita da sola, prima da fuorisede in Italia e poi all’estero, il pensiero di dover subordinare le mie abitudini e i miei desideri a quelli di una cinquantacinquenne dalla mentalità un po’ bigotta e ristretta è per me equivalente ad un incubo. Lo stesso vale per i miei genitori, trasferitisi in un paesino di appena cinquemila abitanti mentre ancora frequentavo la triennale. L’idea di dover rinunciare alla mia indipendenza e ad una vita serena con il mio ragazzo per colpa di banchieri e finanzieri scellerati mi riempie di rabbia e di paura. Se non fosse per l’assoluto ribrezzo che provo nei confronti di qualsiasi forma di violenza, avrei già imbracciato il fucile di mio suocero e impallinato non qualche innocente Carabiniere, ma mirato con attenzione a quanti fingono di volerci salvare e ci affossano ogni giorno di più.