The Mediator: Quiet, Open-minded, Imaginative
By Linda Otieno
Welcome back to our Personality & Communication series.
For the past few posts, we have been discussing how your personality affects the way you communicate. By understanding your personality, you can know how you can communicate better irrespective of the method you're using.
We've been exploring the 16 personality types to understand this theme. So far, we've done 3 personality types: The Entertainer, The Advocate & The Entrepreneur.
This week, we're looking into The Mediator personality type.
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| The Mediator personality type Courtesy: pexels.com |
Introduction
The Mediator personality type is quiet, open-minded and imaginative.
Mediators may seem shy yet they are also very vibrant and passionate on the inside. Since they make up such a small portion of the population, people with this personality type may sometimes feel misunderstood. However, on the flip side, their deeply caring nature still helps them create and sustain deep and meaningful relationships with the people that they care about. Mediator personality types value authenticity, empathy and harmony.
They always act with the best intentions in mind. Sometimes they feel isolated or discouraged when other people don't share their same level of idealism. Mediators are curious about the depths of human nature. They often make an effort to understand other people's true feelings. They have great empathy and tend to communicate in ways that are sensitive, original and quite moving.
Due to these traits, Mediators crave creative self-expression. A lot of mediator personality types are poets, writers and actors. They enjoy coming up with different sorts of stories and possibilities in their minds and sharing those out to other people.
They have a natural talent for self-expression. They may reveal the innermost thoughts and secrets to metaphors and fictional characters. They have a tendency to daydream and fantasize rather than take action. If they don't act on their dreams and fantasies, Mediators are likely to end up feeling very frustrated and unfulfilled.
So, now let's look into the strengths and weaknesses of the Mediator personality type and how that plays into how they communicate in their lives.
Strengths of The Mediator personality type
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| Courtesy: pexels.com |
1. They are thoughtful- Mediators often think a lot about other people's feelings. They often adjust the action if they think they might hurt someone, even if it's unintentional. They are kind hearted people and everyone around them tends to benefit from it. Mediators will usually be very thoughtful and kind about how they use their words. They are really afraid of hurting other people with mean words so they really take a lot of time to think about what they say to other people. Therefore, they will communicate in a way that's really thoughtful and kind towards others.
2. They are generous- Mediators rarely enjoy succeeding at other people's expense. They want to share the good things in life with other people, especially people they really care about. They want to ensure that every voice is heard. They also fight to have equality so in a conversation, they want to make sure that everyone has had the chance to say what they had in mind or to share their perspective.
3. They are open minded- Mediator personality types tend to give other people the benefit of the doubt. They are often tolerant of other people's beliefs, lifestyles and decisions. Mediators support other people's rights to live as they see fit as long as no one else is being hurt. They are the kind of person who in a conversation you would feel very open and free with to share your thoughts, even if it's against the norm or their own beliefs. You can feel free to show who you are without feeling judged.
Weaknesses of The Mediator personality type
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| Courtesy: pexels.com |
1. They are overly idealistic- Mediator personality types can sometimes take their idealism a bit too far. People with this personality type might idolize their romantic partners, every aspect of their job or other aspects of their lives. This means that when reality doesn't live up to their idealism or fantasies, they tend to complain a lot.
2. They are self critical- Mediators can expect too much from themselves to the extent that it's really impractical. When this happens, they tend to accuse themselves are being inadequate or selfish. This self-criticism can erode their motivation to do things and the willingness to prioritize self-care. Family and friends may have a hard time motivating them as they naturally self-criticize.
3. They are impractical- When something captures Mediator's imagination, they can become so consumed by it that they even neglect practical matters. Some even neglect things likes eating or sleeping as they pursue their passion. Additionally, they can be so intrigued with an idea that they are afraid to act on it because they might not do it perfectly as they are picturing it in their minds.
So, what this means for their communication style is that they will tend to get carried away with an idea or something in their imagination. Imagine you're having a meeting with someone who is a mediator personality type and let's say to stumble upon a very interesting abstract idea. The Mediator may talk about this and go off topic because they are so passionate and intrigued by that abstract idea instead of the practical issues that you actually need to discuss in the meeting.
Relationships
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| Courtesy: pexels.com |
Friendships
Mediators are one of the most social introverts. However, because they are still introverts. They tend to feel most fulfilled by spending time with a small, intimate circle of friends.
Early in a friendship, Mediators may be somewhat reluctant to share details about their real selves. It's easier for them to ask or allow a new friend to talk about themselves first. This helps them learn more about that person’s passions and motivations. As the friendship progresses and strong trust is built, however, Mediator personalities will share their ideas and dreams.
In looking for new friends, Mediators may find themselves drawn to people who remind them of themselves. They may look for people who share their curiosity about human nature and their belief in doing the right thing. This makes them feel understood.
However, Mediators are highly capable of befriending all sorts of people. This is because of their intuitive nature which helps them tune keenly into people's emotions and state of mind. It is also due to their Prospecting nature, meaning that they are more go-with-the-flow or flexible and this attracts a lot of people to them.
While most people may find it exhausting or irritating to interact with someone they have little in common with, Mediator personalities may actually find it invigorating to communicate or connect with someone who, on the surface, has little in common with them. This personality type enjoys friendships based on shared values rather than shared experiences.
Parenthood
Mediator personalities enjoy helping others learn and grow. So, this is perfect in parenthood where they can help their children grow into their own uniqueness and individuality.
Mediator parents aim to be warm, loving, supportive and open-minded parents. This is in line with their personality traits as discussed above. They delight in their children’s wide-eyed wonder at the world. Mediator personalities want to give their children the freedom to form their own opinions and discover their own interests.
Naturally, they will communicate in a way that mirrors that warmth, love and open-mindedness. A Mediator is likely the kind of parent a child feels comfortable talking to even about uncomfortable and embarrassing topics because they know they won't be judged.
Romantic relationships
Most Mediators don’t just want to find a partner – they want to connect with a soul mate. This is why they look past superficial appearances and focus on what really matters – in love and in life.
However, Mediator personalities need to make sure that they see their partners as they are – not as they want them to be. The fact is no partner is perfect. Mediators need to make sure they keep their high idealism and dream-like fantasies in check so that they do not have unrealistic expectations for their romantic partners and relationships. With time, they can then come to understand that true love isn't magic – it takes compromise, understanding, and effort.
Due to their warm, caring, open-minded nature, they will communicate with their partners in a way that makes them feel loved & understood. They, however, may have unrealistic expectations if they don't learn to keep their dreamy minds in check.
Careers
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| Mediator personality types are drawn to careers that allow them to stand out for their creativity, self-expression & independence, like the performing arts & freelancing. Courtesy: pexels.com |
However, certain fields are attractive to Mediators because of their curiosity & love for self-expression. Becoming writers and communicators appeals to them. This pretty similar to The Advocate personality type.
Freelancing, the performing arts like music, drama or dance make sense to Mediators. They are naturally in tune with artistic beauty. They also love service careers, such as massage therapy, physical rehabilitation, counseling, social work, psychology and even teaching because they love to help others.
Time to reflect
Courtesy: pexels.com
Do you agree with my theory on how the Mediator personality type communicates?
Are you a Mediator personality type?
Do you know someone who has the Mediator personality type?
Try the 16 personalities test today to understand yourself better!
RELATED POSTS
The Entertainer: Spontaneous, Energetic & Enthusiastic
The Advocate: Creative, Principled, Passionate
The Entrepreneur: Bold, Rational, Original
I WANT TO KNOW MORE...
Also, this post only scratches the surface of the complexity of the Mediator personality type, visit 16personalities.com to find out more.
WHAT'S NEXT?
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| The Adventurer personality type Courtesy: pexels.com |
The Adventurer personality type is Charming, Imaginative and Passionate.
So, how does this affect the way they communicate?
Find out in next week's post by subscribing to the Communication Café blog.
Sources:
- https://www.16personalities.com/infp-strengths-and-weaknesses
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