Caul Shivers MBTI Personality Type
Personality
What personality type is Caul Shivers? Caul Shivers is an ISFP personality type in MBTI, 9w8 - sp/sx - in Enneagram, in Big 5, ESI in Socionics.
I’m rereading Best Served Cold right now. I firmly believe Shivers is an ISFP who developed into an 8w9 by the end of the book. This is my understanding of the two systems: that MBTI is nature (a temperament we are born with, function use differing only in how healthy/unhealthy we are), while enneagram is nurture (moldable until a certain point in development, possibly early 20s when our brain is mostly developed and we’ve survived teenage angst). Shivers as a young man is idealistic. He has his values. He sticks to them and thinks everyone else should do the same. His idealism got him to go to Styria, then he comes at his new life with a lot of hope, thinking that by doing what’s right he will be better off for it. As the book progresses and every ‘right’ choice he makes causes more suffering, I think he solidifies into an enneagram 8 ISFP. It’s a rare combo, but Shivers is a rare character. His morals fell apart and reshaped until we get this scene: “Shivers: I had my dreams of being a better man, once upon a time. Temple: What happened? Shivers: I woke up.” At the root we can tell he still has his values, they’re just far darker than they were before, but still solid enough that he doesn’t hesitate when acting on how he feels about Black Dow vs Rikke. He has his code. The rest of the cast just don’t understand it. I think he’s an amazing example of an Fi user gone cold. And to take it even further, think about what his inferior function must be. How does he behave when he’s at his unhealthiest and his world is falling apart? Instead of acting like an inf Fe user, he acts like an inf Te user - suddenly, he’s all about the end justifying the means, being ruthless just to get results, etc. I’m not sure a case for inf Fe can be made. On the off chance I’m wrong (I’m typing this sarcastically because I do know I may be wrong), he may also be an en 6 or 9. Those are the only other options I can accept. Please, argue with me.
