The People Code

First and foremost, I want to thank all those who shared their thoughts last week about keeping your marriage strong. Your comments are wonderful and I greatly appreciated reading them. THANK YOU!!!

So this Thursday I'd like to discuss some of the ideas found in Dr. Taylor Hartman's "The People Code" (also published as the Color Code)

I am utterly fascinated by PEOPLE.
What makes them who they are?
And believing in our God-given agency the way I do, I thought I'd figured out the whole nature vs. nurture debate from my psychology classes...
I thought "It's nurture and agency all the way!"
And then I started 'nurturing' these five little people who occupy my every waking moment, and it has become so obvious that they come pre-wired with drives and ideas that I never put there (which can be both inspiring and terrifying.)

They definitely have their own 'nature,' so to speak. When my lovely sister-in-law, Betsy was reading this book a year or so ago, I asked if I could borrow it in hopes of understanding my children's natures a bit better.

This book is so captivating! I soon bought my own copy. My thinking is somewhat changed forever because of it. I meet people or think about people I've known for years and find myself looking to understand them better in terms of their "People Code."

I was actually a little skeptical when beginning this book, because I don't like the idea of stereo-typing people. People are dynamic - they change and grow all the time - and if this theory was suggesting that people are just stuck the way they were born and unable to progress, then I wasn't buying into it. But that isn't the message of The People Code. This book is about striving to understand people better, get along better with your spouse, parents, children, boss, neighbors, everybody!  It offers insights into building happier relationships and knowing where people are coming from.

Yes, this book says that people are born with a certain type of nature, identified in the people code by a color - RED, BLUE, WHITE & YELLOW. And that nature means they have a driving motive, and have common strengths and weaknesses. However, we are still unique and influenced by the people around us, and we have the capacity to LEARN the strengths of other natures and tame the weaknesses of our own. He calls it being Charactered and has written a follow-up book about it. GREAT STUFF!

So, here's a very brief overview of the people code.

• RED (Motive: POWER)—These are the power wielders. Power: the ability to move from point A to point B and get things done, is what motivates and drives these people. They bring great gifts of vision and leadership and generally are responsible, decisive, proactive and assertive. 

• BLUE (Motive: INTIMACY)—These are the do-gooders. Intimacy: connecting, creating quality relationships and having purpose, is what motivates and drives these people. They bring great gifts of quality and service and are generally loyal, sincere, and thoughtful.

• WHITE (Motive: PEACE)—These are the peacekeepers. Peace: the ability to stay calm and balanced even in the midst of conflict, is what motivates and drives these people. They bring great gifts of clarity and tolerance and are generally kind, adaptable, and good-listeners.

• YELLOW (Motive: Fun)—These are the fun lovers. Fun: the joy of living life “in the moment”, is what motivates and drives these people. They bring great gifts of enthusiasm and optimism and are generally charismatic, spontaneous, and sociable.


	RED	BLUE	WHITE	YELLOW
Motive	Power	Intimacy	Peace	Fun
Needs	To look good (technically)	To be good (morally)	To feel good (inside)	To look good (socially)
	To be right	To be understood	To be allowed their own space	To be noticed
	To be respected	To be appreciated	To be respected	To be adored
	Approval from a select few	Acceptance	Kindness	Approval from the masses
Wants	To hide insecurities (tightly)	To reveal insecurities	To withhold insecurities	To hide insecurities (loosely)
	Productivity	Quality	Tolerance	Happiness
	Leadership	Autonomy	Independence	Freedom
	Challenging adventure	Security	Contentment	Playful adventure

I think I've identified my family members' colors.
Matt: Yellow        Candace: Blue
Lauren: White       Zach: Red
Gabe: Blue           Max: Yellow
Jared & Bambino #6: TBD 


And as my friends who are reading this, I'd love to know what YOUR color code is. This link will download a copy of the pdf questionnaire. 
THE HARTMAN PERSONALITY PROFILE

And if you've read this book or are familiar with the people code, I'd love to hear your thoughts about it.
You see, this is my Blue craving for 'intimacy,' it means I really really really like to hear from YOU, and make all those wonderful connections. ;D