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Type 4: The Romantic
See awareness practice guidelines
Longing for what is missing
How have my attention and energy gone to what I felt was missing? In what ways did I experience a sense of longing or envy? A need for fuller connection? A yearning for ideals? How did I experience disappointment in myself? In others?
Basis: Fours’ strategy for a fulfilling life is to have nothing of substance missing. Therefore, their attention goes to what is missing.
Emotional intensity
What have I been feeling? What range of feelings? What intensity? Did my feelings go to extremes? Or did they stay appropriate to the situation? How did my feelings influence my actions? Could I sustain a steady course of action in the presence of strong or deep emotions?
Basis: The depth of feelings determines what is real, vital and important for Fours, which makes them susceptible to fluctuating moods and emotions.
Idealizing specialness
How have I been drawn to what seems special or unique? In what ways have I diminished or disdained (perhaps quite subtly) the ordinary or mundane? Have I felt pride in being different or special, or have I felt shame in being less than my ideal? In what ways have I felt misunderstood? Have I ignored or been unaware of others? How have I related events and situations back to me personally?
Basis: Fours long to be special and unique as part of making up for an underlying belief in their own deficiency and sense of lack.
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