MBTI Type: ISTP

Haymitch won his games by outsmarting and outthinking many of his opponents, and as an older man, has developed a cynical view of the world. He knows what he expects from it, and for the most part, that’s what he gets—a bunch of Capital people preying on the other districts for their perverse amusement. Once he stops drinking long enough to give Katniss and Peeta advice, however, it is valuable, and based in low Fe instincts – “You have to make them LIKE you.” Why? So they will buy you stuff when you need it, and help keep you alive. He finds this an easy tactic to teach Peeta, who is a natural at it, but much harder with Katniss. He often makes rational decisions, at the cost of his feelings, such as agreeing to volunteer for Peeta if he is called (since he has a great chance of survival), but being unable to stop Peeta from volunteering for him. Since we don’t see Haymitch in the games, it’s hard to identify his Se other than his motivational opportunism. When he sees Katniss and Peeta need help in the arena, he gets out there to drum up support and financial donations in order to ensure their survival. He tells them to keep some of their best moves under wraps, and use them to impress the donors. Haymitch has soaked his trauma in alcohol; even when the Tributes need him, he continues to recklessly self-medicate, because he can’t stand to train and then watch more of his “kids” get slaughtered. He urges them to think in the broader picture, and is sometimes more insightful than Katniss, in telling her what she represents to the districts and how valuable she is to the Rebellion.

Enneagram: 5w6 sp/so

Haymitch carefully thinks through all his decisions when it comes to giving the kids advice, and in winning his own games. He is private, withdrawn, and emotionally detached—hard for Katniss to get to know, but also in some ways, more ruthlessly rational than she is (when she gets done crying for herself, she “does the math and remembers Peeta,” as Haymitch puts it). He does not make friends easily nor show much interest in doing so, and tries to remain distant from his Tributes – his 5 wants to be objective and avoid pain as much as possible. His 6 wing is cautious, suspicious, and distrustful, with ease in making contingency plans. As an sp/so, to protect himself in the arena (sp) he appealed to the masses and made them root for him (soc), so as to fulfill any sp needs.