MBTI Type: ISTJ

Richard is happiest in his routine, and has strong opinions on how things should, and should not, be done; he doesn’t like changes at his place of employment or on the board. He often refers back to past experiences (who he used to date, how “businesses were run in my day,” etc). Richard was devastated when Lorelai rejected their family lifestyle, went against convention, and refused to get married after she got pregnant at sixteen. He believes in having experiences – and encourages Rory to “travel” before she settles down. Richard is open to trying out new things, within reason; he has no problem eating pizza from a box if Rory introduces it. He believes Rory should open herself up to experiences and see the world, so he often sneaks her money for her planned European hiking trip. Richard shows an interest in new business ventures, and maintains an overall optimistic attitude, although he also doesn’t specifically assume he knows how the future will unfold. He’s an able businessman, whose primary focus is to take care of the financial concerns of the family. He enjoys “shop talk” and whenever he’s at a social event, Richard can be found talking business, stocks, finances, politics, etc., in the corner with like-minded individuals. He prefers to approach things with a totally rational manner, often offsetting his wife’s panic with well-thought out plans and suggestions. Richard believes in hard work, in providing for his family, and has no trouble making totally rational decisions (planning for the future, his will, etc). Though he is good-natured, laid back, and loves his family very much, Richard has no interest in discussing trivial matters with people; he’d rather read a newspaper in a corner than be forced to socialize. He creeps away from social events and parties where he has nothing in common with anyone to be alone. Richard is not comfortable expressing his feelings very often, and when they do manifest, they’re often centered around the things that he values most (his granddaughter, his business, etc).

Enneagram: 1w9 so/sp

Richard is hard-working and dedicated to providing for his family, which is one reason he finds it frustrating that their daughter “shamed” them all by getting pregnant before her coming out party. He believes in doing things the “right” way and is often ill-humored, when things go wrong at the office and/or others have shown their incompetence. He warms up to Rory once he finds out how smart she is, and how charming she can be, and then is proud to talk about her with his friends, but prior to that he just wanted to do his duty by her, and provide for her education. He sneaks her checks for her trips abroad and encourages her to take them rather than showers her with love in a verbal way. Though at times quarrelsome if the need arises, Richard will leave the room and/or tune out by reading a newspaper around his wife and daughter whenever trouble erupts. He’s quick to condemn Lorelai for acting inappropriately or childishly.