MBTI Type: ESFJ

Gomer is an anomaly, because he’s very focused on how he ‘should’ act in certain areas (such as how he feels women ought to be treated by men, and saying he was taught that way, so there’s nothing else for him to do but abide by it, even if she doesn’t like it), but clueless about other people’s feelings toward him (which isn’t the case for real Fe users). But he’s warm-hearted and lovable, and draws people to the gas station by the dozens because he’s full of stories he can tell them about the good old days, fishing, jokes he’s heard, etc. When his boss fires him for doing more talking than working, his business promptly dries up, because people just follow Gomer into town and want him to fix their cars in the sheriff’s garage. On his own show, he takes it upon himself to learn the obstacle course and practices at night, while everyone is asleep, ignoring the rules about ‘after hours’ and exhausting himself in the process so that he winds up sleeping every day. Gomer frequently gets into trouble by making emotional decisions, such as befriending a wild skunk and bringing it home, or sneaking a girl into the barracks to cheer up his friend (and because it makes her so sad to be stuck on the other side of the fence). He does all of this from a warm place of concern for people and their feelings, but ignores their needs and preferences out of traditionalism. He continues to tip his hat to a female colonel even though it angers her, because “that’s how I was taught, ma’am.” Gomer eventually wears her down by suggesting she be a little more feminine, and saying how much he knows how girls ‘like’ pretty things (he brings her flowers), as he relies on stereotypes about how women present themselves. Gomer is very nostalgic about his town and his friends, and tied heavily to his community and to what lasts in it. He often reminiscences about various things (fishing trips, when he was younger, etc). Gomer fixes cars and takes his time, often stopping to yak with the customers rather than just fill them up and send them on their way (as a 9, he tells long, rambling stories and then can’t understand why his boss gets mad). He has boundless energy unless he spends his time doing something hands-on, like fixing an engine; in one episode, he drives Andy nuts when staying at his house, because he’s fixing things in the middle of the night, running the vacuum cleaner, or shouting advice down to his friends parked in the street. Gomer can be naïve and whimsical, thinking up alternate possibilities from time to time, and is always looking for the best in others. He’s not the brightest bulb in the box, but still offers solutions to problems and is quite creative—he walks a girl right into the barracks by hiding her behind a mattress, and then marches her out dressed in military clothing. And he’s quite good at fixing mechanical things and knowing instantly from the noise a car makes what’s wrong with it (Si and Ti).

Enneagram: 9w1

Gomer’s first episode shows how much of a 9 he is in that no matter how much his sergeant yells at him, he remains calm, unaffected, and downright cheerful. He goes on throughout the series to always see the best in everyone and look on the bright side, stubbornly remaining optimistic, good-natured, and happy despite all attempts to sober him up. He’s frequently apologetic if he does anything wrong or upsets someone, even though he doesn’t think all that much about their needs. Gomer is idealistic and naïve, eager to please, but also a little focused on moral ‘good’ from time to time. He will actually break the rules and then defend it, by saying this or that isn’t ‘right’ (in one episode, he enrages a female colonel by calling her ma’am and tipping his hat to her so often that she has him doing trash duty after-hours for weeks; in another, he sneaks a girl into the barracks after being told that women aren’t allowed to visit new recruits, because that rule seems ‘wrong’). He is so eager for his sergeant to receive honors he wears himself out running the obstacle course night after night in secret, then winds up sleeping all day long in the barracks, without ever telling anyone what is going on; and he’s so sweet that he has their commander wrapped around his little finger, whereas he drives Carter insane with his rule-breaking.

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