ISTP 9w8 Characters

John is detached and not easily influenced. He takes even potentially insulting questions without raising an eyebrow (when a child asks him if he climbs up the walls, to get upstairs, he retorts that he uses the drapes). He has a rational perspective of Africa and his wife’s intentions to travel there (it is dangerous and he doesn’t want to endanger her life). Once Jane is kidnapped, John starts analyzing, in an attempt to save her. He improvises easily, he tends to think and then choose what to do (rather than talking it through with others), and he is detached enough to analyze himself and admit that he “had no honor” when he killed a young boy for murdering his ape-mother. He is easily adaptable, and his ability as a child to become one with the environment helped him survive where others might have died. John isn’t afraid to engage with animals; he enjoys becoming part of “the pack.” He does not back down from the apes, and is willing to fight with them in order to establish “dominance” (whatever happens, he tells his friend, don’t intervene). John is comfortable swinging through trees, boarding trains, kicking bad guys out of the way, chasing animals into stampede, and calling out alligators on his enemies. John has a gut feeling about the Africa trip – it is a bad idea. He ignore it, agrees to it, then spends the rest of the film using his deeper instincts to save Jane. He tends to listen to his friend’s ideas more than contribute his own, but is very purposeful and forward thinking (“don’t trust him, he will kill all of you!”). His instincts are often good. His emotions are subdued but present; he cares how Jane feels, and even though he’s not good at comforting her after they lost their child, he admits to her that he fears going back to Africa will make her sad. John has a sense of togetherness and unity, both with the animals and the tribe. He feels responsible for taking care of everyone in the village, and is a good motivator to bring them to action.

Enneagram: 9w8

John is an interesting combination of gut certainty (always believing he is doing the right thing and taking instant action) and aggression. He is mild-mannered and good-natured, particularly around kids, but also understands power dynamics and how to fight for the people he loves; when he returns to the jungles of Africa and encounters his “brother” (a gorilla), John tells his friend not to interfere, no matter what happens, and fights him. After he loses, he says his brother will not bother him again, since he stood up to him and lost. John often acts without needing to think about it, throwing himself off cliffs, putting his life at risk, and saving his wife, but when it comes to dealing with his enemies, he is ruthless and angry. He allows the man who kidnapped his wife to be eaten by allegators, and even calls them to the sinking ship. He also shows his line to 6 when he doesn’t want his wife to come with them to Africa, and says it’s much too dangerous for her; but he also allows her to come, after she insists, showing his own agreeable nature.