PTypes - Serious Vices

PTypes - Personality Types

Serious Vices

Irrational Need
(False Good) Irrational Need to Avoid
(False Bad) Idealized Image
(Oldham, pp. 366-67) Personality Disorder
Depressive

to see current circumstances, themselves, and the future as worse than they are maintain a sober demeanor; are solemn and not given to emotional expression usual mood is dominated by dejection, gloominess, cheerlessness, joylessness, and unhappiness

to have a negative view of themselves are realistically aware of their own capabilities, but are also aware of their limitations; they are not tempted by vanity or self-importance self-concept centers around beliefs of inadequacy, worthlessness, and low self-esteem

to see themselves as bad hold themselves responsible for their actions; will not soft-pedal their own faults and do not let themselves off the hook is critical, blaming, and derogatory toward self

bad things happening in the future are thinkers, analyzers, evaluators, ruminators; will always play things over in their own minds before they act is brooding and give to worry

to see others and their behavior as bad are sharp appraisers of others; have ability to critique and evaluate other people is negativistic, critical, and judgmental toward others

bad things happening in the future anticipate problems and when the worst happens, they're prepared to deal with it is pessimistic

to see things that they have done in the past as bad suffer greatly when they realize they've been thoughtless or impolite to others is prone to feeling guilty or remorseful

Serious Vices
Irrational Need (False Good)	Irrational Need to Avoid (False Bad)	Idealized Image (Oldham, pp. 366-67)	Personality Disorder Depressive

to see current circumstances, themselves, and the future as worse than they are		maintain a sober demeanor; are solemn and not given to emotional expression	usual mood is dominated by dejection, gloominess, cheerlessness, joylessness, and unhappiness
to have a negative view of themselves		are realistically aware of their own capabilities, but are also aware of their limitations; they are not tempted by vanity or self-importance	self-concept centers around beliefs of inadequacy, worthlessness, and low self-esteem
to see themselves as bad		hold themselves responsible for their actions; will not soft-pedal their own faults and do not let themselves off the hook	is critical, blaming, and derogatory toward self
	bad things happening in the future	are thinkers, analyzers, evaluators, ruminators; will always play things over in their own minds before they act	is brooding and give to worry
to see others and their behavior as bad		are sharp appraisers of others; have ability to critique and evaluate other people	is negativistic, critical, and judgmental toward others
	bad things happening in the future	anticipate problems and when the worst happens, they're prepared to deal with it	is pessimistic
to see things that they have done in the past as bad		suffer greatly when they realize they've been thoughtless or impolite to others	is prone to feeling guilty or remorseful

A vice is a firmly held false belief of the value of something. Vices dispose us to value as good or bad things not in our power, things external to our moral character. But it is irrational and prideful to desire, or to desire to avoid, to fear, externals. The irrational needs, or vices, of the Serious type are based on particular false values.

All of the vices are rooted in pride, that firmly held false belief that we can provide ourselves with happiness by obtaining certain external 'goods' (cf. DeYoung, pp. 38-39).

If we are in the habit of making false value-judgments of particular externals, we should learn to bear the things falsely valued as bad, things for which we have an "irrational need to avoid," and forbear the things falsely valued as good, things for which we have an "irrational need." "Bear and Forbear" - Epictetus

Irrational Strategies for Obtaining Happiness

A Brief Theory of Bad Character

Rebecca DeYoung (2009). Glittering Vices: A New Look at the Seven Deadly Sins and Their Remedies. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press.

John M. Oldham and Lois B. Morris (1995). The New Personality Self-Portrait: Why You Think, Work, Love and Act the Way You Do. New York: Bantam. Oldham and Morris list the key characteristics not of an idealized image, but of a style of normal functioning.

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