The Healer Idealist is one of the 16 role variants of the Keirsey Temperament Sorter, a self-assessed personality questionnaire designed to help people better understand themselves. David Keirsey originally described the Healer role variant; however, a brief summary of the personality types described by Isabel Myers contributed to its development. Healers correlate with the Myers-Briggs type INFP.
Healers are introspective, cooperative, informative, and attentive. Their tranquil and reserved exterior masks a passionate inner life. Healers care deeply about causes that interest them, and they often pursue those causes with selfless devotion. They are highly compassionate and empathetic to the needs of others, seeking to bring peace, health, and integrity to their companions and to society at large. They want to heal the problems that trouble individuals and correct the conflicts that divide social groups.
Healers tend to be private individuals who have a strong sense of right and wrong and an idealistic worldview. They are deeply committed to things that are positive or good and may be inspired to make extraordinary sacrifices in attempts to achieve their ideals. They are prone to errors of fact as they follow their feelings more than they follow logical analysis. However, following their feelings also means that Healers seldom make errors of feeling.
Healers are often misunderstood as children. In practical minded families, their devotion to idealism may be frowned upon and may even be punished. Most other role variants can shrug off the parental expectations that don’t fit them, but Healers are greatly affected by it. They want to please their parents and their siblings and, in attempt to do this, they may mask or hide their differences. This can create inner turmoil within the Healer. Healers are often better at detecting this inner turmoil than other role variants. Healers seek unity of mind, body and spirit, perhaps because of the inner turmoil caused during their upbringing.
Healers are adaptable, patient with complicated situations, and welcoming of new ideas and information. They are impatient with routine details. As they are aware of people’s feelings, Healers relate well with others. They are also comfortable working alone given their private nature. Healers have an interest in scholarly activities and often have exceptional language skills.
Occurring in only about four to five percent of the population, and as one of the less common types, Healers can easily feel isolated. They value harmony and integrity in human relationships, but often find these values to be out of step with the more concrete pursuits of the rest of the world. Feeling "different", they may wonder whether something is wrong with them. But those differences—an ethical nature, a devotion to ideals, a commitment to harmonious interaction—are in fact some of their greatest strengths.