Feelers vs. Thinkers - A Classic Example

When Psychology, Self Help, or Astrology books
talk about compatibility between the sexes,
one of the primary classifications they use
is that we are primarily either thinkers, or feelers.
Sure, many of us do both... We have to.
But we are still either primarily one or the other.
Or we naturally start with one, and mediate with the opposite,
and some warn that feelers are incompatible with thinkers.

I myself used to be a typical Libra thinker,
and not enough of a feeler.
But so many women that I had hooked up with
were feelers, (feelers being so much fun),
that I had to understand more about them,
and in addition, to create the "in love with love",
hopeless romantic life I idealized and wanted,
I had to develop more of those "feeler talents" for myself.

One of the definitive statements of "thinkers vs. feelers"
is a play called Antigone (pronounced Antigonie.)
The original is by the famous 5th century BC
Greek Philosopher and playwrite Sophocles,
but my favorite interpretation is
by the modern adaptation by Jean Anouilh.

Antigone is a story of a brilliant King and logician, Creon,
and his impassioned arguments with his nineteen year old niece,
the model feeler and idealist, Antigone.
In order for Creon to quell the revolution in Thebes,
he needed to use his rationalization abilities
to mandate the peace that his city desperately needed.
Whereas his adversary niece,
the young "thinking from the heart" Antigone
was as equally and eloquently passionate
about her natural and ideal humanitarian beliefs,
in opposition to Creon's edicts.

It is fascinating to watch this clever King
who feels that he must explain to his young neice
how he arrives at his decisions.
And you'll understand why he must do -
what he does not really want to do -
in order to prevent "all hell from breaking loose"
in a restless city on the edge of ruin and revolution.

Through Jean Anouilh's magic, Antigone's
sensuous and idealistic naturewill win your heart,
both arguments are bound to open up
and strengthen your understanding of each side,
and pave the way to compatibility.

You won't be the same person after experiencing this book or DVD.
The book is inexpensive, but if you like great acting,
the Broadway Theatre Archive DVD version of Antigone
stars Genevieve Bujold as the young Antigone,
in one of the most fiery performances I have ever seen.
I watched in awe as Genevieve, in her impassioned fury
became so animated that she began to foam at the mouth...
as each side played out to their extremes.