There are already several anthologies of thinkers. Miyaki finds the following 10 groups
– The Anthropologist
– The Experimenter
– The Cross-Pollinator
– The Hurdler
– The Collaborator
– The Director
– The Experience Architect
– The Set Designer
– The Storyteller
– The Caregiver
Bright Copper Kettles has only 3:
– Spatial Thinkers: Tend to think in pictures, and can develop good mental models of the physical world. Think well in three dimensions. Have a flair for working with objects.
– Musical thinkers: Tend to think in sounds, and may also think in rhythms and melodies. Are sensitive to the sounds and rhythms of words as well as their meanings. Feel a strong connection between music and emotions.
– Existential thinkers: Like to spend time thinking about philosophical issues such as “What is the meaning of life?” Try to see beyond the ‘here and now’, and understand deeper meanings. Consider moral and ethical implications of problems as well as practical solutions.
while Massimo Pigliucci has a radically different but certainly the most differentiated classification of seven types
– “The Observer” – Knowledge is absolute, concrete, available. The only proof needed is direct experience.
– “The Truster” – Truth may not be directly known, but is knowable. All problems have solutions, but we must find them. Some people hold true beliefs, others don’t. Authorities are the best sources of right answers.
– “The Feeler” – Authorities know everything that can be known now, but the evidence is incomplete, even to authorities. So, beliefs that feel right are the ones to hold. Ultimately solutions to all problems will be known.
– “The Idiosyncratist” – All people are limited in their knowledge, and uncertainty is real. External validation of any knowledge is impossible. So-called authorities are just as limited as others. Unlike mathematics, real life problems may not be solvable. In real life a problem’s structure, parameters, and criteria for resolution are seldom clear.
– “The relativist” -Facts and truth exist, but only in context. III-structured problems abound. Any theory or perspective is as good as any other. Knowledge is what you think from where you are. Proof and evidence are entirely domain-dependent. Alternative interpretations cannot be compared.
– “The Evaluator” -Some arguments, perspectives and theories are better than others. Uncertainty is real and context is important. But… there are levels of criteria to guide evaluation. To form judgments about ill-structured problems, one must compare evidence, opinions, and arguments across contexts.
– “The Sage” -Knowledge contains elements of uncertainty, and opinion is subject to interpretation. Yet, justifiable claims about the relative merits of alternative arguments and claims can be made. We (not just I) can assert with justifiable confidence, that some judgments are more reasonable, warranted, justifiable, sensible, or wiser than other.
I am certainly Pigliucci-6, yea, yea.