Obama mid-range ectomorphic mesomorph. This means that he is mainly ectomorphic tending toward mesomorphy putting him moderately close to the middle of the somatotype triangle. In may of 2009, a photo of Obama made the cover of the Washingtonian. A photographer took the picture while Obama was on a “brief” getaway to Hawaii. Although, that photograph isn’t exactly what an anthropologist would consider ideal it is sufficient to make a fairly good estimate of his somatotype. I am 95% sure his somatotype is 2½,4½,5½
Barack Obama Is:
Endomorphy: 2½ (Visceral)
Mesomorphy: 4½ (Muscular)
Ectomorphy: 5½ (Nervous)
Balance: 5½ (Orientational (Sensory)
Trunk Index: 1.65 (Area of Thoracic Trunk divided by Area of Abdominal Trunk)
Height:73.8 inches
Weight Pattern(pounds @ age): 159 @ 20 -168@ 30 – 175 @ 40 – 178 @ 50
Simple Temperament Description:
Nervous-Orientational-Muscular-Visceral.
Nervous (Plus) Orientational (Minus) Visceral = SEARCHING FOR STATUS.. . AVOIDS surrender and compromise and attachment.
Although there are no written tests that are 100% compatible with somatotype, the D-I-S-C inventories are generally in range of what a somatotype would predict. This is one of the best locations I’ve found for this information. Axiom Sofware’s Description of D-I-S-C Personalities When you link to the site check the following boxes for Obama’s type: High Compliance with High Influence and High Dominance.
1. C = Compliance (Moderately High)
2. I = Influence (Moderately High)
3. D = Dominance (Moderate High)
4. S = Steady ( Low)
MBTI Type INTJ (Linked to Wikepedia) (See SOMATOTYPE CHART of MBTI TYPES)
Additional Comments: I have spent 30 years studying personality and have developed a coherent typology of personalities based upon the body-typing (somatotype) scheme of W.H. Sheldon. There is a lot to this theory but here is the elevator ride description. You can describe any person first of all by what they want and how they get what they want. Secondly you can describe a person by what they avoid and how they avoid it. The strongest component of a persons constituion determines what they want. The second strongest component is how they get what they want. The weakest component is what they avoid.
Because his sensory and nervous systems are equal there is a struggle for dominance between IDENTITY which forms a rigid boudary and the SEARCHING and scanning activities of the sensory system. So there is a struggle going on between SEARCHING for IDENTITY and PLANNING for CHANGE. But since he is quite Ectomorphic the establishment of his own IDENTITY takes precedence over CHANGE. He wants change as long as he doesn’t risk anything.
This is a good fit for a college professor, lawyer or politician. He wants to be safe and secure in everything so he protects himself by checking and rechecking the facts. At the same time he enjoys the attention of people although maintaining the decorum of his position. This is evident in his two styles of speaking. His normal style is a staccatto style of delivery which springs from from his professorial core. He wants to state the terse facts but at the same time adding just a touch of emotion to engage the listener. The result is something definitely above monotone but just a little more interesting than a sing-song. His second style is that of the preacher. This is not his natural style. It is a role he mastered by sitting in church and watching the cascade of emotions that emerges from the call and response interaction of the preacher and his congregation. When he resorts to this technique he is playing the role of entertainer, and just “lovin it, yes indeed”.
Visceral, being last, means he avoids a clinging dependency and doesn’t merge well with intimates. He attends to emotional obligations as a duty – something he ought to do. This can be good enough for raising kids but it can create some strain on a wife. It is also a complaint about his reaction to the oil spill crisis.
The sensory system gathers and the nervous system selects. These are opposite functions. In combination this creates a state of moodiness. If his nervous system builds a good enough wall he loses his admirers. This loss of admirers makes him lose his main contact with others. At that point he is liable to feel his dreaded dependence welling up from his neglected Visceral system. The only system left to keep his Visceral system in check is the anger of his Muscular system. Out of this comes the sharp and critical snaps. When he sees talk radio hosts fanning the flames of resentment and robbing him of his rightful audience he is liable to react. Perhaps he over reacts to his talk radio critics.
Normally, the nervous system is good at deciding and selecting, however with sensory in the second place there is a tendency to feel that something important is being overlooked. So, this person is indiciscive. The stalemate is finally broken by deciding on the most practical course. And as a politician the most practical course is whatever will get him elected driving him to decide by looking for a consensus of the people around him. Rather than setting the pace he puts up the agenda and then expects everyone else to do the deciding. It appears that this may be his undoing. Rather than stepping up and demanding what he wants he thinks another review of the “facts” will move things along. His adaptability degenerates into indecision. He will tend to drown in an ocean of details. These qualities are admirable in an academician whose job is to teach his students to ferret out the details that will make them experts. This behavior may also be useful to a senator who needs to avoid taking a stand until he has to, but for a President this skill set is an obstacle.
What does this mean for his presidency? He needs to be decisive. He tends to start the debate by offering a compromised position. Where do you go from there. You are always going to get less than you ask for. Republicans criticize his low key approach to the Russians and Iranians but they are glad he started the healthcare debate by giving up the single payer system. Again you see the conflict between Nervous and Sensory. Instead of getting his opponents to fear him, or at least respect him he settles for what he think will get them to admire him.
