Through discussion, tune delicate relationships
Diplomats (Diplomats; Russian Дипломаты) is one of the four groups of Argumentation Style (Стиль аргументации), a group of eight types formed by the combination Ethics (F) × Irrational (P).
The core principle of argumentation is "adjusting relationships" — through discussion, tune delicate relationships.
In the Russian primary sources it is described as creative ethics, and this group is defined by the functional position used in reaching conclusions through discussion (programmatic vs. creative, logic vs. ethics). It is symbolically associated with Cups / Kubki (the element Water) of the tarot.
People belonging to the Diplomats group excel at soft thinking, rich in imagination, rather than at diagrams and rules. Artistic creativity wells up in them naturally. They have the adaptability to change their own bearing easily depending on the partner, a charm that draws people in, and the strength to behave flexibly even under unexpected social pressure. Rather than productivity and discipline, they prefer comfort and enjoyment, and creating, with their own hands, the kind of social situation in which they themselves are comfortable is what drives them.
The Diplomat style draws one type from each of Model K's 8 Quadras, for a total of 8 types. This is an important structural feature of Argumentation Style: it is a classification axis independent of the value-group (Quadra). The same mode of argumentation is shared by people of different values and different outlooks on life.
Click each type name to go to its detailed profile. The eight types each belong to a different Quadra, yet through the shared functional position of Ethics (F) × Irrational (P) they share the same argumentation principle of "adjusting relationships."
That the Diplomat's mode of argumentation arises from the crossing of F + P (Ethics × Irrational) has a structural necessity. Ethics (F) treats "human relations, feelings, and values" as the currency of discussion, and Irrational (P) treats the conclusion as "situation-dependent and fluid." Their combination yields a mode that argues in order to handle delicate situations and tune the relationship with the person in front of one.
All eight Diplomat types have Fe (emotional ethics) or Fi (relational ethics) in the creative function of the Ego block. This is the structure that the Russian primary sources call "creative ethics (творческая этика)." In discussion, "Whom do I engage with in this situation, and how?" is their core question, and adjusting relationships is their natural mode of argumentation. Cups of the tarot, with its symbolism of "the water of receptivity and adjustment," expresses the essence of this group.
In the Russian primary sources, Diplomats are described as Дипломаты (functional position: creative ethics). They are placed in direct correspondence with the tarot's Cups / Kubki, symbolizing the mode of argumentation as the "Water" element among the four elements.
Below are the patterns of argumentation common to Diplomat types, organized by stage of discussion. These are not features of an individual personality but tendencies observed statistically and structurally among people who share this style.
Each of the eight Diplomat types is in a Dual relation (complete complementary relation) with one specific type of the Restructurer group. Within discussion, logic and ethics complement each other in reaching conclusions — the most natural and stable cooperative relationship.
The important point is that the Dual relation "does not require the partner to be of the same style." A Diplomat type is Dual with one specific type determined by the combination of Restructurer style × Quadra × Q/D.
The character of Diplomats' relations with the other Argumentation-Style groups is determined by the axes they share (T/F or J/P):
| Partner style | Character of the relation |
|---|---|
| Guardians (F + J) | Share the same ethics (F) — an adjacent relation. Ethical topics are mutually intelligible, but Diplomats seek fluid relations while Guardians seek fixed values. |
| Constructors (T + J) | Complete opposition — both ethics vs. logic and irrational vs. rational differ. |
| Restructurers (T + P) | Dual (irrational-family complement) — The Diplomat's emotional relationship-adjustment and the Restructurer's logical redesign complement each other in discussion. Diplomats offer "Who feels what, and how, in relation to whom?" and Restructurers design "How should the structure be changed?" — a division of labor. The best cooperative relationship. |
The Diplomat style is distributed across all eight Quadras. While sharing the same principle of argumentation — "adjusting relationships" — the mode of expression varies according to the values of the Quadra to which a type belongs.
The Diplomat style places one type in each of all eight Quadras (α: SEI-D Mediator · β: IEI-Q Dreamer · γ: SEE-Q Performer · δ: IEE-D Publicist · −α: SEE-D Politician · −β: IEE-Q Counselor · −γ: SEI-Q Expressionist · −δ: IEI-D Prophet). Sharing the same principle of "argumentation for adjusting relationships," the expression varies by the values of the Quadra.
α and −γ (the cheerful-wise / SEI-based family) adjust comfortable relations in calm daily life. β and −δ (the cheerful-resolute / IEI-based family) bind relationships with poetic and symbolic feeling. γ and −α (the serious-resolute / SEE-based family) adjust relationships in a dominant way through flamboyant personal charm. δ and −β (the serious-wise / IEE-based family) draw out relationships through discovery-oriented insight into human nature.
Argumentation Style is also called the "Health Group (Группы здоровья)." Interactions among Diplomat types restore and nourish the mind and body of other Diplomats — because their modes of argumentation are perfectly attuned and no cognitive or emotional friction arises.
When Diplomats discuss with one another, their modes of reaching conclusions resonate and they do not become exhausted even after long discussion. On the contrary, they have the distinctive experience of "gaining vitality from discussion." This is a phenomenon confirmed in the empirical research of G. Reinin and S. Gindin, and is applied in modern organizational psychology to seating arrangement and team composition.