Through discussion, protect what must be protected
Guardians (Guardians; Russian Блюстители) is one of the four groups of Argumentation Style (Стиль аргументации), a group of eight types formed by the combination Ethics (F) × Rational (J).
The core principle of argumentation is "guarding and preservation" — through discussion, protect what must be protected.
In the Russian primary sources it is described as programmatic 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 Wands / Posokhi (the element Fire) of the tarot.
People belonging to the Guardians group carry within themselves a strong moral standard, and they look carefully at their own and others' conduct in its light. They are sensitive to subtle shifts of feeling, and their concern for the people they care about runs especially deep; they feel real pain when those people's happiness and security are compromised. Because they know how hard it is to recover what has been lost, they find within themselves the strength to protect relationships and values. They align their own standpoint with the values and well-being of the group, and find deep meaning in acting as its spokesperson.
The Guardian 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) × Rational (J) they share the same argumentation principle of "guarding and preservation."
That the Guardian's mode of argumentation arises from the crossing of F + J (Ethics × Rational) has a structural necessity. Ethics (F) treats "human relations, values, and morality" as the currency of discussion, and Rational (J) treats the conclusion as "fixed in advance." Their combination yields a mode that argues in order to protect established ethical values, norms, and people.
All eight Guardian types have Fe (emotional ethics) or Fi (relational ethics) in the leading function of the Ego block. This is the structure that the Russian primary sources call "programmatic ethics (программная этика)." In discussion, "Is this to be protected, or to be allowed to be protected?" is their core question, and the protection of values and people is their natural mode of argumentation. Wands of the tarot, with its symbolism of "the fire of succession and guardianship," expresses the essence of this group.
In the Russian primary sources, Guardians are described as Блюстители (functional position: programmatic ethics). They are placed in direct correspondence with the tarot's Wands / Posokhi, symbolizing the mode of argumentation as the "Fire" element among the four elements.
Below are the patterns of argumentation common to Guardian 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 Guardian types is in a Dual relation (complete complementary relation) with one specific type of the Constructor 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 Guardian type is Dual with one specific type determined by the combination of Constructor style × Quadra × Q/D.
The character of Guardians' 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 |
|---|---|
| Constructors (T + J) | Dual (rational-family complement) — The Guardian's ethical judgment and the Constructor's logical system complement each other in discussion. Guardians offer "Who is to be protected? What is moral?" and Constructors design "How is this to be systematically implemented?" — a division of labor. The best cooperative relationship. |
| Diplomats (F + P) | Share the same ethics (F) — an adjacent relation. Ethical topics are mutually intelligible, but Guardians seek fixed values while Diplomats seek situation-dependent relations, so they diverge in the determinacy of their conclusions. |
| Restructurers (T + P) | Complete opposition — both ethics vs. logic and rational vs. irrational differ; both the currency of discussion and the determinacy of the conclusion are different. The hardest combination to understand. |
The Guardian style is distributed across all eight Quadras. While sharing the same principle of argumentation — "guarding and preservation" — the mode of expression varies according to the values of the Quadra to which a type belongs.
The Guardian style places one type in each of all eight Quadras (α: ESE-D Enthusiast · β: EIE-Q Mentor · γ: ESI-Q Guardian · δ: EII-D Empath · −α: ESI-D Protector · −β: EII-Q Philosopher · −γ: ESE-Q Harmonizer · −δ: EIE-D Hero). Sharing the same principle of "argumentation for guardianship," the expression varies by the values of the Quadra.
α and −γ (the cheerful-wise / ESE-based family) protect everyday bonds and happiness with an optimistic warmth. β and −δ (the cheerful-resolute / EIE-based family) lead the group with dramatic feeling and ideals and protect a great cause. γ and −α (the serious-resolute / ESI-based family) protect individuals and principles through strong ethical selectivity. δ and −β (the serious-wise / EII-based family) protect people of worth through deep insight into human nature.
Argumentation Style is also called the "Health Group (Группы здоровья)." Interactions among Guardian types restore and nourish the mind and body of other Guardians — because their modes of argumentation are perfectly attuned and no cognitive or emotional friction arises.
When Guardians 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.