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07 / 15

FIFTEEN LENSES · LE MUSÉE

Merry / Serious
One axis. Two ways of seeing.

Faced with the same event, people do not always notice the same information, place judgment in the same way, or move forward in the same order. A Trait is a lens for observing that difference without ranking it.

HOW TO READ

What becomes visible through this lens?

The two poles do not describe good and bad personalities or higher and lower ability. They describe different perspectives that may come naturally. Seeing both sides expands the choices available for dialogue and collaboration.

MerrySerious
VIEWPOINT · 01

Merry

Merry types naturally read emotional atmospheres, treat fun as its own element, and weigh subjective standpoints over absolute correctness.
Emotions and Relationships
• Naturally reads emotional atmospheres; sensitive to the mood of a setting
• Can treat “fun” as an element independent of the activity itself
• Builds relationships naturally without formality, as long as the purpose is clear
• Places little weight on formal information such as names and titles

Worldview and Judgment Style
• Values subjective standards over absolute correctness
• Tries to understand others’ ways of thinking by comparing them with their own
• Believes “correctness” differs according to each person’s standpoint
• Strong tendency to present their own way of seeing the world and their own frameworks (concepts)

Behavioral Tendencies
• Rather than “you should do this,” proposes “you could also look at it this way”
• What they enjoy is involvement, excitement, participation — different from passive entertainment
• When curious about someone’s behavior, first asks “why did they do that?”

Speech and Vocabulary
• Speaks from an explicitly subjective stance: “as I understand it,” “from my point of view,” “this is how it felt to me”
• Considers aligning definitions and terms an important part of conversation and debate

Ethical types tend to lean toward subjectivism (Merry)
VIEWPOINT · 02

Serious

Serious types believe in objective, absolute standards of correctness and approach encounters and relationships through step-by-step, formal processes.
Emotions and Relationships
• Has difficulty reading emotional atmospheres and subtle moods
• Does not separate fun from activity — enjoyment is embedded within the activity itself
• Encounters must pass through step-by-step, formal processes (e.g., greetings and introductions)
• Values information such as names and titles; without a proper introduction, does not consider someone an acquaintance

Worldview and Judgment Style
• Believes correctness is determined by objective, absolute standards
• Personal opinions and experience matter, but beyond them there is “an answer that holds in general”
• In discussion, presents “the correct method” itself rather than their own view

Behavioral Tendencies
• Asks “who did it?” rather than “why did they do it?”
• When a mistake bothers them, would rather redo it themselves than explain
• Tends to believe there is a single correct answer for methods and actions

Speech and Vocabulary
• Frequent objective assertions: “this way is the most efficient,” “this is not correct”
• Rarely negotiates concepts; assumes a “correct definition” already exists
• When explaining actions, relies on examples and marks right and wrong explicitly

Logical types tend to lean toward objectivism (Serious)