People are Different

Despite our modern sense of equality and legal equity, the ancients knew that people were different and reacted differently to situations. Hippocrates, the Greek “father of medicine” postulated over 2,500 years ago, a system of four “humours” which defined four personality types.

This idea was accepted and refined over hundreds of years of European thought. Even Pavlov, the first person to describe the ‘conditioned reflex’ was struck by the importance of an animal’s temperament, in determining their ability to be conditioned.

At that time, people were, by their nature, described by one of the 4 Temperaments: Choleric, Phlegmatic, Sanguine and Melancholic.

AiKiDo principles of energetic interaction defines people by their differing energetic appearance.

We describe the 4-Energy Types by the nature of their energy states and attributes, how they operate and what they say. We learn to modify our approach to dealing with and negotiating with people depending on their energy style.

Even the US consultancy, McKinsey & Co. has recognised the importance of this approach. Under the heading “Change Leader – Change Thyself” (McKinsey Quarterly, March 2014) it noted that:

“After years of collaborating in efforts to advance the practice of leadership and cultural transformation, we’ve become convinced that organizational change is inseparable from individual change – we’ve found that the best way to achieve an organization’s aspirations is to combine efforts that look outward with those that look inward.”

The latest book released by Harvard Program on Negotiation lecturer extolls this approach and champions understanding the 4-styles and winning the negotiation first with yourself.

AiKiDo is the Japanese martial art that provides, knowledge of our difference, understanding of our similarities and experience of the application of principles of energetic interaction based on personal energy styles, the Warrior’s Way of Harmony.