Zombies Ruin Everything

Spoilers! You’ve been warned!

While ESFJs are generally thought to be the most motherly of all types, there is another side to that coin. And on the other side of that coin is a manipulative and vicious aspect you don’t see coming until it’s too late and you’re screwed because she’s your mom.

Just playing, mom.

Cersei Lannister may be evil, but it’s the kind of evil that some parents will justify when they look at the world as being against they’re family unless they fight fire with fire.Cersei’s dominant function is Fe. Doubt that? It’s understandable. But while Fe is usually harmonizing, it can also be twisted in the worst way. Now, it seems a common mistake with a “twisted” type is that their inferior or “lower” functions take over and an INFJ becomes a cold-hearted mastermind, but this isn’t the case.

But Cersei is certainly acting within the full power of her functions, she’s just not a good person. It seems when it comes to an antagonist people get in their minds that while the this type or that type is something to take seriously, the ESFJ is one to just brush off and scoff at.

Yet Cersei’s desire for power and her family’s continued stronghold on the seven kingdoms is a frightening one, especially considering she would prefer Joffrey in the throne simply because he’s her son. Nevermind that he’s a sadist and she knows he’s terrible.

“You always hear the terrible ones were horrible babies. ‘We should have known even then. We should have known.’ It’s nonsense. Whenever he was with me, he was happy.” -Cersei on Joffrey.

“HeEee…”

Cersei’s first function is Fe. How is this possible? ESFJs are supposed to make people feel all gushy and gooey, like the cookies they just baked! Take a step back, typists! ESFJs can be real bitches too! Guys and gals! Their combination of Fe and Si make them very intuitive (Yeah, I said it) when it comes to others’ feelings and what they need…or at least what the ESFJ thinks they need. If your mother or a woman, maybe one you didn’t even know that well tried to tell you what to do as though you weren’t capable of making your own decision, this was probably an ESFJ.

No matter what position they’re in, their strength lie with people, not pragmatism. They have a love for a certain type of power but not the kind that involve decision-making past matters concerning loved ones, as Cersei has proven herself over and over again.

Take a look at what A Wiki of Ice and Fire says about her-

Cersei is willful, ambitious and has a certain low cunning. She is, in her opinion, politically astute and thinks of herself as her father’s daughter, and feels slighted when people do not jump to her erratic commands. She resents the customs and conventions put on her because of her gender, but never realizes that people do not come to her or respect her commands because she is an ineffectual leader.

“The fuh?”

Now this isn’t to say that ESFJs can’t lead, but as mentioned, their strengths lie with their relations to the people around them. And Cersei’s relationship with the people around them is not a good one.

One of the weaknesses of an ESFJ that Cersei shows an unnumbered amount of times is her willingness to shrug off good advice in favor of what she already believes. Cersei hates anyone around her that isn’t her family and unfortunately, Sansa is around. Throughout all seasons, Cersei constantly berates Sansa almost as if she’s seeing a younger version of herself- and she hates it.

Her blaming her own problems on others even goes so far as to point the finger at Tyrion and Sansa as the ones who actually committed the crime. It wasn’t a thought that came about after thinking on who could have done it, but the newlywed couple were immediately blamed and that was who was going to be executed for it. This wouldn’t be uncommon for someone to be blamed in a murder but there didn’t seem to be a thought in Cersei’s head about it. Joffrey pointed at Tyrion while dying so Cersei went with it and threw Sansa in as well.

“It’s not that I hate you, I just wish you were dead.”

This is not to say a dominant thinking type would be calm and collected during their kid’s death but to scream outwardly and immediately blame the two closest people she doesn’t like is more a feeling preference user.

Cersei Lannister seems like the ultimate (evil) ESFJ in a way: She’s had been a queen, or queen regent. She’s surrounded by family, and she lives in a time resembling the age where tradition ruled and there was a clear hierarchy in society. Good thing for Cersei her family is on top. At least for now.

“Me? Oh, I just woke up like this.”

Why Not INTJ: While Cersei does love the idea of ruling, several times in the show as well as descriptions in the books display Cersei’s ineptitude at ruling when she’s actually in the position. There are no moments to make you realize Cersei’s plan had been cultivating behind the scenes nor do we see a hint of planning on her part. She even denounces Littlefinger’s subtle assertion that secrets are a form of power in favor of the more blunt “Power is power.”

Cersei lives in the castle and tries to perform her motherly and queenly duties. At least when she thinks it matters. Her love of family (except Tyrion) and power are her only driving forces and power to an SJ means security. And being queen definitely has security.

This entry was posted on 09/24/2014 at 4:09 pm and is filed under MBTI Guardians, MBTI Stuff with tags A Song of Ice and Fire, Cersei Lannister, esfj, Game of Thrones, mbti in fiction. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.