Guest Post by E. J., INTJ

Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien

Dominant Te: Boromir is eager to lead other people. When Faramir wanted to go to Rivendell to learn the meaning of a strange dream (which Faramir had dreamed frequently, but Boromir had only dreamed once), Boromir insisted that he was more capable of making the journey than Faramir. Given that both of them were mature war leaders, the more likely explanation is that Boromir simply wanted to take charge of the situation. Faramir suspects that a rivalry would have sprung up between Aragorn and Boromir if Boromir had lived longer: regardless of whether Boromir claimed to accept Aragorn’s right to the throne, learning to defer to another man would have been difficult for him. Boromir can be very blunt, and he does not mind interrupting other people–even Gandalf–if he disagrees with them or thinks they are misrepresenting the facts. Boromir prefers to make his decisions using strictly empirical evidence, which sometimes brings him into conflict with the Ti-based choices of Gandalf and Aragorn.

Auxiliary Si: As soon as Boromir is allowed to make a speech at the Council of Elrond, he begins talking about Gondor’s role in upholding the traditions of Númenor, as well as his own memories of fighting to uphold those traditions. Unlike his Ne-using brother Faramir, however, he does not look far enough into the past to realize that Gondor’s current traditions under Denathor’s leadership are not entirely traditional. He defines the traditions of Númenor according to his own experiences and what his father has taught him. Boromir is unwilling to admit (despite abundant evidence to the contrary) that Gondor is weakening. His tendency to be more confident in his city than the circumstances warrant is the reason he wants to take the Ring to Gondor as soon as he learns of its discovery.

Tertiary Ne: Boromir can be receptive to new ideas–at least, if those ideas will protect Gondor and its traditions. As a result, he is willing to use the Ring, despite warnings from Gandalf and Elrond about its corrupting nature. He can occasionally suggest explanations that surprise others with weaker Ne. For instance, Boromir guesses that the mountain snow is due to Sauron’s interference in the weather, and the more knowledgeable Gandalf confirms that Boromir’s speculation actually has some validity.

Inferior Fi: Boromir has a tendency to let practical considerations override moral questions. He usually thinks more in terms of what needs to be done rather than what ought to be done. Boromir’s relatively weak moral code leaves him overly dependent on his father’s opinions, but he pays little attention to the opinions of other people, even those demonstrably wiser than his father. Boromir is less concerned with preserving harmony than with convincing others to do what he considers best. Nevertheless, he does care about the lives of his relatives and companions. Despite their father’s favoritism toward Boromir and dislike of Faramir, Boromir consistently protects his younger brother, and a good relationship exists between them. Boromir ultimately sacrifices his life to save Merry and Pippin, although they are not of central importance to the quest.