Socionics case study: The Beatles

I came across an old thread on the Beatles' types, (three years old or thereabouts.) Obviously, that thread was started long before anyone here knew much about Socionics, so the guesses were a bit off, i.e. someone said they were all Alpha. I thought about this b.s. this morning, as I have the week off from school.

In terms of Socionics, the Beatles worked well together because both Lennon's and Harrison's beta writings were balanced by McCartney's alpha writings. Beatles albums were rarely, if ever, 'too heavy' (the critique frequently levied against both Lennon's and Harrison's solo albums) or 'too light' (the general critique of McCartney's solo albums.)

More specifically, for every biting, dissonant "Happiness is a Warm Gun," or experimental "A Day In The Life," (both Lennon songs,) McCartney would counter with upbeat songs like "Your Mother Should Know," "Two of Us," or ballads like "I Will" and "The Long and Winding Road."

Sometimes different quadra voices could be heard in the same Beatles' song, e.g. "I've Got a Feeling," (a typically upbeat McCartney rock n' roll song until Lennon starts singing about having a hard year and wet dreams,) or even the 90s Beatles' song, "Free as a Bird." In other cases, McCartney would write the melody to a Lennon lyric, to make the song more commercially appealing, e.g. "Nowhere Man." Likewise, Lennon would sometimes add lyrics to McCartney songs to give them more bite, e.g. "Getting Better." ("I have to admit/ It's getting better/Better all the time." - McCartney. "It couldn't get much worse." -Lennon.)

Even the Beatles' albums can be characterized by Socionics quadra, with Sgt. Pepper dominated by alpha themes and songs, (e.g. "A little help from my friends;" "Lovely Rita," down to the album concept and cover art.) The White Album is filled with beta songs and themes, ("Revolution 9; Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey," down to the album cover and concept.)

John Lennon = ENFj ... His wife, Yoko Ono, is ISTj. Lennon's closest friend in the Beatles was Harrison, another beta NF... Critical of McCartney for years after The Beatles' break-up, (see: "How Do You Sleep?" from Imagine.) That said, Lennon seemed to envy McCartney's post-Beatles commercial success, e.g. reportedly waking Yoko up during the night and asking, "why do they always cover Paul's songs and not mine?" Also saying that "no one has caused [him] more pain in life" than McCartney. To those familiar with Socionics, the case for Lennon as ENFj becomes fairly obvious during interviews, especially post-Beatles, (see interview with Dick Cavett on YouTube.)

George Harrison = INFp ... Wife Olivia is ESTp. Solo material emphasized religion, Eastern wisdom, and mysticism. Caustic, ironic sense of humor, (see interview with Dick Cavett on YouTube.) Frequently criticized and made fun of McCartney following the Beatles' break-up, and openly resented him before it, (see: Let it Be film.) Looked to Lennon as a mentor. "The quiet Beatle," with the 'I'm looking through you' Ni look you see on people like Nick (strrrng.)

Paul McCartney = ISFp ... McCartney's long-time wife, Linda, was ENTp. Both were large proponents of vegetarianism and animal rights. As they matured, McCartney and Lennon (and Harrison, for that matter,) did not did not see eye-to-eye beyond music, (or even re: music,) i.e. different philosophies, exemplified by McCartney's reveling in the pastoral and domestic (see Ram, McCartney solo albums) vs. John's politicizing and avant-garde interests (see Plastic Ono Band and Sometime In New York City solo albums.) Defiantly released popular songs about nothing for years following the Beatles break-up, e.g. "Silly Long Songs."

Ringo Starr = ENTp ... Wife Barbara Bach (former Bond Girl, I'm pretty sure,) is ISFp. Did not write his own songs, for the most part, (except "Octopus' Garden" and "Don't Pass Me By," and maybe a couple others,) although his personality comes through in interviews. Good friends with McCartney, i.e. in the Beatles, would often vacation with McCartney, while Lennon would often vacation with Harrison.