I just read through it and was inspired to take the ennegram test online. I'm all about the guilty pleasure of labeling and categorizing people based on these personality tests. I've taken the MBTI no less than 12 times.
I also wanted to post because I see a lot of similarities between my H's behavior and MJ's H. My H is very fatalistic and negative and seems to enjoy being dissatisfied and I have fallen into the trap of trying to find his happiness solution so many times. But, as we come to find out, they don't want our damn solutions. But this is hard for me, who, as it turns out, is an average to healthy Type 4 with a lot of the Type 3 influence. I just can't understand how unhappiness can be satisfying.
I did do one counseling session with a DB coach and she told me about "one-downmanship" as opposed to "one-upmanship." Instead of responding to H's negativity with a way to make things better (the way healthy, rational people would look at it), agree with how bad things are and even say they are worse. This worked a few times with my H. And when I turned it on myself and showed my own negativity and low-self esteem moments, he did an about face and marched me right back to happy land. I guess he felt I didn't belong in his land.
But, it's just one of many little techniques that works sometimes, not at all other times. Ultimately, you're right, making him happy is his job.
I'm going to soundly label my H as either a Type 5 with a 6 wing, or the other way around.
And as a communications professional and an amateur P.R. practitioner I also think it's an exciting time to be a creative type. With a good idea, and a little learned skill, you can reach more people than people just 50 years ago would have dreamed.
