"Some see things as they are and say 'Why?' I dream of things that never were and say 'Why not?'" With these words, George Bernard Shaw defines the two major groups of people: the "whys" and the "why nots."
Each of these groups has internal variations depending on the specific criteria used for the classifications. On the whole, however, a general description can be worked up for both categories. People usually gravitate towards careers that identify with their style, so even a profession can be used to classify a person's personality.
Scientists and police officers are generally "why" people. This group sees every thing in terms of cause-and-effect relationships. The left-brained individuals in this category tend to be highly organized, especially with regards to time. Most "over-achievers" are classified in this group. The bulk or this country's organizations (e.g., American Chemical Society, National Organization of Women, Twins Foundation, National Geographic Society) are lead by "why" people. History provides examples of "why" people, such as Helen Keller, Sir Isaac Newton, Czar Peter the Great of Russia, and Aristotle. Barbara Walters, John Glenn, C. Everett Coop, and Tom Brokaw are modern members of this group.
Artists and novelist typify the "why nots." This right-brained group generally sees things in abstract terms. Commonly known as "scatter-brains," these people often have many irons in the fire (usually too many). America's volunteers are, for the most part, members of this idealistic group. Leonardo DiVinci, Thomas Edison, John F. Kennedy (Sr.), Martin Luther King, Jr., Bill Gates, Isaac Asimov, and Janet Dailey are just a few famous examples of "why nots."
Of course, not everyone is a "why" or a "why not." There are many people that would fall within both groups. This middle area consists of two more categories: creative "whys" and methodical "why nots."
Creative "whys" are people who view cause-and-effect situations with a more right-brained approach. Mathematicians and historians are good examples of this. Both fields are based on step-by-step progressions. However, leaps of the imagination are often required to get from one point to the next. Niels Bohr, physicist responsible for the current understanding of the hydrogen atom; Paul Erdos, mathematician who created more than 1,500 proofs and concepts in math (including the idea of prime numbers) with some 485 co-authors; and Ian Wilmut, scientist who led the group that cloned Dolly the sheep, are just a few in this category. Albert Einstein is the most famous creative "why." Despite his significant advances in science, he was once quoted as saying, "Imagination is more important than knowledge."
Methodical "why nots" are generally those that believe creativity comes from organization. Novelist Malcolm MacDonald falls into this group. Not only does he rely on highly organized notes and research while writing, he is lost without his rigid outlines and time tables. Other examples of this category are George Lucas, Octavia E. Butler, Gene Roddenbury, Henry Ford, and Christopher Columbus.
No actual person could be described as easily as these four classifications have been. However, with a little bending and stretching of the categories, nearly every individual on the planet can be slipped into one group or another.
