Pirates of the Caribbean: Hector Barbossa (INTJ)

Ni:

“First, your return to shore was not part of our negotiations nor our agreement so I must do nothing. And secondly, you must be a pirate for the pirate’s code to apply and you’re not. And thirdly, the code is more what you’d call “guidelines” than actual rules.”

“Yes, we know that one. Anything else?”

Barbossa from Pirates of the Caribbean appears to be an Ni dominant. His more symbolic side can be seen in the way he names the monkey Jack, as if wanting to symbolically torture or antagonize Sparrow forever. He also proclaims it as ironic to leave Jack on the same island that he did the first time. This actually transitions right into the next point; Barbossa does not learn from his past mistakes. He outrights states at one point that he won’t make the same mistake twice, yet when push comes to shove, he yields to the impulse to essentially be “symbolic” and condemn Jack to the same fate as before. Of course, this also serves to exemplify the detached nature of Ni, but more on that in the inferior Se section. He’s also shown issuing strings of dramatic insults at crew, and he declares the pirate’s code to be “guidelines.” An Si user would likely follow the rules to the letter or dismiss them completely, whereas Ni users are prone to re-interpreting the rules in a manner which either fits them best (loopholes) or is deemed the spirit of the rule. His tendency to take advantage of loopholes can also be seen in the way he interprets the deals that he makes, like agreeing to let Elizabeth go free turning into marooning Elizabeth on an island.

Barbossa is also shown to be focused, and prefers that people get to the point. He’s shown getting frustrated with others for failing to move along with whatever they are doing, or for failing to clarify their intent quickly. He jumps to the conclusion that Jack knows whose blood they need, most likely with the intent to hasten Jack’s explanation. He also fixates one thing throughout the entire first movie, which is beyond just breaking the curse, but specifically eating apples again.

Te:

“I won’t take questioning or second guesses not from the likes of you, Mr. Twigg.”

Barbossa is bossy, demanding, and ambitious. He creates a plan to overthrow Jack, and takes control of the crew and the ship. Unlike Jack, he has no problem presenting himself as a commander. He doesn’t struggle to bark orders, or tell people what to do. He refuses to allow people to question him or second guess him. He’s blunt in nature, and arrogant. He also speaks in a more structured way, like when he lists off reasons to Elizabeth as to why he wouldn’t take her back to shore. He also talks down to people to display his superiority. He initially plays dumb with Elizabeth, and then then turns her formal language back around on her, in order to prove himself to be her intellectual superior.

Barbossa also has a tendency to prefer ceremony or formalities, which can speak to a Te user’s desire for structure or control. Barbossa essentially attempts to hold a ceremony when he believes Elizabeth’s blood will break the curse. You see him attempt a similar ceremony the second time around. He also requires Elizabeth to dress up and join him for a more formal dinner (in appearance only, though).

Fi:

“Don’t dare impugn me honor, boy. I agreed she’d go free, but it was you who failed to specify when or where.”

Barbossa thinks very highly of himself, and appears very self-confident and secure. Obviously, he is a villain with a very low moral standards, being willing to commit all kinds of atrocities. However, unlike Jack Sparrow who doesn’t care in the slightest about how people judge him as a person, Barbossa takes great offense when he is accused of lying, and his honor is called into question. This is clearly one of his self-defined standards, and a source of pride for him.

Se:

Barbossa’s inferior Se surfaces primarily in his tendencies to not commit physical acts of violence himself. His first instinct is typically to tell his men to execute someone, versus doing it himself. Additionally, he is shown marooning Jack Sparrow on an island, rather than killing him outright. Of course, he assumes that nature will do the deed for him. However, when Jack survives and Barbossa is confronted with that exact same scenario, he once again yields to that inferior Se tendency and maroons Jack on the exact same island for the second time. He could have ended Jack’s life once and for all, ensuring that the man could never get in his way again, and his failure to do so plays a key role in his downfall.

Lastly, but on a very minor note, his obsession with wanting to eat a whole bushel of apples upon gaining his mortality back could also be seen as inferior Se, mostly due to the extremity of the desire. (Rather than just wanting to eat a single apple or a wide variety of foods, he fixates on a ‘whole bushel of apples.’)