Suits: Harvey Specter (ESTP)

Se:

“Because sometimes I do things that my clients don’t like and if their ex-wives are looking over my shoulders, that’s not really a problem. But when their ex-wives are also my managing partner, that hamstrings me.”

“They thought I worked a hundred hours a day. Now, no matter what time I get in, nobody questions my ability to get the job done.”

“I don’t give advice.”

“That’s the difference between you and me, you wanna lose small, I wanna win big.”

“When you are backed against the wall, break the ******* thing down.”

Harvey Specter is a very action oriented person. He’s known for constantly being on the move, and getting the job done. He’s built up a reputation of being that way so he can have the freedom to come and go as he pleases without being questioned. Harvey would much rather act, then argue. If it seems more effective, he’ll go around someone to accomplish his goal. An example can be seen when a judge accuses Harvey of sleeping with his wife. Harvey doesn’t say a word in contradiction or feel compelled to argue. He just goes straight to the woman. Harvey is also spontaneous and spur of the moment. He’ll lie to someone on a whim, change tactics, and etc. He’s also very direct, and frequently gets comments for getting straight to the point, which can be a sign of Se/Ni. He claims to struggle with boring tasks, an example being when his boss chides him for not billing enough on a merger.

Harvey respects others who can also get the job done with as little intervention as possible from him. That is especially shown in the way he treats his associate. He’s not interested in ordering him around or advising him, like a mentor should do. Rather, he gives him the most minimal direction possible, and tells him to go do. This is very indicative of Se. He wants his associate to just go figure it out and get the job done. He doesn’t care how, even if it breaks the rules. As long as tasks are completed with as little intervention from him as possible, Harvey is satisfied. Another prime example of this (which also demonstrates a lack of Te and Si, by the way) is shown in his relationship with his secretary. He looks confused when a colleague suggests that he tell her to do something, and simply states that “I don’t tell her to do anything… She just does.”

Harvey definitely appears to be a dominant extraverted sensor. His extraverted nature is shown in moments where he loudly greets people as he passes them in the hall. He’s verbally bold, never seeming to hesitate to say anything to anyone, even when it’s not very strategically smart. He also shows a stereotypical enjoyment of things like fast cars, and seems to always be on the move. His impulsive nature is emphasized when Jessica loses her position as managing partner, and his impulse is for them to run, which Jessica argues against. He also has a tendency to physically lose control, such as punching someone or throwing something across the room when angry.

Ti:

“This goes against every fiber of my being. I’m taking your case… Probono.”

“I don’t get emotionally attached to the client.”

“You looked at the bi-laws for a tactical reason, and I want to know why.” – Boss to Harvey

“You want to change your life? Change the way you think.”

“He wins a no win situation by rewriting the rules.”

Harvey is generally emotionally detached, and a rather sharp individual. He avoids any kind of emotional attachment to a case, and is constantly berating his associate for doing the opposite. While he is loyal to those who’ve earned it, he’s eager to cut off anyone who is shown to be a liability, which is another thing he berates his associate for failing to do. He openly and almost proudly states that he doesn’t care about people, just himself. This, of course, demonstrates an extremely individualistic mindset. He also doesn’t care to give his intern any affirmation, and when he does allow a slight compliment to slip,if it’s pointed out, he’ll be quick to retract it or explain it away. He also doesn’t try to emphasize his authority over others. He simply proves his value or superiority through his actions, which is the result of his Se-Ti combination. In addition, high Te users tend to be more interested in issuing orders or asserting their authority to ensure things are done properly or efficiently, whereas Harvey generally seems uninterested in managing people, or controlling their actions in any way. This supports Ti rather than Te. A good example can be seen in his relationship with his secretary, as mentioned in the Se section.

Harvey shows little concern for what is moral or ethical. He doesn’t recognize any authority or imposed structure beyond his own personal rules for himself, which are typically made for logical reasons rather than an internal value. (For instance, he will not sleep with a married woman, but this is due to the potential fallout drama rather than morals. In his mind, it’s just not worth it.) Due to his failure to recognize authority, Harvey is constantly skirting rules. He’ll ignore direct orders constantly, to the point that his boss has learned to strategize around it. He’ll go behind his client’s back to do whatever he thinks is best. He has few noticeable boundaries for his actions.

Harvey doesn’t expect anything more of his associate than he expects of himself. For instance, his associate starts gloating and then gets taken aback when he thinks Harvey disapproves. However, Harvey explains that “Gloating is fine. You just have to not suck at it.”

Fe:

“You read books. I read people.”

“You are a reflection of me, and I absolutely care about me.”

“Get it through your head. First impressions last.”

“I like to smile at people who don’t like me.”

Harvey’s Fe is shown in three main ways. The first and most obvious is his openly antagonistic or flippant nature. He likes to call out the fact that people don’t matter to him, which is the result of low Fe taking on an anti-group mentality. He likes to provoke people, and revel in a certain degree of conflict. Inferior Fe is typically a bit more insecure, while tertiary Fe will find greater enjoyment in conflict and take pride in its stable and stronger use of Fe. He likes to mock others, but also claims that he only mocks people who are “above average”, which essentially means that he only mocks people that he somewhat respects.

The second way is in his manipulation of others through charm and image. He’ll tell someone exactly what they want to hear if it benefits him. (A tactic he uses frequently with his clients.) He’s also openly admitted that he uses emotions as a tool, which is an Fe tactic, rather than something you’d get from an NTJ. He often relies on his ability to read people. He focuses heavily on his appearance, always having perfectly done hair, clean shaven, and wearing fancy suits. He berates his associate for frequently downplaying the importance of image and appearance. (This image focus is also a result of his Se-Fe combination = Aesthetics + focus on others or societal expectations.)

Lastly, Harvey can be very loyal to others whom he deems are worth the effort. He gives his associate multiple chances in spite of failures, and tells him several times to cut off his drug dealing friend. (Advise which he means sincerely, although, it comes off as harsh and self-serving.) He also intervenes on his behalf in some related personal matters. Another good example of his Fe is shown when his driver gets in trouble. Harvey actually goes beyond his standard nature, and takes on the case for his driver completely pro bono, although he appears to struggle slightly when admitting it, which is a sign of low feeling in general. He even goes as far as to say not tell anyone that he did it because it would ruin his reputation.

Ni:

“I knew that you knew that I knew that.”

Harvey’s tendency to get straight to the point and read into things (as mentioned earlier) also ties into his Ni function, and general lack of Ne. He’s quick to make a guess when he thinks something is going on. Although, when asked how he knew, he’ll often say that he didn’t, but now he does. This demonstrates low Ni.

Harvey also tends to subconsciously process case roadblocks or dilemmas. He’ll be shown dealing with something else or someone else, and then will suddenly get a classic Ni “aha!” moment, when something random that he sees or hears provides him the answer he was looking for in another case. He’s frequently stealing or implementing the ideas or concepts that he sees others implementing, rather than coming up with a complicated strategy of his own, which also suggests a low intuition function.

His dominant Se or inferior Ni is also portrayed in the way he immediately and quickly applies any new strategy or piece of information, without much planning or forethought. In addition, Harvey’s lack of willingness to mentor his associate or explain things to him demonstrates a general lack of foresight, since it periodically creates more problems that Harvey has to step in to resolve later. (A little more direction at the beginning could have avoided future issues entirely.)