Elizabeth is a 27 year old Rational Mastermind, INTJ. She works for a government contractor as a systems analyst. Her specialty is organizing data so that the company can get all kinds of useful information out of it. When she first starts on a project, she's usually told that she's wasting time because nobody can see a use for what she is doing. She's been permitted to continue her projects because she puts in a lot of unpaid overtime working on them. Once she's finished with a project and shows people what it can do, they are amazed and start seeing many uses for it.

Elizabeth dated occasionally when she was in college. Since she graduated, though, she's been on very few dates. She has been so busy making her career that she hasn't had time for men. Now that she feels secure in her job, she is ready to make a life change. She would like to find a mate.

Her problem is that she has no idea how to go about finding a mate. It's harder to meet men now than it was in college. Elizabeth is naturally reserved and has little interest in small talk. She feels awkward trying to "chat up" men. Since she's now interested in finding a man, she's gone with friends several times to high class bars. That hasn't been very successful. Her friends have tried to be helpful, but what they have done is dress her up to be someone she's not. Elizabeth is attractive, and has little trouble attracting second looks especially since her friends have dressed her in trendy clothes. The trouble is that the men then expect a trendy woman and don't know what to make of a woman who enjoys talking about complicated, esoteric subjects. Some of them end up feeling that she's talking down to them.

Elizabeth has decided to give her friends and their bars a pass, but she's not sure what she should do next. In the meantime, she has joined a community orchestra. She loves music and enjoys its intricate harmonies. The orchestra gives her a chance to participate without having to be center stage.

After practice, she and several other members have taken to going to a nearby coffeehouse and shooting the breeze. She enjoys the opportunity to get to know people without pressure. At a recent practice, several of her little group were absent. There was only her and a man she's thought of as being too emotional. She was figuring on skipping the after practice coffee, but he seemed to assume she was coming, so she went. She had a wonderful time talking to him. It was so effortless. He was attentive and asked really good questions which showed he understood what she was saying and found it interesting. She also enjoyed listening to his stories about his work and his family. At the end, he admitted that he had been wanting to ask her out but was afraid she'd say no. She agreed to a "real" date. She is thinking maybe some emotion is a good thing in a mate.

Do you know or are you a Rational Mastermind and can you give information about how other Masterminds have dealt with the dating game?