Archetypes Part III

The Joker is another general archetype. The joker can be very entertaining, lighten the mood, seem to always have a positive and upbeat attitude, be creative. Sounds great, right? Yes and no. On the extreme end, the joker can be naive, may never be willing to take a serious look at anything, never face problems head on, not even emotional ones. They may become quite obnoxious and also hurtful, insensitive to the feelings of others. It can also become a suit of armor to deflect and be seen by them as a way to never get hurt. If you take no one and nothing seriously then you don’t get hurt, right? No, it just means they are repressing emotions and in time can become quite cruel. One needs to know when to be lighthearted and when to be serious. The joker can lighten the atmosphere in a tense situation, but again if the joking goes too far and is constant, crass, crude, not a plus. Best not to encourage a perpetual Joker archetype, and maybe gently call them out when they are inappropriate.

The Explorer, they are adventurous, curious, always willing to explore new things, great motivation and pretty fearless. If you are going on a safari, good person to have with you, provided they are on the positive side of it. What if they are an extreme explorer? Then, you have someone who is never satisfied, always feels slighted, restless and all that, never stable, can’t commit or focus. If you are dealing with that every day of your life, it’s exhausting to them and anyone around them. They get annoyed if the attention is not on them. A certain Montecido California resident comes to mind. At some point it is important to put down roots, to be mature enough to make a commitment. That’s part of maturity, being focused on something that matters, not obsessively, but still, focused. On the negative side, the explorer can be a real pain. Be an example of focus, maturity and compromise, maybe gently and firmly make it clear you are happy to share some adventures, but you also need stability. Keep gently reminding them.

The Ruler is a person with great leadership qualities, organized, and great communicators. If you need something organized and directed like a conductor would an orchestra, this is your go to person. They will often achieve status because of the leadership qualities. Sound great, leader, organized, awesome communicator, and on the positive side, yes it is. What about the dark side of the The Ruler? Arrogance, being condescending and out of touch with what is going on in regards to others and the situation is part of the darker side of this archetype, so they may not really connect at a soul level, heart level. Those levels of connection can be important in day to day living. If someone is constantly lecturing, being know it all, when they come at you, take a breath, don’t assume they know it all, firmly and calmly let them know you appreciate the concern but you’re handling it then smile a minimal smile and maybe to to the ladies room. If they say they think this is best for you, say you appreciate the advice and will consider it, then change the subject immediately.

Hope this this archetype series, one more to go, helps you as you navigate different personalities in your life.