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Archetypes can be used in reflection to help you recognise possible common themes and patterns in phenomena and behaviours.
Archetypal narratives
Archetypal narratives
Developmental themes
Developmental themes
From Erik Erikson's stages of psychosocial development.
Hope — Trust vs mistrust
Will — Autonomy vs self-doubt
Purpose — Initiative vs guilt
Competence — Industry vs inferiority
Authenticity — Identity vs role-confusion
Love — Intimacy vs isolation
Nurturing — Generativity vs stagnation
Wisdom — Ego-integrity vs despair
From Robert Kegan’s Self-Authorship Theory of Adult Development.
Stage 1 Impulsive mind — driven by basic impulses and immediate reactions/reflexes — other people are just objects in your environment
Stage 2 Imperial or Instrumental mind — driven by selfish goals — other people are a means to achieve your goals (or obstacles)
Stage 3 Socialised mind — driven by mutually beneficial relationships, reciprocity and social acceptance — other people are a source of affirmation (or threat)
Stage 4 Self-authoring mind — driven by authenticity and values — other people are unique individuals too
Stage 5 Self-transforming mind — driven by learning and desire to transcend limitations — other people constantly shape and are shaped by you
Universal plots
Universal plots
Christopher Booker proposed seven basic plots in literature:
Overcoming the monster — related to themes of fear and challenge
Rags to riches — related to themes of opportunity and potential
Quest — related to themes of purpose and achievement
Voyage and return — related to themes of exploration and transformation
Comedy — related to themes of misunderstanding and harmony
Tragedy — related to themes of vulnerability and failure
Rebirth — related to themes of tribulation and insight
Universal plots could be internalised into your meaning schemas, setting your expectations for particular scenarios. For example, if you perceive your interactions with a particular individual or organisation in terms of 'overcoming the monster', this will influence how you perceive their actions, how you behave and may pre-determine the outcome as a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Archetypal systems
Archetypal systems
In systems thinking there are a number of archetypal flawed systems:
Drifting goals — where it's easier to lower the target than take corrective action to achieve the original goal
Escalation — where actions perceived as a threat lead to mutual retaliation leading to unsustainable competition/conflict
Fixes that fail — where attempts to solve a problem generate unintended consequences that sustain the problem or make it worse
Growth and underinvestment — where, instead of investing in future capacity growth, standards are lowered leading to poorer performance and reduced investment
Limits to success — where external constraints limit continued growth despite increasing effort (diminishing returns)
Shifting the burden — where a quick alleviation of the symptoms of a problem is preferred to a more fundamental problem solution leading to dependency on the quick fix
Success to the successful — where those who already have an advantage are more successful and are given more advantage as a result
Tragedy of the commons — where a shared resource is depleted by individuals acting in their own interests (e.g. climate change)
Archetypal characters or roles
Archetypal characters or roles
These may represent perceptions of the various roles you, other people and other things performed during the event you are reflecting on. Would all participants perceive the same allocation of roles or functions (see Perspective shifting and self-distancing )?
It might be worth paying particular attention to occasions when participants change roles.
Algirdas Julien Greimas proposed the idea that all narratives contain certain universal actants. These are specific roles or functions that entities (characters or things) perform in order to progress the narrative. The entities may maintain the same actant role throughout the narrative, they may switch between actant roles at different points and they may perform multiple roles simultaneously.
Subject and Object. The Subject is usually the main protagonist who attempts to obtain (or dispose of) the Object. Subject and Object interact on an axis of Motivation.
Helper and Opponent. The Helper assists the Subject in their pursuit and the Opponent resists or obstructs. Helper and Opponent operate on an axis of Power.
Sender and Receiver. The Sender initiates the action and provides a sense of purpose to the Subject, whilst the Receiver benefits (or suffers) from the actions of the Subject or from the Object. Sender and Receiver operate on an axis of Meaning.
Carl Jung proposed the idea of archetypes as idealised constructs that inhabit our unconscious and influence our perceptions and expectations (such as meaning schemas might). Although he discussed a whole range of archetypal constructs, a set of 12 archetypal characters have been applied to narrative analysis and the understanding of personality.
The Innocent — seeks to do good, to achieve harmony and to avoid conflict
The Everyperson — seeks to belong, to find common ground and to avoid isolation
The Hero — seeks to prove their worth, to be strong and to avoid failure
The Caregiver — seeks to serve others, to be useful and to avoid being redundant
The Explorer — seeks new experiences, to make discoveries and to avoid purposelessness
The Rebel — seeks to test boundaries, to disrupt and to avoid conformity
The Lover — seeks intimacy, to be attractive and to avoid rejection
The Creator — seeks to innovate, to express their imagination and to avoid mediocrity
The Jester — seeks to entertain, to highlight absurdity and to avoid pomposity
The Sage — seeks to understand, to uncover truth and to avoid ignorance
The Magician — seeks to change the world, to exercise power and to avoid helplessness
The Ruler — seeks to control, to influence others and to avoid insignificance
Eric Berne's ego state model from Transactional Analysis proposes that we can interact with others based on different meaning schemas or modes
Child — based on patterns of thinking and behaviour we found to be effective or that was rewarded in the past
Parent — based on patterns of thinking and behaviour we perceived to be effective for authority figures in the past
Adult — patterns of thinking and behaviour that are reasoned responses to the present situation
Stephen B. Karpman proposed the drama triangle to describe the roles that people often perceive themselves to be performing (or switching between) in conflict situations.
Victim — Feels helpless. Seeks attention
Rescuer — Feels the guilty. Seeks affirmation
Persecutor — Feels angry. Seeks revenge
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