Beebe's eight archetypes
The Opposing Personality
The Opposing Personality is your Hero's function facing the other way: the side of you that resists, argues and defends when you feel pushed.
The role
The fifth function uses the same process as the Hero, in the other direction. Beebe saw in it the opposing personality: oppositional, avoidant, suspicious, sometimes seductive, always ready to defend the ego when it feels threatened. CS Joseph calls it the Nemesis.
It often shows up around people who lead with that very function. They can seem annoying, wrong or untrustworthy to us, because they live openly what we keep in the shadow.
BeebeCS JosephSigns of the Opposing Personality
- StubbornnessRefusing to move.
- ArgumentResisting for the sake of it.
- SuspicionTrust no one.
- ParanoiaThey are against me.
- Hidden hostilityPassive aggression.
- ProjectionBlaming others.
- DefensivenessBuilding walls.
- FrictionCreating resistance.
- DoubtConstant questioning.
- Hidden warningSensing risks others miss.
Its gift, and its trap
The gift
- A backup for the Hero when it fails.
- A second, reverse view of your own strength.
- A sharp eye for risks.
The trap
- Stubbornness and suspicion.
- Passive aggression.
- Projection: seeing in others what you do not see in yourself.
The light it shadows
It is the shadow of the Hero, seat 1: your main strength, turned around.
BeebeGrowing with it
Notice who annoys you most, and why. The Opposing Personality is often projected onto people who lead with it. Taking it back gives your Hero a second way of using its own gift.
BeebeIn the hero's journey
The threshold guardian: the figure who blocks the way at the edge of the unknown, and tests whether the Hero is ready to cross.
How all eight seats fit Campbell's story: The hero's journey within.
MazWiz readingThe Opposing Personality in each function
Every function can sit in this seat, and it feels different in each. Yours is marked.Pick your type at the top to see yours.
Introverted IntuitionENFP ENTPYou
Other people's predictions make you suspicious. When pushed, you insist things could turn out any number of ways, or you fix on a gloomy forecast nobody can talk you out of. Made conscious, it lets you check your options against where they lead.
Extraverted IntuitionINFJ INTJYou
Unasked for ideas and endless options can feel like a threat. When pushed, you shoot down every alternative, or grow suspicious of what others might be planning. Made conscious, it lets you test a plan against what could go another way.
Introverted SensingESFP ESTPYou
Tradition and "how we always did it" can make you dig in. When pushed, you hold on to your own habits, or bring up old grievances. Made conscious, it lets you learn from what has already happened.
Extraverted SensingISFJ ISTJYou
The pressure of the moment can make you dig in. When pushed, you refuse to act on demand, or push back hard against anyone who tries to force your hand. Made conscious, it gives you a sharp sense of what is really happening.
Introverted ThinkingENTJ ESTJYou
Picky logic can put you on the defensive. When pushed, you argue every detail to prove the other person wrong, or refuse any reasoning but your own. Made conscious, it helps you check your ideas for consistency.
Extraverted ThinkingINTP ISTPYou
Being told what is efficient can make you dig in. When pushed, you resist plans and orders, or quietly prove that the system does not work. Made conscious, it helps you measure what you do.
Introverted FeelingENFJ ESFJYou
Other people's strong personal values can make you suspicious. When pushed, you dig in on what you want, or treat their feelings as unreasonable. Made conscious, it helps you know what you yourself care about.
Extraverted FeelingINFP ISFPYou
Group feelings and social expectations can make you dig in. When pushed, you refuse to play along, or doubt other people's kindness. Made conscious, it helps you see how your words land.
The texts are our reading of Beebe. BeebeMazWiz reading