In this article you will learn:
What is an archetype and how to work with it;
Jung's archetypes: what will they say about us?
How archetypes are used in marketing.
The word "archetype" is probably familiar to each of us. However, not everyone understands what this psychological term implies. Literally from Greek, it translates as "prototype." Based on this concept, at one time Gustav Jung developed the fundamental theory of personality archetypes, which gave a powerful impetus to the emergence of complex and interesting ideas from the field of philosophy, literature and psychology. What the author of the theory of archetypes, a student of Z. Freud, meant and how to determine what type you or your loved ones belong to, you will learn from the materials in this article.
What is an archetype
The archetype is an element of the collective unconscious. We inherited the legacy from our ancestors through folklore, and then, by squeaking facts in the bowels of the human soul. The concept implies a basic innate structure of a person’s mental matrix, which determines priorities, and, therefore, coordinates the direction of thinking, as well as the actions that follow it, and reactions to external circumstances.
The archetype of personality guides the choice of a person, whether it is a search for a partner, work or the formation of an attitude towards life. Understanding the specifics of an individual archetype, you can change the scenario of life by adjusting the internal settings that guide it. Psychotherapists widely use this approach and help people get rid of complexes, harmful "firmware" and all that prevents them from finding true happiness.
Jung's Archetypes
The field of psychology associated with the study of archetypes, no matter how strange it may sound, uses the above-mentioned folklore sources as a reference material. They play the role of products of the primitive consciousness of humanity. That is, between folklore and archetypes of personality there is a direct connection.
Archetypes, according to Jung's theory, are a classification of humanity, and the characteristics of a particular archetype are passed down from generation to generation on the basis of heredity. The primary image of the archetype is concentrated in the realm of the deep unconscious, which transcends the boundaries of the individual.
How do archetypes of people work in everyday life? The accentuation of archetypes is expressed in the talents, inclinations and interests of man. So, due to belonging to the archetype, it can be assumed in which direction the person will potentially succeed and whom he will choose as a life partner.
In developing the theory of archetypes, Jung borrowed names from epics and myths, as well as folklore. In the classification there are the names “Shadow” (“Mephistopheles”), “Wise old man” (“Zarathushtra”) and other associative interpretations. We will analyze these archetypes and describe them in more detail.
Wise old man
His other names are Sage, The Thinker. Based on the names, it is easy to assume what values this type puts at the base of the pyramid of its needs. This is a study of the world, its properties and qualities of the human soul. He is concentrated, calm, ready to perceive everything new and unusual. At the same time, material well-being is not so important for him as internal spiritual harmony and unity with nature. In relation to other people's vices or virtues, he is neutral. Due to their external detachment, the Sages give the impression of being cold and indifferent. But, this is not so. It’s just difficult to draw them into a dubious adventure, an idle conversation, devoid of a deep intellectual load or adventure. For fun, such people prefer deepening into inner dialogue and meditation. They think a lot, because they are known as good advisers to those who are tormented by mental anguish. In addition, the ability of the Sages to see the deep truth of a problem helps to find a solution even in the most difficult situations.
Anima
This is an archetype whose psychology carries female energy, regardless of the gender of the person. Anima is very emotional, inclined to clearly express the impulses and emotions that are seething inside. She concentrates in herself the signs of female reactions: sudden changes in mood, good intuition, the ability to sincerely and selflessly love. A man endowed with the qualities of Anima's character is impulsive, irritable, easily excitable. Sometimes excessive emotionality “turns off” common sense. Therefore, they first do, and then think about, which they later often regret.
Animus
This archetype is the opposite of the previous one. It is led by the male psychic component. Animus is responsible for opening the eyes of Anima, that is, for female insight. Women of this archetype, with external fragility, have a strong inner core. Their actions are logical, justified, and their judgments are supported by experience. They are rarely subjected to impulsive actions, harsh expressions, but at the same time, their intuition is weakened. They are not inclined to embark on adventures because they are conservative and value stability. However, this archetype also has a dark side. Excessive caution robs them of many opportunities. In addition, they are not flexible in thinking. Inability to think abstractly sometimes turns their judgments, based on "indestructible" dogmas, into absurdity.
Self
This archetype Jung considered the most complete and harmonious. He was characterized by the integrity and self-sufficiency of the individual. Within the archetype of the self, the conscious and the unconscious are in perfect balance, which balances the opposite elements of the psyche. Jung considered the archetype of selfhood to be comprehensive. It symbolizes dynamics and balance at the same time, which provides a unique opportunity for internal opposites to come to an agreement. The self is a rare archetype, therefore, within the personality it can manifest itself extremely weakly. More often this happens in a dream, where he acts as an almost invisible and barely perceptible image. However, for most people, the Self is not peculiar at all.
Shadow
Another name for the archetype is Anti-Self. This includes attitudes, habits and beliefs that are rejected and not accepted by humans. This is the dark side of the person, his demon, animal passion, which man carefully conceals and in every possible way suppresses within himself. The desire to "bury" the demon deep down is due to the inadmissibility of such manifestations within the framework of social moral standards. The Shadow component in the structure of any archetype is present in almost everyone, but it behaves differently. A devil can jump out of a snuffbox when a person is in an altered state of consciousness, is prone to mental deviations, or is in an atypical life situation.
A person
The archetype is characterized by the trait of a pretender and a skilled master of reincarnation. In other words, the Person wears masks and manifests himself differently in front of each person. This is a chameleon whose true intentions and qualities are extremely difficult to unravel. The person seems to live several lives at once. Moreover, the heroes of each of its realities may have nothing in common with each other. A person needs an audience, therefore, such a person is active, socialized, easily makes contact with each interlocutor and has a magical appeal. However, the dark side of Persona hides a desperate sociopath who rushes from one extreme to another. A thirst for adventure and a tendency to undue risk makes them dangerous, both for others and for themselves.
God
This is a whole complex of archetypes, divided by gender, which was introduced by Jung's follower J. Bohlen.
To the male archetypes God attributed:
· Zeus - strong in spirit and strong-willed and self-confident;
· Apollo - morally mature, adult and judicious;
· Hades - mysterious, secretive, calm;
· Dionysus - cheerful, sociable, keen on;
· Hephaestus - strong and hardworking;
Archetypes of women goddesses:
· Athena - warlike, wise, judicious;
· Artemis - rebellious, not enduring borders, strong in spirit;
· Aphrodite - tender, sensual, sexy;
· Hecate - mystical, prone to occultism;
· Tyufe - many-sided, contradictory, ambitious, maximalist.
Mother
This archetype is the Yin and Yang of the universe. She is the evil of all things and at the same time, its beginning. Psychology distinguishes it as a special, invariably present and emerging in the process of psychotherapy. It is curious that the effect of this contradictory archetype is manifested not only on the mental, but also on the material level. In particular, the man’s internal conflict with the archetype Mother leads to the fact that things in his hands literally “burn”, serious financial problems appear, property damage occurs. On the subtle plane, personal life may not add up; communication difficulties and difficult adaptability arise. The phenomenon of the Mother’s archetype in women also consists in the fact that the ability of a carrier to conceive a child, bear it and then give birth is determined solely by the physical condition of the uterus.
Child
Divine archetype. Inside it is hidden the most powerful spiritual potential, to preserve and carry through life, which is given to units. The archetype of the Child is a storehouse of knowledge that preserves the strength of the collective unconscious and the entire Universe. On the one hand, his external defenselessness disarms and encourages him to be protected. On the other hand, he is so strong that he can easily destroy the enemy, while remaining unscathed. At the same time, the carrier is overcome by polar emotions, with which, surprisingly, he copes well and, being so contradictory, lives a happy life.
The jester
The name of the archetype should not be associated with the foolish image of a mockingbird. Underneath is a creative multi-faceted personality, inclined to generate innovative solutions. Adventure novels and films are made about such people. This is a brave and extraordinary person, capable of putting everything at stake. The framework, the painful attitude to life, are alien to him. A jester comes out of the water dry where the rest is threatened by imminent death. He lives here and now, which causes both envy and bewilderment. Its spontaneity, irony and lightness, combined with charm, attract people. The sympathy is enhanced by the ability of the Jester to turn the problem into a fun adventure, and routine work into an exciting creative process. On the other hand, the Jester walks along a thin blade, takes risks and puts his relatives at risk, which over time is very tiring and annoying.
Witch
Endowed with this archetype, people have a strong intuition bordering on clairvoyance. They are interested in esoteric teachings, often they are followers of various religious or occult teachings. The archetype Witch has a magical appeal, is very charming and at the same time mysterious. The witch is easy to recognize. She wears amulets on her body, amulets, possibly tattoos that have a magical secret meaning. Often such people have the gift. Witches with bright energy treat, help, inspire. Dark Witches are skilled manipulators and destroyers.
Do not limit your understanding of yourself or a loved one only within the framework of one of the presented archetypes. Archetypes are facets of personality. And often in one person several get along at once. In certain situations, one of them takes the reins of government over the behavior of its carrier. There is a struggle inside that directly affects the range of interests, reactions to external stimuli, as well as the tendency to be guided by certain ideals. The archetype is just the foundation of the personality, not its building. In many ways, the manifestation of the archetype will be strengthened or suppressed by factors such as intellectual development, a sense of duty to society, education, adaptability, as well as the level of socialization.
Archetypes in Marketing
No matter how amazing the characteristics of archetypes may sound, they are all real. Moreover, taking into account their characteristics, marketers promote brands, develop the sales industry and bring to the market products that will be in demand.
This is described in detail in Margaret Mark's book “Hero and Rebel. Creating a brand using archetypes. ” The author’s research indicates that when developing a brand idea, marketers should take into account the psychological aspects of the personality, based on its needs.Thus, the created product will receive a response in the soul of the consumer and will certainly be in high demand. A well-designed advertising company prioritizes the need to be met. At the same time, using the theory of archetypes, marketers spend significantly less money on research, which in this case does not always justify itself.
Edition “Hero and rebel. Creating a brand using archetypes ”is a marketer's handbook. Using it, it is enough to conduct a pilot study, find out which archetype is interested in this product, then study the features of the archetype and issue an advertisement that most closely matches its needs.
The collective unconscious is an enormous information resource. It accurately determines what people need in accordance with their way of thinking, requirements and priorities when choosing a product. According to the author of the book, if marketers approach the development of a brand, taking into account the psychological aspect, the company will not only enter a large market, but also become unsinkable.
The theory of archetypes is an amazing psychological structure. Its application makes it possible to better understand yourself and others, promote big business and interact with society, speaking with each element in its language.