The Personality Game

The Personality Game is a fun way to learn about personality types and their unique � and often quirky � traits.  This personality system focuses on improving team-work and increasing productivity within a company.

Components of The Personality Game:

Overview of the Personality Game 

Primary Life Role - Basic Personality Type (Archetype)

Perspective - Outlook on Life

Reactive Center - Primary Response to Events

Attitude - Viewpoint Toward Life

Mode - Primary Method of Approaching Life

Dragons  - Personality Dragons �Obstacles to Make the Game Challenging

Goal  - Primary Motivator

Related Articles

• Training - Corporate workshops available. 
• Rules to Play - Playing the Personality Game
• Overview of The Michael Teachings - Teachers of this system and other resources.
• Personality Quiz - take the short online quiz yourself to find your Role. 
• Personality Roles  - more in-depth look at the Roles. (September 1999)
• Stress - How Stress Affects the Roles We Play (May 2002)
• How the Roles Affect the Workplace (September 2002)
• Coping with Change  - how the different Perspectives deal with Organizational Change (May 1997)
• Personality Dragons and how they relate to the workplace. (June 1999) 
• Slaying the Dragons  - tips for dealing with the dragons. (July 1999)
• Overcoming Obstacles to Success  - Moving Beyond the Obstacles in the Workplace (October 2000)
• The Nine Needs and how they relate to the workplace. (June 1997) 
• 4 Pillars of Vitality  - Finding balance in life and work. (September 1997)
• Attitude is Everything - describes the 7 attitudes (November 2003)
• Maslow's Hierarchy - How Maslow's Hierarchy Relates to the Personality Game
• Famous People Database - large sample of personality traits for famous people, places, organizations and countries
• Personality Game Jokes - just for fun.  
• New Models of Education - How the Personality Game compares to the Myers-Briggs System - Sarah Chambers (March 2002) 
• Expanding Your Personal Power  -  Jose Stevens (May 1998)
• Cording/De-Cording - excerpt from Tao to Earth with new graphic
• Conflict and Conflict Resolution (newsletter article, February 2005)
• 7 Personality Roles in the workplace (newsletter article July 2009) 
•   Personality Types:  The Seven Roles (newsletter article October 2010)

"Overview" - Components of The Personality Game

The Personality Game is adapted for use in corporate environments from the work of Dr. Jose Stevens (Pivotal Resources, Inc. / The Power Path Seminars) and others.  Dr. Stevens, is a psychotherapist with over 20 years experience in personal growth counseling, and founder of Essence Psychology and The Integral Personality System.  He is the author of The Personality Puzzle and other books describing the roots of this particular personality system.

Many modern schools of philosophy and psychology illustrate facets of this system.  Readers of Abraham Maslow, Carl Jung, Eric Erikson and Sigmund Freud will find a ring of familiarity, particularly the use of archetypes to describe personality traits.  Elements of this system were taught by George Gurdjieff, P.D. (Peter) Ouspensky and Rodney Collin. Readers will discover many of the underlying tenets resonate with Eastern philosophy and the Enneagram system.

What It Is  
The Personality Game is a name used to convey the enjoyable aspects of a system that can be viewed as very complex or as great fun.  We prefer to view it as a fun way to learn about yourself and others.  

Use a little or use a lot - it's up to you how to use it!   Have fun with it.  Play with it.  See  how it can work for you and those you interact with.   Use it to make your life more interesting.  Find yourself and see how to be more of who you really are - rather than what your parents wanted for you or your boss thinks you should do, or your spouse wants you to be.  Be who YOU really are.  Do what YOU love to do.  

Summary of The Personality Game
The Personality Game is a practical, down-to-earth system of understanding yourself and others called a "Personality system."
That is, it identifies people's personalities into Seven Primary Categories, called Roles (Artisan, Sage, Server, Priest, Warrior, King, and Scholar).
In addition, there are influencing layers (also called "overleaves"), which make each person's entire personality a very rich and unique set of traits.  The basic layers are: Reactive Center, Perspective, Goal, Attitude, Mode, Personality Dragon and other Influences.

• Perspective: A person's core values that direct their outlook on life.

• Primary Reactive Center: The way people react first to situations and issues in a lifetime. The Centers used are: Emotional, Intellectual, Moving, Instinctive.   There are three other centers that may be used for special purposes.

• Goal: The primary motivator for a lifetime.  The Seven Goals are: Discrimination, Acceptance, Re-Evaluation (or Abbreviation), Growth, Submission, Dominance, Relaxation.

• Attitude: The primary viewpoint for a lifetime.  The Seven Attitudes are: Skeptic, Idealist, Stoic, Visionary (Spiritualist), Cynic, Realist, Pragmatist.  (See Articles for more in-depth information)

• Mode: The primary way issues are addressed in a lifetime.  The Seven Modes are: Caution, Power, Reserve, Passion, Perseverance, Aggression, Observation.

• Personality Dragons: The part of us that provides challenges to overcome in achieving our goals.  The Seven Personality Dragons are : Self-Destruction, Greed, Self-Deprecation, Arrogance, Martyrdom, Impatience, Stubbornness. Many of us have two Dragons, just to make life more interesting. (See Articles for more in-depth information)

• The Nine Basic Needs: We each have three of the nine needs that are very high on our priority list.  The nine needs are: Security, Adventure, Freedom, Exchange, Power, Expansion, Acceptance, Communion, Expression.  It is up to us to recognize our needs and find ways to fulfill them. (See Articles for more in-depth information)

• Other Influences: Each individual person is also affected by:
  Secondary Role Influences (the flavor of one or two other Role traits beyond the primary Role), 
  Body Type (i.e., tall, short, thin, heavy-set, delicate, sturdy, athletic, plain, beautiful),
  Family History (the type of "imprinting" and "expectations" that derive from our Parents and Family of Origin), 
  Individual Life History (what experiences you've had), and 
  Individual Life Goals and Interests.  The combination of the layers and unique traits make each human being a completely unique person with a completely unique personality.

• Remember:  In spite of our a tendency to attach "labels" to personality traits, each person is individual and unique!  Mere words cannot adequately describe that individual uniqueness.

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"Role" - Basic Personality Type (Primary Life Role) - Archetypes

We added "male" sounding names as well as "female" sounding names so people can better related to the various archetype names and functions.  All Roles/Archetypes are filled with both men and women; none is better or less than the others.  They are just all different and when combined with the other personality overleaves and attributes, offer a tremendous variety of humanity that can be used in many different ways.  Understanding who you are can help you understand yourself better.  Knowing who you are can then provide some insights into other people - how we are all different and we each  unique - yet all the different Roles are important in a well-functioning society.   

• Artisan (Creative)  
  Artisans create moods, environments, things, buildings, paintings, ideas. The entertainment industry is filled with Artisans.
  Typical occupations include: artists, musicians, innovators, inventors, eccentrics, interior designers, trendsetters. (20% of the U.S. population)
  Famous People: Elvis Presley, Vincent Van Gogh, Michael Jackson, Shirley Maclaine, Marilyn Monroe, Cher, Judy Garland. Albert Einstein, Elizabeth Taylor, Steven Spielberg, Michelangelo.

• Sage (Communicator, Storyteller)  
  Sages love knowledge, which they share with large groups of people.  These are media spokespeople, public speakers, marketing/sales people.  Sages love to appear on stage and receive applause. They are light-hearted and fun to be around, sharing their love of life with as many people as possible and reminding us to have fun and enjoy life.
  Typical occupations include: communicators, entertainers, teachers, business leaders and snake-oil salesmen. (15% of the U.S. Population)
  Famous People: President Bill Clinton, President Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev, Cary Grant, Bill Cosby, Cleopatra, Thomas Edison, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Senator Robert Kennedy.

• Server (Caretaker, Facilitator)  
  Servers work behind the scenes, taking care of everyone and everything.  Servers make excellent facilitators.  Notice the way former President Carter has been able to negotiate peace agreements with several countries.  Servers tend to shy away from publicity and may try to avoid attention.
  Typical occupations include: nurses, nurturers, helpmates, healers, clerks, caretakers of all kinds. (10% of the U.S. Population).
  Famous People: Mother Teresa, President Jimmy Carter. Phil Donahue, Tipper Gore Queen Elizabeth II, Alfred Hitchcock.

• Priest / Priestess (Inspirational Leader)  
  Found in all walks of life, Priests are inspiring, uplifting and motivating personalities.  Many people say they feel better in the presence of a priest due to their ability to be compassionate.  Priests challenge people to be the best they can be and can often see beyond the obvious to where someone's growth is blocked.  They tend to be concerned about the larger aspects of society, rather than focusing on details.  
  Typical occupations include: ministers, coaches, motivational teachers, seminar leaders, counselors, healing professionals, business leaders.  It only takes a few Priests to inspire a lot of people. (3-5% of the U.S. Population)
  Famous People:: Joan of Arc, Joan Baez, John Calvin, Carol Burnett, Julius Caesar, Princess Diana, Linda Evans, Steven Hawking, Adolph Hitler, Napoleon Bonaparte, Malcolm X, Carl Jung, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Oprah Winfrey, Reba McEntire, Imelda Marcos, Priscilla Presley, Stevie Wonder, Lily Tomlin, Nancy Reagan, President Barack Obama.

• Warrior / Champion / Strategist (Active Defender and Protector) 
  Warriors are solid folks (both men and women) that defend and protect society.  Warriors are productive, organized do-ers.  They like to make the laws and enforce the laws; they love to plan and enforce plans, they love to compete and love challenges.  They are very loyal to people and to ideals, sometimes following their "leader" without question.  Warriors like to work with physical things.  They love to organize everything and anything.  They tend to enjoy active sports and like to hang-out with other Warriors.  The U.S. promotes Warriors as the "ideal" male role model, because Warriors are the majority personality role here in the US.   Women Warriors are everywhere as well in world. 
  Typical occupations include: physicians, massage therapists, counselors who use confrontive techniques, athletes, business people, strategists, police officers, lawyers, project managers, advocates, soldiers, construction workers, organizers, solid citizens, good dependable employees. (30% of the U.S. Population)
  Famous People: John Wayne, Sylvester Stallone, Robert Redford, Oliver Stone, Fidel Castro, Hannibal, Martin Luther King Jr., Hilary Clinton, Clint Eastwood, President Dwight Eisenhower, Jane Fonda, General Norman Schwarzkopf, Jodie Foster, Richard Gere, Ayatollah Khomeini, Mary Kay Ash, President Ulysses S. Grant, Oliver North, Paul Newman, First Lady Michelle Obama.

• King / Queen / Monarch (Chief, Born Leader) 
  Kings/Queens are born leaders, usually handling very large-scale efforts throughout their life with power and authority even if they choose a career as an administrative assistant or a department supervisor.
  Typical occupations include: presidents, generals and master organizers. Not all leaders are Kings/Queens; not all Kings/Queens are famous leaders. A few Kings go a long way in a society. (1-2% of the U.S. Population)
  Famous People: Charlemagne, Diahann Carroll, Sean Connery, Queen Elizabeth I, singer Madonna, Katherine Hepburn, President John F. Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Aristotle Onassis, Billy Graham, Martha Stewart, Donald Trump. 

• Scholar (Teacher, Philosopher, Information Keeper)  
  Scholars are teachers, philosophers, writers and information gatherers of society.  Scholars truly thirst for knowledge and love to try everything just to see what it's like.  Scholars tend to be low-key people.
  Typical occupations include: philosophers, students, adventurers, anthropologists, authors, academics, teachers, librarians, researchers. (15-20% of the U.S. Population)
  Famous People: Ludwig Beethoven, President George Bush, Roger Ebert (of Siskell and Ebert), Johan Sebastian Bach, Vice President Al Gore, King Henry VIII, Steven Jobs, Immanuel Kant, Gloria Steinem, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, President George Washington.

People have a primary Role and may have one or two secondary influences.  Influences are strong Role characteristics that "influence" how their primary Role shows up in the world.  

For example, someone with a Role of Warrior and strong Priest and Sage influences will be quite different from someone with a Role of Warrior and no secondary influences.  There is nothing better about having multiple Role influences or having no other Role influences � they are just different and add to the infinite variety of the human race. 

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"Perspective" � Outlook on Life

Reality is a state of mind.  People don't see life as it is . . . they see life as they are.

"Surviving" Perspective  

• People using this perspective view life in a very inexperienced way; unable to comprehend that there is any rhyme or reason to life. "Survival" perspective people cannot handle the complexities of modern society any more than infants can manage their life. 
• Most people at the "surviving" perspective live on the fringes of society, in primitive cultures or those who are institutionalized for anti-social behaviors. 
• This perspective can be compared to Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs as the Survival Level.
  The motto of this perspective is "Life is too complicated for me to handle." (5% of the U.S. Population)
• Famous People:  David Carpenter, Richard Ramirez, Larry Singleton (all criminals).   Very few of people at this level become famous for obvious reasons.

• People using this perspective view life through the limits of rules and authority - needing to build a structure of rules and authority or breaking rules to test the limits of the authority or rules that have been created.   
• Life is very simplistic and follows a rather rigid pattern for this perspective. 
• At this perspective, following the rules is very important to the point of aggressively defending what is "right" in their view of the world. 
• People at the Rule-making perspective want everyone to follow the same rules.  They do not tolerate ambiguity or "free spirits" very well. 
• Many government bureaucrats fall into this level.  People at this perspective love making rules for everyone else to live by. 
• This perspective can be compared to Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs as the Safety/Security Level.
• The motto of this perspective is "Do it my way or else!" (20% of the U.S. Population)
• Famous People: Queen Elizabeth II, Adolph Hitler, Stephen King, Jimmy Swaggart, Rush Limbaugh, Benito Mussolini, Colonel Kadafy (Libya).

• People using this perspective view life as competition with others.  At this perspective , the focus is on making money, becoming a success, attending the "popular" schools, having the most beautiful body, car or career � typical "Yuppie" culture focus and being "politically correct." 
• The United States was a primarily a "competitive" culture focused on extreme competition with everyone and everything until the late 1980's.  Now the country is shifting into a relationship/partnership orientation. 
• The Competing perspective can be compared to Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs as the Social Level.
• The motto of this perspective is "I want to get mine first" and "He with the most toys wins!" (32% of the U.S. Population)
• Famous People: President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Billy Graham, Bonaparte Napoleon, Dan Quale, President Theodore Roosevelt, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Lucille Ball, Cher, Johnny Carson, Eddie Murphy, President John F. Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Mike Wallace, Saint Joan of Arc, O.J. Simpson, Donald Trump, John Wayne, Vanna White, Sean Connery, Mao Tse Tung.

• People using this perspective view life as cooperative - with a focus on partnership, teamwork and relationship with others.  This perspective corresponds to someone focusing on a "family" or "team" orientation where cooperation and trust become more important than the individual's needs. 
• People at this perspective have the most public relationship issues (and personal dramas) as they strive to develop good relationships. 
• The shift in the entire country's perspective to this perspective accounts for the focus on more partnership in business and international affairs.  There is a growing recognition that we can't do it all alone � that we need other people to help us. 
• Notice that the 4-person Clinton Presidential team falls in this perspective, providing leadership in the shift to more concern about people working together and helping each other.  Also, notice the almost constant relationship dramas that played out publicly. 
• This perspective can be compared to Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs as the Self-Esteem Level.
• The motto of this perspective is "Let's work it out together." (33% of the U.S. Population)
• Famous People: President Bill Clinton, Hilary Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, Tipper Gore, Aristotle, Warren Beatty, Shirley Maclaine, Angela Lansbury, Martin Luther King Jr., Bob Dylan, Oliver Stone, Meryl Streep, William Shakespeare, Elizabeth Taylor, Vincent Van Gogh, Ernest Hemingway, Michael Jackson, Julius Caesar, Princess Diana, Willie Nelson, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Marilyn Monroe, Bette Midler, Jack Nicholson, Jane Fonda, Linda Evans, Oprah Winfrey, Robin Williams.

• People using this perspective view life with more wisdom, tolerance and acceptance - seeking to teach others and seeing life as a broader vision of possibility without the intense drive for "success" at any price.  These are philosophers, teachers, business executives, mentors, gardeners, mature consultants and peaceful spiritual leaders.  They may be found anywhere that a broader perspective is valuable. 
• This perspective can be compared to Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs as the Self-Actualization Level.
• The motto of this perspective is "Live and let live." (10% of the U.S. Population)
• Famous People: Joan Baez, President Thomas Jefferson, George Burns, George Carlin, Leonardo da Vinci, Clint Eastwood, Michael J. Fox, Steven Hawkings, Carl Jung, President Abraham Lincoln, Michelangelo, Paul Newman, Yoko Ono, Dustin Hoffman, Mark Twain, Mother Teresa, Robert Redford, Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin, Werner Erhard, President George Washington.

• People using this perspective view life with detachment.  They have transcended the day-to-day existence on this planet and focus on a larger reality, beyond the concerns of the rest of us.
• The Guru perspective teaches from a place of "When I see you, I see me" and "When I serve my brother or sister, I serve myself."  (Percent of population - extremely rare).
• Famous People:  Mahatma Gandhi, John the Baptist, Prophet Mohammed, Socrates, St. Francis of Assisi, Zarathustra. 

• People using this perspective have power far beyond those of most people. 
• The Spiritual Master perspective is "Love is all there is" and "There is no you or I, there is only we," an extremely rare and enlightened person who can change the course of history.  (Percent of population - extremely, extremely rare).
• Famous People:  Abraham, Amon-Ra (the Sun God), the man Siddhartha Gautama who became Buddha, the man Jesus of Nazareth who became Christ at the end of his life, Confucius.

Related article: How the Perspectives relate to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

(*) Note: We have changed the name of the Rule-Making perspective to align more closely with Pivotal Resources and more accurately reflect what it is.  Formerly, this perspective was called "Learning."  

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"Center" - Primary Reactive Method

• Intellectual Center  
  Intellectually centered people "think" about an event when it happens, then feel or move.  Our educational system and society tends to value "intellectual" centering over the others, particularly for men.
  Predominant Traits: Intellectually centered people seem to be "cooler" than emotionally centered people, and have less ability to express their emotions. (50% of the U.S. Population)
  Famous People: President George Bush, Tom Brokow, Vice President Al Gore, Hilary Clinton, Galileo Galilei, Johan Sebastian Bach, Katherine Hepburn, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Mary Tyler Moore, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Elizabeth Taylor, Prime Minster Margaret Thatcher, Michelangelo, Star Trek's Mr. Spock and Commander Data.

• Emotional Center  
  Emotionally centered people "feel" something first, then think or move.  They react more quickly than intellectually centered people, and are more perceptive of others' feelings.  However, they may not be able to explain in words why they react or how they know something.
  Predominant Traits: Emotionally centered people seem to be "warmer" or more friendly.  Women have more freedom to express their emotions in our society.  Men who are emotionally centered may try to suppress their emotions, creating an internal buildup of energy. (40% of the U.S. Population)
  Famous People: President Bill Clinton, Judy Garland, President Jimmy Carter, Vincent Van Gogh, Rev. Billy Graham, Marilyn Monroe, Steven Spielberg, Ludwig Beethoven, Bill Cosby, Carl Jung, Tom Selleck, Meryl Streep, Beverly Sills, Mark Twain.

• Moving Center  
  Moving centered people tend to "move", then think or feel.  They may be considered "hyperactive" or "nervous" when compared to others.  Many star athletes are moving-centered.
  Predominant Traits: Moving centered people must move - it's their way of reacting to the world. Because they are a distinct minority, they are often misunderstood. (10% of the U.S. Population)
  Famous People: Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Princess Diana, Sylvester Stallone, President George Washington, Malcolm X, Bob Dylan, Boxer Mohammad Ali, Robin Williams, Eddie Murphy, Bette Midler, John Wayne, Cher, Richard Gere, Whoopie Goldberg, Ayatollah Khomeini, Paul Newman, Marlon Brando.

• Instinctive Center
  The Instinctive Center is our physical automatic system that controls the body's breathing, heart, brain functions, etc.  It's the "automatic pilot" function that keeps the body alive.  The Instinctive Center can cause you to be come fearful when things are changing too quickly - equivalent to the automatic "fight or flight" reaction.  The Instinctive Center may "remember" past events that were hurtful and when someone encounters what seems to be a similar situation, that old "fear" comes forth.  The Instinctive Center is peaceful when it feels safe and comfortable.  The Instinctive Center also  "remembers" peaceful events so that a person may feel immediately peaceful when encountering a similar situation in the future.  People use their Instinctive Center all the time but don't spend much time there in the same way as the other centers mentioned above.  
  Examples:  
  1.  When you were a small child, a very large dog ran up to you, barking viciously and showing its gigantic teeth.  You were very frightened and afraid  you were going to be eaten alive.  As an adult, every time you see or hear a large dog, you may immediately feel fearful even if your logical mind tells you there is no real danger to you 
• 2.  When you were a young child, your mother rocked you to sleep and you felt loved, safe, warm and protected.  As an adult, when you encounter a rocking motion (such as a riding in a boat, in a car or on a horse), you may immediately feel calm and peaceful.  You might even find yourself rocking your body when you are under stress as a way to stimulate that old Instinctive Center memory.  

More information about the Personality Game

The information provided on this website may not give enough information to people who want to play the game without prior experience with this system.   Corporate training programs are available for many of the components. 

Books and Resources for learning more  -  Disclosure: We get a small commission for purchases made via links to Amazon.

At present, the best resources for individual study are the books, Personality Puzzle (published in 1990) by Jose Stevens and JP Van Hulle, which contains an older version of the personality quiz and as well as descriptions of how the components work.  An excellent book to start learning more about this system.    

The new book by Elizabeth Puttick, 7 Personality Types (published in 2009), is available in bookstores or via online book sites.  See newsletter article: July 2009 - Life Roles in the Workplace.  Another excellent book to learn more about this system. 

Transforming Your Dragons by Jose Stevens (published in 1994) explains the Personality Dragons in depth as well as how to work with them in  yourself or with others you encounter.  See newsletter article:  September 2003 - Dealing with Difficult People (Recognizing & Working with Personality Dragons) (more related articles are linked on this page). 

The books may be ordered through major bookstores or from Amazon.com.  The other books about this system are listed on the Michael Teachings books page with direct links to their listing.  

Many of the teachers of this system have classes - in person or online.  

This page is http://www.itstime.com/game.htm     

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