Supportive traits are like great personal assistants that help us navigate through life’s challenges more smoothly. From handling day-to-day responsibilities to tackling complex issues, we often and consciously rely on these trusted aides—our supportive traits—knowing that they are capable and reliable at what they do. Ultimately, living in the absence of our supportive traits is akin to losing both our arms; we would struggle tremendously to function without them.

Your habits shape your identity,
and your identity shapes your habits.

James Clear

As our supportive traits come naturally to us, we tend to employ them effortlessly, as if we are writing and drawing with our dominant hand. Therefore, we often take our supportive traits for granted, not realizing how valuable they are to someone of a different archetype. If left unchecked, we might even run the risk of overusing them, preventing other parts of ourselves from flourishing.

Like our dominant traits, our supportive traits are simply facets of our personalities. Whether they are strengths or weaknesses is entirely dependent on the way we utilize them. If we cultivate and develop our supportive traits well, they can become valuable additions to our toolbox of super strengths. However, if we use them in an unhealthy manner, the same traits will ultimately lead to our undoing.

Advocates love working as a team because that's where all the excitement lies. Oftentimes, a spring of diverse ideas and possibilities come to life when great minds come together. To harness that potential, Advocates unite people, sparking inspiration in everyone to make great things happen. Ultimately, anything imagined can be achieved together because teamwork makes the dream work.

That said, ideas are only valuable if brought to fruition. Unfortunately, nothing can ever be accomplished if Advocates abandon their ideas as soon as the spark of inspiration fades away. Plus, they have a tendency to set many ideas in motion at once, inevitably drowning themselves in an ocean of projects. In truth, it is easy to kick start collaborations, but completing them requires the will to follow through. If Advocates fail to understand this, none of their ideas will ever see the light of day.

Worse yet, some Advocates may only be productive when working alongside others. When left to their own devices, they might lack the motivation to push themselves, finding it boring to do anything alone. Ironically, collaboration is the key to success for many Advocates, yet it can also be their undoing when they harbor such a mentality. If they do not cultivate an inner resolve, they risk becoming lost and directionless, like leaves blown around in the wind.

The possibilities are endless in the minds of Advocates. Overflowing with creativity, they can easily churn out a stream of ideas with a snap of a finger, drawing inspiration from whoever they are with. Advocates are known to share these thoughts with those around them, captivating others and opening up doors to even more exciting possibilities. With Advocates around, no conversation will ever be dry, for it is always filled with thought-provoking ideas that astonish the mind.

Great ideas are usually worthless unless they can be turned into reality. More often than not, Advocates get excited over ideas that are fun but impractical. This is because they prioritize concepts that capture their imagination, over concepts that work in reality. As a result, Advocates may often come up with ideas that are out of this world. If they do not learn to balance creativity with practicality they might come across as unrealistic, which could harm their image.

While seeing a myriad of possibilities can be a blessing at first, it can quickly turn into a curse. With a million ideas going through the minds of Advocates at any given moment, they may feel extremely reluctant to commit to a single one. They may even be overwhelmed by the variety of choices available to them. Thus, many Advocates end up dabbling in different ideas but never sticking to one, earning themselves the reputation of a dreamer who accomplishes next to nothing.

Advocates are arguably some of the most open-minded people out there. They believe that anything is possible, and their insatiable thirst for the unknown drives them to look for wild and diverse perspectives. Knowing that judgment is the enemy of enthusiasm and the usual killer of novel concepts, Advocates are willing to accept most ideas with an open heart. After all, nothing is ever too crazy to talk about, as long as everyone is having a good time.

However, not all ideas are created equal. Amidst the barrage of thoughts and opinions, Advocates may find themselves engulfed by the sheer volume of possibilities presented. Yet, they may be unwilling to reject any one of them. While it is good to value everyone's ideas, Advocates must realize that some suggestions are better than others. Without focusing on the best ones, Advocates will struggle to reach a fruitful conclusion despite the multitude of perspectives gained.

Furthermore, some Advocates may confuse open-mindedness with naivete. It is important to recognize that not everything people say is necessarily true. By being too receptive to the perspectives of others, Advocates might unknowingly embrace ideas that make zero sense. To avoid this, an open mind must always be paired with a pinch of doubt. Without a healthy dose of skepticism, Advocates may be too trusting, unable to differentiate truth from nonsense.

Thus far, we have explored both the Advocate's dominant and supportive traits. In our jargon, these traits are known as one's heroic traits. Think about it, don't we all look like heroes when we put these traits to use? Not just wannabe heroes, but real ones—those who are truly powerful yet unimpressed with their own abilities.

Superhuman strength and the ability to fly are awesome superpowers that we all wished we had. But Superman doesn't pride himself in any of those abilities. To him, using those powers to save the world is just another day on the job. Similarly, even though we are great at our dominant and supportive traits, we do not find them the least bit amazing. From our perspective, there is nothing special about these mundane things that we do every day.

That said, as heroic as our traits may seem, no hero in the world is perfect. Even the most powerful heroes, such as Naruto, Thor, or Wonder Woman, have their own flaws and weaknesses. However, that does not invalidate them as heroes; it only makes them all the more admirable. The same goes for our own heroic traits. They may not be perfect, but our strive to improve them is what sets us apart.

I am not a hero. I just did what any
decent person would have done.

Miep Gies

When our heroic traits bask in the light, they will inevitably cast shadows—traits that we tend to neglect. Our shadows are foreign to us, as they are the complete opposite of our natural traits. Because we fear what we don't understand, most of us will subconsciously push away or suppress these parts of ourselves. Unfortunately, if we allow the fear of failure to overpower our minds, these suppressed shadows will eventually swallow us whole.

Nevertheless, shadows are not our weaknesses. They are simply parts of ourselves that we are unfamiliar with, and therefore, would rather avoid. But if we harness our shadows, they will eventually become our hidden strengths. It may be daunting at first to explore these dark and unknown parts of ourselves. However, with a curious mind and a compassionate heart, there's nothing to be afraid of. With that said, let us venture deep into the shadows within us.

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Shadows Within [Advocate]