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.

Most people go about their daily lives, oblivious to the systems that run the world around them. Investigators however, refuse to live their lives in the dark. They want to know the exact workings of everything around them, including the principles and mechanisms that go into its operation. This deep yearning for knowledge lets them explore a great many topics, making Investigators exceptionally learned individuals.

However, these interests are often short lived. Investigators tend to jump from topic to topic, moving on to whichever subject that piques their curiosity. Their easily distracted nature makes it hard for them to commit to any interest, deeming it all irrelevant as soon as the topics get dry. Hence, Investigators may be competent in various fields, but they might never truly be a master of one.

Ultimately, knowledge is only valuable when put into practice. But Investigators tend to dive into topics without a goal in mind. They take in knowledge of the most trivial matters—things that bring no benefit to their lives. Without a sense of direction, Investigators might never accomplish anything significant, as they will forever be wasting their time and energy on pointless subjects.

Even when the odds are stacked against them, Investigators can always find their way out of a sticky situation. With a sharp analytical mind, they are able to easily identify the mechanisms behind an issue, giving them an edge in deducing the optimal course of action. Simply put, Investigators are capable of outsmarting almost any problem, enabling them to traverse the complexities of life unscathed.

However, their ability to get out of trouble can sometimes land them in an even bigger mess. Instead of spending their time forming proper, well-thought-out plans, Investigators prefer to play it by ear. This causes them to make short-sighted decisions that might harm them in the long run. Investigators may continue to improvise on the fly, but someday, they will be forced to face the consequences of their actions.

Worse yet, some Investigators may become overly cocky with their skills, thinking that it can get them anywhere in life. These Investigators might even go as far as to put themselves in tricky situations, simply to test their abilities. Unfortunately,this arrogance will only lead to their downfall, because inevitably, they will encounter a situation which they cannot escape, no matter how hard they try.

While others cower in the face of uncertainty, Investigators embrace it with open arms. They never hesitate to take a leap of faith and try something new. Because to them, these ventures are not hurdles to be surpassed, but rather opportunities to learn and grow. Wherever they go, Investigators are sure to update themselves through every new experience that comes, keeping them at the top of their game.

However, the constant pursuit of new experiences isn’t always the best approach, especially when it comes to completing tasks. Investigators may often overlook the opportunities that they have already uncovered, thinking that there might be better ones out there. This desire for more hinders their ability to finish the projects at hand. Without committing themselves to their interests, Investigators may end up with nothing to show for all their experiences.

When Investigators get too ambitious, they might hop onto new opportunities before putting any thought into them. With such reckless behavior, they tend to bite off more than they can chew, only to realize later on the grave mistake that they have made. This greed only invites trouble as they will be left with way too many responsibilities on their plate. Investigators may not realize it, but this bold attitude of theirs is often just arrogance in disguise.

Thus far, we have explored both the Investigator'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 [Investigator]