If humans were computers, our dominant traits would be the operating system that is embedded and hard-coded in our minds. These deeply ingrained behaviors run on autopilot, driving our every action without conscious thought. Like breathing or blinking, we can actively choose to control our actions with enough concentration. However, most of the time, our recurring behaviors seem to be driven by our subconscious, functioning effortlessly and instinctively.

Instinct is a marvelous thing. It can
neither be explained nor ignored.

Agatha Christie

Dominant traits are often mistaken as strengths in most other personality systems. But here in Personality Ninja, we hold a different view. To us, traits are just traits, shaped by the wiring of our cognitive functions. Whether a trait is good or bad largely depends on the way it is used. As such, these traits can either be the source of one's greatest strengths, or the cause of their biggest downfall.

Naturally, we will hone our dominant traits, refining them into our super strengths. However, if we are not careful, there is a chance that we may push our dominant traits into overdrive, manifesting them in very unhealthy ways. In the end, our dominant traits are our natural tendencies and nothing more. The key to harnessing them effectively lies in knowing when, where, and how to use them.

When it comes to making crucial decisions, there are few who are more qualified than Pragmatists. Their thoughts undergo a stringent process of deduction, where every nitty-gritty is properly examined. Thus, Pragmatists are able to catch the details that others often miss, granting them a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of the subject, thereby enabling them to form well-crafted opinions.

But despite their attention to detail, Pragmatists are oblivious to the social dynamics around them. Their habit of making decisions solely on their own may cause them to neglect other people's opinions. Worse yet, Pragmatists who are adamant on their ways are bound to stir up unnecessary clashes and disputes. Thus, they sometimes appear arrogant and inconsiderate, making them difficult to work with.

If left unaddressed, Pragmatists may end up living under an illusion of truth. While they value independent thinking, they may disregard public opinion, claiming that it lacks intelligent reasoning. However, important decisions are rarely made alone as they usually require group consensus to prevent bias. Hence, in the absence of external input, a Pragmatist’s logic may be subjective and flawed—a fallacy that makes sense only to them.

To Pragmatists, everything can be quantified. Thus, it only makes sense to approach life with a set of frameworks. Pragmatists devote great effort to creating robust and indisputable systems—ones that can deliver exact and precise answers every time. As such, they go about their daily lives closely adhering to these methods, ensuring that their decisions are made accurately and systematically.

While their emphasis on frameworks allows for logically precise decision-making, it can also lead to over-reliance and rigidity. Pragmatists may force-fit their systems even when alternative solutions are necessary for certain problems. Such tunnel vision will only result in ignorance, as they would never see beyond their own perspectives, only accepting the logic they want to believe.

Things get worse when Pragmatists grow overly attached to their frameworks. It may reach a point where they will stubbornly refuse to consider any solution that isn’t their own. Pragmatists may think that they are being truthful to logic, but in reality, they are simply being deaf to reason. These Pragmatists will often clash with others, insisting that they are right even when they are clearly wrong.

All too often, ideas that look good on paper turn out to be a sham in real life. Thus, Pragmatists never judge a book by its cover, preferring instead to dive deep into its workings. They closely scrutinize every aspect down to its finest detail, obtaining a complete understanding of its mechanisms, including any logical flaw that it may contain. By doing so, Pragmatists can consistently derive solid and airtight conclusions, ones that are guaranteed to work.

Pragmatists may think of their scrutiny as rational and sound. However, evidence may often suggest otherwise. Their desire to overanalyze makes them dwell on the fineprints, prohibiting them from moving on until every single detail is examined. What they fail to realize is that no matter how much they scrutinize an idea, it will never be perfect. As such, their obsessive search for accuracy may only be a waste of time.

In the extreme, Pragmatists might become overly critical individuals, always looking for errors wherever they go and never stopping to acknowledge the merits. As a result, they will only see the flaws and defects of the world, not realizing that they have opted for a life filled with pessimism. This will only fuel their frustration and discontent, as nothing will ever seem good enough for them.

Principles define a person's character; it serves as the foundation to their thoughts, actions, and beliefs. Thus, Pragmatists will ensure that their principles are as refined as they can be. They do this by constantly ruminating over their actions, using their past experiences to evaluate the validity of their tenets. This meticulous fine-tuning allows them to attain principles that closely reflect reality, ones which they can rely on to guide them through life's difficulties.

As useful as they may find it, these principles may often be flawed. Rather than having dialogues and discussions, Pragmatists prefer to ruminate on their own. Some Pragmatists may even consciously choose to ignore people's opinions, believing that it skews their decision making. As a result, their principles may only reflect their own personal reality, rather than the objective truth.

Worse yet, these principles might drift away from its intended purpose. Due to a lack of external input, Pragmatists may form maxims that are solely based on their own worldview, causing them to become overly self-serving. If left unchecked, Pragmatists may be fooled into thinking that they are staying true to their principles, when in reality, they are merely living a life clouded in self-deceit.

To wrap it up, dominant traits are neither our strengths nor are they our weaknesses. They are simply traits we tend to exhibit naturally in our daily lives without much realization.

The biggest reminder here is this: a trait is a trait. It is a unique characteristic of an archetype, each carrying its own pros and cons. With that understanding, let us now venture into the next set of traits that we do more consciously—our supportive traits.

Read next section →
Supportive Traits [Pragmatist]