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.

Insights rise to the surface from the complex inner world of Sages. These realizations that exist in their subconscious might drift away if not properly captured. Understanding the importance of cultivating such thoughts, Sages frequently pause to deliberate on these epiphanies. This process transforms raw insights into powerful lessons for Sages, helping them to fortify their life's purpose.

Nonetheless, this endless contemplation might cause Sages to dwell in the realm of their minds, neglecting the ongoings of the outside world. Unfortunately, certain situations in life must be dealt with urgency. Being unaware of this, Sages might inadvertently impede the progress of others through their inaction, as they have a tendency to be caught up in their own heads. Therefore, no amount of reflection or insights can prepare Sages in dealing with the external world.

To make matters worse, this overthinking might begin to stress Sages out. Negative thoughts may intrude their minds, giving birth to disastrous premonitions. Unknowingly, this constant introspection will only be turtles all the way down. If Sages don't realize this, they will begin to feel a sense of hopelessness and melancholy towards life. Without any control over their contemplations, they might end up spiralling into the darkest parts of their souls.

Sages are always pondering on the meaning of life. From time to time, epiphanies will flash across their minds, providing insights towards life's ultimate question. These realizations provide a foundation for Sages to understand the world and the purpose of their existence. By deliberating upon these profound thoughts, Sages can create a better way of living—one filled with a deeper purpose.

However, as much as Sages ruminate on their existence, they may still lack certain pieces to the puzzle. The thing about Sages is that their heads are normally stuck in the clouds, and rarely grounded in reality. Therefore, they tend to overlook facts and figures, leading to concepts that may sound like fantasies at times. Without proper evidence, Sages will have no way of validating their realizations, no matter how much time they spend contemplating on the meaning of life.

The harsh truth is that there is no singular reason for being. Regardless of how great and profound their realizations may be, insights alone cannot help Sages discover their true purpose of existence. In fact, if they continue to agonize over their role in the infinite expanse of the universe, they might end up imprisoning themselves in the confines of their own minds, giving birth to needless anxiety.

Sages are always focused on the grand scheme of things. To properly plan the journey, one must first know the final destination. Similarly, Sages require meaningful goals and objectives—such as improving one's values—before fully committing to anything. With the destination in mind, Sages will then cultivate their vision with careful attention, ensuring that they live a truly purposeful existence.

Sad to say, reality often ruins their plans. Sages may have a hard time carrying out their visions, as real life situations are usually more complicated than they think. To counter this issue, they may go back to the drawing board in hopes of designing a better plan. Unfortunately, the circumstances in life are forever changing. If Sages fail to realize this, they may face the same problems again and again, never escaping this endless cycle.

Taken to the extreme, Sages may be misled by their own visions. Certain that they possess the one true way of life, Sages may gain a distorted view of reality, only choosing to look at facts that support their perspective of life. Worst yet, they may become obsessive, clinging to their potentially baseless and absurd claims. If Sages go down this path, they will eventually lose their grip on reality, slipping into the comfort of their own illusions.

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