The eight motives of the human psyche
Discover the 8 motives of the human psyche and minimise your exposure to manipulation.
We all do it. We may be conscious we’re doing it but for the majority of the time this ingrained habitual behaviour means we’re unable to acknowledge we’re even acting that way. I’m talking about getting our own way. As they say, everybody wants to rule the world and we wilfully ignore our own selfishness in the march of our own personal agenda. We come first. Humans always make decisions in their own best interest. It’s the desire to self actualise that drives the motives that dictate the actions moving the whole ‘circus-of-me’ forward and let the world beware but shhh! don’t say it out loud. Allow an innocence out of amnesia to take place in self talk. We programme ourselves to bury the deep driver of our whimsical earthly extravagances in the recesses of our ego. But we’re gonna need other people to help us achieve these desires so we’ll need to assemble an orchestra, of course we’ll hold the baton and only then will we be satisfied. Not until this vision manifests on this earth.
The need to mobilise and recruit to achieve a goal
We can’t achieve our dreams without other people. We look for other people to dedicate their time, their energy and their talent to the profit of the ‘circus-of-me’. We present a vision of a distinguished place to occupy, our dream is hopefully adopted as their dream. We give a promise, ‘our word’ that other people can legitimately follow this star on our journey, giving them a solution to their search for belonging.
The act of motivating others / building a tribe
Psychological manipulation is a subtle power over the psychologically vulnerable, who are easy to influence. In fact, we’re all incredibly easy to influence because we are quick to accept face value. We’re susceptible to the will of others. Our achilles heel is our addiction to truth and authenticity. The semiotics of purity creates slavery to the appearance of innocence. This has been the basis of target selection for hundreds of years of industrial revolution. People have been donating themselves and investing their lives to the benefit of another person’s profit. Put simply, their own power was being harnessed by someone else. It’s an effect of capitalism. In order for humans to form pyramid power structures, each person has to be both a manipulator and a manipulee. Yet every manipulee only wants more power up the career ladder, that is, to be more of a manipulator. You take a PAYE job and all you are is in fact, pooled expertise in a value exchange that is skewed and not in your favour.
Lyrics: The Stone Roses — What The World Is Waiting For
He loves his brother
But he’d sell him for a fistful of gold
He needs a slave for his vision of the promised land
No, I don’t believe a word
At some level, manipulation is the essence of every social interaction. In seduction: one submits to another. It is human nature to use the tactics of manipulation in order to try and secure a desired agenda and in this realm appearance is everything. Nothing succeeds like the appearance of success. We are lost in a world of facade. Signals distracting us with promises of growth and prosperity. There’s an arms race going on for people’s attention. We are gently blinded in a controlled misconception using our own desires against us to obscure people’s intentions for what they really are, meaning we can never react accordingly. We cannot know exactly what we’re getting into until it’s too late and the deal is done. It is the basis of self preservation. One person is used for the benefit of another. You are useful to them so they can achieve their ‘circus-of-me’.
The smartphone has levelled the playing field
There are no ethics around the exploitation of people’s psychological vulnerabilities. It’s capitalism. Everything that appears down the walls of our smartphones is designed to sensationalise, bait and entertain in order to survive. We promote reward-based behaviour that activates the brain’s dopamine pathways. The attention economy incentivises the design of technologies that grab our attention and in so doing, it privileges our impulses over our intentions. With a smartphone in our pocket there are now more people on the stage than in the audience and with social media anyone and everyone can distract, disrupt and persuade.
Aldous Huxley, who provided the more prescient observation when he warned that Orwellian-style coercion was less of a threat to democracy than the more subtle power of psychological manipulation, and “man’s almost infinite appetite for distractions”.
Know that this exists
It is unsettling how simple and easy it is to hoodwink other people. You create a plan to reach a goal which you cannot achieve alone, then identify a target, lure them for cash, control their perception, gain from their input towards the manifestation of your goal. Then enjoy the fruits of your improved lifestyle, reputation or both. Being on the receiving end of this you have clearly fallen into someone else’s machination, even though at the beginning it really felt like inspiration. An order where one life capitalises on another oblivious life. But how can we be more aware of other people’s agendas when their motivation is hidden behind the message?
FAKE LIGHT: https://twitter.com/thgilekaf
noun: Fake Light
Fake Light is a sophisticated artificial projection of value favouring your desires and beliefs that attracts you towards it through the promise of success. It is a lie dressed up as a moral truth.
Human beings inside a capitalist framework have evolved and emerged through education and technological advancement into savvy media operators who are masters of image exploitation giving them a tangible advantage over others who are not as fortunate. The image savvy are the new social order and as with human nature in any era, the people who are enlightened or ‘smarter’ find ways to control and manipulate the people who are not. They hold the keys to the doors of perception and they are masters of Fake Light.
Fake Light is an artificial optical version of a reality designed to pacify and appeal to neurotransmitters that stimulate the reward systems in the pleasure centers of the brain. Ultimately Fake Light makes you feel good and when we feel confident we trust and when we trust we become primed to buying goods, services or even Presidents.
Driving forwards on a positively slanted version of the real truth, Fake Light turns strangers into friends and friends into fans and fans into customers. The feeling of a genuine, natural and legitimate luminescence makes us convinced we are free, we are clean and true. We accept what we see, that this is real. The uniqueness of the signal appeals to us first emotionally then behaviourally until our affirmation turns us into hard earned long standing customers or employees.
Fake light is a ‘push’ attraction model where an idea is sold to you, as opposed to you asking the universe for something and pulling it towards you. Yes, you might be looking for an answer and a solution presents itself but it is the fragility in that opportunity that opens us all up to falling for something (or someone) that appears to be an authentic avenue towards self actualisation, when below surface-level it is not the real thing and there is another motive behind it coercing us to act. It is that motive that is pushing fake light outwards into the world, blurring the moral philosophy between right and wrong.
Fake light is fundamentally based in attraction. Fake light is controlled perception. Fake light is supported bias. Fake light is click bait. Fake light is not the deal, it’s the set up of the deal. Deal enablement. Fake light promotes blind faith in this principle.
We have a need to be part of something and that means looking for what that something is, which opens us up to something that is not what it seems. We fall for it, head over heels and commit. We do not realise on the surface that what we fall for is Fake Light.
Fake Light provides an income for people which is a working part of commerce and a healthy economy. The theoretical defence of the free market depends on consumers being rational and well informed but on the other hand, Fake Light is the elephant in the room.
Bad government is itself a product of Fake Light, for “we are prone to vote for the person who makes us the most comfortable,” even when that person’s decisions are effectively bought by special interests. So the deployment of Fake Light must boil down to the ethics of the person behind it.
So who casts Fake Light and why?
Well in some respects we all cast Fake Light in one form or another when we need assistance to shape our own worlds. From a strategic point-of-view it is crucial to have a greater understanding of other people’s motivation so we can make better life decisions based upon other factors than purely face value. To do that we have to become aware of the individual nuance of purpose and motivation behind the tactics and deployment of Fake Light. So getting into the deeper moral codes of the human psyche.
Who are they?
Why are they doing what they’re doing?
What are they constructing?
Where are they going?
What can you expect from them behaviour-wise?
The 8 Archetypes of Enterprise
1. The Champion [BEE]
When I operate people know I’m a pro.
Controlled, careful and principled. Done according to a sense of what is right.
Responsible, helpful, conscientious, reliable, devoted, hardworking, sociable, organised, technician, friendly, dependable, punctual.
Doer.
Guardian — Judging
MBTI: ISFJ, ISTJ / ESFJ, ESTJ
Champion’s purpose/ambition is driven by a quest for respect and adulation in their personal worth, as a result of realising their own potential. They want to feel valuable, appreciated and publicly acknowledged for their craft.
Primary Needs:
• Certainty — Achieving order, security and control.
• Mastery — To conquer a specialism.
Secondary Needs:
• Significance — To feel important or needed by others.
• Love and connection — To feel a connection to your team, or support and admiration from your fans or your audience.
• Growth — To experience personal evolution and improvement.
Champions need to cast an image revealing adequacy, role model status and above all talent, to attract training and technical support of their craft. This image aims to bring sponsored support to provide a platform which then ultimately pipelines an audience of fans.
Bee — symbolic value of providence.
Progressive, dedicated, industrious, and hard-working, hence the term “busy bee”. Bee is a symbol of perseverance and accomplishing the impossible. It also knows the importance of stopping and smelling the flowers. Bees are amazing builders. An emblem of abundance, industry, communication, teamwork and fruitfulness. Bee is the symbol of goal achievement. No matter how big your dream is. The bee symbolises community, brightness and personal power.
Example champion: Serena Williams — American tennis player.
2. The Idol [PEACOCK}
My ability needs to be visible to many people.
A person who needs to be significant and a shining example to the world.
Dependable, practical, thorough, methodical, Efficient, Direct, Task-oriented, Pragmatic, Traditional, Loyal, Stable, Active, Planners.
Drive. Wants to matter. Validation. Reputation. Leave a legacy and become immortal. Assert your own story.
Guardian — Judging
MBTI: ISFJ, ISTJ / ESFJ, ESTJ
The idol’s purpose/ambition is driven by a desire to make their mark on the world through attention seeking art using their entire body as a sheer spectacle begging to be noticed. They want to feel confident and passionate about their craft and project that with conviction to the widest audience possible.
Primary Needs:
• Autonomy — To unapologetically self express.
• Mastery — To get conquer a specialism.
• Contribution — To give beyond yourself to others.
Secondary Needs:
• Significance — To feel important or needed by others.
• Growth — To experience personal evolution and improvement.
• Variety — The need for challenge and stimulation.
• Love and connection — To feel a connection to your team, or support and admiration from your fans or your audience.
Idols need to cast a powerful image that entertains and seduces, creating a personal platform and captive audience/tribe to monetise with future content consumption that spreads a stream of cultural knowledge in their vision and embodiment.
Peacock is a symbol of the integrity and beauty we can achieve when we endeavour to show our true colours. Peacock brings you confidence, flamboyance, stature and a sense of accomplishment. Peacock revels in being the center of attention. Peacock teaches us how to project honour and grace. Peacocks are conscious of the beauty and personal charm they radiate. There’s a reason somebody cooked up that phrase, “proud as a peacock”. Peacock energy can remind us we are amazing, and we should fan out our assets to land the opportunities we are seeking. Show class, have pride, and display character. Peacock’s gifts bring confidence, stature and accomplishment. Peacock symbolism: vision, royalty, spirituality, awakening, guidance, protection, & watchfulness.
Example idol: Lady Gaga — American singer-songwriter.
3. The Svengali [FOX]
I need to control other people.
Someone who manipulates or controls another with selfish or sinister motives.
Logical, analytical, independent, critical, competent, reserved, ambitious, intellectual, private, problem-solvers, energetic, decisive, methodical, goal-oriented, motivated, career-focussed, prefers to be in charge.
Director. The power behind the throne. Mastermind. Architect.
Rationalist — Thinking
INTP, INTJ / ENTP, ENTJ
Svengali’s purpose/ambition is driven by the need for mesmeric influence over the proceedings or business of other people for the financial benefit from their strategic management and/or consultancy.
Primary Needs:
• Certainty — Achieving order, security and control.
• Mastery — To conquer a specialism.
Secondary Needs:
• Growth — To experience personal evolution and improvement.
• Autonomy — To self-govern.
Svengalis need to cast an image of empire, authority, power and control. That have to appear competent, trustworthy and reputable to attract more potential lucrative clients to work with.
The fox is often associated with the figure of the trickster, providing guidance on swiftly finding your way around obstacles, he has extreme cleverness and cunning that paved the way for the expression, “sly as a fox.” Responsive, sometimes cunning, the fox is a great guide when you are facing tricky situations. Analytical intelligence, power of deduction, observation and sharpening your physical alertness and responsiveness. The fox has long been considered as a witty, quick and intelligent. He’s the character who outsmarts humans and other animals alike and gets away even in the trickiest situations. Fox is a keen observer and skilled at remaining unnoticed with stealthy movement and the art of concealment. The phrase, “cunning like a fox” came about for good reasons. There is a good reason for the old adage: “clever as a fox”. In truth, these creatures are extremely clever, and remarkably resourceful.
Example svengali: Simon Fuller — English entrepreneur, artist manager, film and television producer.
4. The Pioneer [EAGLE]
I need to show people the way forward.
An independent explorer of knowledge and human understanding through innovation.
Independent, logical, original, philosophical, unconventional, intense, intellectual, blunt, reflective, resourceful, analytical, creative, witty, innovative, explorer, imaginative, clever, contemplative.
All about growth and the growth mindset. Visionary, mind expanding.
Rationalist — Thinking
MBTI: INTP, INTJ / ENTP, ENTJ
Pioneer’s purpose/ambition is driven by a the need to leave a mark on this world long after they are gone. They want to create a legacy that through representation and folklore provides them with immortality.
Primary Needs:
• Love and connection — To feel a connection to your team, or support and admiration from your fans or your audience.
• Mastery — To get conquer a specialism.
• Variety — The need for challenge and stimulation.
• Significance — To feel important or needed by others.
Secondary Needs:
• Certainty — Achieving order, security and control.
• Growth — To experience personal evolution and improvement.
• Contribution — To give beyond yourself to others.
Pioneers need to cast an image revealing the accolades of establishing new territories and new developments within their individual specialisms. They must appear exciting and desirable to both potential and existing employees and enterprise customers to be able to innovate and monetise their products and services.
From high above the Eagle’s vantage point allows him to discover patterns that guide us toward greater knowledge. The heights of success that the Eagle can achieve is astounding. They’re great at global thinking and, as such, make potent leaders and teachers. Eagles are strong, brave, creative and insightful. An Eagle in flight often talks about taking a different perspective on a situation that’s eluded others. Eagles see life from a broader perspective. Unafraid of the unknown, these seekers accept life’s challenges with unshakable courage, determination and confidence. Eagle is associated with vision, wisdom, strength and freedom. The predatory spirit animal symbolizes taking responsibility for one’s actions. Eagles inspire you to reach higher and become more than you think you are capable of. They bring a sense of courage and a desire to explore and grow. The eagle spreads its wings over the step into creation and fans the fire, encouraging growth of new matter.
Example pioneer: Steve Jobs — American entrepreneur.
5. The Altruist [DOLPHIN]
I need to help and support other people.
Unselfishly concerned for the welfare of others.
Deeply oriented to contribution.
Gentle, compassionate, authentic, loyal, empathetic, attentive, private, creative, curious, enthusiastic, energetic, social, encouraging, artistic, talkative, expressive, intuitive, original.
Idealist — Feeling
INFJ, INFP / ENFJ, ENFP
Altruist’s purpose/ambition is driven by a need to provide care and consideration to others helping create a more civil society for all.
Primary Needs:
• Contribution — To give beyond yourself to others.
• Love and connection — To feel a connection to your team, or support and admiration from your fans or your audience.
Secondary Needs:
• Significance — To feel important or needed by others.
• Growth — To experience personal evolution and improvement.
Altruists need to cast a role model image of how to live a caring and compassionate life. They must appear co-operative, with courtesy, kindness and compassion towards others to gain rapport, trust and respect of a potential client, customer or patient.
The dolphin represents harmony and balance, being closely in tune with their instincts. Dolphins are also a symbol of protection, compassion, sensitivity and healing. They live peacefully with other species. They are kind, caring, cooperative and generous. Their innately caring nature means they will risk their lives to save their loved ones. Dolphins teach us to be curious, inquisitive, and to enjoy life. They represent joy, affection and playfulness.
Example altruist: Nelson Mandela — Former President of South Africa.
6. The Flirt [SERPENT]
I need people to notice and desire me.
Teasing and courting of sexual attention for instrumental reasons.
Idealistic, creative, devoted, aloof, imaginative, visionary, expressive, charismatic, inspiring, friendly, introspective, readers, writers and musicians.
Alluring. Magnetic. Be seen and heard.
Idealist — Feeling
MBTI: INFJ, INFP / ENFJ, ENFP
The Flirt’s purpose/ambition is driven by the need for adulation and the accumulation of power from creating interest and intrigue around hedonistic or rebellious pursuits.
Primary Needs:
• Significance — To feel important or needed by others.
• Love and connection — To feel a connection to others, or support and admiration from your fans or your audience.
Secondary Needs:
• Variety — The need for challenge and stimulation.
• Growth — To experience personal evolution and improvement.
Flirts need to cast an image of desirability, accessibility and ultimately celebrity to project an image pouring with alluring sexual undertones, fame or wealth. This strategy is to attract an audience to ultimately be monetised.
The serpent is a symbol of pleasure, including sexual lust connected to life force and primal energy. They teach us about vitality, sensuality, and fertility. They embody feminine as well as masculine characteristics. The serpent represents the sexuality and creative potential that resides deep within us. The serpent’s messages are subtle and sophisticated signals. They are fundamentally driven by the desire to build a relationship by increasing the intimacy of it.
Example serpent: Kim Kardashian — American television personality.
7. The Outlier [CAT]
I need to stand out from other people.
Someone who stands apart from others by differing behaviour.
Resourceful, practical, flexible, independent, aloof, calm, energetic, playful, action-oriented, tuned-in, novelty-seeking, active, adventurous, humorous.
Outspoken. Expressed frankness without reserve with an aim to shock. Unconventional: Not bound by convention, rule or precedent. Individualistic.
Artisan — Probing
MBTI: ISTP, ISFP / ESTP, ESFP.
Outlier’s purpose/ambition is driven by the need for social evolution; a belief that the world is what we make it and truth comes from rejecting any blind adherence to prescriptions about the way things should be.
Primary Needs:
• Variety — The need for challenge and stimulation.
• Significance — To feel important or needed by others.
Secondary Needs:
• Growth — To experience personal evolution and improvement.
• Mastery — To get conquer a specialism.
Outliers need to cast an anti-establishment image revealing new counter-culture trends and tastes that go against the mainstream to attract and recruit the hearts and souls of like-minded people who are also thirsty for change.
The cat symbolises the qualities of independence, watchfulness, and intelligence. They project an elegant grace and air. The cat is characterised by their flexibility and agility. An animal that always lands on its feet. They are unpredictable and more often than not highly astute in all situations. Because they are aloof and stoic, a sense of mystery and magic surrounds them. Cats carry the symbol of 9 lives, so they can afford to take some occasional big risks. They symbolise personal power, confidence and self assuredness.
Example outlier: Marilyn Manson — American rock singer.
8. The Enchanter [BUTTERFLY]
People like me because I make them feel good.
Having pleasant or attractive qualities. Readily or easily liked.
Modest, observant, understanding, caring, artistic, supportive, listeners, harmonious, kind, considerate, active, playful, talkative, enthusiastic, co-operative, spontaneous, entertainers, friendly, generous, positive, light-hearted, avoids conflict.
Expressive. Connection. To feel accepted. Charisma. Engaging personality.
Artisan — Probing
MBTI: ISTP, ISFP / ESTP, ESFP.
Enchanter’s purpose/ambition is driven by the need to be in the limelight radiating energy, enthusiasm and livelihood by entertaining or enlightening others, the larger the audience the better.
Primary Needs:
• Love and connection — To feel a connection to your team, or support and admiration from your fans or your audience.
• Contribution — To give beyond yourself to others.
Secondary Needs:
• Significance — To feel important or needed by others.
• Variety — The need for challenge and stimulation.
• Growth — To experience personal evolution and improvement.
Enchanters need to cast an image revealing a genial casual manner that warms hearts with humility and authenticity. They need to have a strong sense of fun and respect, pushing the boundaries without being perceived as rude or patronising, uniting an audience by relating to them.
Butterflies are naturally social, colourful and vibrant. They are messengers of profound transformation, renewal and happiness. Butterflies are social, outgoing “flitters” landing here and there, bringing delight as they go. A butterfly represents longevity, grace and beauty. Butterflies bring colour and joy to your life. Feeding on the flowers they help pollinate, they further spread beauty. They represent the element of air, quickly changing and always on the move. Butterflies are messengers of the moment. They remind us that life is a dance and not to take things so seriously.
Example enchanter: James Cordon — English actor, comedian, television host, and singer.
Pay attention to true colours
Hopefully now you are street-wise to Fake Light and not only can you stop manipulation before it starts, you know exactly what you’re letting yourself into with these 8 types of people. Be encouraged to see that you have the freedom, the mindset and tools to take control of how your future develops, shaping it in the ways you choose. Live the life you want without diversions created by outside influence to the contrary. Only fall for the bullshit that’s right for you.
Protect yourself
The difference between persuasion and manipulation lies in:
1) The intent behind your desire to persuade that person,
2) The truthfulness and transparency of the process, and
3) The net benefit or impact on that person
The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances. That’s the gift of penetration when there is no transparency. Be more discerning with face value. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. Never set sail using someone else’s star based purely on how it twinkles. Don’t give your power away freely. Don’t let people profit off your insecurity. And never give up on peace, decency and telling the truth.
The eight archetypes of the human psyche.
If you want to continue the conversation about Fake Light go to https://twitter.com/@thgilekaf or https://www.instagram.com/fake_light/