#willowinformation

Lawful Good

A lawful good character acts as a good person is expected or required to act. He combines a commitment to oppose evil with the discipline to fight relentlessly. He tells the truth, keeps his word, helps those in need, and speaks out against injustice. A lawful good character hates to see the guilty go unpunished.

Lawful good is the best alignment you can be because it combines honor and compassion.

Lawful good can be a dangerous alignment when it restricts freedom and criminalizes self-interest.

While strict in their prosecution of law and order, characters of lawful good alignment follow these precepts to improve the common weal. Certain freedoms must, of course, be sacrificed in order to bring order; but truth is of highest value, and life and beauty of great importance. The benefits of this society are to be brought to all.  Creatures of lawful good alignment view the cosmos with varying degrees of lawfulness or desire for good. The are convinced that order and law are absolutely necessary to assure good, and that good is best defined as whatever brings the most benefit to the greater number of decent, thinking creatures and the least woe to the rest. (1)

Characters of this alignment believe that an orderly, strong society with a well-organized government can work to make life better for the majority of the people.  To ensure the quality of life, laws must be created and obeyed.  When people respect the laws and try to help one another, society as a whole prospers.  These characters strive for those things that will bring the greatest benefit to the most people and cause the least harm. (2)

These characters have a strong moral character.  Truth, honor, and the welfare of others is all-important.  They are convinced that order and laws are absolutely necessary to assure that goodness prevails.   Lawful good beings will not want to lie or cheat anyone, good or evil.  They will not stand for treachery and will not let obviously dishonorable people use their own honor against them, if they can help it.  They will obey the laws and customs of the area that they are in, but will attempt to find legal loopholes to disobey a law which is clearly evil or unjust. (3)

Lawful good characters are group and order oriented, and will cooperate with authority in all cases to promote the common weal.  Not all lawful good beings view the cosmos with an equal desire for lawfulness and goodness, so there is no such thing as a perfectly balanced "lawful good" attitude (nor a perfectly balanced attitude for any other alignment, for that matter).  In general, however, a lawful good character promotes the ideals and rights of the majority over those of the individual (and this includes himself as well as others) and upholds the rights of the weak and oppressed members of society, who should be allowed to reap society's benefits with equanimity. The lawful good being feels this is the best way that all members of society can enjoy the rights of existence together.  Life is important to the lawful good being, but life is not exclusive of order, and vice versa. (4)

Lawful good can appear to be a difficult alignment to uphold, but it must be remembered that lawful good characters are not necessarily naive or unrealistic.  At the heart of a lawful good alignment is the belief in a system of laws that promotes the welfare of all members of a society, ensures their safety, and guarantees justice.  So long as the laws are just and applied fairly to all people, it doesn't matter to the lawful good character whether they originate from a democracy or a dictator.  Though all lawful good systems adhere to the same general principles, specific laws may be different.  One society may allow a wife to have two husbands, another may enforce strict monogamy.   Gambling may be tolerated in one system, forbidden in another. A  lawful good character respects the laws of other lawful good cultures and will not seek to impose his own values on their citizens. (5)

However, a lawful good character will not honor a law that runs contrary to his alignment.  A government may believe that unregulated gambling provides a harmless diversion, but a lawful good character may determine that the policy has resulted in devastating poverty and despair.  In this character's mind, the government is guilty of a lawless act by promoting an exploitative and destructive enterprise.  In response, he may encourage citizens to refrain from gambling, or he may work to change the law.  Particularly abhorrent practices, such as slavery and torture, may force the lawful good character to take direct action.  It doesn't matter if these practices are culturally acceptable or sanctioned by well-meaning officials.  The lawful good character's sense of justice compels him to intervene and alleviate as much suffering as he can.  Note, though, that time constraints, inadequate resources, and other commitments may limit his involvement.  While a lawful good character might wish for a cultural revolution in a society that tolerates cannibalism, he may have to content himself with rescuing a few victims before circumstances force him to leave the area. (5)

When will a lawful good character take a life?  A lawful good being kills whenever necessary to promote the greater good, or to protect himself, his companions, or anyone whom he's vowed to defend.  In times of war, he strikes down the enemies of his nation.  He does not interfere with a legal execution, so long as the punishment fits the crime.  Otherwise, a lawful good character avoids killing whenever possible.  He does not kill a person who is merely suspected of a crime, nor does this character necessarily kill someone he perceives to be a threat unless he has tangible evidence or certain knowledge of evildoing.  He never kills for treasure or personal gain.  He never knowingly kills an innocent being. (5)

A lawful good character will keep his word if he gives it and will never lie.  He will never attack an unarmed foe and will never harm an innocent.  He will not use torture to extract information or for pleasure.  He will never kill for pleasure, only in self-defense or in the defense of others.  A lawful good character will never use poison.   He will help those in need and he prefers to work with others.  He responds well to higher authority, is trustful of organizations, and will always follow the law.  He will never betray a family member, comrade, or friend (though he will attempt to bring an immoral or law-breaking friend to justice, in order to rehabilitate that person).   Lawful good characters respect the concepts of self-discipline and honor. (6)

Here are some possible adjectives describing lawful good characters:   friendly, courteous, sensitive to the feelings of others, scrupulous, honorable, trustworthy, reliable, helpful, loyal, and respectful of "life, love, and the pursuit of happiness."

Well known lawful good characters from film or literature include: Luke Skywalker (Star Wars), Mister Spock (Star Trek), Hermione Granger (Harry Potter), and Superman (DC Comics).

Equivalent alignment in other game systems:  Principled (Palladium), Road of Heaven (Vampire), Light Side (Star Wars), Law (Warhammer), Virtuous and Ethical (Alternity).

The Ten Lawful Good Commandments

A list of Ten Commandments for a lawful good religion may look like this:

1. You shall not lie.

2. You shall not harm the innocent.

3. You shall not murder.

4. You shall help the needy.

5. You shall honor legitimate authority that promotes goodness.

6. You shall follow the law.

7. You shall not betray others.

8. You shall bring criminals and evil-doers to justice.

9. You shall not steal.

10. You shall seek unlimited good for others and unlimited order in society.

Ten Lawful Good Sins

Likewise, a lawful good religion may list the following as sins.  This list is given in the order of least severe infraction to most severe.

1. Failing to show respect to lawful good churches, governments, and/or beings.

2. Failing to speak out against corruption, sin, greed, pride, etc.

3. Being motivated by pride, avarice, gluttony, or some other sinful impulse.

4. Theft, robbery, or willful vandalism.

5. Causing harm to a pious or virtuous being.

6. Failing to assist or aid good beings when in need.

7. Blasphemous or heretical acts.

8. Allowing a crime or major act of evil to go unpunished.

9. The murder of an innocent.

10. Aiding the servants of Chaos and Evil.

The Lawful Good Adventurer

The following two lists detail common actions undertaken during "adventuring" that are considered honorable and dishonorable for the lawful good alignment.  An honorable action is one that is in keeping with the spirit of this alignment, while dishonorable actions tend to be those which bring shame to the character in the eyes of his or her alignment peers.  Note that an action which is considered honorable by one alignment may be considered dishonorable by another alignment and vice versa.

The following actions are honorable for this alignment:

Allowing a disarmed enemy to pick up his weapon

Allowing the enemy to attack first

Allowing the enemy to remove their dead/wounded from the field

Defeating a superior opponent

Picking up the funeral expenses of someone you slew in combat

Refusing medical treatment for the good of the party

Reporting illegal and immoral actions to the authorities

Saving the life of another at great risk to own self

Taking an arrow or hit for someone else

Taking prisoners

The following actions are dishonorable for this alignment:

Accused of crime (innocent or not)

Attacking an unarmed or obviously inferior opponent

Being taken prisoner

Convicted of a crime

Defeated by an inferior opponent

Delivering death blow to a helpless opponent

Desecrating an enemy's corpse

Dirty fighting

Falsely claiming the 'bragging rights' that belong to another or outright lying

Fleeing a battle that's obviously going poorly

Fleeing a fight with a superior opponent

Fleeing a fight with an equal opponent

Gloating over a victory

Killing a host who has provided you food or shelter

Neglecting to properly bury a member of one's own race

Paying off an extortionist or shake-down

Perpetrate humiliating prank on enemy

Rash or improper social behavior

Refusing a fair contest/challenge

Surrendering

Taking a bribe

Taunting an enemy into fighting

Treason

Unjustly slaying a prisoner or unarmed opponent who has yielded

Walking away from a challenge

Lawful Good and Society

A lawful good being...

Respects the authority figures in his family and obeys their mandates.

Values lifelong commitment to a romantic partner.

Obeys all personal contracts.

Respects the laws and authority figures of the community and nation.

Considers public service in a leadership role an honor.

Supports the legal procedures of the nation, without regard to their own discomfort.

Seeks secure employment, believing hard work will pay off in the end.

Will not want to disappoint his family.

Will support their family even if it means personal discomfort.

Will never betray a friend and enjoys having close friends.

Considers the needs of the community in personal life.

Will give his life in defense of his community.

Will take actions to aid others during times of crisis, even if unprofitable to do so.

Believes everyone should be treated fairly and kindly.

Feels guilt when he commits a wrongdoing and will seek to right his wrong.

Uses wealth to help others who are less fortunate.

A community with a lawful good government usually has a codified set of laws, and most people willingly obey those laws.  In a lawful good society, the people are generally honest, law-abiding, and helpful. They mean well (at least most of them do). They respect the law. As a rule, people don't walk around wearing armor and carrying weapons. Those who do are viewed with suspicion or as trouble-makers. Some societies tend to dislike adventurers, since they often bring trouble.

Lawful Good and Other Alignments

Lawful Good vs. Lawful Neutral

Conflict between lawful neutral and lawful good characters will center around the nature of laws.  Lawful good characters want laws to protect the weak and punish the wicked, while lawful neutral characters are only interested in maintaining or expanding laws to cover every foreseeable problem within society without compassion or moral judgment.  Lawful neutral characters will apply laws in a rigid manner, not worrying about whether the spirit of the law is upheld.  It is the letter that is important to them.  The language of the social compact and the wording of laws are all they are interested in, since that is all that is apparent from written documents.  A lawful good character will be just as offended by a lawful neutral character's preference of letter over spirit as they are contemptuous of the neutral good character's insistence that the spirit is more important.  The lawful good character will question the utility of laws that do not take into account all circumstances to provide a just and equitable settlement that coincides with their moral beliefs.  The lawful neutral character does not consider morality when applying laws, only the effectiveness of the law to keep society stable.

Lawful Good vs. Neutral Good

Since neutral good characters see no inherent worth in laws, other than how well they provide for the common good, they may disagree with lawful good characters on a number of issues.  Conflicts between characters of these types will center around the lawful good character always wanting to work within the law to accomplish good, even if breaking the law might result in more good for people.  They will not accept the neutral good character's argument that working around the law is sometimes a better way to accomplish the spirit of the law.  To lawful good characters, the letter and spirit of good laws should not be violated.   They see a legal system as something that should be followed, as long as it is good, even if an illegal, or shady way might accomplish better results.  Neutral good characters will be disgusted by their lawful good allies' adherence to laws, when the path is clear for them--break the law.  Lawful good characters will contend that if they do not follow the law to accomplish what is right, how are they different from criminals?  Their ethical sensibilities will be offended by the way that a neutral good character might do things.

Lawful Good, Lawful Neutral, and Lawful Evil

When operating as leaders within society, this is how characters of these three alignments may behave.  The lawful neutral character will advance the aims of society and apply the law impartially to all citizens.  He will follow laws and fight to ensure that all citizens follow laws.  He will use legitimate means to change to social order if the state would benefit more from the change.  He will promote fairness, using the law to reward those who act in accordance with the social order and punish those who act to the detriment of the state.  He will tolerate corruption as long as the strength of the state is not jeopardized.  The lawful neutral character will enjoy his position and its perks, but will not abuse his authority.  The lawful good character will view his position as an opportunity to selflessly serve his fellow citizens.  He will work to increase weal throughout society through the apparatus of the state.  He will tirelessly fight corruption and work to eliminate social ills such as poverty, uneven wealth distribution, abuse by the state, and other problems.  The lawful evil character will use his position of power over others to ruthlessly pursue his own agenda using the apparatus of the state.  He will follow laws and encourage all citizens to follow laws by severely punishing criminals.   He will increase his own wealth and power at the expense of the population as long as he can use legal means.  The lawful evil character views his position as proof of his superiority over the common rabble.

Lawful Good, Neutral Good, and Chaotic Good

In situations where goodness must be advanced in society, this is how characters of these different alignments may respond.  The lawful good character will promote weal throughout society through increased legislation or a more powerful government.  They will work to provide laws and procedures to protect the population against every foreseeable ill in society.  They will protect citizens against abuse from unscrupulous individuals.  They will advocate and construct power structures and economic systems that provide the most benefit for the population as a whole.  Lawful good characters will provide equality of result.  The chaotic good character will promote happiness in society by increasing freedom and allowing its citizens to decide the best way to increase prosperity for all.  They will promote systems which give maximum freedom and opportunity for citizens to increase their own happiness and the happiness of others.  They will ensure that the population is protected against every possible abuse by the governing system.  Chaotic good characters will provide equality of opportunity.   Neutral good character will build a system that promotes both harmony and freedom.  They will attempt to balance opportunity and results.   They will use only enough laws and order to protect the freedom of its citizens to promote prosperity and happiness for all.  They will guard the population against abuses from within the power structure, but also against abuses from individuals.  Neutral good characters will build a flexible social order that allows both public and private action to increase goodness in society.

How Lawful Good Views the Other Alignments

The chart below shows how Lawful Good views itself and the other eight alignments.

Lawful Good

Honorable and Humane

Neutral Good

Humane but Unreliable

Chaotic Good

Humane but Dishonorable

Lawful Neutral

Honorable but Apathetic

True Neutral

Unreliable and Apathetic

Chaotic Neutral

Dishonorable and Apathetic

Lawful Evil

Honorable but Ruthless

Neutral Evil

Unreliable and Ruthless

Chaotic Evil

Dishonorable and Ruthless

Lawfuls tend to view actions on a scale ranging from honorable to dishonorable.  They hold themselves honorable while chaotics are seen as dishonorable in their eyes.  Lawfuls view ethical neutrals as unreliable as they are concerned with doing the right thing some of the time whereas other times they seem to disregard society's expectations.

Characters of good alignment wish to advance altruism, compassion, and mercy.  They view themselves as humane.  At the opposite end of this spectrum is ruthlessness, while moral neutrals are seen as indifferent and apathetic.

The Philosophy of Lawful Good

Lawful good is the philosophy that goodness is best achieved through law and order.  It is a philosophy of altruistic collectivism.  This philosophy holds that people should behave altruistically and put the needs of the group ahead of individual desires.  Lawful good can also be associated with rule utilitarianism and ethical altruism.  

Lawful good philosophers generally maintain that there is metaphysical order in the multiverse and thus may support doctrines of hard determinism, predeterminism, fatalism, predestination, and/or necessitarianism.  They may believe in fate or destiny.  They tend to be moral objectivists, holding that values exist in the external world independently of and external to our comprehension of them; that they can be found and known; and that they must be used as principles for human judgments and conduct.

Enneagram Type 1 - The Reformer

Perfectionists, responsible, fixated on improvement

People of this personality type are essentially looking to make things better, as they think nothing is ever quite good enough. This makes them perfectionists who desire to reform and improve; idealists who strive to make order out of the omnipresent chaos.

Ones have a fine eye for detail. They are always aware of the flaws in themselves, others and the situations in which they find themselves. This triggers their need to improve, which can be beneficial for all concerned, but which can also prove to be burdensome to both the One and those who are on the receiving end of the One's reform efforts.

The One's inability to achieve the perfection they desire feeds their feelings of guilt for having fallen short and fuels their incipient anger against an imperfect world. Ones, however, tend to feel guilty about their anger. Anger is a "bad" emotion, and Ones strive sincerely and wholeheartedly to be "good."  Anger is therefore vigorously repressed from consciousness, bursting forth in occasional fits of temper, but usually manifesting in one of its many less obvious permutations - impatience, frustration, annoyance and judgmental criticality. For this reason, Ones can be difficult to live with, but, on the high side, they tend to be loyal, responsible and capable partners and friends.

Ones are serious people; they tend to be highly principled, competent and uncompromising. They follow the rules and expect others to do so as well. Because they believe so thoroughly in their convictions, they are often excellent leaders who can inspire those who follow them with their own vision of excellence. Reform movements are frequently spearheaded by Ones.

Ones are often driven and ambitious and are sometimes workaholics. But whatever their professional involvement, they are definitely active, practical people who get things done. They are natural born organizers, listmakers who finish everything on the list, the last one to leave the office, the first one to return, industrious, reliable, honest and dutiful.

The relentlessness of their pursuit of the ideal can make Ones tense people who have a hard time relaxing and who unnecessarily deny themselves many of the harmless pleasures of life. They tend to be emotionally repressed and uncomfortable with expressing tender feelings;  they generally see emotionality as a sign of weakness and lack of control. They are seldom spontaneous. They have multiple interests and talents, however; they are self-reliant and seldom run out of things to do.

Ones are often intelligent and independent and can easily mistake themselves for Fives, but unlike Fives, Ones are primarily people of action, not thought. Ones tend to worry and are prone to anxiety and can sometimes mistype as Sixes, but they are far less affiliative than Sixes and their standards are not reached by seeking consensus with a group. Finally, the relentless pursuit of perfection can take its toll and lead to depression.  At such times, a One can mistype as a Four.  But Fours have a tendency towards self-indulgence whereas Ones are self-denying. Fours are emotionally expressive; Ones are emotionally constrained.

Energy Healing for Enneagram Type 1

Compassion

Ones want to be "good" and generally have a morality based on the rigid adherence to rules. But true goodness requires compassion and compassion comes from the heart. Working to open the Heart chakra helps Ones to develop the compassion for others (and themselves) that they sometimes lack.

Feeling

Ones tend to repress their emotions. They are often quite "stiff." Doing chakra meditations for the Sacral chakra helps Ones to be more passionate and feeling.

Smooth flow of emotions

The One's strong super-ego keeps the emotions, and especially anger, under very rigid control. But emotions need to flow or they will build up. Working with point LIV-3 can help to loosen this stranglehold. To a lesser extent also, SP-6 can serve this function. Utilizing these points also helps Ones to relax.

Enneagram Type 9 - The Peacemaker(Instinct)

Keeping peace and harmony

People of this personality type essentially feel a need for peace and harmony. They tend to avoid conflict at all costs, whether it be internal or interpersonal. As the potential for conflict in life is virtually ubiquitous, the Nine's desire to avoid it generally results in some degree of withdrawal from life, and many Nines are, in fact, introverted. Other Nines lead more active, social lives, but nevertheless remain to some to degree "checked out," or not fully involved, as if to insulate themselves from threats to their peace of mind. Most Nines are fairly easy going; they adopt a strategy of "going with the flow."  They are generally reliable, sturdy, self-effacing, tolerant and likable individuals.

Nines tend to adopt an optimistic approach to life; they are, for the most part, trusting people who see the best in others; they frequently have a deep seated faith that things will somehow work out. They desire to feel connected, both to other people and to the world at large. They frequently feel most at home in nature and generally make warm and attentive parents.

The Nine's inability to tolerate conflict sometimes translates into an overall conservative approach to change. Change can provoke unpleasant feelings and disrupt the Nine's desire for comfort. Less healthy Nines seem incapable of motivating themselves to move into action and bring about effective change. When change does come however, as it generally will, Nines find that they are usually well able to adapt. They tend to be more resilient than they give themselves credit for. In fact, Nines tend not to give themselves enough credit in general, and their self-effacing attitude often seems to invite others to take them for granted or to overlook their often significant contributions. This can cause a subterranean anger to build inside the Nine's psyche, which can erupt into consciousness in occasional fits of temper which quickly blow over, but which more often manifests itself in passive aggressive footdragging.  Being overlooked is often a source of a deep sadness in Nines, a sadness that they scarcely ever give voice to.

Nines frequently mistype themselves as they have a rather diffuse sense of their own identities. This is exacerbated by the fact that Nines often merge with their loved ones and through a process of identification take on the characteristics of those closest to them. Female Nines frequently mistype as Twos, especially if they are the mothers of small children. Nines, however, are self-effacing whereas Twos are quite aware of their own self-worth. Nines also mistake themselves for Fours, but Nines tend to avoid negative emotions whereas Fours often exacerbate them. Intellectual Nines, especially males, frequently mistype as Fives, but Fives are intellectually contentious whereas Nines are conciliatory and conflict avoidant.

Energy Healing for Enneagram Type 9

Assertiveness and Self-esteem

Nines have trouble asserting themselves and with making themselves heard. As self-assertion is particularly associated with the Navel chakra and self-expression with the Throat chakra, doing meditations for these chakras is especially beneficial. Doing acupressure on LIV-1 is also appropriate. This point is sometimes called "Great Esteem," which indicates its ability to enhance the feeling of self-worth. Working with these techniques helps Nines to discern when they should go along with others and when they should assert themselves. This is very important for Nines as their natural tendency is to acquiesce too frequently to the wishes and needs of others.

Decisiveness and focus

The Nine's tendency to see situations from every possible angle before coming to a decision actually leads to indecisiveness and lack of focus. Indecisiveness, in turn, leads to inertia and timidity. Working with acupressure point GB-44 can help Nines break this self-destructive cycle.

Passion and Feeling

Nines generally don't have a strong sense of their identity. Although it is also the result of their lack of self-assertion, their tendency to repress their feelings is a major cause. This can result in a lack of passion and even numbness. Opening the Sacral chakra helps them to get into contact with their feelings again, and thereby, with themselves. This will also help Nines to be more decisive.

Self-knowledge

Nines tend to be too self-effacing; they pay too little attention to themselves, to who they are. Doing meditations for the Crown chakra helps Nines achieve greater self-knowledge and self-awareness.

Instinctual variants

SP = Self-preservation instinct SX = Sexual instinct SO = Social instinct

The instinctual variants of the enneagram, the self-preservation, sexual and social instincts.

In addition to the Enneagram type, people are also considered to be one of three instinctual variants (also called subtypes). The self-preservation instinct (dealing with oneself), the sexual (dealing with another person) and the social instinct (dealing with a group) can be most pronounced.

Self-preservation variant

People of the self-preservation variant are generally trying to be comfortable and independent. Their well-being is very important to them, so they pay much attention to their health, house and financial position. They are less interested in interpersonal contact, and are typically less spontaneous and don't show as much emotion as people of the other two subtypes of their enneagram type.

Sexual variant

People of the sexual variant are very much interested in one to one contacts. They are looking for intimacy and this may show in sexuality, though not necessarily. Being in a relationship is very important to them. They are the most passionate of the subtypes, being temperamental and having more energy. They have less of a problem with getting into a fight and care less about rules and responsibility.

Social Variant

People of the social variant prefer to be in groups or teams. They are more interested than the other subtypes in the position that they and others have in a group, and are consequently concerned with status. Wanting to be accepted, they try to fit in and be nice.

Instincts and Chakras

                           Protagonist Personality (ENFJ, -A/-T)                                            

Everything you do right now ripples outward and affects everyone. Your posture can shine your heart or transmit anxiety. Your breath can radiate love or muddy the room in depression. Your glance can awaken joy. Your words can inspire freedom. Your every act can open hearts and minds.

Protagonists are natural-born leaders, full of passion and charisma. Forming around two percent of the population, they are oftentimes our politicians, our coaches, and our teachers, reaching out and inspiring others to achieve and to do good in the world. With a natural confidence that begets influence, Protagonists take a great deal of pride and joy in guiding others to work together to improve themselves and their community.

Firm Believers in the People

People are drawn to strong personalities, and Protagonists radiate authenticity, concern, and altruism, unafraid to stand up and speak when they feel something needs to be said. They find it natural and easy to communicate with others, especially in person, and their Intuitive (N) trait helps people with the Protagonist personality type to reach every mind, be it through facts and logic or raw emotion. Protagonists easily see people’s motivations and seemingly disconnected events and are able to bring these ideas together and communicate them as a common goal with an eloquence that is nothing short of mesmerizing.

The interest Protagonists have in others is genuine, almost to a fault – when they believe in someone, they can become too involved in the other person’s problems, place too much trust in them. Luckily, this trust tends to be a self-fulfilling prophecy, as Protagonists’ altruism and authenticity inspire those they care about to become better themselves. But if they aren’t careful, they can overextend their optimism, sometimes pushing others further than they’re ready or willing to go.

Protagonists are vulnerable to another snare as well: they have a tremendous capacity for reflecting on and analyzing their own feelings, but if they get too caught up in another person’s plight, they can develop a sort of emotional hypochondria, seeing other people’s problems in themselves, trying to fix something in themselves that isn’t wrong. If they get to a point where they are held back by limitations someone else is experiencing, it can hinder Protagonists’ ability to see past the dilemma and be of any help at all. When this happens, it’s important for Protagonists to pull back and use that self-reflection to distinguish between what they really feel, and what is a separate issue that needs to be looked at from another perspective.

...The Struggle Ought Not to Deter Us From the Support of a Cause We Believe to Be Just

Protagonists are genuine, caring people who talk the talk and walk the walk, and nothing makes them happier than leading the charge, uniting and motivating their team with infectious enthusiasm.

People with the Protagonist personality type are passionate altruists, sometimes even to a fault, and they are unlikely to be afraid to take the slings and arrows while standing up for the people and ideas they believe in. It is no wonder that many famous Protagonists are cultural or political icons – this personality type wants to lead the way to a brighter future, whether it’s by leading a nation to prosperity, or leading their little league softball team to a hard-fought victory.

                           Protagonist Strengths and Weaknesses                                            

Protagonist Strengths

Tolerant – Protagonists are true team players, and they recognize that that means listening to other peoples’ opinions, even when they contradict their own. They admit they don’t have all the answers and are often receptive to dissent, so long as it remains constructive.

Reliable – The one thing that galls Protagonists the most is the idea of letting down a person or cause they believe in. If it’s possible, Protagonists can always be counted on to see it through.

Charismatic – Charm and popularity are qualities Protagonists have in spades. They instinctively know how to capture an audience, and pick up on mood and motivation in ways that allow them to communicate with reason, emotion, passion, restraint – whatever the situation calls for. Talented imitators, Protagonists are able to shift their tone and manner to reflect the needs of the audience, while still maintaining their own voice.

Altruistic – Uniting these qualities is Protagonists’ unyielding desire to do good in and for their communities, be it in their own home or the global stage. Warm and selfless, Protagonists genuinely believe that if they can just bring people together, they can do a world of good.

Natural Leaders – More than seeking authority themselves, Protagonists often end up in leadership roles at the request of others, cheered on by the many admirers of their strong personality and positive vision.

Protagonist Weaknesses

Overly Idealistic – People with the Protagonist personality type can be caught off guard as they find that, through circumstance or nature, or simple misunderstanding, people fight against them and defy the principles they’ve adopted, however well-intentioned they may be. They are more likely to feel pity for this opposition than anger and can earn a reputation of naïveté.

Too Selfless – Protagonists can bury themselves in their hopeful promises, feeling others’ problems as their own and striving hard to meet their word. If they aren’t careful, they can spread themselves too thin, and be left unable to help anyone.

Too Sensitive – While receptive to criticism, seeing it as a tool for leading a better team, it’s easy for Protagonists to take it a little too much to heart. Their sensitivity to others means that Protagonists sometimes feel problems that aren’t their own and try to fix things they can’t fix, worrying if they are doing enough.

Fluctuating Self-Esteem – Protagonists define their self-esteem by whether they are able to live up to their ideals, and sometimes ask for criticism more out of insecurity than out of confidence, always wondering what they could do better. If they fail to meet a goal or to help someone they said they’d help, their self-confidence will undoubtedly plummet.

Struggle to Make Tough Decisions – If caught between a rock and a hard place, Protagonists can be stricken with paralysis, imagining all the consequences of their actions, especially if those consequences are humanitarian.

                                                               Protagonist Relationships                                            

People who share the Protagonist personality type feel most at home when they are in a relationship and few types are more eager to establish a loving commitment with their chosen partners. Protagonists take dating and relationships seriously, selecting partners with an eye towards the long haul, rather than the more casual approach that might be expected from some types in the Explorer Role group. There’s really no greater joy for Protagonists than to help along the goals of someone they care about, and the interweaving of lives that a committed relationship represents is the perfect opportunity to do just that.

I’m a Slow Walker, but I Never Walk Back

Even in the dating phase, people with the Protagonist personality type are ready to show their commitment by taking the time and effort to establish themselves as dependable, trustworthy partners.    

Their Intuitive (N) trait helps them to keep up with the rapidly shifting moods that are common early in relationships, but Protagonists will still rely on conversations about their mutual feelings, checking the pulse of the relationship by asking how things are, and if there’s anything else they can do. While this can help to keep conflict, which Protagonists abhor, to a minimum, they also risk being overbearing or needy – Protagonists should keep in mind that sometimes the only thing that’s wrong is being asked what’s wrong too often.

Protagonists don’t need much to be happy, just to know that their partner is happy, and for their partner to express that happiness through visible affection. Making others’ goals come to fruition is often the chiefest concern of Protagonists, and they will spare no effort in helping their partner to live the dream. If they aren’t careful, though, Protagonists’ quest for their partners’ satisfaction can leave them neglecting their own needs, and it’s important for them to remember to express those needs on occasion, especially early on.

You Cannot Escape the Responsibility of Tomorrow by Evading It Today

Protagonists’ tendency to avoid any kind of conflict, sometimes even sacrificing their own principles to keep the peace, can lead to long-term problems if these efforts never fully resolve the underlying issues that they mask. On the other hand, people with the Protagonist personality type can sometimes be too preemptive in resolving their conflicts, asking for criticisms and suggestions in ways that convey neediness or insecurity. Protagonists invest their emotions wholly in their relationships, and are sometimes so eager to please that it actually undermines the relationship – this can lead to resentment, and even the failure of the relationship. When this happens, Protagonists experience strong senses of guilt and betrayal, as they see all their efforts slip away.

If potential partners appreciate these qualities, though, and make an effort themselves to look after the needs of their Protagonist partners, they will enjoy long, happy, passionate relationships. Protagonists are known to be dependable lovers, perhaps more interested in routine and stability than spontaneity in their sex lives, but always dedicated to the selfless satisfaction of their partners. Ultimately, Protagonist personality types believe that the only true happiness is mutual happiness, and that’s the stuff successful relationships are made of.

                                                               Protagonist Friends                                            

When it comes to friendships, Protagonists are anything but passive. While some personality types may accept the circumstantial highs and lows of friendship, their feelings waxing and waning with the times, Protagonists will put active effort into maintaining these connections, viewing them as substantial and important, not something to let slip away through laziness or inattention.

This philosophy of genuine connection is core to the Protagonist personality type, and while it is visible in the workplace and in romance, it is clearest in the breadth and depth of Protagonist friendships.    

All My Life I Have Tried to Pluck a Thistle and Plant a Flower Wherever the Flower Would Grow...

People with the Protagonist personality type take genuine pleasure in getting to know other people and have no trouble talking with people of all types and modes of thought. Even in disagreement, other perspectives are fascinating to Protagonists – though, like most people, they connect best with individuals who share their principles and ideals, and types in Diplomat and Analyst Role groups are best able to explore Protagonists’ viewpoints with them, which are simply too idealistic for most. It is with these closest friends that Protagonists will truly open up, keeping their many other connections in a realm of lighthearted but genuine support and encouragement.

Others truly value their Protagonist friends, appreciating the warmth, kindness, and sincere optimism and cheer they bring to the table. Protagonists want to be the best friends possible, and it shows in how they work to find out not just the superficial interests of their friends, but their strengths, passions, hopes and dreams. Nothing makes Protagonists happier than to see the people they care about, do well, and they are more than happy to take their own time and energy to help make it happen.

We Should Be Too Big to Take Offense, and Too Noble to Give It

While Protagonists enjoy lending this helping hand, other personality types may simply not have the energy or drive to keep up with it – creating further strain, people with the Protagonist personality type can become offended if their efforts aren’t reciprocated when the opportunity arises. Ultimately, Protagonists’ give and take can become stifling to types who are more interested in the moment than the future, or who simply have Identities that rest firmly on the Assertive side, making them content with who they are and uninterested in the sort of self-improvement and goal-setting that Protagonists hold so dear.

When this happens Protagonist personalities can be critical, if they believe it necessary. While usually tactful and often helpful, if their friend is already annoyed by Protagonists’ attempts to push them forward, it can simply cause them to dig in their heels further. Protagonists should try to avoid taking this personally when it happens, and relax their inflexibility into an occasional “live and let live” attitude.

Gluttony (Latin, gula) is the overindulgence and over-consumption of anything to the point of waste. The word derives from the Latin gluttire, meaning to gulp down or swallow.

Earth

If you got the EARTH personality you value practicality, common sense, and patience.  You have realistic expectations for your life and prefer the tried and true to the up and coming.

You’ve learned everything you know by trying it and doing it.  When you have a goal or purpose, you figure out how to start and how the process should look, and then you pursue it methodically.  That way the results are predictable, which is perfect because not knowing how something is going to turn out is an experience you’d rather avoid.  You always prefer “the devil you know,” and the unknown makes you uncomfortable, not curious.

Being at home in your body and at home in your home, you’re comfortable with the physical world.  You have a pretty strong nesting instinct, which results in your wanting a settled and stable existence in your home.  You like activities that ground you and may be particularly fond of gardening, cooking/eating, and building.  You have no problem with commitment in relationships, and you’re very faithful and trustworthy in every relationship you have.  You tend not to change residence or jobs often if possible.

Your strengths:

You’re so dependable that everyone always knows what to expect with you, and that’s why you have the longest, strongest relationships possible.  You tend to have very good, learned-experience-based advice and can offer it in accessible ways to others.  It’s very difficult for anyone to make you lose your temper, and your patience makes you able to achieve long-term goals and see them through to fruition.

Wherever you live is a welcoming place; you’re very good at making a comfortable home and seeing to the needs of people who might wander in. You can probably give a very good hug, massage, or other physical experience someone wants or needs, and you have a good sense of when someone might appreciate these physical comforts.

Your weaknesses:

You tend to get so rooted that you can’t uproot even when you need to.  This can cause you to stay in a terrible situation because change scares you more than continuing to endure.  Sometimes you have trouble seeing other people’s perspectives because you’ve learned yours through personal experience and might not have much inclination to consider another person’s experiences equally valid if they yielded different conclusions.  You might even stick to a point you made after you’ve been proven wrong because you don’t want to be seen flip-flopping.

You may have a tendency toward laziness.  Being patient, you may be fine with procrastination and lack of immediate action, which can frustrate others.  Sometimes certain comforts are so enjoyable to someone like you who’s so physically connected that you overindulge, and develop inertia regarding any attempt to address getting out of your rut.

Your Roles and Careers: Farmer or gardener, engineer, artisan, homemaker, nanny, producer, parent, banker, manufacturer.

Symbols Associated With Earth (these are not supposed to be “your favorites”—they are traditionally used to represent this element):

Color: Green Direction: North Season: Winter Time of Day: Midnight Animals: Big, docile domesticated animals (cows, horses, goats, pigs), dogs Foods: Starchy, heavy, plain: breads, carbohydrates, vegetables that grew in the soil, heavy foods, nuts, anything made with flour, organic foods Music: Drums, spirited and rhythmic chanting, the blues, deliberate and earthy music, down-home country Clothes: Practical, comfortable, timeless, earthy and simple, browns and greens, natural fabric, corduroy, roomy, chunky and natural accessories (like wood beads)

About the Muse

- 60 HEADCANONS!

- ANSWER THE 60 QUESTIONS!

- TAG 6 PEOPLE!

Repost, don’t Reblog

TAGGED BY: @darknessxwarlock

TAGGING:  Anyone can  do this.

1: Favorite color?

Turquoise

2: Place of employment?

She works at a bookstore while she attends college.

3: Favorite food?

Crawdad

4: Paper or Plastic?

Paper

5: How old?

18

6: Supernatural powers?

Nope

7: In a relationship?

N/A

8: Strengths?

Willow is very creative. She likes to keep things light and entertaining. Willow is also very intelligent. She can often be very idealistic at times, living in her own world. She is also very friendly to people, unless they are unfriendly to her. Willow can also be very spontaneous and lively, even going off on random adventures even if something of interest catches her eye. 

9: Weaknesses?

At times Willow can be very sloppy, especially when she’s having an off day where shes entirely lost in thought. She is quite shy as well, given the situation she might be in. This makes her very standoffish around others, especially if they are intimidating. She has a tendency to be both stubborn and reckless when she does things, especially if she is upset or angry.

10: Favorite outfit?

Light blue sweatshirt, dark purple somewhat loose sweatpants.

11: Spirit Animal

A Rabbit

12: Sexually active?

N/a

13: Earliest memory?

She remembers having a nightmare in the middle of the night, and waddling into the kitchen where her father, Jonah ( a vampire ) was awake and preparing for night classes at the local college. Eventually her father had given her a bottle of milk to drink out of and carried her back up to her room with her siblings, but before she was taken back to bed she'd let out a cry. Willow said she didn't want to go back to bed, and she wanted to sleep with her dad. For a moment Jonah had been confused before realizing that she wasn't talking about him, but more so, Flavius, who had been very sick at the time and had been in bed resting for most of that week.

The nightmare she had was about her father, Flavius, dying. So the last thing she had wanted was to leave him alone while Jonah was attending classes at college. Jonah gently placed her next to her other father, where she snuggled up beside him and watched him as Jonah left the room. For a while the toddler just stared at Flavius, drinking from her bottle before slowly drifting off to sleep as well, hugging onto Flavius arm as she drifted off.

14: Cell phone? What type?

Yes, Iphone 6s

15: What angers them?

When someone tries to hurt her family, especially her father Flavius, who, when she has the time she helps take care of. When people challenge her to be something she is not. When people are abusive to other people. Being used.

16: Favorite time of the year?

Spring

17: How long can they hold their breath?

40 seconds

18: Underwear type?

N/a

19: Plaid or Polka-Dots?

Polka-dots

20: Favorite pizza?

Sausage

21: Best friend?

N/A

22: Ever killed someone?

She has not killed anyone so far, and doesn’t plan on it. But in her family, this is highly unlikely, as they tend to have the worst luck, with demons attacking and such.

23: Biggest secret?

Studies certain things to help her brother, Luca, hunt supernatural/other creatures.

24: What do they smell like?

Cornflower

25: Preferred time of year?

Spring

25: Random Fact?

Willow is a fucking nerd, through and through. She reads comic books, she plays video games. She even has LARP'd and delved into games of Path Finger and D&D. Plus she just knows all sorts of random irrelevant facts about things.

26: Human, Animal, or Other?

Human

27: Spoken languages?

Portuguese, other(N/a)

28: Likes Anime?

Yes. She watches it often.

29: Swims?

Yes, every chance she gets.

30: Personal pubic hair care?

N/A

31: Believes in fairies?

She believes in all kinds of things, fairies being one of those things, definitely.

32: College?

Starting, yes.

33: Deceased parents?

Not at the moment.

34: Religious?

Catholic, because her grandmother insist. 

35: Flexible?

Very.

36: Turn-on’s?

N/A

37: First words?

Dahmy

38: Pets?

Yup!

39: Biggest enemy

Demons and vampires, and Hunters.

40: Craziest thing muse has done?

N/A

41: Life motto?

N/A

42: Coffee or Tea?

Tea

43: Biggest hero?

Jonah

44: Eye color?

Emerald green

45: Do they like reading?

All the time

46: Loyal?

Very

47: Tolerant of violence?

Often times, yes.

48: Social class raised in?

Extremely Wealthy/Famous

49: Country born in?

America

50: Cry easily?

Yes, she does, she’s the most emotional of her siblings.

51: Favorite music genre?

Classical

52: Feeling on insects?

She’s okay with them, just not with them being on her. 

53: Sexual/Romantic orientation?

Heterosexual

54: Smoke?

No.

55: Gender?

Female

56: Clothing style?

Very Causal, lazy down to earth style. Something she just throws on half the time,not really caring much what other people think.

57: Adventurous?

She can be, yes.

58: Introverted or Extroverted?

It really depends, at the moment. Though more often then not she appears to be shy.

59: Noticeable character details?

She has long light brown hair, slightly wavy. Her eyes are a odd sort of green, that she inherited from her father, Flavius. Which often comes off as a magical sort of green.  She has small burn and slash scars on random parts of her body from when she was a child and her home was attacked by a demon.

60: Enjoy nature?