Type 8
key traits
Defence mechanism: Invulnerability, omnipotent control
Unapologetic Anger/Reactions: impulses never held back except as a strategic play
Dominance: fill any leadership role, can be perceived as bossy/pushy, can escalate to dictator territory
Insensitivity: difficulty processing tender emotions in self or others
Autonomy: master of their own domain, refuse to be dependent, inner sense of invincibility
Gut action: sensory-motor dominance, stimulated by immediate tangible here and now
Jungle mindset: everyone is ultimately concerned with their own fight for resources and power
Blind spot/Lost self: can't see their own vulnerability or weaknesses, they see these as only things that others have
Core fears: Being taken over, being controlled, disempowered
character
Being part of the gut/body centre, the type 8 structure is based in the realm of existential boundaries i.e. the lines between self and other, the sense of “yes” and “no.” 8’s are also part of the Rejection triad. Rejection types are all cutting off an essential part of their humanness in some way. For 8’s, this means cutting off vulnerability, softness, and the need to be taken care of/tenderly loved. As compensation, a dog-eat-dog sense of untouchable existence is amplified. The type 8 structure is based on asserting one’s own existence in a way that doesn’t hold back any natural impulses or anger. 8’s are in tune with their gut reactions and let anger flow freely out. As a character, 8’s can range from intensely colonizing personalities to no-nonsense, mostly unbothered people.
8’s are fairly rare in this world; and evolution-wise, that makes sense. Wherever 8’s go, they naturally become the master of their own domain. There is a misnomer that 8’s are constantly aggressive or angry people. However in reality, 8’s only tend to react in intense ways when they feel their resources/domain is/are being threatened. They have a naturally commanding physical presence in a room, and have historically often been in leadership positions. They feel no need to prove their strength (like type 6) because they subconsciously believe there’s nothing they can’t handle. Unlike attachment type 6, 8’s don’t feel like they are “one of the people” and don’t naturally gravitate towards being tribal. As an energy, they exude a sense of “unapologetic being.”
8’s tend to love by overdoing “fatherly” type love. They can sometimes have a “throw-them-into-the-deep-end” style of taking care of people. They can both protect and toy with people’s innocence as a subconscious way of interacting with their own suppressed innocence and vulnerability. Many 8’s rarely show their claws, but when they do, it’s generally pointless to go up against them. They can best be described (especially 8w9) as bears; if you don’t bother them they don’t bother you. But if you cross a bear, you’re done. Getting to the soft mushy core of an 8 can be a futile exercise. As they grow older, they tend to recognize that people in their lives need this from them and start to open up slowly.
Part of the Rejection triad is that 8’s expend energy outwards, but have trouble taking it in. They tend to only hear the words you say that they want to hear. Despite being so available to anger and hard boundaries, in some cases it’s easy to hurt an 8 because they don’t always register their own soft emotions. They’re masterful at psychologically cutting off the aspects of people that aren’t useful to them, and only seeing the parts that are. In general, this makes them people with extremely impenetrable armour.
Anger is the core emotion of the gut centre because it is essentially the feeling of reality not being what you want it to be. Anger causes one to assert oneself to shape reality the way you want it. 8’s have a basically endless pit of energy to make reality yield to them. Unhealthy 8’s can become big like an angry bear to gain back ownership of life, stomping and thrashing through everything in their path. Healthy 8’s use this gift when necessary to protect themselves and loved ones without completely sacrificing their own need for love.
lines of movement
8 moves to 2
Positive: become more vulnerable, express their soft side openly, increased concern for others' needs
Negative: become more defensive, overreact emotionally, increased demandingness and control, become dependent
8 moves to 5
Positive: become less immediate and impulsive, lust is tamed for objectivity and consideration before action
Negative: withdraw, mute feelings further, become dryly depressed, guilt is turned into self-aggression, fear of betrayal, lose energy
comparisons with other types
8 vs 1: Both gut types who can express anger, 1's anger is coloured by the superego, 8's has no reigns or rules
8 vs 2: Two's want to be good humans, 8's believe everything is ultimately an animal instinct
8 vs 3: 3's can be assertive, but not animalistic or aggressive, they modulate themselves more appropriately
8 vs 4: Both reactive types, both intense and biting, but 8's are the tough exterior with the marshmallow core underneath while 4's are the opposite, 4's use vulnerability as a point of strength and 8's avoid vulnerability to maintain strength/control
8 vs 5: 5's 5's are out of touch with their bodies and impulses, 8's indulge them
8 vs 6: Both can be reactive and aggressive, both can overdo strength, 6's tend to be interested in self-defence, 8's are not identified with strength and don't feel the need to prove it, 6's rebel against authorities, 8's simply express their anger at whims, 8's are much more sure of themselves and 6's tend to second-guess and feel doubt internally, 6's can be anxious and 8's are generally calm and collected
8 vs 7: 7's can be more like "brats," 8's have less of a sense of comedy and trickery, 7's are also less controlling but can be equally aggressive
8 vs 9: 8's express anger and are comfortable with conflict, 9's let anger collect and bubble up into volcanic bursts