Using literary tropes and psychology to understand common character types and allow storytellers to create their own.

1. Diagnosing the
Character’s Mind:
Character
Motivations, Flaws,
and Personality
By
Jonathan D Thompson

2. What to look forward to…
Archetypes
Temperament
Trait Theory
Myers Briggs
Learning
Styles
Character
Flaws
Character
Motivations

3. PRINCIPLE NUMBER ONE
• ''When you make a character, make them human“
• It doesn’t necessarily mean that the character needs to be
a human being or act exactly like one. Exceptions where a
character has an inhuman personality can only be made
interesting if human nature is understood first.

4. TELL ‘EM WHAT IS HUMAN NATURE
• "the distinguishing characteristics—including ways of thinking,
feeling and acting—which humans tend to have naturally,
independently of the influence of culture”
• Desires: Biolological, social, abstract
• human nature is unchanging. The things that we want, and the
things that we are, are basically the same today as they were
when the very first Homo sapiens stood up on the savannahs of
Africa a hundred thousand or two hundred thousand years ago.
• Avoiding Puppet characters -a character that is only an
extension of the will of a writer and not a fully developed
person

5. WHAT MAKES A CHARACTER FEEL “HUMAN”?
(HUMAN NATURE)
• Autonomy
• Individuality
• Flaw’s (Human error) There are two kinds of flaws (your character needs to have
both):
1. Skill flaws.
2. Moral flaws.
• Multi-facet ability
• Unpredictability
• Goals and dreams

6. MECHANISMS OF DEFENSE

7. Trait Theories
McCrae and Costa’s Big Five Factors
Extraversion: This trait includes characteristics such as excitability, sociability, talkativeness,
assertiveness and high amounts of emotional expressiveness.
Agreeableness: This personality dimension includes attributes such as trust, altruism,
kindness, affection, and other prosocial behaviors.
Conscientiousness: Common features of this dimension include high levels of
thoughtfulness, with good impulse control and goal-directed behaviors. Those high in
conscientiousness tend to be organized and mindful of details.
Neuroticism: Individuals high in this trait tend to experience emotional instability, anxiety,
moodiness, irritability, and sadness.
Openness: This trait features characteristics such as imagination and insight, and those
high in this trait also tend to have a broad range of interests.

8. Honesty-Humility (H): sincere, honest, faithful, loyal, modest/unassuming versus sly,
deceitful, greedy, pretentious, hypocritical, boastful, pompous
Emotionality (E): emotional, oversensitive, sentimental, fearful, anxious,
vulnerable versus brave, tough, independent, self-assured, stable
Extraversion (X): outgoing, lively, extraverted, sociable, talkative, cheerful,
active versus shy, passive, withdrawn, introverted, quiet, reserved
Agreeableness (A): patient, tolerant, peaceful, mild, agreeable, lenient,
gentle versus ill-tempered, quarrelsome, stubborn, choleric
Conscientiousness (C): organized, disciplined, diligent, careful, thorough,
precise versus sloppy, negligent, reckless, lazy, irresponsible, absent-minded
Openness to Experience (O): intellectual, creative, unconventional, innovative,
ironic versus shallow, unimaginative, conventional
ASHTON AND LEE’S HEXACO SIX-FACTOR
MODEL

9. Cattell’s 16 source traits
•According to Cattell, there is a continuum of personality
traits. In other words, each person contains all of these 16
traits to a certain degree, but they might be high in some
traits and low in others.
Abstractedness: Imaginative versus practical
Apprehension: Worried versus confident
Dominance: Forceful versus submissive
Emotional Stability: Calm versus high strung
Liveliness: Spontaneous versus restrained
Openness to Change: Flexible versus attached to the
familiar

10. •Perfectionism: Controlled versus undisciplined
Privateness: Discreet versus open
Reasoning: Abstract versus concrete
Rule Consciousness: Conforming versus non-conforming
Self-Reliance: Self-sufficient versus dependent
Sensitivity: Tender-hearted versus tough-minded.
Social Boldness: Uninhibited versus shy
Tension: Impatient versus relaxed
Vigilance: Suspicious versus trusting
Warmth: Outgoing versus reserved

11. Rogers and Maslow: Self Actualizers
Self-actualization- max fulfillment of one’s potential,
talents, and abilities.

12. FULLY FUNCTIONING PERSON
Aware and open to all
experiences
Make choices
without constraints
or inhibitions
Accept their and
others strengths
and weaknesses
Focus on problems
outside themselves
Social
interest/profound
interpersonal
relations
Resist social
pressures to
think/believe a
certain way
Tolerant and
accepting of others
personalities
Highly creative and
original
Depend on
themselves, not
others for
satisfactions
Open, direct,
natural, rarely hide
their feelings

13. Temperament
The four temperaments are a system for describing certain aspects of a person's personality,
namely the ATTITUDE. They are not meant to describe personality wholly; they ONLY describe
the emotional attitude.
As mentioned previously, temperaments are ATTITUDE. They are basically the speed and
duration of emotional responses, generally speaking. Some people tend to react quickly to
things, whereas others are more slowly aroused emotionally. Some people hold onto emotions
for a long time, while others are quick to move on and not dwell on them. The balances
determine the temperaments.
They are what the person is like MOST OF THE TIME. It is possible to hide them via acting or
willpower, to pretend via deceit or acting that you're something you're not, etc... Or unusual
emotions can be expressed when someone is pushed beyond normal limits.
When trying to work out your own temperaments, or those of other people, consider only what
is MOSTLY the case. It is easy to look and traits and think 'yes, that applies to me sometimes',
because, as previously stated, we are all human and all the things apply to us at some time or
another. The temperaments are determined by things that occur MOST OF THE TIME.

14. Choleric
EXTROVERTED, UNEMOTIONAL, AND TASK-ORIENTED
• Key Strengths: Takes the lead, independent, hard worker, goal-oriented, strong-
willed, practical, confident, loves a challenge, passionate, thrives under criticism,
determined, an excellent strongman/woman of the team or drill sergeant at the
most extreme.
• Key Weaknesses: Hot-tempered, can be cruel, rebellious, stubborn, harsh,
insensitive, arrogant, rude, workaholic, often dramatic, bossy, can become
psychotic in overbearing situations, vindictive, a warmonger at times.
• Expressive high, responsive low; response's delay short, duration long.
• In a person's life, it corresponds with adolescence and young adulthood (roughly
ages 13-35).
• Will often correspond with the Realist when in a Four Philosophy Ensemble.

15. Melancholic
INTROVERTED, EMOTIONAL, AND TASK-ORIENTED
• Key Strengths: Deep, thoughtful, sensitive, artistic, perfectionist,
conservative, faithful to a fault, self-sacrificing, an excellent leader or
medic, analytical, organized, practical, detailed, elegant (in the more
dignified ways), an effective manipulator of people.
• Key Weaknesses: Pessimistic, moody, vengeful, critical, depressed,
impractical (yes, both practical and impractical), insecure, bashful,
resentful, self-righteous, has unrealistically high expectations, snobbish,
very paranoid, likes to be regarded formally such as Mr/Mrs.
• Expressive low, responsive low; response's delay long, duration long.
• In a person's life, it corresponds to middle-aged adulthood (roughly ages
35-65).
• Will often correspond with The Cynic when in a Four Philosophy Ensemble.

16. Phlegmatic
INTROVERTED, UNEMOTIONAL, AND PEOPLE-ORIENTED
• Key Strengths: A real sweetheart, thoughtful, dependable, easygoing,
patient, accommodating, pleasant, witty, gentle, calm, forgiving, quiet and
stealthy, an excellent assistant or spy, a deep poker-face, elegant (in the
simpler ways), very compassionate, empathetic to all, a good listener,
sympathetic.
• Key Weaknesses: Compromising, shy and docile, indecisive, slacker, lazy,
slow, stubborn, indifferent, too yielding, teasing, forgetful.
• Expressive low, responsive high; response's delay long, duration short.
• In a person's life, it corresponds to older adulthood (roughly ages 65 and
up).
• Will often correspond with the Apathetic or the Conflicted when in a Four
Philosophy Ensemble.

17. Sanguine
EXTROVERTED, EMOTIONAL, AND PEOPLE-ORIENTED
• Key Strengths: Friendly, cheerful, energetic, Compassionate, loves people,
forgiving, confident, charming, talkative, an excellent comedian or sailor, and
just plain fun.
• Key Weaknessses: Weak-willed, egotistical, emotionally unstable, gullible,
too people-pleasing, shallow, scatterbrained, disorganized, self-absorbed, too
talkative, hyperactive and frivolous at times.
• Expressive high, responsive high; response's delay short, duration short.
• In a person's life, it corresponds to young childhood (roughly ages 0-13).
• Will often correspond with the Optimist when in a Four Philosophy
Ensemble.

18. TEMPERAMENT BLENDS
• Everyone is two temperaments. Though it's possible to work out the two
temperaments of yourself or others just using the 'pure' definitions above, each
blend can be identified.
• Please note that these tend to describe 'unrefined' traits, seen in people of all ages,
but as people grow older, they often learn to 'control' certain traits and act more
'maturely'.
• Also note that you should look at the bigger picture, rather than individual traits. If
an animal were described, for example, as 'a creature with pointed ears, a long
face, herbivore, long, fast legs, a mane on its long neck, short silky coat, hoofed
feet', then taking each trait individually, you'd be able to come up with many
different animals and it'd tell you nothing, but looking at the traits *as a whole*
gives a much more restrictive set of animals to choose from. As such, with these
descriptions, think of someone who has 'all' or 'most of' the traits as definitive
features of their attitude rather than focusing on the traits specifically and
dismissing a description because of one trait being an exception or something.

19. FOUR PHILOSOPHY ENSEMBLE
classifies members by their outlook, or life philosophy, especially as demonstrated when
the Group is faced by a problem or challenge.
The Cynic
• Common Attributes: Logic, practicality, criticism, Deadpan Snarker, hostility or
antagonism, caution, prioritizes survival over other goals, skepticism, lacks
compassion for people unwilling to make painful choices, disregard for social norms
such as rules or politeness, questionable morality, book smart or street smart.
• Common Characterizations: The Spock, Anti-Hero, Knight in Sour Armor, The Snark
Knight, The Rival, Only Sane Man, Byronic Hero
• Most common Perspective: Black and Gray Morality, Black and Black Morality
• Most common Temperaments: Choleric and Melancholic.

20. THE OPTIMIST
• Common Attributes: Determination, loyalty to ideals, Honor
Before Reason, morality or friendship over rules, self-sacrifice,
feelings over facts, lack of forethought, disregard for
consequences, stubbornness, optimism, blind faith, naivety,
prioritizes 'the right thing' over survival.
• Common Characterizations: The McCoy, Idiot Hero, The
Pollyanna, The Determinator, Messianic Archetype, Plucky Girl,
Ideal Hero
• Most Common Perspective: Black and White Morality, White and
Grey Morality
• Most common Temperament: Sanguine, sometimes Choleric.

21. THE REALIST
• Common Attributes: Takes the middle ground or Take a Third Option,
mediation, objectiveness, decisiveness, balance between the group's
well-being and the goal, personal code, disciplinarian, calm or quiet,
leadership, experience, adaptability, willingness to bend the rules.
• Common Characterizations: The Kirk, The Captain, Supporting
Leader, Team Mom / Team Dad, The Fettered, Mentor Archetype,
Reasonable Authority Figure
• Most Common Perspective: Gray and Grey Morality, Black and Gray
Morality note , Morality Kitchen Sink
• Most common Temperaments: Choleric

22. THE APATHETIC
• Common Attributes: Aloof or busy, uninvolved or neutral, different
background or culture from other characters, different goals or priorities than
other characters, perhaps enigmatic and lacking apparent goals at all,
mysterious, ambivalent or not invested in the outcome, just along for the ride,
silly or crazy, inactive, observer, support member.
• Common Characterizations: The Quiet One, Non-Action Guy, Cloud
Cuckoolander, Sociopathic Hero, Wild Card, Token Evil Teammate, Supporting
Protagonist
• Most Common Perspective: Blue and Orange Morality, It Amused Me,
Bystander Syndrome
• Most common Temperament: Phlegmatic.

23. OCCASIONALLY THE GROUP WILL BE JOINED BY A
FIFTH, CALLED THE CONFLICTED
• Common Attributes: Indecisive and conflicted, changeable, doesn't have or
voice strong opinions, empathy, prioritizes peace and cohesion among the
group, appeasement, self-doubt, lack of confidence, fear, need for approval,
dependent, blind trust of others.
• Common Characterizations: Team Pet, Reluctant Warrior, Sad Clown, Hurting
Hero, The Ingenue, The Eeyore, The Ditherer
• Most Common Perspective: Grey and Gray Morality
• Most Common Temperament: Phlegmatic or Melancholic.

24. Carl Jung’s Psychological Types
8 types:
•Extraverted thinking- logical, objective, dogmatic
•Extraverted feeling - emotional, sensitive, sociable
•Extraverted sensing - outgoing, adaptable, pleasure-seeking
•Extraverted intuiting- creative, motivator, opportunity seeker
•Introverted thinking-Interest in ideas more than people
•Introverted feeling- reserved yet capable of deep emotion
•Introverted sensing- detached, expressive in aesthetic pursuits
•Introverted intuiting- concerned with unconscious more than
reality

25. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®)
Favorite world: Do you prefer to focus on the outer world or on your own inner
world? This is called Extraversion (E) or Introversion (I).
Information: Do you prefer to focus on the basic information you take in or do
you prefer to interpret and add meaning? This is called Sensing (S) or Intuition
(N).
Decisions: When making decisions, do you prefer to first look at logic and
consistency or first look at the people and special circumstances? This is
called Thinking (T) or Feeling (F).
Structure: In dealing with the outside world, do you prefer to get things decided
or do you prefer to stay open to new information and options? This is
called Judging (J) or Perceiving (P).
Your Personality Type: When you decide on your preference in each category,
you have your own personality type, which can be expressed as a code with four
letters.

26. ISTJ
Quiet, serious, earn success by thoroughness and dependability. Practical, matter-of-fact,
realistic, and responsible. Decide logically what should be done and work toward it
steadily, regardless of distractions. Take pleasure in making everything orderly and
organized – their work, their home, their life. Value traditions and loyalty.
ISFJ
Quiet, friendly, responsible, and conscientious. Committed and steady in meeting their
obligations. Thorough, painstaking, and accurate. Loyal, considerate, notice and remember
specifics about people who are important to them, concerned with how others feel. Strive
to create an orderly and harmonious environment at work and at home.
INFJ
Seek meaning and connection in ideas, relationships, and material possessions. Want to
understand what motivates people and are insightful about others. Conscientious and
committed to their firm values. Develop a clear vision about how best to serve the
common good. Organized and decisive in implementing their vision.
INTJ
Have original minds and great drive for implementing their ideas and achieving their goals.
Quickly see patterns in external events and develop long-range explanatory perspectives.
When committed, organize a job and carry it through. Skeptical and independent, have
high standards of competence and performance – for themselves and others

27. ISTP
Tolerant and flexible, quiet observers until a problem appears, then act quickly to find
workable solutions. Analyze what makes things work and readily get through large
amounts of data to isolate the core of practical problems. Interested in cause and
effect, organize facts using logical principles, value efficiency.
ISFP
Quiet, friendly, sensitive, and kind. Enjoy the present moment, what’s going on
around them. Like to have their own space and to work within their own time frame.
Loyal and committed to their values and to people who are important to them.
Dislike disagreements and conflicts, do not force their opinions or values on others.
INFP
Idealistic, loyal to their values and to people who are important to them. Want an
external life that is congruent with their values. Curious, quick to see possibilities, can
be catalysts for implementing ideas. Seek to understand people and to help them
fulfill their potential. Adaptable, flexible, and accepting unless a value is threatened.
INTP
Seek to develop logical explanations for everything that interests them. Theoretical
and abstract, interested more in ideas than in social interaction. Quiet, contained,
flexible, and adaptable. Have unusual ability to focus in depth to solve problems in
their area of interest. Skeptical, sometimes critical, always analytical.

28. ESTP
Flexible and tolerant, they take a pragmatic approach focused on immediate results. Theories
and conceptual explanations bore them – they want to act energetically to solve the problem.
Focus on the here-and-now, spontaneous, enjoy each moment that they can be active with
others. Enjoy material comforts and style. Learn best through doing.
ESFP
Outgoing, friendly, and accepting. Exuberant lovers of life, people, and material comforts. Enjoy
working with others to make things happen. Bring common sense and a realistic approach to
their work, and make work fun. Flexible and spontaneous, adapt readily to new people and
environments. Learn best by trying a new skill with other people.
ENFP
Warmly enthusiastic and imaginative. See life as full of possibilities. Make connections between
events and information very quickly, and confidently proceed based on the patterns they see.
Want a lot of affirmation from others, and readily give appreciation and support. Spontaneous
and flexible, often rely on their ability to improvise and their verbal fluency.
ENTP
Quick, ingenious, stimulating, alert, and outspoken. Resourceful in solving new and challenging
problems. Adept at generating conceptual possibilities and then analyzing them strategically.
Good at reading other people. Bored by routine, will seldom do the same thing the same way,
apt to turn to one new interest after another.

29. ESTJ
Practical, realistic, matter-of-fact. Decisive, quickly move to implement decisions. Organize
projects and people to get things done, focus on getting results in the most efficient way
possible. Take care of routine details. Have a clear set of logical standards, systematically follow
them and want others to also. Forceful in implementing their plans.
ESFJ
Warmhearted, conscientious, and cooperative. Want harmony in their environment, work with
determination to establish it. Like to work with others to complete tasks accurately and on time.
Loyal, follow through even in small matters. Notice what others need in their day-by-day lives
and try to provide it. Want to be appreciated for who they are and for what they contribute.
ENFJ
Warm, empathetic, responsive, and responsible. Highly attuned to the emotions, needs, and
motivations of others. Find potential in everyone, want to help others fulfill their potential. May
act as catalysts for individual and group growth. Loyal, responsive to praise and criticism.
Sociable, facilitate others in a group, and provide inspiring leadership.
ENTJ
Frank, decisive, assume leadership readily. Quickly see illogical and inefficient procedures and
policies, develop and implement comprehensive systems to solve organizational problems. Enjoy
long-term planning and goal setting. Usually well informed, well read, enjoy expanding their
knowledge and passing it on to others. Forceful in presenting their ideas.

30. Style of life (Alder)
Dominant type
• Their energy (the strength of their striving after personal power) is so great that they tend to
push over anything or anybody who gets in their way. The most energetic of them are bullies
and sadists, less energetic ones hurt others by hurting themselves (e.g. depressives,
alcoholics, drug addicts and suicidal patients).
Leaning type
• They are sensitive people who have developed a shell around themselves which protects
them, but they must rely on others to carry them through life's difficulties. When
overwhelmed, they develop what we typically think of as neurotic symptoms: phobias,
obsessions and compulsions, general anxiety, hysteria, amnesias, and so on, depending on
individual details of their lifestyle.
Avoiding type
• These have the lowest levels of energy and only survive by essentially avoiding life --
especially other people. When pushed to the limits, they tend to become psychotic,
retreating finally into their own personal worlds.
Socially useful type
• This is the healthy person, one who has both social interest and energy. These people
believe in doing good for the sake of society. They also believe they have control over their
lives.

31. First Born
• Firstborns bask
in their parents'
presence,
which may
explain why
they
sometimes act
like mini-adults.
Firstborns are
diligent and
want to be the
best at
everything they
do. They excel
at winning the
hearts of their
elders
Middle child
• "The middle
child often feels
left out and a
sense of, 'Well,
I'm not the
oldest. I'm not
the youngest.
Who am I?'
They act as the
peacemakers
and pace-
setters.
Youngest
• Youngest
children tend to
be the most
free-spirited
due to their
parents'
increasingly
laissez-faire
attitude
towards
parenting the
second (or
third, or fourth,
or fifth...) time
around.
Only Child
• Being the only
child is a
unique position
in a family.
Without any
siblings to
compete with,
the only child
monopolizes
his parents'
attention and
resources, not
just for a short
period of time
like a firstborn,
but forever.
BIRTH ORDER

32. Karen’s Neurotic Trends
express a person’s needs:
■ Movement toward other people (the
compliant personality),
■ Movement against other people (the
aggressive personality), and
■ Movement away from other people (the
detached personality)

33. The compliant personality displays attitudes and behaviors that reflect a
desire to move toward other people: an intense and continuous need for
affection and approval, an urge to be loved, wanted, and protected.
Aggressive personalities move against other people. In their world,
everyone is hostile; only the fittest and most cunning survive. To achieve
the control and superiority so vital to their lives, they must consistently
perform at a high level. By excelling and receiving recognition, they find
satisfaction in having their superiority affirmed by others.
People described as detached personalities are driven to move away
from other people and to maintain an emotional distance. They must
not love, hate, or cooperate with others or become involved in any way.
To achieve this total detachment, they strive to become self-sufficient.

34. G. Kelly’s Personal Constructs
Constructs- person's unique way of looking at life
Kelly’s Corollaries
• Construction corollary – We can predict how repeated events will play out
• Range corollary-constructs can apply to many people/situations or a few
• Individuality corollary-People perceive events in different ways
• Experience corollary-We test our constructs against life to see if they stay useful
• Organization corollary-constructs are arranged in patterns, according to similarity
and differences
• Modulation corollary-New experiences can modify our constructs
• Dichotomy corollary- If you have an opinion about honesty, that idea must include
the concept of dishonesty
• Fragmentation corollary-Sometimes there are inconsistent or contradictory ones
in the overall system
• Choice corollary-We choose the construct that will best predict the outcome
• Commonality corollary-even our unique constructs could be similar to our peers
• Sociality corollary-we try to understand how others think, and change out
behavior with that

35. Triarchic theory of intelligence
Sternberg’s theory that
there are three kinds of
intelligences: analytical,
creative, and practical
analytical intelligence:
the ability to break
problems down into
component parts, or
analysis, for problem
solving
creative intelligence:
the ability to deal with
new and different
concepts and to come
up with new ways of
solving problems
practical intelligence:
the ability to use
information to get
along in life and
become successful

38. References
The 12 Common Archetypes:
http://www.soulcraft.co/essays/the_12_common_archety
pes.html
TV Tropes:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FourTempe
ramentEnsemble
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FourPhilos
ophyEnsemble
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/SoYouWantTo/De
velopCharacterPersonality
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/SoYouWantTo/Ma
keInterestingCharacters
The Four Temperaments:
http://temperaments.fighunter.com/?page=about
http://www.spundge.com/item/152505/

39. •Carl Jung & Psychological Types -
http://mbtitoday.org/carl-jung-psychological-type/
•The 16 MBTI® Types - http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-
mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/
•ADLERIAN THEORY - 1870-1937 –
http://www.changingstates.co.uk/adler.html
•Birth Order and Personality-
http://www.parents.com/baby/development/social/birth
-order-and-personality/
•Neurotic Trends-
http://cengagesites.com/academic/assets/sites/schultz_
ch04.pdf
•10th edition Theories of Personality by Duane P. &
Sydney Ellen Schultz
•Psychology, Third Edition by Saundra K. Ciccarelli &
J.Noland White c.2012

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