Jung, Archetypes and The "Game of Thrones" In Your Office

Social relationships are inherently ambiguous

Whenever two or more people interact, communicate, and try to understand each other, there's a risk that messages may not be received accurately.

You've likely experienced in your personal life or at the office that there are certain individuals with whom it's challenging to work harmoniously, and others with whom everything flows effortlessly. There's a general behavioral pattern in each of us that somehow predicts the success of our interpersonal relationships.

While each of us is unique and irreplaceable, we are biological algorithms with specific behaviors influenced by our personality tendency.

For instance, think about your best friends from school or university. You might describe them with behavioral adjectives that others around the world could also apply, even if they're not in your circle of friends. For example, you might remember someone as "fun-loving," "studious," "laid-back," "reserved," or "impulsive".

This characterization of people based on their behavior helps your brain conserve energy by categorizing similar-behaving individuals together in memory.

Your brain is an energy-saving machine. Each time you meet someone, it tries to categorize them based on patterns of voice, visual cues, and behavior, which collectively form what's known as an archetype.

Socially, you are what you say

Dunbar's Social Brain Theory suggests that humans, unlike other creatures with similar brains, have developed the frontal area of our brain for complex cognitive processes. This enables us to experience empathy, understand language, and respond to narratives, facilitating societal living. In this context, an archetype—those recurring behavioral patterns common among people—is identified through language, narrative, and empathy levels within any social group.

The concept of archetypes was first introduced by Carl Jung, founder of analytical psychology, who presented the idea of the collective unconscious. Jung believed that individuals unconsciously adopt particular behaviors (archetypes) necessary to nourish the collective unconscious, akin to a large brain composed of individuals acting as its neurons.

Archetypes, according to Jung, are universal patterns of behavior and thought reflected in people as part of a collective unconscious.

Each archetype, each behavior pattern, feeds on a particular type of thought, influencing how people relate to each other—a phenomenon known as social fabric.

So, you are a biological algorithm with an archetypal mold that defines the essence of your behavior and thinking. Socially, you base yourself on a narrative (purpose, beliefs, principles, values, dogma, etc.) that you share or make visible to other archetypes (people) through your language (verbal and non-verbal) and your level of empathy.

In other words, as you move through the world, you embody your beliefs while sharing space-time with other archetypes, and naturally encounter allies and antagonists.

In your workplace (and in life), close-archetypes are those colleagues with whom you share certain worldviews and group behaviors. They are usually the ones with whom you feel most comfortable and who do not threaten your career goals. Allies are those who not only pose no threat to your narrative but can enrich it and help you achieve various goals.

On the other hand, antagonists—with their narratives, behaviors, and language—typically not only challenge your archetype but can also frustrate communication, especially non-verbal communication.

In this intense game of "narrative comes, narrative goes," balancing the desire to BE and let others BE creates the social dynamics shaping your organization's climate and culture, for better or worse. This is the Game of Thrones many experience daily at work. From their beliefs and values (narratives), some strive to survive while others aim to ascend, strategically or clumsily using language and unfortunately misunderstanding empathy.

This is natural—an aspect of human reality and, as Jung would say, the collective unconscious.

Navigating ambiguity through your archetype's light

So, what can be done to navigate the archetypal nature of professional relationships? It's simple, though not necessarily easy:

1. Understand that it's rarely personal

We are archetypes doing our best with the narratives, language, and empathy levels we possess. There's seldom a genuine intention to harm others (though it can happen). More often, a person's outburst, withdrawal, or humor in a crisis stems from their own internal struggles. Therefore, it's beneficial to try and feel compassion when a colleague acts out—they're likely grappling with challenges that test their archetype.

2. Cultivate empathy

Empathy goes beyond stepping into someone else's shoes. From social neuroscience, it involves being aware of what we can do to improve others' experiences. Recognizing that each person (each archetype), especially antagonists, lives differently but ultimately seeks the same human desires (security, recognition, affection, etc.), can greatly ease professional relationships. Trust me on this.

3. Communicate strategically

Lastly, to mitigate the impact of relational ambiguity, your communication should be deliberate and strategic. Whether speaking or writing an email, be clear on your intentions, what you'll say, and crucially, how you'll say it. Understanding the other person's personality tendencies is key to facilitating conversations aligned with your intuition—remember, your intuition is usually right.

Competing for the throne in an organization or navigating its culture isn't easy. The good news is, the "throne" means something different to everyone, and culture can change as each "neuron" contributes to the collective brain.

Each archetype, from its narrative, holds its own life purpose, professional goals, skills, and strengths—all contributing to the social dynamics and Game of Thrones in your workplace.

Only by understanding your dominant archetype can you write and become the hero of your own story