Reference
Carol S. Pearson
The specific set of twelve archetypes, and the four motivations they sort into, is her arrangement.
Pearson took Jung's idea and made it usable: twelve named characters, each with a stated motivation, a set of strengths and a characteristic way of going wrong. That last part is the contribution that matters most, because it is what separates an archetype from a flattering label.
The version most people have met is The Hero and the Outlaw, written with Margaret Mark, which applied the twelve to brands. That commercial afterlife is the reason the framework is everywhere, and also the reason it is often presented with more confidence than it has earned. The twelve are a useful organising scheme. They are not a discovered fact about human beings, and we say so on the pages that use them.
Referenced work
- Awakening the Heroes Within (1991) reference
- The Hero and the Outlaw (2001, with Margaret Mark) reference
Elsewhere
Listed here because we name Carol S. Pearson in our writing. We are not affiliated with them and this page is our summary, not theirs.