Jungian Archetypes: 5 core ideas, 12 archetypes and 16 MBTI personality types

Carl Jung’s archetypes are universal, symbolic patterns embedded in the collective shaping human experiences and behaviors. On the basic level he identified 5 core parts in his model:

Self: The central archetype representing the unified whole of the psyche, encompassing both conscious and unconscious elements. It symbolizes the pursuit of harmony and wholeness, achieved through individuation—the process of integrating all aspects of the psyche.

Ego: The conscious mind that mediates between internal experiences and external reality. It shapes our identity and decision-making but is only one part of the broader self. The ego functions as a lense through which one can access and explore one’s wholeness and the vastness of one’s psyche. A healthy ego is hence a container necessary for inner work.

Persona: The “mask” adapted to societal expectations, enabling social interaction. Over-identification with it can obscure the true self, as it varies contextually (e.g., professional vs. personal roles).

Shadow: The unconscious repository of traits, desires, and instincts rejected by the conscious self. Often perceived as negative (The Shadow), it also holds untapped potential (The Golden Shadow). Acknowledging it is vital for growth. By doing shadow work one can reclaim one’s power, true potential and buried gifts as well as resolve inner conflicts and bring different parts of oneself that tend to cause friction, tension and inner division into balance and harmony.

Anima/Animus: Gender-inversed archetypes within the unconscious—anima (feminine in men) and animus (masculine in women). They influence relationships and creativity, acting as bridges to the unconscious. Integrating them fosters psychological balance.

This model motivates us to see ourselves as more than what we are currently aware of in our day to day lives. And it motivates to look inside ourselves and to become of repressed aspect of ourselves that might influence our behaviour in unconscious ways.

Carol S. Pearson expanded Jung his basic ideas and to a degree simplified them and outlined 12 archetypes as universal patterns of human motivation and growth. Pearson’s work aims to help individuals identify their dominant archetypes to navigate life challenges, align with purpose, and achieve personal transformation. Here an oversight of these twelve archetypes and a short explanation of each.

Artist / Creator
Driven by imagination, the Creator innovates and expresses individuality through art, ideas, or systems. They thrive on originality but may struggle with perfectionism or impracticality. Their shadow is elitism or creative block.

Caregiver
Motivated by compassion, the Caregiver nurtures and protects others, often sacrificing their own needs. They embody altruism but risk burnout or enabling dependency. Their shadow appears as martyrdom or smothering control.

Everyman / Orphan / Regular
The Orphan yearns for belonging and realism, advocating for fairness and solidarity. They foster resilience but may adopt a victim mindset. Their shadow is resignation or distrust.

Explorer / Seeker
The Seeker craves freedom, self-discovery, and purpose, often embarking on journeys to escape conformity. They inspire growth but may struggle with commitment. Their shadow is restless escapism.

Click to enlarge.

Hero / Warrior
The Warrior fights for justice, goals, or protection, embodying courage and discipline. They overcome obstacles but risk aggression or burnout. Their shadow is ruthlessness or win-at-all-costs mentality.

Innocent
The Innocent seeks safety and simplicity, trusting in optimism and purity. They embody hope but may deny harsh realities or avoid conflict. Their shadow is naivety or passive compliance.

Jester / Fool / Trickster
The Jester uses humor and playfulness to challenge norms and lighten burdens. They encourage joy but may evade serious responsibility. Their shadow is frivolity or cynicism masking pain.

Lover
The Lover craves intimacy, connection, and sensory experience, valuing passion and harmony. They foster devotion but may lose themselves in relationships. Their shadow is jealousy or codependency.

Magician
The Magician seeks transformation through insight, turning challenges into opportunities. They wield intuition and vision but may manipulate others. Their shadow is deceit or delusions of grandeur.

Outlaw / Destroyer / Rebel / Revolutionary
The Destroyer facilitates transformation by shedding old patterns, beliefs, or systems to make space for renewal. Though often feared, they enable growth through necessary endings. Their shadow is nihilism or reckless destruction.

Ruler
The Ruler strives for order, control, and leadership, creating structure and stability. They excel in governance but may become authoritarian. Their shadow is tyranny or fear of chaos.

Sage
The Sage pursues truth and wisdom through analysis, objectivity, and knowledge-sharing. They value clarity but may detach from emotions. Their shadow is arrogance or analysis paralysis.

This video gives a good introduction and oversight of the different archetypes also:
All The 12 Archetypes EXPLORED | Carl Jung

The idea is that at each point in our life, some of these archetypes are more active in our life than others. We can be connected to one or multiple archetypes at the same time and once we have integrated certain aspects we might change our connections as well. We let go of what we have integrated and make connection with another archetype to start integrating those lessons.

It is a creative storyline method of understanding ourselves and developing ourselves through our lifetime. What archetypes are most active in your current life experience? How can you use them to gain insight in the challenges you are facing? What shadows might be active in your life from these archetypes that you aren’t aware of?

Another offshoot from these ideas is The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). It is a personality assessment tool developed by Katharine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers, inspired by Jung’s theory of psychological types. While it borrows concepts from Jung, it simplifies and systematizes them into a framework for categorizing personality preferences into 16 categories divided by 4 main sortings.

One important criticism is that they leave out maybe the main goal of Jung, his idea of the shadow and that we can improve ourselves by integrating our shadow but the MBTI is still an interesting application and a fun way to explore your current personality. Use it as an indication not a box you need to fit in.

People can find out their own MBTI by doing a test here.
Find out what your MBTI type is, ask the people close to you also and you can get a really exploration of self and the people you care about going.

Understanding yourself and others better can be a great source of Inner Peace and Outer Joy.