The 12 Archetypes

Meet the Archetypes

The Archetypes unite the human unconscious across cultures and continents, industries and markets. They come to life in the CultureTalk Survey System as 12 characters adding depth and dimension to conversations about personal growth and organizational development.

Like a story where we all know the plot, Archetypes help us meet on the same page with a resounding, “Oh, I understand.”

Timeless History

Swiss psychotherapist Carl G. Jung used the word “Archetype” to refer to the recurring patterns found in our universal stories. It was his belief that all human beings are guided by the same inner roadmap – and we make sense of our own lives through a common set of beliefs and behaviors.

He taught that these same patterns have been with us since the dawn of time. We know this is true because we see them reflected across history and cultures. We find them in showing up in art, literature, myths and religions. In aboriginal tribes and in modern-day communities.

More recently, Dr. Carol Pearson built out Jung’s work with a body of research that examined Archetypal attributes within individuals and organizations. She created a framework of 12 patterns that recur the most often.

CultureTalk, based on the work of Jung and Pearson, takes centuries of understanding and translates it for today’s business leaders. Answering the questions Who am I? and Who are we? – our Archetypal profile create a shortcut for us – a quick way to understand unwritten rules and unconscious behaviors.

Human Beings Being Human

Handed down from generation to generation, clients get excited working with Archetypes because they are: