THE ASSESSMENT

The following assessment5 is the result of decades of work conducted by Harriet Beinfield, LAc; Efrem Korngold, LAc, OMD; and Stephen Cowan, MD, although some of the statements in the assessment have been slightly modified to reflect my own experience with clients and how they tend to approach the phrases. I am humbled and honored that Harriet, Efrem, and Dr. Cowan have allowed me to use their work here to provide you with a time-tested and long-established tool for measuring the five types within your nature.

Using the scale on the following page, write down next to each phrase in the assessment the number that best represents your belief about how the phrase relates to you. When deciding on the number to choose, consider how frequently over the past three months you’ve felt or experienced the phrase in question. Imagine you’re saying, “In the past three months, I would say that I…” before each phrase. With the recent past in mind, your answers will more accurately reflect a sense of where you are right now and what Five Archetypes skills you need to work on in order to live a more harmonious life.

Be careful not to fall into the trap of “I should” when entering your answers. Sometimes people feel compelled to answer the “right” way, or the way they believe they truly should be thinking, as opposed to what is honestly true about themselves right now. To put yourself on the best path to optimization and harmonization through the Five Archetypes method, make sure your answers to the statements are sincere reflections of your authentic self right now.

Rate each statement on a scale of 0 through 4, as follows:

Tally your scores for each section on the “Total” lines that follow. Then record each of your five totals in the box on page 60, and make sure you match up the right total to the corresponding archetype. This is your Five Archetypes Summary, which represents the current state of balance of each of the five types within your nature.

Your highest total indicates your primary archetype, and it will likely remain your primary throughout your lifetime. However, your other totals could shift somewhat over the months and years, which is to be expected. Your ability to cope in the face of disappointment and to honor the diverse gifts of those in your life will increase the more you practice the Five Archetypes method, and as you become more compassionate and resilient over time, you may notice that your assessment results shift accordingly.

For example, when I first took the assessment a few years back, my Fire was highest, Earth was second, Wood a distant third, and Metal and Water an even more distant fourth and fifth. This breakdown manifested at that particular time in my life as me being:

Knowing my assessment results years ago gave me a distinct awareness of exactly what skills I needed to build for achieving balance among my Five Archetypes. Simply seeing my scores felt like a relief. I gained clarity on how the current state of the five types within my nature contributed to my often being more concerned about people liking me than about setting healthy boundaries. Additionally, my assessment results led me to the precise directions for how to create more healthy tendencies through self-awareness and archetype-based activities. As a result of personalized self-focus and a shift in behaviors, I became more consistently stabilized and made better decisions in my personal and work life.

These days, my scores fall in the same order they did the first time I took the assessment. However, my Fire and Earth are not that much higher than the other three, and my Wood score has increased so it is just a bit lower than my Fire and Earth. My Water and Metal remain my lowest two archetypes, but they have increased significantly, and there’s less of a gap between them and my Fire.

The change in my scores manifests in my daily life in a few ways.

The Five Archetypes assessment is intended to help you get more in touch with how the archetypes manifest and interplay within your temperament. As I demonstrated above in my own breakdown of the types, the actual numerical results are less pertinent to how you’ll use the recommendations in this book than is the scale they reveal of your highest to lowest archetypes.

If you’re not sure how to rank some of the statements in the assessment, consider reviewing them with your friends, and ask what they recognize in you. Sometimes our friends and family notice quirks and idiosyncrasies that evade us.

When considering the most accurate responses to the items in the assessment, don’t worry too much about getting the “right” answer. There is no right or wrong response. You feel what you feel when you feel it. Your responses will naturally be nuanced and modified by your current emotional, physical, and spiritual state of harmony in any given moment, so you may notice slight variations in your assessment scores depending upon your mood, the day of the week, or the time of day. These slight variations are natural. If you take the assessment more than once less than a few days apart, you should find that your primary and lowest numerical scores may fluctuate a small amount, but their rank as highest and lowest will likely remain unchanged. The middle three may show some variation as well, but they don’t impact your work in this book toward optimization and harmony in as substantial a manner as the highest and lowest archetypes will.

Okay, I think you’re ready. Grab a pen or pencil and get started on your assessment. Have fun with it. This is an exciting time for you, because it’s the gateway to a newfound sense of relief, empowerment, and resilience. Enjoy!

0–4

WOOD

I love being active and exercising.

I enjoy taking risks.

I feel confident and act assertively.

I seek challenges and enjoy the pressure of competition.

I’m comfortable with conflict.

I prefer to lead more than I like to follow others.

I can be pushy and might call out and express my opinions brazenly.

I love an adventure.

Once I’m done with a project, I don’t want to have to revisit or refine it. I’m ready for the next thing.

I take pride in being first, best, fastest.

I hate losing.

I learn by doing instead of talking about it.

I’m not afraid of danger or uncertainty.

I’m comfortable acting boldly and decisively, regardless of what others say or think.

I acclimate quickly to new environments and circumstances.

I tend to become restless and impatient with people I think are holding me back.

I’m not swayed when a colleague says no to me about a work idea or plan. I believe “no” just means “not yet.” I make things happen.

I tend to blame others.

I like to question authority.

I tend to get tense and angry easily, and I shout when I’m stressed.

I feel an urgency to disagree or argue with others’ opinions, especially of me.

I openly discuss my abilities and achievements.

I’m reluctant to acknowledge other people’s opinions, ideas, perspectives.

I act quickly and decisively in a crisis situation.

I enjoy standing up to injustices in the world as I see it.

Total:

0–4

FIRE

I look for excitement and stimulation.

I love to have fun, and others think I’m delightful to be around.

I tend to feel my emotions and reactions intensely.

I seek out ways to stay busy because I don’t like being bored.

I’m naturally very intuitive about what others think and feel.

I can be gullible and easily believe what others say about me, the good and the bad.

I’m very passionate about things I like.

I’m animated and cheerful when I’m very excited about something and can jump, shake, or move my body without control.

I can depend on my charm to get what I want.

I like to cheer others up and to inspire others, because I don’t like it when anyone feels sad.

I love it when people notice, recognize, and reward me for things I’ve done.

I’m optimistic and hopeful no matter what the situation or other people’s opinions.

It’s easy for me to bounce back quickly after being upset because I don’t like how it feels to be sad.

When something upsets me, I tend to be oversensitive and melodramatic, and my anxiety and panic escalate quickly.

I tend to avoid doing activities I don’t think are fun.

I can get bored easily.

I enjoy eating for pleasure.

I enjoy and need regular physical contact and emotional intimacy.

It’s easy for me to share my deepest feelings and desires.

It’s easy for me to focus on the present instead of worrying about the past or the future.

I can easily see the humor in almost any situation.

I become deeply identified with and responsive to the feelings, thoughts, and experiences of another.

I am comfortable receiving and showing unabashed affection, enthusiasm, and excitement toward others.

I enjoy being attractive and irresistible to others.

I’m not afraid of being vulnerable in front of other people.

Total:

0–4

EARTH

I love socializing with friends and family.

I’m naturally drawn to finding ways to resolve conflict among people.

I don’t like people not getting along.

I’m very concerned about making sure I please others.

I tend to be a loyal friend.

People count on me to solve interpersonal and relationship problems.

I feel comfortable with and am easily approachable to people I don’t know well.

It’s easy for me to imagine what other people need.

I’m considered a nurturer and will put others’ needs before my own.

I’m regarded as a team player.

I like knowing others rely on me for help and comfort.

I like being in relationships where I’m needed by my friends, family, and partner.

I believe in the good intentions of others.

I like fitting in.

I don’t want to be the leader or the center of attention.

I tend to go along with what others say.

I don’t like anyone being left out.

I like my home to be the central gathering point for friends and family to hang out.

I’m trustworthy and accessible.

I like to tell and listen to stories.

I can become indecisive, needy, and worried when stressed.

I tend to get stomachaches when I’m nervous.

I tend to have a hard time falling asleep when I’m overwhelmed or worried.

I can be shy in unpredictable social situations.

I can talk too much when I want people around me to feel comfortable.

Total:

0–4

METAL

I revere people who have put in years of hard work and training to legitimately attain positions of esteem.

I’m good at noticing details and patterns.

I have a specific way to do things.

I like being in control of situations.

I feel secure when I know that everyone is following proper standards, principles, and expectations.

I have high expectations of myself and others.

I’m strongly committed to my moral values, principles, and standards of conduct.

I enjoy logical, analytical, and systematic approaches to problem solving.

I prefer consistency in my life and am averse to change.

I tend to be judgmental and critical.

I prefer a neat and orderly lifestyle.

I try to make things perfect.

I have strong likes and dislikes.

I keep my emotions in check and respond to joy and disappointment in a reserved fashion.

I tend to get stuck on what’s wrong instead of what’s right.

I tend to be a picky eater.

I enjoy organizing my space and have a sense of satisfaction when everything is in its place.

I dig my heels in deeper when I’m stressed, becoming rigid and fixated on being right.

I appreciate well-defined goals and instructions.

I’m committed to moral principles and behavior.

I have good taste and recognize good taste in others.

I incorporate “lessons learned” into my life to make sure I don’t make the same error twice.

I believe that virtue is more important than pleasure.

I feel tense when things seem chaotic and don’t run smoothly.

I tend to get stuck on the details when I’m stressed.

Total:

0–4

WATER

I take my time getting to know people before starting relationships.

I prefer having a handful of good friends that I see every once in a while.

I’m objective and reasonable when faced with other people’s histrionics and drama.

I don’t need to always be in a relationship.

I like working alone more than collaborating as part of a team.

I can be stubborn and headstrong.

People find me hard to read.

I’m imaginative and perceptive.

I’m a seeker of knowledge and meaning.

I love spending time just thinking about ideas, concepts, or people.

I take my time reacting to situations and events instead of responding in a hasty rush.

I don’t like having to stick to someone else’s schedule or timeline.

I keep my private life to myself and am careful about what I reveal to others.

I prefer to figure things out for myself.

I don’t like being the center of attention; I prefer remaining anonymous.

I lose track of time.

I don’t mind being unconventional or eccentric.

I often fear the worst.

I often forget where I put things down, like my glasses, wallet, keys, phone, or shopping lists.

I understand that things take time, so I don’t give up easily when I’m solving problems or creating new concepts and ideas.

People say I’m more of a realist than an optimist.

I need and cherish my alone time.

I tend to withdraw and shut down, and I don’t want to talk when I’m stressed.

I can get lost in my imagination.

I can get so caught up in a book, movie, or activity at night that I’ll forget to go to sleep.

Total:

FIVE ARCHETYPES SUMMARY

With your assessment result numbers in front of you, identify the scale of highest to lowest archetypes within your nature.

POSSIBLE ASSESSMENT OUTCOMES

You Could Have More Than One Primary

Some of you may have two, or even three, archetypes that are tied for your highest score. If that’s the case, then congratulations are in order! You are naturally great at two or three different fundamental skill sets.

If you fall within this category, begin your journey by reading the sections on each of your primary archetypes so you can become universally more self-aware and understand the strategies for self-care that will apply to you in the context of different situations. As a dual (or triple) primary, you’ll have divergent needs for safety at times, so becoming fluent in all your primary archetypes will help you become more resilient more of the time.

VERIFYING YOUR PRIMARY

If you happen to feel uncertain about whether your results correctly identified your primary archetype, there are a few ways to confirm your results. One way is to spend the course of a week closely paying attention to these three things about yourself:

  1. What you’re knee-jerk good at. (This corresponds directly to your primary.)
  2. What you’re like when you’re upset and not able to easily access your composure. (This also corresponds directly to your primary.)
  3. What sort of challenges and people push your buttons the most. (Refer back to the statements and tendencies in the assessment so you become more familiar with which behaviors correspond to each potential button pusher.)

For example:

If you still feel unsure about your results, take some more time to self-evaluate and gain certainty that you’ve correctly identified your primary archetype. As you know, your given pathway through this book toward living a harmonious life begins with the nature you’ve identified as your primary, so it’s important that your results be correct. The firm awareness of your primary type can become even more obvious to you through paying attention to the details and context of your everyday life experiences. Observe and track your behaviors during even your most mundane movements throughout the day. Allow yourself some extra time to take in how you react and how you feel in response to interactions, setbacks, and achievements.

Highest Scores That Are Very Close

The assessment is quite thorough and sensitive. Even a tiny difference between your highest and your secondary archetypes connotes a significant enough differentiation to highlight the higher of the two as your primary.

However, if you’re not positive, give yourself a week to observe your thoughts, reactions, and behaviors from the perspective of these two highest archetypes. Take note of your tendencies under stress, how you respond to good news, the types of people you’re drawn to, and the types you’re inclined to avoid. This is an exercise in gathering research for self-evaluation. With your new data in hand, retake the assessment, and see if you come out with a more obvious front-runner archetype.

If your scores remain just as close after your week of observation, then your highest score should be treated as your primary archetype and your second-highest as your secondary archetype. You’ll follow the plan for creating harmony that correlates to your primary archetype.

Non-Primary/Supporting Scores That Are Very Close

Many of you will have non-primary scores that are very close, if not identical to each other. This outcome doesn’t have a material impact on your work for creating harmony.

HOW TO USE YOUR ASSESSMENT RESULTS

Your Five Archetypes journey begins by strengthening your self-awareness. You’ll achieve this by reading the chapter that correlates with your primary archetype(s) and then reading the chapter that corresponds to your lowest archetype. Diving into these two chapters first will help you get to know your primary ways and motivations, as well as highlight the characteristics you need to bolster in order to safeguard you from slipping into overactive or distorted primary archetype behaviors, such as being:

Once you become more aware of your natural archetypal inclinations, you can begin to focus on the balancing activities listed in your primary archetype chapter. The activity sections are meant as a guide to help enhance your self-regulation skills and can be found on the following pages:

Finally, to further expand your awareness and amplify your empathy and compassion for yourself and others, harmonize your Five Archetypes by reading the chapters that correlate to your middle three types. Then you will be able to broaden your understanding of your inclinations and become more familiar with how others in your life experience you and interpret their world.

5 You can find a copy of Harriet and Efrem’s full Self-Assessment Questionnaire in chapter 7 of their book Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine. You may also opt to complete Dr. Cowan’s five types questionnaire online at www.tournesol-assessment.com.