The term "archetype" has its origins in ancient Greece. The root words are archein, which means "original or old"; and typos, which means "pattern, model or type". The combined meaning is an "original pattern" from which all other similar persons, objects, or concepts are derived, copied, modeled, or emulated.

Swiss psychologist, Carl Gustav Jung, used the concept of archetypes in his theory of the human psyche. He believed that universal, mythic characters—archetypes—reside within the collective unconscious of people the world over. Research has shown this to be true. Archetypes represent fundamental human motifs of our experience as we evolve and the motifs can be found in every culture the world over. Because they are based in our experience of ourselves, they evoke deep emotions.

Although there are many different archetypes, Jung defined twelve primary types that symbolize basic human motivations. Each type has its own set of values, meanings and personality traits.

The twelve types are divided into four sets of three. Each group is motivated by its respective orienting focus: Ego, Freedom, Social and Order. Every type within each set shares the same source of motivation or drive. The three types within the Ego set are driven to gratify ego or personal image needs; those in the Freedom set are driven to experience personal freedom; those in the social set are driven please others and keep relationships harmonious; and those in the Order set are driven to seek and maintain order in their surroundings and relationships.

Though the three types within the groups share a common drive, they have different motivating orientations.

For example, the Caregiver, which is driven by the need to meet social agendas, does so through taking care of people, whereas the Lover seeks to connect on an intimate level and the Orphan seeks to connect to experience a sense of belonging. Understanding the groupings will aid in understanding the motivational and self-perceptual dynamics of each type.

Most, if not all, people have several archetypes at play in their personality construct; however, one archetype tends to dominate the personality in general, with a second one influencing the first to some extent. It can be helpful to know which archetypes are at play in oneself and in others, especially loved ones, friends and co-workers, in order to gain personal insight into behaviors and motivations for improved relationships. Below, the 12 main archetypes are aligned with the 12 CORE types.

The Ego Types (Commander Combinations)

1. The Hero

Motto: Where there's a will, there's a way
Core desire: To prove one's worth through courageous acts
Goal: Expert mastery in a way that improves the world
Greatest fear: Weakness, vulnerability, showing fear
Strategy: To be as strong and competent as possible
Potential Weakness: Arrogance, always needing another battle to fight
Talent: Competence and courage
The Hero is also known as: The champion, warrior, crusader, superhero, soldier, dragon slayer, or winner
CORE Type: True Commander

2. The Ruler

Motto: Power isn't everything, it's the only thing
Core desire: Control
Goal: Create a prosperous, successful family or community
Greatest fear: Chaos, being overthrown
Strategy: Exercise power with precision
Potential Weakness: Being authoritarian, unable to delegate
Talent: Responsibility, leadership
The Ruler is also known as: The leader, boss, king, queen, aristocrat, politician, or manager
CORE Type: Commander/Organizer

3. The Magician

Motto: I make things happen.
Core desire: Understanding the fundamental laws of the universe
Goal: To make dreams come true
Greatest fear: Unintended negative consequences
Strategy: Develop a vision and live by it
Potential Weakness: Becoming manipulative
Talent: Finding win-win solutions
The Magician is also known as: The visionary, catalyst, inventor, charismatic leader, shaman, healer, or medicine man
CORE Type: Commander/Entertainer

The Freedom Types (Entertainer Combinations)

4. The Explorer

Motto: Free to be you and me Core desire: The freedom to find out who you are through exploring the world
Goal: To experience a better, more authentic, more fulfilling life
Biggest fear: Getting trapped, conformity, and inner emptiness
Strategy: Seeking out and experiencing new things, escape from boredom
Weakness: Aimless wandering, becoming a misfit
Talent: Autonomy, ambition, being true to one's self
The Explorer is also known as: The seeker, iconoclast, wanderer, individualist or pilgrim
CORE Type: True Entertainer

5. The Outlaw

Motto: Rules are made to be broken
Core desire: Change, improvement, revolution
Goal: To overturn what isn't working
Greatest fear: To be powerless or ineffectual
Strategy: Disrupt, shock, renovate
Weakness: Crossing over to the dark side, crime
Talent: Outrageousness, radical freedom
The Outlaw is also known as: The rebel, revolutionary, wild man, enthusiast, or iconoclast
CORE type: Entertainer/Commander

6. The Jester

Motto: You only live once
Core desire: To live in the moment with full enjoyment
Goal: To have a great time and lighten up lives
Greatest fear: Being bored or boring others
Strategy: Play, make jokes, be funny, surprise
Potential Weakness: Being frivolous, wasting time
Talent: Creating light-heartedness, happiness, and laughter
The Jester is also known as: The fool, trickster, joker, or comedian
CORE Type: Entertainer/Relater

The Social Types (Relater Combinations)

7. The Caregiver

Motto: Love your neighbor as yourself
Core desire: To protect and care for others
Goal: To bring help and harmony to others
Greatest fear: Selfishness and ingratitude
Strategy: Service to others
Potential Weakness: Martyrdom, being exploited
Talent: Compassion, generosity
The Caregiver is also known as: The saint, altruist, nurturing parent, helper, supporter, or good neighbor
CORE Type: True Relater

8. The Lover

Motto: You're the only one
Core desire: Intimacy and sensual experience
Goal: Being in a relationship with the people, work and surroundings they love
Greatest fear: Being alone, unwanted, unloved
Strategy: To become more emotionally attractive
Potential Weakness: Outward-directed desire to please others at the risk of losing own identity
Talent: Passion, gratitude, appreciation, and commitment
The Lover is also known as: The partner, friend, intimate, sensualist, spouse, or team-builder
CORE Type: Relater/Organizer

9. The Orphan (Everyman)

Motto: All people are created equal
Core Desire: Connecting with others
Goal: To belong
Greatest fear: To be left out or to stand apart from the crowd
Strategy: Develop solid virtues, be down to earth, the common touch
Potential Weakness: Losing one's own self in an effort to blend in or for the sake of superficial relationships
Talent: Realism, empathy, lack of pretense
The Orphan is also known as: Everyman, realist, traditionalist, or solid citizen
CORE Type: Relater/Entertainer

The Order Types (Organizer Combinations)

10. The Sage

Motto: The truth will set you free
Core desire: To find the truth
Goal: To use intelligence and analysis to understand the world
Biggest fear: Being duped, misled—or ignorance
Strategy: Seeking out information and knowledge,self-reflection and understanding thought processes
Potential Weakness: Can study details forever and never act
Talent: Wisdom, learning
The Sage is also known as: The expert, scholar, detective, advisor, thinker, philosopher, academic, researcher, mentor, teacher, or contemplator
CORE Type: True Organizer

11. The Artist

Motto: If you can imagine it, it can be done
Core desire: To create things of enduring value
Goal: To realize a vision
Greatest fear: Mediocre vision or execution
Strategy: Develop artistic control and skill
Task: To create culture, express own vision
Potential Weakness: Perfectionism, bad solutions
Talent: Creativity and imagination
The Artist is also known as: The inventor, innovator, musician, creator, poet or writer
CORE Type: Organizer/Commander

12. The Innocent

Motto: Life is what you make it
Core desire: To get to paradise, create an ideal
Goal: To be satisfied
Greatest fear: To be punished for doing something bad or wrong
Strategy: Do things right
Potential Weakness: To be boring for all their naive innocence
Talent: Faith and hopefulness
The Innocent is also known as: The utopian, naive, mystic, saint, romantic, dreamer
CORE Type: Organizer/Relater