Traits of Adult Personality Types:
(From a Writer’s Guide to Character Traits by Linda Edelstein)
The Adventurer
The themes of the Adventurer are excitement and boldness. He may look and sound ordinary, but
underlying most activities is the need to feel like a warrior, often unknowingly at the cost of
others. More men are Adventurers than are women, because culture and socialization inhibit this
type in growing girls; however, there have always been daring Adventurer women like Amelia
Earhart.
The Boss
The Bossy person wants to be in the limelight, whether at home, work, or play. The themes that
run through the life of a Bossy are control (of self and others) and having things her own way.
The Conventional
A conventional lives by the rules and prefers the established ways; the status quo is vastly
preferable to change.
The Creator
The Creator’s life gets meaning from the ability to produce new ideas or products.
The Dependent
The Dependent’s world revolves around having his needs met. These traits go beyond what is
normally expected for a particular time of life, even in youth or during periods of trauma or
illness.
The Eccentric
The Eccentric marches to the beat of a different drummer. He is genuinely different from the
norm and may appear weird to others.
The Extrovert
Extroverts are, if not the most fascinating of characters, among the most normal and least
pathological. Extroverts truly like people, enjoy crowds, and flourish in energetic activities.
The Fall Guy/Girl
The Fall Guy or Girl is notable for being the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong
people.
The Fearful
Life for the Fearful is driven by inhibition and fears of rejection. It dominates the internal world
and relations with others.
The Flamboyant
Life for the Flamboyant contains love, sex, competition, and disloyalty, always with a lack of
authenticity, as if the Flamboyant shows or expresses more than is really felt. Flamboyant
women lack close relationships with other women.
The Hyper
The Hyper’s life is active, but not always with direction. There is movement, but it can occur
without progress.
The Loner
The Loner’s life seems to be directionless: He drifts with little strong attachment to anyone. The
Loner’s type is not to be confused with the emotional numbness or freezing of temporary states
of withdrawal experienced when individuals are in strange circumstances such as being and
immigrant or reacting to tragedy.
The Manipulator
This person seeks control through domination of others and usually uses charm to achieve her
ends.
The Man’s Man
The Man’s Man appears one-dimensional because only certain qualities are allowed to emerge.
The counterpart to the Man’s Man is the Ultra- Feminine.
The Passive-Aggressive
For the Passive-Aggressive, days are lived under a negative cloud. He tries hard, but always feels
misunderstood.
The Perfectionist
The Perfectionist has the desire to be not excellent, but perfect. Her standards are extremely high,
and failure to meet those standards causes great stress. Many believe that they will be valued
only if they are perfect. They experience a sense of pressure coupled with hopelessness and
helplessness: “The better I do, the better I am expected to do.”
The Personable
A Personable makes for one of the best friends or colleagues around because of all the easy,
delightful qualities she possesses.
The Problem Solver
The Problem Solver is someone we all want to have in our corner when we get into a mess, but
he can stumble by being too capable for others and not capable enough for himself.
The Resilient
Life is no different for Resilients than for others, but they have the remarkable ability to recover
from life’s losses and disappointments.
The Ultra- Feminine
The Ultra-Feminine is to women what the Man’s man (on pages 37-38) is to men. Not
surprisingly, they often wind up together.
The Victim Type
Life for the Victim is filled with themes of lack or self-determination and control. Victims are
always convinced that others are more in command than they are.