High School Archetypes

The archetypes we become later in life are born in high school, the point at which I think we're rawest as humans. Australian archetypes are a little different than the American, but fall into the same general categories. Sadly, lots of people get stuck in their high school persona. Rare is the individual who begins, say, as The Jock, and matures into The Brain, although it's possible for anyone to tumble down the ladder to being The Criminal. White collar crime sucks like that.

The Nerd, for example, will likely be a life-long nerd. That's not to say he can't morph at the edges. Perhaps he winds up at Goldman Sachs running the country and ripping off taxpayers with clever trading algorithms. He'll wear Italian suits, but probably won't appreciate them as costumes of beauty. To him equations are hot; Armani's not.

The Nerd is probably the archetype of the moment, possibly at the top of the wanted list by women. Nerds can have qualities that I think are like catnip for felines. [Edit: typed felines, meant females. Telling, no?] For one, they're not good communicators. That can be interpreted as mystery in the imagination of a nerd-centric chick, and so instead of being just silent, The Nerd looks to her like James Bond - strong and silent, with everything left unsaid.

In 1989, he just looked mousy.

Nerds too are a shopping mall of characteristics ripe for change. In case you're reading this and have never met a woman, women love (love!) to change men. I often contemplate that women have the 'remodelling' gene, because they can always find something to alter. The typical nerd has remodelling potential in his wardrobe, in his house, in his hairstyle, in his eating habits, in his weekends, in his automobile, in his vacation choice; frankly, Nerds would be better off wearing a sandwich board that says "Renovator's Delight".

Lest you think I think all members of an archetype family are the same, I don't. We're talking generalizations here, and of course there is wide variety within all groups. I'll write more about that tomorrow. But I do believe that we tend to stick with who we were at seventeen unless we consciously recognize it and change our lives accordingly.

Luckily, beauty (or handsomeness) is in the eye of the beholder, so although we men might be stuck, women's view of us can change to the point where a quality that was out of favour in 1999 (thrift, sensible non debt-fuelled lifestyle) might end up being the honeypot for ladies in 2009.

Don't despair, dudes, just be yourself. Even if you do change clothes in a phone box, someone will ravish you eventually.



More on K & B: Stereotypes Part One, Stereotypes Part Three.