Update 1.08 — opposition: compromise—benefit

The next update refers to the pair of psychological functions INTUITION—SENSING. They are opposite to each other. On the Mandala of Characters, these two words are arranged vertically. INTUITION is at the top, and SENSING is at the bottom.

I think it would be a good idea to add words that will give us some ideas about these areas of the Mandala where are located INTUITION and SENSING.

Then, I want to add some further terms in a similar way as I did it in previous updates (1.03, 1.06. and 1.07). Those updates concerned the opposition of psychological functions THINKING—FEELING. That opposition is placed horizontally. THINKING is on the left side, and FEELING is on the right side of the Mandala of Characters.

So, in sum, we have four psychological functions, that is Intuition, Sensing, Thinking and Feeling. I took these functions from Carl Gustav Jung’s typology.

In this update, therefore, I am focusing on two sets of words where are two opposite psychological function INTUITION—SENSING. So, at the top we have this set of words:

AIR
INTUITION
anger, spring

And at the bottom we have this set:

EARTH
SENSING
sorrow, autumn

To complete these sets of words various ideas were coming to my mind. But the idea which I provided to the Mandala of Characters came to me from a completely unexpected side. Well, once I watched a TV program that interested me, and when this program ended, the next program began. I did not change the channel because I was doing something else, and this TV program, so to speak, was in the background. It was a program “Location, Location, Location” produced by British television—Channel 4. (TV program is produced by IWC Media, part of RDF Media Group).

This program regards to searching for and buying homes. It is hosted by Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer. Their task is to help find the appropriate house, flat, apartment, etc. for people who are looking for a new home. Those who want to buy or change home during the program can see a few homes, which probably can meet their expectations. Of course, these proposition of homes is fitting the budget of potential buyers taking part in particular episodes of this TV show.

In this program, unexpectedly, I noticed an interesting dilemma. It refers to the fact that, on the one hand, when we are looking for a new home, we have a lot of expectations, and we hope that we will find the perfect home for us? On the other hand, we have to reconcile with the fact that we will not be able to afford a perfect home for us. We will not be able to find a home that would fully satisfy us.

Such a dilemma may occur during various kinds of shopping. However, buying a home is special and unique. Among others, because it is very expensive, and moving from one home to another needs a lot of work, and it needs to solve many problems. So, in general, we are not able to change homes too often.

What this home will be is also related to all areas of our life, such us:

• work;
• development of everyone who will live in a given home;
• neighborhood;
• more difficult or easier access than before to work, schools, kindergartens, shops, supermarkets, cinemas, restaurants, various entertainment, etc.;
• the distance that we will have from relatives, friends, and colleagues;
• etc.

In addition, it is also important a place where this home will be located? For example, whether this place is:

• quiet or loud;
• easy or hard accessible;
• comfortable or uncomfortable;
• nice and unusual or average and typical;
• nice or unpleasant;
• known or unknown;
• etc.

Various dilemmas that occur while buying a home are one of the largest in life. Especially when to a new home will move the whole family. In the TV program “Location, Location, Location”, from time to time we can hear, in my opinion, very accurate indication of these dilemmas and problems while we are changing location. It means, it is the opposition of two words: “benefits” and “compromises”.

So we have the opposition of the words “compromise—benefit”. This opposition is important in life. For example, when we are making various choices, decisions, resolutions, etc. On the Mandala of Characters, this opposition between compromise and benefit particularly relates two types of character: Earth and Air. Specifically, the word “benefit” will relate to the Earth and the word “compromise” to the Air.

Actually, why I connect the Earth with “benefit”, and the Air with “compromise”?

Let’s start with the type of character the Air, which I associated with—“compromise”.

The closest association here we can find in the Enneagram. In the Mandala of Characters, the type Air is the most similar to the type 9 in the Enneagram. This type in Helen Palmer’s book “The Enneagram” is called—“Mediator”. The “Mediator” often means the person who mediates in a dispute or a negotiation and is supposed to lead to an agreement between two or more people who are looking for a solution. The solution which can be agreed by all sides.

The agreement achieved through negotiation often leads to a compromise or consensus. Therefore, the word “compromise” we can connect with the word “mediation”. Or with the person who is providing mediation, that is, with the “mediator”.

So, I think, the “compromise” is a useful addition to the set of words that concern the type of character “AIR”. Thanks to this, the word “compromise” will additionally lead us to this what is connected with this type of character. Also, it will lead us to this, what is associated with the “INTUITION”, that on the Mandala of Characters we can find under the word “AIR”.

In this case, it turns out that the “benefit”, as the opposition of the “compromise”, must be on the opposite side of the Mandala.

Then, the sets of words that are at the top and at the bottom of the Mandala will look as follows:

At the top:

AIR
compromise, INTUITION      
anger, spring

And at the bottom:

EARTH
    SENSING, benefit
sorrow, autumn

So, let’s update the Mandala of Characters with the opposition: compromise—benefit.

In the above diagram at the top of the Mandala of Characters, the “compromise” I placed on the left side of the “INTUITION”. That is, on the side where is placed neighboring type “Hot Air”. I did it because word “compromise” we can associate with the words “focus” and “persuasion”. “Focus” and “persuasion” I already placed on the Mandala in the top left corner in the previous updates. It means, “focus” I added in update 1.02. “Persuasion” I added when I was creating the first version of Mandala.

If we put together the words “compromise”, “focus” and “persuasion”, for example, we can say—that reaching a compromise often requires focus and persuasion that compromise is right or correct.

The word “benefit” I placed on the bottom of the Mandala of Characters next to the word “SENSING”, on its right side. I did it because the “benefit” as the opposition of the “compromise” it should be there. That is, “benefit” should be on the opposite side of the Mandala in relation to the “compromise”. Besides, the word “benefit” is associated with the word that we can find in the bottom corner of the Mandala. That is, with the word “impact”. If we put together the word “benefit” and “impact” we can, for example, say—that doing something beneficial often is connected with making various kinds of impact.

In general, we can divide kinds of impact into two groups. It means,

• that we are under a pressure of impact,
• or when are making the impact.

If we are under pressure of impact, we can, for example, experience:

• that we may have no other choice than doing something beneficial;
• that we should do something beneficial;
• that it is necessary to do this, what is beneficial;
• that doing beneficial things is important, good, and needed;
• that doing beneficial things provides some tangible or intangible goods;
• etc.

When we are making the impact, we can do this by our willingness or desire of doing something beneficial. To achieve something beneficial for us or for others, we can create some pressure to get what we need.

So, regardless of whether we do something beneficial for ourselves or for others, it creates pressure or impact. Also, regardless of whether we do something because of our own will or the will of others, or the pressure created by some life situations, we are under some impact. At the same time, the impact can be perceived as something positive and nice, and also as negative and unpleasant.

Above, I did not say yet why the word “benefit” is associated with the type of character—Earth?

The benefit, among others, it is the profit from some actions and situations. Then the benefit can be associated with such words as—gift, goods, harvest, profit, earnings, advantage, etc.

These phrases of the word “benefit” can direct us to this, what in life does drive the Earth type?

Also, a lot about this type of character can tell us the associations connected with such phrases as:

• Utile dulci (from Latin), that is, mix business with pleasure or mix useful with agreeable. So, we can do something pleasant and useful at the same time.
• General order, social advantage, civil fruits, practical utility, fruits of the thing, etc. It means that some activity meets noble and socially useful goals.

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