Air—Soft Self-Esteem State (Vulnerable State)

On the diagram below, the points:
— Fire, and
— Water, have been marked as “Strong or Soft Self-Esteem State (Power or Vulnerable State)”.

These points show in which places arise Strong or Soft Self-Esteem State for the Air type.

In other words, Air, under the influence of its Power or Vulnerable State cam move to the points:
— Fire, and
— Water.

This chapter about Air’s Soft Self-Esteem State (Vulnerable State) is analogical to the previous chapter about Air’s Strong Self-Esteem State (Power State). This is because Power and Vulnerable States for the given type can arise in the same two places on Mandala. In the case of Air type, its Power and Vulnerable States arise in the mentioned above, Fire and Water points.

Therefore, the following introduction to Air’s Vulnerable State is similar to the previous chapter, where is an introduction to Power State of this type.

However, this does not mean that these states are similar to each other. Power and Vulnerable States are, of course, very different. Because when we feel powerful or we have high self-esteem, we think and behave differently than we have low self-esteem or we feel vulnerable.

Sometimes we know why we have Strong Self-Esteem or Soft Self-Esteem, for example, because:
— we succeed or fail,
— we are satisfied or dissatisfied with something,
— something attracts us or pushes us away,
— etc.

However, it is also the case that in many situations, we have no idea why we feel Powerful or Vulnerable. Often our Strong or Soft Self-Esteems comes from our type of character. Also with our character are connected our talents, acquired skills and habits. Besides, our character is also associated with:
— our specific ways of dealing with various life situations (that is, our basic psychological functions: Thinking, Feeling, Intuition, and Sensation),
— and our specific ways in which we face life’s various challenges (that is, our adaptive-defensive mechanisms: Extraversion, Introversion, Perceiving, and Judging).

Both psychological functions and adaptive-defensive mechanisms are related to our life experiences. These experiences can simply put, be pleasant and unpleasant.

When we have pleasant experiences with something, then our function and mechanisms can give us a lot of satisfaction, and thus a lot of Self-Esteem.

When we have unpleasant experiences, then we can be cautious and attentive. Past unpleasant experiences could even turn into psychological traumas or injuries that make us not only cautious but also full of fear, shame, stubbornness, anger, etc. Then we can become Vulnerable (or we can have Soft Self-Esteem). Although traumas can also bring us also Strong Self-Esteem, because it can make us very ambitious, systematic, consistent, etc.

In general, many factors cause Power or Vulnerable State. And surely, this what we know about these states is just the beginning of the journey in uncovering their secrets.

In the rest of this chapter, there is analogical content as in the previous chapter. Therefore, the following part of this chapter, we may read briefly and less carefully. Or, if we have such a need, we can go through the content below similarly as in the previous chapter.

The idea of Strong and Soft Self-Esteem State (Power or Vulnerable State) arose based on Enneagram. In Enneagram, we have three states, which are:

• Typical state that is a point, which in the Mandala of Characters is equivalent of—Conscious State.
• Stress, which in Mandala I described as—Soft Self-Esteem State (or Vulnerable State).
• Relax (or Comfort), which I described in Mandala as—Strong Self-Esteem State (or Power State).

In Mandala, we also have a fourth state, which does not occur in Enneagram. This state is—Unconscious State.

Initially, analogically to Enneagram, I assumed that the Power or Vulnerable State could only occur in one place. However, after several years of analyzes, observations, and considerations, I came to the conclusion that these states may, in a way, change places.

So, here we have a kind of duality or dualism of Power and Vulnerable State. This duality became visible thanks to the model of the psyche I used in Mandala of Characters. Briefly, this model is built as follows:
— in Mandala, the psyche is represented by a square inscribed in a circle;
— at the four vertices of the square are placed four psychological states (that is, Conscious, Unconscious, Power, and Vulnerable States);
— psychic energy moves along the sides and diagonals of the square, that is, this energy moves in different ways between the four psychological states.

The above model of the psyche is different for each character type. Thanks to this, each type has its own specific Mandala.

To show what the individual psychological states of every type refer to, on the oval frames around the Mandala, I put brief descriptions. These brief descriptions cover eight reference points. These are the four main and four auxiliary reference points.

Main reference points show, among others, where are: — basic psychological functions (Thinking, Feeling, Intuition, and Sensation), — Classical Elements (Fire, Water, Air, and Earth).

Auxiliary reference points show among others where are:
— adaptive-defensive mechanism (Extraversion, Introversion, Perceiving, and Judging),
— qualities of Classical Elements (hot, cold-cool, dry, and moist-wet).

The first Air’s point—Strong and Soft Self-Esteem State (Power or Vulnerable State).

If we look at the Mandala of Characters, we can see that the first Air’s point:
— “Strong or Soft Self-Esteem State (Power or Vulnerable State)
is in the reference point, which is on the left side of Mandala.

This reference point concerns, among others:
— basic psychological function, which is—THINKING,
— Classical Element—FIRE.

I briefly described this place on the Mandala using the following concepts, phrases, and symbols:

FIRE
( summer—cognition & choice )
   logic, THINKING, possibility
( fear / escape )

The second Air’s point—Strong and Soft Self-Esteem State (Power or Vulnerable State).

The second Air’s point:
— “Strong or Soft Self-Esteem State (Power or Vulnerable State)”
is in the reference point, which is on the right side of Mandala.

This reference point concerns, among others:
— basic psychological function, that is—FEELING,
— Classical Element—WATER.

I briefly described this place on the Mandala using the following concepts, phrases, and symbols:

WATER
( winter—value & argument )
morality, FEELING, ethics  
( shame / hide )

Concepts, phrases, and symbols located near two points:
— “Strong or Soft Self-Esteem State (Power or Vulnerable State)”,
can already tell us a lot about Air’s Strong and Self-Esteem States.

However, what I wrote above is actually just an introduction to the title Air’s Soft Self-Esteem State (or Vulnerable State). I very much hope that in the near future, I will be able to tell you much more about Vulnerable State of this type. For now, I can say that I am working on an extensive study of this state, but I do not know when I will finish it.

Working on the Mandala of Characters is my hobby, or this is a passion of mine. Therefore, it is difficult for me to say at what speed I will work on it. All I know is that I will be working on it. It is because the Mandala of Characters for me is actually a kind of “research therapy”, that helps me deal with depression and other mental problems. It just so happened that in my life, I had to face many mental problems.

So, for now, please rely on the above diagram of Mandala, which is actually full of content. It is because it contains my fifteen years of considerations and development of Mandala.

Jacek BŁACH