There are different kinds of rebels. By recognizing and understanding the archetypes, we can live and work together better.
With a deep analysis of mavericks, renegades, and principled rebels across human history, there is evidence of four archetypes. Each archetype influences what we attend to, and how we respond to potential threats and opportunities. Few of us can be characterized into a single type. Characteristics of particular types can be activated by external cues (such as being in a group setting) or internal cues (such as when feeling curious). Understanding the type you tend towards, as well as the other types, can help you understand how to best leverage strength and support to get the best possible outcome in a situation.
The 4 Archetypes Defined
The Innovator
Breaking the mold in the pursuit of innovation.
Famous Innovators: Jonas Salk, Maria Montessori, Johannes Gutenberg, The Wright Brothers (Orville and Wilbur), Marie Curie – first person in history to win two Nobel prizes!
Innovators hold aspirational visions of what is possible. They design solutions to fix what isn’t working. They ask questions. What problem can we solve? How can we produce something better? Why hasn’t someone done this before? What can we learn from prior problem solving successes and failures?…
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The Innovator
Innovators hold aspirational visions of what is possible. They design solutions to fix what isn’t working. They ask questions. What problem can we solve? How can we produce something better? Why hasn’t someone done this before? What can we learn from prior problem solving successes and failures? By questioning and scrutinizing existing conventions, and rolling out improvements, society continues to advance. Creative thinking is uncomfortable and risky. Often there are high levels of anxiety and avoidance at the start. This often persists until there is proof that a discovery works. We must embrace the constructive challenges faced by Innovators, who start their quest with healthy skepticism, intellectual humility, and a desire to create something better for them and the rest of us. The central value of Innovators is creativity.
The Culture Shifter
Shedding light on cherished, conventional ideas and practices that are suboptimal.
Famous Culture Shifters: Nicolaus Copernicus, Eleanor Roosevelt, Lenny Bruce, Fredrick Douglass, Simone de Beauvoir
Culture Shifters poke and probe at nonsensical belief systems. Their alternatives to conventional thinking are the harbingers of social progress. They question whether widely held beliefs are true, whether they are working well, and why and how particular beliefs, practices, and norms came to be…
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The Culture Shifter
Culture Shifters poke and probe at nonsensical belief systems. Their alternatives to conventional thinking are the harbingers of social progress. They question whether widely held beliefs are true, whether they are working well, and why and how particular beliefs, practices, and norms came to be. If they view something as illogical or believe the orthodoxy is unhealthy, Culture Shifters push for change. They question the assumption that a person’s race and sex determines their potential. They wonder why a person’s degree or salary determines their worth as a human being. They seek evidence that jail sentences for drug use are more helpful than mental health treatment. In their freedom to explore what many of us take for granted, others are liberated. Society requires Culture Shifters who challenge overly constricting social scripts and outdated social norms. The central value of Culture Shifters is curiosity.
The Defender
Breaking rules in the pursuit of justice and fairness.
Famous Defenders: Thich Quang Duc, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Nelson Mandela, Malcolm X, Winston Churchill
Defenders offer support for those dealing with injustice and unfairness. There is the whistleblower who discloses misconduct (not unlike the referee who blows a whistle to halt illegal or foul behavior). There is the upstander who witnesses misdeeds and offers aid (the opposite of a passive bystander)…
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The Defender
Defenders offer support for those dealing with injustice and unfairness. There is the whistleblower who discloses misconduct (not unlike the referee who blows a whistle to halt illegal or foul behavior). There is the upstander who witnesses misdeeds and offers aid (the opposite of a passive bystander). There is the rescuer who helps someone in a dangerous situation despite the possibility of physical, social, economic, and/or emotional harm (best characterized by underpaid first line responders). When managing a difficult problem, you want a defender by your side. Defenders and guided by a strong moral compass. They speak out publicly even when it is unpopular. They stop the spread of false, malicious information. They educate on why something is wrong. They risk their bodies to protect or save someone in jeopardy. They sacrifice reputation and resources in hopes of improving the well-being of others. Instead of waiting for a large number of people to find solutions to problems, Defenders take charge and help others. The central value of Defenders is fairness and justice.
The Niche Carver
Breaking norms in the pursuit of personalized pleasure and fulfillment.
Famous Niche Carvers: Jane Goodall, Edmund Hillary, Bob Marley, Jack Johnson – boxer, Bruce Lee
Niche Carvers abandon the notion of a proper path to living. They aren’t focused on creating something for humanity like Innovators. They aren’t invested in obliterating nonsensical social norms like Culture Shifters. Niche Carvers engage in acts of principled insubordination because what works for the group, doesn’t work for them…
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The Niche Carver
Niche Carvers abandon the notion of a proper path to living. They aren’t focused on creating something for humanity like Innovators. They aren’t invested in obliterating nonsensical social norms like Culture Shifters. Niche Carvers engage in acts of principled insubordination because what works for the group, doesn’t work for them. They are outliers, they are weird, and they are proud of it. Just let them do their thing. Perhaps it is a personalized plan of working to live, instead of finding a calling. Perhaps it is deciding not to have kids for greater independence. Perhaps it is designing new art or sport that resonates. Each of us has a unique profile of qualities in terms of personality traits, values, cherished interests, and biography. Niche Carvers embrace what makes them unique and forge a path that works with their unique profile. They deviate from the norm and act in ways that increase their well-being without obstructing anyone else’s well-being. While Niche Carvers focus on their well-being, their insubordination inspires others to be unique and divergent. Their lives are fascinating and their actions remind us of what is possible. The central value of Niche Carvers is autonomy.
Get the full story on the 4 archetypes of insubordination in my new book, The Art of Insubordination: How to Defy Effectively.
Todd Kashdan’s new book, The Art of Insubordination, How to Dissent and Defy Effectively is a research-based toolbox for anyone who wants to create a world with more justice, creativity, and innovation.
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