The 19 Collapse Archetypes
Patterns of awareness, agency, and response in times of unraveling
How we perceive, feel, and act in times of systemic transformation reveals deep archetypal patterns within us. These 19 archetypes are constellations of tendencies as ways of being that emerge from the intersection of awareness, emotion, social orientation, time perspective, and capacity for action.
Each archetype draws from psychological and sociological theory: Terror Management Theory, Cognitive Dissonance, Social Identity Theory, and frameworks for understanding how humans navigate uncertainty. They reflect real patterns observed in how people relate to collapse—whether personal, communal, ecological, or civilizational.
Important Context
These archetypes are conceptual frameworks, not scientific personality categories or diagnostic labels. They are tools for self-reflection and understanding, grounded in some common theories but are ultimately intended to illuminate your patterns rather than define you. You may recognize yourself in multiple archetypes, or find yourself shifting between them across different contexts and phases of your life.
Want to discover your archetype?
Take the QuizLoading archetypes...
The Five Dimensions
Each archetype exists within a five-dimensional space that captures fundamental aspects of how humans respond to systemic uncertainty and change.
Affective
Your emotional tone when facing collapse realities—ranging from anxiety and fear to hope and equanimity.
Terror Management Theory, Positive PsychologyCognitive
How clearly you recognize and acknowledge collapse dynamics—from denial and minimization to full awareness.
Cognitive Dissonance, System Justification TheoryRelational
Whether you orient primarily as an individual or within collective identity—your sense of group belonging and social bonds.
Social Identity Theory, Cultural Theory of RiskTemporal
Your relationship to past, present, and future—which timeframe most shapes your responses and worldview.
Adaptive Cycle Theory, PanarchyBehavioral
Your sense of capacity to act and your preferred coping strategies—from passive acceptance to active preparation.
Self-Efficacy Theory, Behavioral Adaptation