Triads

Object Relations

Interprets the nature of loss and the foundational relationship one‘s missing need has to reality. The foundation of the type-story which determines one’s orientation to lack. 

Attachment (=)

A persistent toggling between over-adaptation and withdrawal, designed to preserve access to the source of the need. This strategy suppresses individuated impulses within the Center that might jeopardize relational security.

Rejection (–)

A passively repressed and walled-off part of the self

A portion of the Center is walled off or numbed, creating space for more “manageable” substitutes. This strategy reshapes reality to avoid triggering the disowned need — reframing, minimizing, or bypassing anything that would evoke the part of the self that was denied care or permission.

Frustration (+)

An active pursuit of an idealized, missing element — an experience that would finally fulfill the need and resolve the yearning it left behind. 

But the fulfillment is inherently out of reach . The type becomes locked in a cycle of pursuing a specific aspect of the center to feel whole through essential nourishment, constantly aware of the gap between what is and what should be.

Hornevian Groups

Describes how the psyche moves and utilizes energy to get its needs met. The methodology with which the individual secures and maintains their resources for needs 

Superego (=)

Maintains a sanctified method for how things should be done in order to justify the right to have needs at all. This strategy sacrifices personal spontaneity and desire to uphold internal coherence and moral worth.

Themes include: conscientiousness, idealized responsibility, martyrdom, and internalized authority. Often “ambiverted,” seeking balance between belonging and integrity.

Withdrawn (–)

Retracts from engagement with others and the world to preserve the self from contamination, distortion, or intrusion. Needs are minimized to reduce interference.

This type self-protects through invisibility and distance — removing themselves to avoid being taken over, trampled, or altered. More “introverted” in energy; values separateness and control through non-engagement.

Assertive (+)

Expands outward to secure needs through willpower, speed, or dominance. Moves toward desire without hesitation, believing power and motion can outpace disruption or scarcity.

This strategy inflates impulse and confidence, often veering into ambition, aggression, or strategic overreach. More “extroverted” in style, equating forward momentum with safety and identity.

Harmonic Triads

The emotional response the psyche enforces after failing to obtain the Center’s missing need — despite attempts through the Hornevian strategy. This forms the conclusion of the Type story: the way we interpret and react to disappointment or disruption.

Competency (=)

Suppresses emotional reactions to prioritize functionality, objectivity, and clear-headed problem-solving. Seeks to stay emotionally neutral in order to improve tools, refine systems, and sustain forward motion.

Themes include: precision, logic, structure, and a commitment to rational self-management — as if emotion is noise that must be filtered out for efficiency and mastery.

Reactive (–)

Amplifies emotional response as a way to reveal underlying truths — believing unfiltered feelings will cut through falseness and evoke authenticity. Expresses dissatisfaction directly, often evoking conflict to expose what is hidden or unresolved.

Themes include: confrontation, emotional volatility, depth, catharsis, and the belief that truth must first be felt before it can be resolved.

Positive (+)

Covers or reframes raw emotional reactions to preserve harmony and maintain a hopeful or constructive outlook. Focuses on the bright side or forward path, often delaying confrontation with pain or disappointment.

Themes include: optimism, charm, resilience, avoidance of emotional heaviness, and the instinct to transform discomfort into opportunity or light.