The classification of people into concepts of type is a basic part of human thinking. The Fool archetype is one of the typological orientations and is mentioned in the Enneagram (ancient Greek for ‘something written’). The lightness and high intelligence of the Fool balances out the darkness of the Ruler and has thereby saved the world more than once from the latter’s powerful – and not always good – thoughts and actions. The Fool is often the advisor to a powerful ruler. Fools jump in when Rulers are incapable of leading gently on account of their natural doggedness. They steer the anger released from Rulers towards themselves and thereby put their actions into perspective, as Rulers could have responded with rage, which would be dangerous due to their strength. In this way, the Fool archetype prevents Rulers from falling into a rage. The Fool is the sophisticated mind in the hexagon. If Fools link into the love they bear within themselves then everything happens with amazing ease. If they don’t do this, they become embittered and lose their greatest skill. They succumb to dark thoughts and get rooted in them. They thereby get carried away from the earthly world and are seen as eccentric. Their original joie de vivre disappears. The task of Fools is to link into their love, celebrate their creativity and make this available to the benefit of the community. More in-depth information about the archetypes is provided in the LEADERSHIP Workshop ‘Recognising and Practising Leadership Types’.
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