The Hunter / The Scavenger

The Hunter archetype is very connected to the earth, to their primal nature, to instincts and intuition. The Hunter senses what is “out there,” and pursues it. They have a good instinct for opportunities, and they enjoy chasing down ideas until they are captured and manifested. Ancient hunters hunted for food, tracking animals, learning their patterns and movements. The key for the Hunter is to develop patience and timing and realize that there is power and satisfaction in what they choose to commit to. They will see that the right opportunities will find them if they are patient and open to them. The real risk is in waiting and wondering if it will be worth it. They are courageous, confident and have a deep trust in their own abilities. They are driven and focused on their pursuits and can be great providers. They are grounded and are sensitive to the world around them. This makes them aware and ready to act at a moment’s notice. The Hunter is a hands-on learner and understands the world through the body. The Hunter is often an outdoorsy survivalist type. Not always, but this is common for this archetype. To the Hunter everything is ripe with possibility and opportunity. They have good foresight and can predict outcomes based on their keen senses and accumulation of information. The Hunter uses their sensitivity to win the trust of others through right action and their power is in their ability to notice what others can’t see, hear, feel, etc. They have an uncanny sense for a deal, and they love hunting for bargains. They do extensive research before they buy something and then after the purchase, they question whether there was something better that they missed out on. Financially they like to put their eggs in a lot of different baskets, and they enjoy investing and working the system. They enjoy tracking things and making predictions. They have a higher risk tolerance than most people and can roll with life’s disruptions and failures. They know that there will be many times when the “animal gets away” and this is not distressing because the Hunter recognizes the wisdom in keeping the balance of things. The Hunter is at one with himself and the world and sees himself in relationship to all things rather than dominating all things, that opportunities abound and there is enough for everyone.

Keywords for the Hunter Archetype

1. Searching
2. Opportunity
3. Abundance
4. Nature
5. Goal-Oriented
6. Predicting Outcomes
7. Foresight
8. Tracking
9. Instincts
10. Tolerant of Risks

The Scavenger on the other hand, deals with a scarcity mentality. Scrappy and wily the Scavenger is ready to beg borrow and steal to get what they want and need. The Scavenger sees the world as something to be consumed, something to take, rather than be in relationship with. The Scavenger doesn’t feel there is enough of anything, and it is a dog-eat-dog world where the strongest and smartest win. This mentality of the Hunter/Scavenger can be seen in the business world, landing a promotion, getting more money, achieving a title, trophies of their successful hunts. To hunt for no reason other than the hunt itself, is to put your power on display and impose your dominance on the world and others. This is apparent in dating and other social settings. The Scavenger likes to get the unavailable man/woman for the sake of getting them. They thrive on the feeling of the pursuit, and the art of luring and trapping comes natural to them. The Scavenger wants to hoard, and take and keep, and hide because the threat of survival motivates them. This scarcity mentality creates a lack of scruples, and they will take what isn’t theirs, reaping the rewards of others’ work. The Scavenger has a selfish mindset, a “what’s in it for me” mentality. They want to make sure that there is a “return on investment.” They can become focused on the chase but if they don’t get the immediate gratification, they become bored and lose interest. They are motivated by the challenge of the hunt to the exclusion of everything else. They follow their interests without thinking of the consequences or the damage they leave behind. They have an intense drive and motivation that can turn to obsession, and they can become blinded when they are fixated on a particular goal. They tend to put their self-worth into what they accomplish and therefore become insecure if they feel they fail in their pursuits. They have a deep fear of missed opportunities and so they run themselves ragged to jump on every opportunity that presents itself, whether it’s good for them or not. They are stuck in a quandary; while they try to do everything and not miss out on anything, they end up with nothing and miss out on the things that are truly important. They tend to have commitment issues, whether that be a relationship, a place they live, a job or a hobby. They pick at the bones of all these things in life but in the end, they’re never satisfied because they’re never eating a whole meal. To never feel trapped or tied down, they keep their vulnerabilities hidden and make sure they’re always moving, going from one carcass to the next. 

Keywords for the Scavenger

1. Boredom
2. Scheming
3. Trophies
4. Taker/Stealing
5. Selfish
6. Unscrupulous
7. Scarcity
8. FOMO
9. Lack of commitment
10. The Chase