The Advocate/Punisher

The Advocate uses their voice to defend and speak for justice on behalf of others. They are motivated by those who are less fortunate, the weak and helpless, the vulnerable, needy and marginalized. The Advocate is part of the Justice archetypes who are driven by themes of equality and righting wrongs. The singular feature of the Advocate is their voice. I have seen examples of this not only in the way they use their voices but their voice itself. Some have loud voices; others talk really fast and some have mesmerizing resonant voices. The voice is significant part of their identity. Their voice is like the ringing of a bell, announcing and proclaiming. They understand that their voice has power and words can be used to change the fortune of themselves and others. They are often great debaters and are also quite persuasive. Think Abraham Lincoln or Martin Luther King Jr. both Advocates. They will stand in the gap for others and can be quite bullheaded once they decide what they stand for. They are not afraid of confrontation and find it stimulating and engaging. They are sensitive to injustice and this lights a fire in them like nothing else.

The Advocate is an extreme archetype and is subject to black and white thinking and an either/or mentality. They will fight for what they believe in even if it crosses certain social and ethical lines. The challenge for them is to have a stable inner system that guides their morality and aligns with honor, integrity, and truth. They can and often need to be able to find neutral ground, appreciate balance and evenhandedness. The deep lesson though, is for the Advocate to choose self-advocacy, to take care of themselves, to stand against the inner Punisher that is domineering and controlling. And from there to develop good boundaries and clear communication. From that position of self-awareness and guided by their values, the Advocate will naturally stand up for on others and they will do so on principle rather than personal feelings. A good example of this is when John Adams, who later went on to become second president of the United States, defended the British troops that fired into a crowd of people in the days leading up to the onset of the American Revolution. The event came to be known as the Boston Massacre. While Adams was a staunch believer in the rights of the colonists against the tyranny of the English crown he also believed deeply in justice, irrespective of the individual. He took on the job of defending the “enemy” because he felt that there was a lot of confusion about the case and that the British soldiers and their commander were entitled to a proper defense under the law all the while knowing that this decision might come at the cost of his own law practice. He was guided by the principles of justice for all, regardless of how emotional the case was or his personal feelings. They were acquitted and the trial stands as one of the great historical examples of justice for all under the law. The Advocate is aware of their own biases and this awareness allows them to mitigate the influence this may have on their ability to speak powerfully and effectively.

Keywords for the Advocate:

1. Justice
2. Defending
3. Powerful Voice
4. Persuasive
5. Equality
6. Integrity
7. Loyalty

The Punisher

The shadow side of the Advocate is the Punisher. There are two main features associated with the shadow of this archetype: retaliation and intrusiveness. This makes them bossy and into other people’s business as a matter of course. They tend toward an archaic model of justice, “an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth.” This can make them confuse justice with revenge and advocating for others with invasion of privacy and overstepping boundaries. The Punisher has a distorted view of advocacy as they have convinced themselves that they are helping when in fact they are intruding on the personal lives and choices of others. They feel justified in taking the reins of your life if they think you aren’t living properly. Just as the Advocate is drawn to and motivated by the helpless, needy, and vulnerable, the Punisher will spot your own weaknesses and vulnerabilities and can exploit them or intrude on your life through these access points. The Punisher can be quite vengeful especially in their speech, because again, they use the power of their voice to retaliate. Most notably these types are very hard on themselves internally, a self-punisher. They have a demanding and abusive voice in their own heads that knocks them down regularly. Developing the internal voice of support and advocacy is necessary for integration of the shadow. The passive side of the Punisher would be less prone to vengeance and domineering behavior, and more internally abusive, speaking unkindly to the self in a backwards attempt at self-care and self-improvement.

While this archetype has themes of justice, confrontation, and control, they are also prone to corruption and prejudice.  This is particularly seen in the stereotypical shady lawyer. Once they choose a side or path, they can exhibit a dogged stubbornness to stick to their approach and convictions regardless of how irrational it might be. They can be single-minded, and subject to tunnel vision. The Punisher takes the role too personally and will use their predispositions and prejudices to justify their behavior. You will find many of them are or have been, lawyers, columnists, speakers, and writers, because they use the power of words. They can be manipulators of words too, twisting them to serve their own needs or the needs of others, regardless of the ethical consequences.

Keywords for the Punisher:

1. Intrusive
2. Eye for an Eye
3. Controlling
4. Bossy
5. Judgmental
6. Confrontational
7. Corrupt
8. Biased
9. Extreme
10. Abusive