According to Theodore Millon’s evolutionary theory of personality and psychopathology, there are 12 personality types, plus 3 additional types that correspond to more serious pathological states. Clinical character styles replicate pervasive and deeply ingrained functioning traits that could perpetuate and irritate normal difficulties. These characteristics are so integrated and automatic that the person is often unaware of either their nature or their self-destructive potential.
In situations of persistent adversity, these adaptive styles can become unbalanced and become moderately severe or very severe. Let’s see what they are:
The 12 personality types
1. Schizoid
They are characterized by their lack of desire and their inability to feel intense pleasure or pain. They are indifferent to social relationships and tend to be apathetic, distant, and asocial. Their emotions and affective needs are minimal; they act as passive observers, detached from the benefit and affection that human relationships provide, as well as from their requirements.
2. Avoidant
They experience little positive reinforcement from themselves or others, and are always on the alert, ready to distance themselves from painful or negative experiences in life. Their adaptive strategy reflects fear and distrust of others. They maintain constant vigilance to prevent their longing for affection from resulting in a repetition of the pain and distress they have experienced with other people. Despite their desire to relate to others, they have learned that it is best to deny these feelings and maintain the necessary interpersonal distance.
3. Melancholic
They experience pain as a permanent state in which pleasure is no longer considered possible. They may have a biological or chemical predisposition toward pessimism and despondency, while others display a hopelessness style in the face of major losses determined by experience. The melancholic character style may be affected by belonging to a despondent family, being in an uninteresting environment, and having a hopeless outlook.
4. Dependent
They are noted for their lack of initiative and autonomy and have learned not only to look to others for affection, care, and security but also to passively wait for others to direct them. They seek out relationships on which they can rely for affection and guidance; and they have learned that it is more comfortable to take a passive role in interpersonal relationships, to accept the attention and support they can find, and to willingly submit to the wishes of others to retain their affection.
5. Histrionic
They rely on others, but maximize the attention and favors they receive by manipulating events superficially and enthusiastically. Their intelligent and often witty social behavior conveys confidence and self-assurance; however, beneath this appearance lies a fear of real autonomy and a need for recurring signals of acceptance and approval almost constantly.
6. Stormy
They are very cheerful and lively, but their persistent euphoria, meddlesomeness, and flightiness can be irritating to others. Although they are passionate and enthusiastic, they are easily bored and lack the resources and consistency to carry out their goals and plans. Without control, their behavior can become more extreme, reckless, and erratic. The result is a pattern of unpredictable behavior, scattered thinking, and impetuous, impulsive actions and moods, punctuated by momentary outbursts of anger and fearful anxiety.
7. Narcissist
They are distinguished by their egotistical self-centeredness, taking pleasure simply by focusing on themselves. Their feelings of superiority may not be based on real or mature achievements. They retain an arrogant air of self-assurance and without much thought or conscious intention, exploit others for their benefit. Although they appreciate and encourage the praise and attention they receive from others, they do not need real achievements or social approval to maintain their air of snobbery and pretentious superiority. Their extreme confidence means that they do not feel motivated to get involved in the interactions that are typical of social life.
8. Antisocial
They are noted for their distrust of others, their desire for autonomy, and their longing for revenge and retribution for what they perceive to be past injustices. To counteract the pain and damage they anticipate being caused by others, they engage in deceitful behavior or illegal acts for their benefit. They are irresponsible and impulsive, and justify these qualities by seeing others as disloyal and untrustworthy. Their callousness and cruelty are their only means of avoiding abuse and victimization.
9. Sadistic
They may seek pleasure and personal satisfaction by humiliating other people and by neglecting their rights and feelings. They are hostile and extremely combative and seem to be either indifferent to or satisfied with the destructive consequences of their confrontational, offensive, and brutal behavior. Although many mask their more malicious and power-seeking tendencies in publicly accepted actions or professions, their domineering, hostile, and often persecutory actions betray them.
10. Compulsive
They have been bullied and coerced into accepting the demands and decisions imposed on them by others. Their prudence, control, and perfectionism stem from a conflict between hostility toward others and fear of social disapproval. They resolve this ambivalence by suppressing their resentment and by making high demands on themselves and others. Their disciplined self-restraint enables them to control intense but hidden oppositional feelings; this results in overt passivity and apparent public submission.
11. Negativist
They are torn between accepting the gratifications offered by others or pursuing their desires. Since they vacillate between difference and defiance, and sometimes obedience and aggressive opposition, they face endless disputes and disappointments. This battle represents an inability to resolve conflicts similar to that of compulsive subjects. Nevertheless, the conflicts of negativists persist and remain close to consciousness. Their behavior is characterized by an erratic pattern of explosive anger or resistance mixed with periods of guilt and shame.
12. Masochist
They relate to others in a servile and self-sacrificing manner, allowing others to abuse or take advantage of them, perhaps even encouraging them to do so. When their worst traits are displayed, many maintain that they deserve to be shamed and humiliated. To aggravate their pain and anguish, which they may experience as comforting, masochists actively and repeatedly recall past misfortunes and, when fortunate situations arise, expect the outcome to be problematic.
3 types of personality derived from serious personality pathologies
In addition to the 12 personality patterns, Millon’s theory includes 3 additional patterns that represent more serious pathological states of personality.
These patterns reflect a gradual and slow deterioration of personality structure and differ from clinical patterns, especially in deficits affecting social competence and in frequent, but usually reversible, psychotic episodes.
Their personality organization is less integrated and their coping strategies are less effective than those of their milder counterparts and they are especially vulnerable to the stresses of daily life.
1. Schizotypal
They prefer to be socially isolated and have minimal personal ties and obligations. Their cognitive functioning tends to be disorganized, they think tangentially, and they often appear to be self-absorbed and brooding. They are distinguished by their eccentricities and are often seen by others as odd or different. If their basic pattern is active, they show anxious distrust and hypersensitivity; if it is passive, they show emotional flattening and deficient affect.
2. Limit
They are characterized by their affective instability and lability. They experience intense endogenous mood states, with recurrent periods of despondency and apathy, often interspersed with periods of anger, anxiety, or euphoria. Many have recurrent thoughts of self-harm and suicide, seem extremely concerned with retaining the affection of others, and have difficulty maintaining a sense of their own identity. They often display cognitive-affective ambivalence as evidenced by their conflicting feelings of rage, love, and guilt towards others.
3. Paranoid
we are suspicious and alert towards others, and tense and defensive when faced with possible criticism and deception. They have a bad-tempered irritability and tend to make others angry or exasperated. we are also distinguished by the immutability of their feelings and the inflexibility of their thinking. They often express fear of losing their independence, which leads them to vigorously resist external influences and control.
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