#if someone has better words than Straightforward and Circumventing I'm game

[reds-burrow]

I wanted to take a moment to organize my thoughts further on the divide between Lion and Badger secondaries vs Bird and Snake secondaries. Right now, we have them divided between Inspirational vs Situational. While it's clear to see the difference between Built vs Improvisational or Solid vs Fluid, Inspirational vs Situational always struck me as odd. Don't get me wrong; Inspirational and Situational are still valid descriptors. But I think we can dig a little deeper into how these secondary pairs compare and contrast.

To me, the divide comes down to how Badgers and Lions tend to push through obstacles while Birds and Snakes are more likely to reassess their path when they hit resistance.

The way Badgers and Lions push through obstacles emphasizes their straightforward commitment that people find Inspirational. Their intentions are clear, and they can be depended on to follow the path they've chosen. Socially, they are just as straightforward: they are exactly who they present themself to be. When a Lion or Badger has a strong primary, it shines through. If a Lion or Badger is already charging or building towards something, their primary has already deemed it worth charging or building towards. Being so open, fully meaning what they say and do, and putting their self into their work are all naturally inspiring qualities.

In contrast, Birds and Snakes are flexible and versatile in how they solve problems while also circumventing trouble. They may look at the straight path Lions and Badgers are taking and ask why they're spending time and energy on a path that has already met resistance. Why continue with Plan A when Plan B is easier? The thing about Plan B is that it is more likely to be outside of what is considered the normal solution for a problem. This can mean anything from bending the rules, to repurposing something outside of its original design, to inventing a completely new tool.

Birds and Snakes take on socialization in the same way as other problems, with roles and masks crafted to circumvent resistance from other people. Which role an Actor Bird will play or what mask a Snake will put on is chosen to fit the situation and the audience, to get what the Bird or Snake needs from the people around them. In some Birds and Snakes, this is a calculated move, and when their audience senses this, it can give the impression that Birds and Snakes are colder than Badgers and Lions. However, if a Bird or Snake is comfortable with their audience, if they are tired or upset, or if they come across something they cannot misrepresent, particularly if it grates against their primary, they will stop circumventing and shed their mask or role.

So, how are Circumventing secondaries Situational? This is perhaps most obvious if we compare them to Straightforward secondaries. The Straightforward secondaries have a natural forward momentum. This momentum may not be as obvious in Badgers as in charging Lions, but it just needs time to build. In much the same way Rapid-Fire Birds can look like Snakes when all their collected resources line up just right, a Badger can look like a charging Lion when all their hard work falls into place. Snakes and Birds, however, tend to lack this momentum because they need a situation react to first. This is why the secondaries explode like they do. When Lions and Badger secondaries explode, they throw their entire being against the obstacle, often self-destructing in the process, Lions in a spectacular show of force and Badgers by grinding away until there’s nothing left. Meanwhile, Birds and Snakes are paralyzed by a lack of situation to react to. Without a problem to circumvent, they can stall out, Snakes left adrift and Birds left to perpetually collect but not react.

tl;dr – Lions and Badgers are Inspirational because they’re Straightforward. Snakes and Birds are Situational because they’re Circumventing.

EDIT: Erased a sentence that accidentally implied Actor Birds are Fluid. They are not.