The Rock

The social role of the Eight is that of 'The Rock'. Eights identify themselves as being tough, protective and action oriented - the sort of people others can rely on to get things done and, with their indomitable attitude, face up to challenges and adversity. This has many benefits as being strong gives Eights their self-confidence and this confidence reinforces their ability to be able to defend themselves. The downside however is that always being the solid, tough one means suppressing fears and vulnerabilities. From the average levels down, Eights feel they need to appear tough even if they are not feeling it and this leads them to overdo their 'tough' persona, often dominating their environments and leading them to objectify and bully others. This, quite naturally, alienates them from other people and from some of the good things that they may want in their lives - to be loved and cared for, for instance. If someone never shows any gentleness or compassion and is, instead, directive, intimidating and even sometimes aggressive, it is no surprise that others turn against them. At that point the tough, no-nonsense Eight can find themselves outnumbered and alone with nobody in any mood to play 'nice' with them.