Thief

This archetype represents a person who feels entitled to secure status or possessions by stealing them from others. The feeling of entitlement typically springs from a perceived injustice: "Those people are too rich anyway," "That industry charges too much for its services," "My company doesn’t pay me a fair wage," "Private property is criminal," "It’s her fault for showing it off/leaving it out/leaving it unlocked," "My workers don’t earn what I pay them," "People are only interested in me for my money," "If I don’t amass and secure my resources, others will steal everything I’ve earned." Obviously, hoarding wealth is as much an act of theft as stealing it is. That is why this archetype can also be called "the Miser".

This archetype can sometimes be celebrated as clever or heroic when the injustice to which the Thief is allegedly responding is endured by a significantly large group of people. For example, many people the world over have had to deal with individuals who have grown rich extorting money from the poor, so characters like Robin Hood seem not to be thieves at all, but merely brave souls taking back what was unrightfully pilfered in the first place.

Unfortunately for Thieves and Misers, the picture is very seldom so romantic. The Thief often finds her-or-himself in a state of severe dissatisfaction, often accompanied by a fear of being found out and punished for her-or-his crimes. Trusting relationships are hard to come by and the chronic self-centeredness of the archetype leads to behaviors that disappoint and alienate friends and family.