Archetypes In The Wolf Of Wall Street

Archetypes are neither good nor bad. They are simply patterns of behavior; and when we become unaware of them, they tend to fall into shadow. With this being said, I most closely resemble the Martyr archetype. The origin of the Martyr archetype is all about doing the right thing, no matter who is against it. A Martyr realizes that sacrificing for others is a part of their life’s journey, and that when they do this, it brings them a sense of purpose and joy. On the other hand, Martyr’s use their sacrifices as a way to manipulate and feel superior to the ones they are helping. A Martyr is also prone to becoming stuck in a negative pattern, due to the fact that they believe that what they are doing the right thing, even if it is at the price of
their own well-being, health, and creativity. The primary challenge for the Martyr is finding a balance.
This was also the case for a man named Jordan Belfort. Jordan struggled to find a balance between the sacrifices that he was making, and whether these were honest or not, while spending his chaotic days as a founder of his own financial investment firm. Although Martyr’s may possess the power of manipulation, their sacrifice and proper judgment enable them to do the right thing. Jordan Belfort is commonly known as “The Wolf of Wall Street” simply due to the fact that within six years, he rose from an entry level apprentice at a brokerage house to the founder of Stratton Oakmont Investment Firm. Much like myself, Jordan strived to become successful and nothing was going to stop him. Throughout his journey to the top, he was constantly making sacrifices for many other people in his life, which quickly led to manipulation, but it was never his intention to harm any of them. “I got greedy.... Greed is not good. Ambition is good, passion is good. Passion prospers. My goal is to give more than I get, that’s a sustainable form of success....” (Biography.com). Belfort used proper judgment to take the life-changing sacrifice to protect his company and fellow co-workers. This occurred when he made a plea deal with the SEC to
go to a federal prison for 22 months for fraudulent market transactions in exchange for the company and employees to remain out of the picture. The Martyr archetype is very apparent when looking at the sacrifices that Jordan made, the people he manipulated, and excessive drug he used to cope with the negativity in his life. Although Jordan Belfort and I share the same archetypical characteristics, we are not entirely alike. We share many attributes such as working hard and helping others, but there are some things that are not very good about us both, which we are unable to hide. These are our shadow sides, the sides of us that we, deep down, don’t ever want to show. We are both manipulative and uncaring when it comes to having success within our lives. As Belfort told the New York Post, "It's easier to get rich quick when you don't follow the rules." Jordan was manipulative in a very different way than I am, considering he manipulated people out of their money and time in order to be successful. I, on the other hand, do not manipulate others in this sense. I tend to manipulate others decisions to benefit myself. This is not a necessarily a good thing, but it is just the type of people that we become when chasing success. Jordan and myself also both share the attribute of doing what is right for the bigger picture. Typically, we are a part of the bigger picture and that is where people can go wrong thinking that Martyr’s are all inconsiderate people, when in reality, we are very helpful people looking for ways to better the world. Being a Martyr isn’t something that you can just do, it is something that you become when you are growing up. Throughout childhood you are constantly forming who you are going to be for the rest of your life, and I just happened to take on the characteristics of a Martyr. By figuring out that I am a Martyr and examining others that possess the traits of a Martyr, I am able to get a basic idea on what my life journey will consist of. I can look forward to helping many people and making sacrifices that I might not want to make, but in the end they will be for the greater good. I will also need to look out for myself, when it comes to handling negativity, as well as the way I am helping others, to prevent manipulation from occurring. When a Martyr sees what needs to happen, they are able to make the choice to sacrifice, without the expectation of others, or feeling obligated themselves. Sacrifice by choice is the mantra of Martyr archetype. This is why myself and Jordan Belfort go hand-in-hand when in comes to being true Martyr’s.