It’s Saturday morning. In about a week, I’m heading down to LA for WorldCon/LA Con. I have one event, on Sunday at 6PM, two hours before The Hugos. Steven, Vanessa, and I will be doing a live in front of an audience recording of Small Publishing in a Big Universe. I imagine with that time slot right before the main event, it will be lightly attended.

If you’ll be at WorldCon next week and are interested in being interviewed for the SPBU podcast, either in front of an audience or just off in a hallway, let me know.

Speaking of podcasts, I’m getting ready to record the first several episodes of Write Something Good. I’d like to get them edited and posted before we go on the cruise. That means this really is the last weekend I have to do that kind of work, so I better get on it right now.

As a sort of warm up, and to clear my mind, I wanted to present a thought I had about replacing astrology with The 100 Acre Woods. If this is ground that is well trod upon already, I apologize in advance.

The 100 Acre Woods Personality Assessment

I don’t put a lot of stock into Myers-Briggs, 9-Types, or astrology. The truth is, we all contain multitudes, and there is only one planet that has any meaningful impact on our lives, and that’s Earth.

As a writing tool, though, it can help to have some scheme for personality types, especially when building a story around a troupe of characters. Classically, The Four Temperaments works surprisingly well for this kind of thing, but I like to simplify that to the ninja turtles. Leonardo (leader, assertive), Michelangelo (playful, outgoing), Donatello (thoughtful, introverted), and Raphael (serious, rebellious). This mapping also works on the characters from Sex in the City.

With all that in mind, I present a different framework for personality types, based instead on Christopher Robin’s friends from the 100 Acre Woods. We all contain multitudes, but we lean more towards one of these types than the others.

Winnie the Pooh

You are a Winnie if you go off vibes more than thought. Winnie is generally good natured, prone to just chilling in a comfy place with a tasty treat, never meaning anyone any harm. Winnie can be loyal, loving, clever, and adventurous, but that’s usually a reaction to hanging out with friends.

The Good: If you’re a Winnie, you live in the moment more easily than others. You can find contentment wherever you are.

The Bad: You don’t plan things out. Left to your own devices, you tend towards sloth. It’s not unusual for you to find yourself low on sweet treats, because planning and preparing is lower on your priorities than just chilling.

Piglet

You are Piglet if you’re both a fiercely loyal friend and also just a little guy. You latch onto a few people and keep them close, and though it stresses you out, you occasionally instigate adventures. To you, the world is big and scary, and somehow, you find the courage to face it, even when it feels like you’re just going in circles.

The Good: As a Piglet, your friendships override everything else and gives you strength to reach beyond what you might think you’re capable of. No one is more loyal than you.

The Bad: You struggle with anxiety, which is made all the worse if you’re left alone for too long.

Rabbit

As a Rabbit, you’re sort of the opposite of a Winnie. You have very little chill, and you plan everything out. You’re responsible. You follow the rules. You argue for what is right because it’s right, and you are an achiever. You have a strong work ethic, but often forget to relax.

The Good: You get stuff done. You’re dependable, and a vocal defender of the rules. You’re one of the people trying to keep the world from falling into chaos.

The Bad: When things aren’t going your way, you can be shrill, like an over-caffeinated Karen. You probably have high blood pressure and some of what stresses you out really doesn’t matter.

Owl

You’re an Owl if you’re defined by your intellect. You see the world from elevation, which gives you perspective, and a little bit of an ego. Though you are smart, you sometimes think you know more than you actually do, and may say with your full chest that cat is spelled “K-A-T.”

The Good: You really are a clever individual, and your willingness to help people cannot be understated. Also, your confidence usually serves you well.

The Bad: Knowing things does not always bring you happiness, and you can be blind to the mistakes you’re making.

Tigger

The wonderful thing about Tiggers is that Tiggers are a wonderful things. Tigger is the life of the party, full of energy, funny, and moving fast, with reckless abandon. They have charisma, and will tell you all about how wonderful they are, unaware of the destruction they caused when they bounced into the area. No one upsets a Rabbit more than a Tigger, because Tigger will not be bound by any arbitrary set of rules.

The Good: You’re an extrovert, and you often brighten the lives of the people around you. You’re fun, and you know it.

The Bad: You can be so full of yourself as to make Owl seem humble. Move fast and break things isn’t always the best approach to life, and you know of no other way of doing things.

Kanga

If Rabbit can be described as having Dad energy without having any children, Kanga’s bring Mom energy, whether they have children or not. They are protective and nurturing. While Rabbit is concerned with rules and things, Kanga is focused on the people they love the most.

The Good: You’re sweet and loving. People under your care feel comfortable and safe, when everything is going as it should.

The Bad: You give so much that it shadows over your personality. Who are you, when not defined in relation to the people under your care? When Roo grows up and is on their own, what will Kanga do?

Roo

If you’re a Roo, you’re a child, or carry child-like qualities into adulthood. You have one or more people taking care of you. You’re often playful and curious, and anyone that knows you can see what an absolute tragedy it would be to release you into the world alone. At times, you can be rebellious of the authorities keeping you safe.

The Good: You’re still learning. You tend to make friends easily, you’re quick to forgive, and there are people in your life that you can truly depend on, that makes it possible for you to move through the world with childlike wonder.

The Bad: You can be naive. Like Piglet, you’re just a little guy, even if you’re adult-size. You lack the anxiety that helps keep Piglet safe, and some of the people that care about you are stressed out when you wander off alone.

Eeyore

We all have at least one Eeyore in our life. The shallow take is that Eeyore is depressed, pessimistic, and brings everyone down. But Eeyore has been through some stuff. Just look what’s going on with his tail. In spite of everything, they are survivors that show up for their friends.

The Good: Eeyore endures. They keep going, with their big, tender heart, and they often have a quiet, subtle wisdom about them.

The Bad: They are the opposite of a Tigger. While Eeyore can be quite sweet, when they enter the room, they bring the mood down. There is a reason you might forget to invite Eeyore to the party. As an Eeyore, you will notice when you’re not invited, you will feel sad about it, but you will survive.

Conclusion

As I said before, we are multifaceted beings that grow and change over time. Sometimes I’m a Winnie. Sometimes, I can pretend to be a Tigger. As much as I’d like to say I’m mostly an Owl, the reality is that I’m more Eeyore than any of the other animals I’ve listed.

What do you think? Did I get them right? Which one of the 100 Acre friends do you most strongly associate with?