This article is the third of three, each one detailing a different personality of the three I researched and wrote about for the first time in 2000, in the book “Warriors, Settlers & Nomads“. You can read Part 1 here, and Part 2 here.
In truth, every one of us will sometimes display the exuberant and sometimes exaggerated behaviour and manner of the Nomad. That is inevitable, because we have all inherited something of each our ancestral types, even though one of the three is usually noticeably dominant. And when that dominant one is the Nomad there’s no mistaking it.
Now, if Nomad is your dominant persona, you will probably find yourself laughing or cringing, or both alternately, with the recognition of some of what is written here!
The Nomad persona always strives to be different from the crowd in some way and is driven by the need for individuality, to be seen as special in some way. They are also constantly looking for something new and exciting to experience and are probably based on the Nomads of old, not necessarily travelling the world, though there are those who do just that.
As with the other two groups, there are three different types of Nomad Persona: the Traveller, constantly changing all sorts of things in their life; the Entertainer, enthusiastic and exuberant; and the Trickster, the one who is often not what they seem at all.
Always lively, Nomads are not into serious stuff and are not really interested in planning and structure, unless it’s going to make them money. They do love money, even if it’s only being involved with it as a career, and there are many Nomads in finance and insurance.
When positively oriented, they have a gift for lifting the spirits of others at the drop of a hat and are excellent at organising events where a degree of ‘specialness’ is needed, arranging outstanding entertainment or even providing it themselves. They are actually the original ‘Let’s do the show right here’ characters and are often much loved.
The downside though, can sometimes be rather dark and unpleasant, though fortunately rather rare. Because they crave excitement and stimulation, it is common for sex, drugs, alcohol, and other stimulants to become a severe problem. Fickleness can also be an issue when they tire of the sex life with one partner – and they even may have ‘unusual’ desires.
They don’t generally intend to cause pain and discomfort to anybody, since they are not inherently unpleasant individuals. But because they are inclined to be self-orientated they often fail to recognise the feelings of others.
That particular facet of personality can come across as wilful selfishness, where it is really just a facet of the personality type with which they were born. ‘Normal’ for the Nomad, in other words.
As with the Warrior and the Settler, it is easy to misunderstand them until you know them. They can appear to be narcissistic, but the truth is that they are sometimes so fascinated by whatever has grabbed their attention, that there is no room to think of others. Yet, if they realise they have caused hurt by this they can be genuinely greatly upset – but typically, that doesn’t last for long.
It’s easy to recognise the Nomad type even without speaking to them. There will always be evidence of individuality of some sort, maybe a fringed jacket or unusual haircut, for instance; they may be showy and/or sophisticatedly smart, or at the other end of the scale, determinedly downbeat and scruffy, as if to show that they simply “don’t give a stuff” about convention. Because they genuinely don’t!
A male Nomad, if leaning toward sophistication, may wear a smart suit or designer gear and sport a Rolex or Patek Phillipe watch or similar (which might be fake, since they often care about appearance rather than provenance). At the other end of the scale, it will be anything that more or less fits okay and looks as if they don’t care what others think.
The sophistication-oriented female Nomad will often look slightly on the “tarty” side – or a lot on the “tarty” side – with obvious makeup, and a lot of jewellery (often a mix of genuine and good fake). She may appear to be sexually inviting, though that might well be just a Nomad act. If the downbeat type, anything that is determinedly not sexy will fit the bill.
Relationships can be a problem, since being in a permanent one is rather conventional and they don’t want to be thought of as in any way ‘ordinary’. Having said that, they are not always the most secure individuals in the world and often need somebody around them to constantly confirm that they are ‘the best’.
The only relationship that can truly work well is with a Warrior, who will most of the time appreciate the upbeat attitude of the Nomad (Warriors are often almost permanently miserable) and the Nomad will appreciate the Warrior’s strength – Nomads don’t ‘do’ strength, since it takes too much effort to sustain.
The Settler/Nomad combination can be uncomfortable for both, the Settler being easily embarrassed by overt ‘Nomadness’, and the Nomad frustrated by the unadventurous demeanour of the Settler, especially sexually. But the worst relationship of all would be with another Nomad, since there will be an almost constant battle for being “the best”.
Life with a Nomad will never be boring, but it can be frustrating and irritating in the extreme, thanks in part to their frequent apparent self-interest. But it’s not just that – it’s also the starting of plans and projects that never get finished and the purchase of frequently expensive gadgets or devices that are left to gather dust after the initial flush of enthusiasm.
The good parts are that they are often generous to a fault, and love surprising their partner with an extravagant gift, a special treat, or an outing to somewhere that is in some way ‘special’ to both of them.
So, perhaps that will offset the rest of it. After all, you can’t have everything.
Terence Watts is the creator of Brain Working Recursive Therapy (BWRT).
