Character trait
Cyan trait
CyanCaution and loyalty to the familiar. Remembers that life holds many surprises.
Essence
The cyan trait is a behavioural brake. At its core is a sense of approaching danger, and this sense is useful: it keeps one from stepping where nothing has been checked yet. A person with the cyan trait always remembers, and reminds others, that life holds many surprises, and prefers not to take on anything extra.
How it shows in behaviour
They cut back personal responsibility and avoid novelty in any form. They don't set themselves against the group, stay with the others and prefer to wait things out behind other people's backs. Speech is cautious, with reservations and clarifying questions; the constant background is apprehension, doubt, wavering over decisions. Appearance is the complete opposite of the red trait: nothing bright, outside fashion and time, "the same colour winter and summer", the same thing for years. The space is familiar and unchanging: nothing new, everything in its place for years.
What drives it
The motive for action is to avoid risk and responsibility, even at the price of not acting at all. The cyan trait recalls the gains missed through inaction without regret: at least nothing bad happened. To a partner it gives caution, risk-checking and loyalty; it demands predictability and protection; it cannot stand novelty, risk and personal responsibility.
Where it is strong
Where the cost of a mistake is high and someone has to ask "what if": checking, control, security, maintenance, everything that requires constancy and doesn't tolerate experiments. In a team the cyan trait is the one who notices the risk the others missed in their excitement. In relationships — loyalty and predictability: with it there are no unpleasant surprises.
Where it gets in the way
Where you have to take responsibility and step into the new: a launch, a move, a change of job, the first step in a relationship. The cyan trait puts off the decision until someone else makes it or until it is too late. Next to the yellow or the violet trait it has a hard time: where they see an adventure, it sees danger — and each side finds the other unreasonable.
How to recognise it in yourself
What do you do when you are offered the lead on a new project: agree, ask for time to think, or find someone to hand it to? How many years have you been going to the same shop by the same road? If you keep asking until the last uncertainty is gone, and easily give up a gain for the sake of peace of mind, the cyan trait is noticeable in you. You probably have little of it if you seek out the new yourself, take responsibility on yourself and regret what you missed through caution.
What it gets confused with: the caution of a professional with the blue trait is dictated by technology and quality; the caution of the cyan trait, by fear of consequences for oneself personally.
Questions about the cyan trait
Is the cyan trait a weakness?
No. It is a behavioural brake, and a useful one: the cyan trait remembers that life holds many surprises and checks risks before they strike. A team without it lacks the person who asks "what if". It becomes a hindrance where you have to take responsibility and step into the new.
How does the caution of the cyan trait differ from a professional's caution?
By its motive. The caution of a professional with the blue trait is dictated by technology and quality: "you can't do it that way, because it will break". The caution of the cyan trait comes from fear of consequences for oneself personally: "in case something goes wrong".
This is a description of a trait, not of a person: character is always a mix of three or more traits, and in it cyan may lead, support or be barely noticeable. Which pairing is yours is for the test to show; the result is a working hypothesis based on your answers.