Cliche and Archetype

[INTP]

We know our argument has reached its nadir when we start arguing definitions. However 'archetype' comes from the Ancient Greek 'archétypon' meaning a 'mold'. And so 'Australian' is the 'mold' for 21.5 million people.

ar·che·type   [ahr-ki-tahyp]
noun
1.
the original pattern or model from which all things of the same kind are copied or on which they are based; a model or first form; prototype.
2.
(in Jungian psychology) a collectively inherited unconscious idea, pattern of thought, image, etc., universally present in individual psyches.

Origin:
1595–1605; < Latin archetypum an original < Greek archétypon a model, pattern (neuter of archétypos of the first mold, equivalent to arche- arche- + týp ( os ) mold, type + -os adj. suffix)

nah, it doesent really fit the definition and i dont understand why you would choose to use the word archetype even if it simply meant any sort of mold in ancient greek.

 

[Mole]

nah, it doesent really fit the definition and i dont understand why you would choose to use the word archetype even if it simply meant any sort of mold in ancient greek.

I chose archetype because cliches are the royal road to understanding archetypes.

 

[tkae.]

First we need a cliche, then we need an archetype.

A cliche is - I know it so well, I know it like the back of my hand.

And another cliche is - I know it so well, I know it inside out.

But where of where are the archetypes?

Well, they are staring us in the face, for the first cliche - I know it so well, I know it like the back of my hand - is an Austalian cliche, and - I know it so well, I know it inside out - is an American cliche.

And so we have our archetypes. The first archetype is an Australian, and the second is an American. Yes, an Australian or an American is an archetype.

But what do our cliches tell us about our archetypes?

You just totally hop-skip-jumped over the concept of the stereotype.

A stereotype is closely related to a cliche, just more complex and about a particular demographic. An archetype is a much more relevant and complex concept, while a stereotype is a cliched common denominator. Archetypes are unrelated to cliches in that way. An archetype is a model for how something should be or a framework from which to work. You can have the archetype of a good American, the 1950s White Middle Class as an example, or you can have the stereotypical American who's loud and loves guns.

One is far more complex than the other, and it can grow tired, but it only grazes on being mildly cliche. It's never completely driven into the ground because of the fact it's so complex and structured.

Here's some physical examples:

Cliche: Skinny jeans or hipster glasses
Stereotype: Building styles (Asian or Mediterranean or Brownstone)
Archetype: Building blueprints

 

[Doria]

You chose archetypes because it is a word people have understanding of and will communicate with you about. Your choice of the word is an example of the point you make about how people use language and concepts to be cool and get on with people... But you knew that.