Ideally, every personality type picks the careers that let it self-actualise — its Careers for Self-Actualization. These are fields of activity where they can satisfy their neurotic needs in a socially acceptable form. Where will a Depressive go in order to satisfy his need for caring, for praise, for repentance and for suffering?
Since they need suffering in order to avoid happiness (otherwise there would be nothing left to atone for), these are sufferers and dramatic actors who literally carry a “just a little more and I shall die” inside them. If the tragic quality of, say, Pierrot is the message of the epileptoid personality type, then the depressive actor embodies drama, dramatic intensity.
Since what they need is “the atonement of sins”, their path lies in the field of charity, patronage, healing and “unpaid work”. There are huge numbers of them among the volunteers who go off to Africa. These are church servants in the category of monks and sisters of mercy.
Since they need an outlet for overprotection, these are teachers and very good kindergarten educators — especially the ones who worry and suffer over the little ones, the ones who talk things through with the parents. These are caring, ardently loving mothers, caring wives and professional homemakers.
