The twelve Animal Signs

for Men

Rat man
His psychological makeup

To the casual observer, the true Rat male is by no means easy to understand, his personality being a bundle of intricacies and flagrant contradictions.

A fanatic partygoer and clubman, he is always welcome in social gatherings, of which he is generally the life and soul. Soft-spoken, courteous, tactful, keenly interested in what people have to say but at the same time never at a loss for words, he perfectly knows the art of making people feel at ease and inclining them to trust him with their secrets. His reputation as an excellent conversationalist is rarely belied. He also knows how to tell the most unpleasant truths without offending, thereby avoiding to antagonize those with whom he has to deal; his sugar-coated talk helps him get out of all delicate or embarrassing situations. On the infrequent occasions when he deliberately wants to catch his interlocutors off their guard, he has enough mental sharpness and glibness to do so; his ability to shock is unequaled. Whatever the subject under discussion, he is always able to come up with a clever answer or startling, though relevant, comment.

Besides being popular and amusing, this man can be summarized as kind, honest, intelligent, meticulous, methodical, versatile, adaptable to different people, ideas, situations and environments. In sum, he may be anything you want except dull, lazy or devious.

Surprisingly enough, the other side of the native's character shows us a completely different person - a diehard egoist who remorselessly gets rid of anyone he deems useless to him, an incurable opportunist more concerned with the way the wind blows than with principles and self-respect, and finally a snob constantly obsessed with climbing the social ladder and having all the status symbols of life. In the last analysis, it is interest - especially material interest - that is at the root of almost all his actions and reactions. The question he never ceases to ask himself, whether consciously or unconsciously, is, "What can I get out of it?" He values his relationships with others in terms of the material gains or honors they may be able to bring him - although he takes the utmost care to conceal his intentions. All his life he attempts to exploit those around him, even the closest members of his family circle, never hesitating to make them work for him in a way or another; to live as a parasite seems to be his ultimate aim. In order to carry out his scheme, he is well-groomed on all occasions, obsequious towards the rich and influential, calm and placid in public but nervous and restless in private. He gives a lot of promises but never wants to honor them to the detriment of his own comfort. He also entertains profusely - not without ulterior motives, of course - but never lends his money to anyone in need.

The Rat male, understandably, can have a large number of acquaintances but very few true friends, if any. He always finds it extremely difficult to get into people's intimacy and enjoy human warmth. His "strictly businesslike" and high-strung disposition arouses suspicion and reserve instead of inspiring confidence. Even when he tries to be sincere and unselfish, which is a pretty rare eventuality, his air of profiteer can never be completely dispelled despite all his natural charm. As a consequence, he often suffers from frustration and loneliness whereas, due to his highly emotional nature, he desperately needs affection and attention. It is so hard for him to adopt a truly disinterested, let alone generous, attitude towards others that he generally condemns himself to isolation.

There could hardly be a person more tightfisted than this individual - the wary eye he keeps on expenditure, is well known to all around him. (For this reason the year of the Rat is considered the year of saving.) Some may even take him for stingy as he makes money rather easily. You would be well advised never to ask him to participate in any charity work; it is only when it comes to entertainments or gastronomic pleasures that he does not pinch pennies.

Jittery, this subject abhors routine of any description; to him, variety is the spice of life, and he spares no effort to preserve his liberty of choice, hopping from a job to another throughout his active years. Although sentimental, he is secretive, self-contained, preferring to keep his ideas and problems to himself. He tends to fuss about small matters and become unable to see the forest but for the trees. His judgments are as a rule superficial. And, above all, he often believes himself to be the victim of a lack of comprehension on the part of others.