The twelve Animal Signs

for Men

Ox (Buffalo) man
His psychological makeup

The Buffalo male is the very personification of stability and conservatism - just like a centenary oak firmly planted in the soil. He knows it, and never has a shadow of shame about it.

Do not ever expect him to change his mind on the spur of the moment or act impulsively. He is a man well noted for his strong principles, his deep convictions and his outstanding strength of purpose. He knows where to go from here and has an answer to every situation that may present itself. Once he has decided on a course of action to take, nothing can divert him from his chosen direction. If there are obstacles on his way, he will do everything in his power to overcome them, indifferent to the amount of time and sacrifices this may require. But if steadfastness is one of his finest qualities, it can also be a major weakness of his when it degenerates into obstinacy, blind prejudice and unreasonableness; it is indeed sometimes hard for him to take into account someone else's point of view or consider an alternative to his cherished objectives, even though such a step proves indispensable.

Prudence is another highlight of this type's character. He moves cautiously forward in life, reluctant to depart from the beaten track and warily watching the ground he treads on. It is not in his habits to take risks, even calculated ones; only tried-and-true methods seem to him credible. And, of course, he hates intellectual or philosophical speculations of any description, confining himself strictly to the concrete and the tangible.

Generally patient and placid, the Buffalo male loses his temper only at the most extreme provocation. But when he is angry, he may cause considerable consternation and damage, like an elephant in a china shop; one had better be careful not to confront or contradict him in such moments because his violence presents some possible danger.

His memory is surprisingly faithful when it comes to other people's disloyalty toward him. He will never forget the wrong someone has done him or the injustice he has been subjected to - although he may sometimes forgive them. There is every evidence that his feelings of rancor will survive him, so to speak.

Traditionalist and conventional to a fault, this man clings tenaciously to the ideas, habits, practices and patterns of reaction that were inculcated in him during his childhood. Born to a middle-class family, for instance, he will all his life search for comfort and luxury which are as indispensable to him as food and drink. Having grown up in the country, he will ever feel strongly attached to the soil and the simple joys it offers. To him the past is much more charming than the present or even the future; he often feels nostalgic about it, and one of his favorite hobbies is to brood over the years he has lived and the experiences he has had. Suspicious of everything new-fangled, he is surely not the kind of man who is in favor of modernism or will contribute to a revolution of any sort or be sympathetic to it. In the same vein, he shows great respect for his elders and loves to sprinkle his conversations with proverbs and quotations from the ancient sages.

This man displays an unusually strong sense of property and is sometimes possessive and jealous to the point of ridiculousness. His work, his house, his hobbies, his family, his money, his club, his village, his town, his country are all sacred to him, and he would not tolerate any attack on them. His chauvinism is well-known and can in some instances reach grotesque proportions; nevertheless, there is always something touching in his attachments.

The Buffalo male is a good citizen in many respects. He is generally law-abiding and shows an unflinching sense of duty. His country or his community can always count on him. His good behavior is perhaps due to his deep-seated desire to be accepted and respected by society in general and by his loved ones in particular. He also enjoys organizing the lives of others, and this may be yet another of his devices to endear himself to everybody.

One of this man's greatest passions in life is his work. He behaves as though he lived in order to work or his work were his raison d'être. One may not agree with him on this point but must admit that he draws from his work great satisfactions and his mental as well as physical equilibrium. A very hard and conscientious worker, he abhors scamping and half-measures. No kind of work appears repulsive to him, however tiresome or routine it may be. He is besides very precise, methodical, believing firmly in whatever he undertakes. Unfortunately, he is never prepared to accept failure, and when it inevitably occurs he may become a most unpleasant person.

Underlying his passion for work is to some degree his basic materialism. Possessions and riches have the power to give him a wonderful feeling of security and contentment. But he does not like wealth to come easy, and it is why he is rather indifferent to sinecures and never gambles. If an easy life is beyond his reach, he is able to put up with the barest minimum without self-pity or bitterness.

The Buffalo male is a sensualist and has no complex about it. He wants to enjoy to the full all the good things the Creator affords him. He is happy to exist and never bothers his head with metaphysical problems. He does not hold in high esteem those who are difficult to please, whose moral well-being requires a myriad conditions. He himself does not need much to feel blissful. Contemplating a moonlit night or a beautiful flower, listening to cicadas hidden among leaves, receiving a phone call from an old friend - all such ordinary events can fill him with unspeakable delight. He follows, without knowing it, this advice of Confucius, "Joy is in everything: One only has to extract it."

Despite his cold and impassive facade, this subject is basically an affectionate man. While it is true that he is a notorious egoist who will not let himself be easily moved by the problems and miseries of others, it is equally true that he is prepared to make any sacrifice for those whom he loves. He does not however grant his affection to the first persons to come along but waits for them to prove themselves. Once he has decided to attach himself to someone, it will be for the rest of his life - his loyalty habitually stands the test of time. But this softhearted male is clumsy in displays of emotion and sincerely believes that the best and deepest sentiments do not need to be expressed. It is here that he is mistaken since, as William Shakespeare said, "They do not love that do not show their love."

It is always difficult to make the Buffalo man accept an advice, not to say a contradiction. He only trusts his own judgment and, secretive, holds in suspicion all those who do not fall in line with him. His intolerance is one of the reasons why he has few friends - but relative loneliness does not bother him in the least.