The twelve Animal Signs

for Men

Goat man
His psychological makeup

When discussing the Goat man's character, most astrologers are wont to show some contempt, pointing out that the native is too "feminine" and possesses too many "negative" traits. But to treat him in such a way would amount to doing him an unwarranted injustice, for his nature is double-faced, if not multi-faceted, and what is generally considered "feminine" or "negative" in his personality may very well, in the last analysis, turn out to be something highly desirable. It would be hazardous to attempt to draw a clear-cut line between his qualities and drawbacks, and in any case people generally feel an instinctive tolerance for his foibles. Nevertheless, it goes without saying that, as our paternalistic society presently stands, the Goat sign is much less unfavorable to women than to men.

The Goat male seems to have entered life with this motto: "I'm unable to take care of myself. I need other people's support for survival. I must do everything to secure their good graces." Throughout all his existence he will be more or less crippled by a feeling of inadequacy, show a marked degree of dependence, and seek by all means to stay on good terms with his fellow men.

Probably few would lack self-confidence as severely as the Goat male. He is at all times shy, anxious, puzzled about life, uncertain over the outcome of his moves, and worrying about what direction he would take. He could be anything you like, but definitely not an adventuresome and daring man. Anything new or unknown may inspire awe in him, and nothing would persuade him to deliberately wander off the beaten track - he is a conformist par excellence. While his prime concern is to shelter himself from life's storms, his faintheartedness induces him to worry and adopt a fatalistic stand instead of taking positive measures to prevent or combat them. Almost never happy with his lot, he lacks equanimity and stoicism in the face of adversity, and is unable to handle an emergency with courage or meet a crisis with steadfastness.

It would be difficult in such conditions to find many natives of this sign among the world's conquerors or leaders, or among those who nurture ambitions to move heaven and earth. Instead, the typical Goat man, always in want of maturity, is inclined to behave as a lame duck, demanding that the whole world be in charge of his welfare.

This man acutely feels from his earliest years that his survival does not depend on him, but on other people as well as circumstances. It is why he is extremely susceptible to tension, disharmony, or conflict in his environment, and constantly learns to be absolutely pliable and adaptable.

As a child, he perfectly knows how to be a pet of the family - by behaving cutely and obediently. In his adulthood he conducts himself with the utmost humility and self-effacement, sensing that to keep a low figure is the best way to avoid friction and confrontation. He is ever reluctant to commit himself to a personal opinion - it is impossible to pin him down to a positive stand - or put up even a mere show of resistance. Since his main weapon in the battle of life is the good will of others, he is careful not to antagonize them in any way.

Obviously, this type is never expected to be a go-getter. Almost exclusively ruled by his feelings, he muddles through life according to the way things go. The only constant element of his comportment is inconsistency. Lacking willpower to a severe degree, he is unable to make up his mind in most circumstances. In sum, hesitation, indecision, fickleness, imprecision, and approximation are an integral part of his psychological fabric.

However, he could not be more casual about his inaptitude in life since he is able to find a profuse compensation for it in the world of his own imagination. There he is undisputed monarch and author of tremendous achievements. He simply cannot help being in the clouds; he picks his way through a tangle of daydreams which unremittingly envelops him.

It would be a gross mistake to believe he is simply an idle dreamer with no future at all. Actually, his excessive tendency to dream and daydream often presents positive aspects. Whereas he appears much of the time to be lost and bewildered, noticing nothing or doing nothing, his imagination carries him during those moments to ethereal spheres which are accessible only to him. In this way he can sometimes have visions of genius - he seems to be aware of things and events that elude the common run of people and possesses unmistakable mediumistic talents. Even though his intelligence follows mysterious patterns from which logic and reason seem to be excluded, it is generally to one's advantage to take the indications of his intuition into due consideration. Concerning his own person, the decisions he comes at intuitively very often turn out to be the right ones; he also has the ability to foresee the actual outcome of his fantasies from their very inception, thereby being rarely a victim of delusion. As for his nightdreams, they either have a premonitory character or act as a dependable guide to this subconscious cosmos.

Considered under a specific angle, his pronounced need to dream and daydream reflects his compulsive desire to melt away into a universe that exists outside of himself. In other words, the flight from himself is to him a vital, absolute necessity. In the most severe cases he is prone to seek evasion in alcohol, dopes, or even downright physical self-destruction; but generally he resorts to less drastic means such as sublimation, idealism, artistic creations, meditation, religiosity, mysticism, occultism, verbosity, eccentricity, hippiedom, or travels.

The Goat male has many other traits of personality which earn him the epithet "feminine." He is eminently subjective - truth appears to him only as he feels at the moment, and no one can convince him of an objective truth. Only a Dragon or a Snake can equal him in narcissism. He is a slave rather than a master to his moods, which are ever-changing. Lazy, he hates both physical and mental exertion, yet yearns for a life of ease and luxury. Having no sense of time and urgency, he is chronically guilty of carelessness and procrastination. Because of his capriciousness, suggestibility, extravagance, and irresponsibility, people tend to view him as a mysterious, evasive, or disconcerting man. His incredible naiveté and gullible disposition make him an easy prey to unscrupulous persons. Finally, he shows a marked tendency to masochism, pessimism, and the martyr complex.

The array of his distinctly "positive" characteristics is no less impressive. In fact, he is such a bundle of contradictions and inconsistencies that he should be considered a profoundly human and interesting personality.

This individual could take great pride in his big-heartedness and capacity for empathy. Extremely sensitive to the feelings and emotions of other people, he always lends a patient and attentive ear to everybody's troubles and complaints. If there is one thing in life he cannot bear for long, it must be to witness someone else's misfortunes. His compassion reaches such proportions as renders him easily moved to pity for all those who are unfortunate or appear to be so. It is not rare to see him suffer vicariously all the trials and tribulations of those around him. He belongs to the category of people who, all the while concerned about their own comfort and welfare, will give away everything they possess to help those in need and will feel embarrassed if they are thanked.

The male native of the Goat is one of the most indulgent men in the world. He never wants to condemn and persistently seeks to find out what makes people behave the way they do. Few would be as ready as he to show understanding of and tolerance for all human frailties and failings.

This is essentially a gentle and charming soul moved by a sincere and profound desire to give pleasure. No one would remain insensitive to his sweetness, courtesy, and affability. He is accommodating to the point of being apologetic. A pacifist at heart, he detests violence of every description, never deliberately doing anyone harm or flaming up in a stormy temper, and often allows himself to be pushed around by others without resistance. While not particularly demanding, he is ever willing to lend a helping hand. Many people feel relieved to entrust him with their secrets.

One of his traits of character that endear him to others is his utter candor. He never pretends to be someone else than what he actually is, for he readily admits to all his faults and weakness and avoids to glorify or justify himself in the eyes of the world.