Check out our Podcast episodes about The Circle season 2 Personalities…
In case The Circle’s ultra modern, technology-centric format makes you nostalgic for a taste of traditional media, the story of Miranda and Joey is an endearing Circle tribute to the familiar Boy-meets-Girl narrative. Although Miranda’s stay in The Circle is brief, her natural openness allows an intimacy to unfold in her chats with Joey. In one particularly candid and vulnerable moment, she reveals how her childhood was spent bouncing between extended family households together with her brother, until the foster care system took over and separated them.
A self-proclaimed “proud mama’s boy,” Joey has a profound appreciation and respect for the kind of courage and optimistic determination he sees in Miranda, the kind of strength that for him is so deeply rooted in family support. Miranda and Joey’s emotional connection nudges a mutual not-my-exact-type-but-cute-enough-to-flirt attraction into the romantic alliance they seal with a kiss at the end of Miranda’s exit visit to Joey’s apartment.
Miranda’s Social Explorer Core Personality connects to life through her relationships, and is most strongly motivated by being fully immersed in the experience of each moment. Together, these two elements translate into a willingness and ability to accept people unconditionally. In Miranda’s relationship with Joey, she bears no grudge against him for failing to ‘save’ her from being Blocked. She visits him with an open heart, expresses her confidence in his ability to win, and reciprocates his ‘goodbye for now’ lingering kiss.
Miranda’s Social Changemaker Bodyguard further encourages her generally nurturing and sympathetic thoughts and words; while her Physical Connector Bodyguard lays an unshakable foundation for remaining open to family-style support even after life withheld it from her for so long.
Joey’s Core Social Connector Personality also engages with life through his relationships, while his strongest motivation comes from unifying people and resources to be greater than the sum of their parts. Joey’s leadership inclined core personality is well balanced by two Bodyguard Personalities that facilitate warmth and compassion. The Social Changemaker Bodyguard allows him to thrive in contexts like his server job where he must embrace the reality of being valued for giving and serving, not leading. His Ideas Explorer Bodyguard underpins the empathy that leads to inner turmoil around sending players home in his influencer role, and the added self flagellation upon learning that he misjudged someone (Antonio) to be a catfish.
The details of Miranda and Joey’s relationship are kept private in the season finale Q&A and beyond. Whether or not they are actually dating is left to our imagination. Whatever the status of their romantic involvement, the on-stage body language between them further showcases their respective personalities. Miranda stays out of frame during most of the episode until she tries to get close to Joey after his win is revealed. Joey plays to the camera from the moment he enters. And, after winning, seems to ignore Miranda, gesturing for a group hug to the entire cast.
Although such a scenario might reflect a relationship imbalance, it also might not. As long as Miranda’s Social Explorer Personality feels unconditionally accepted in day-to-day life, she is genuinely happy to offer someone she cares about her unconditional support even in ways that may be misinterpreted by those around her. It is entirely possible that Joey’s Social Connector need to maximize any opportunity for leadership is being granted space within a mutually satisfying give and take. Understanding the personality dynamics in any interaction establishes a platform for distinguishing healthy, balanced compatibility from a relationship inviting our support.
For easy reference, each character story in this series includes an UnConflict Personalities listing which mentions the Core Personalities of The Circle Players discussed to date.
- Social Explorer (Core Personality of: Miranda)
- Social Changemaker
- Social Connector (Core Personality of: Joey)
- Ideas Explorer
- Ideas Changemaker (Core Personality of: Shubham)
- Ideas Connector (Core Personality of: Sammie)
- Physical Explorer (Core Personality of: Alana, Antonio)
- Physical Changemaker (Core Personality of: Karyn)
- Physical Connector (Core Personality of: Chris)
(Note that the UnConflict Personality system operates in a closed loop configuration where the Physical Connector loops back around to the Social Explorer)
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