Character dynamism according to Marian Mazur

We are delighted to begin a psychoeducational series for people encountering the theory of character dynamism for the first time. You can explore your character dynamism on our website using the Questionnaire tab, where you will find our patented Character Dynamism Questionnaire. In this series, we will use everyday language that is as accessible as possible for people who want to gain a quick, intuitive understanding of this useful scientific theory.

Character dynamism is a concept introduced by Marian Mazur within the cybernetic theory of character. According to this theory, systems capable of self-control are characterised by character dynamism, measured as the logarithm of the ratio between the system’s expansion and ageing. But do not worry — this is simply an illustrative mathematical way of approaching the subject. In reality, many other factors influence human behaviour, and it is through behaviour that character dynamism, itself a theoretical construct, is expressed.

According to Marian Mazur’s theory, there are five types of character dynamism. Positive dynamism is characterised by a predominance of energy dispersion. The system’s expansion clearly outweighs its ageing, which is why a child is the classic example of an exodynamic person. But this does not mean that only children are exodynamic, because character dynamism can also be accelerated or delayed. Otherwise, we would not have wonderful artists who create works of art or music as adults.

The dynamism expressed by a balance between the system’s expansion and ageing is statism. Between statism and exodynamism lies exostatism, which, according to Marian Mazur’s theory, is most clearly illustrated by young people. There is no longer the complete unpredictability seen in children, nor the imagined reality of fairy tales or dreams. Yet a strong need to express oneself and one’s uniqueness remains, for example through clothing or make-up. Exostatic people also enjoy having fun, and their lives need varied stimuli, such as outings together, concerts and trips.

Statism is the dynamism in the middle of the scale. It is characterised by a balance between the system’s expansion and ageing, meaning that sudden energy expenditure must be followed by renewed replenishment; daily rituals make this much easier in practice. For this reason, static people are those who keep society on track by getting up for work each day, living stable lives and, above all, following established social rules. They are people whose behaviour is predictable, often inspiring trust. They are said to make up the majority of society and represent middle age, but remember that this is only a common opinion: it is extremely rare for someone to have traits typical of just one dynamism. If they do, their character dynamism chart can be described as narrow, with little tolerance for behaviours inconsistent with their own dynamism.

Endostatism is a weak negative dynamism characterised by a predominance of energy conservation. When one’s own power is insufficient, support must be sought. In cybernetics, we call this sociological power. Remember that endostatism can occur at a young age — for example, among young officers or other people who value organisation and pursuing goals, actions and deeds rather than words. An endostatic person can keep a secret and carry out a commander’s order. They contain an element of statism and therefore follow established rules.

An endodynamic person, by contrast, listens to no one because they see themselves as the boss. They aim to acquire as much sociological power as possible. They are interested in power because they must use sociological power to compensate for losses in their own energy. They prefer to keep as many secrets as possible and do not reveal their thoughts to anyone, even through facial expressions. This is the strongest negative dynamism, which, according to Mazur’s theory, many people do not live long enough to reach — but remember that this is only an opinion, since character dynamism does not depend solely on age. In reality, we also see endodynamic people working energetically as leaders in political and business structures.

Author: Maria Biernacka