MBTI Type: ESTP

Mowgli is a master at using his environment and knowing how to interact with it – in a crisis, he looks around and figures out how to get away using what is immediately available to him (hitching a ride on stampeding animals, luring Shere Khan above a flaming abyss in an old dead tree, slipping through King Louis’ clutches, etc). He is semi-fearless in his stunts, often insisting that his way is the right way (“if the branch hadn’t broke, I would have made it!”). Long-term thinking is not his strong point, although Mowgli so much enjoys being around Baloo that he intends to stay with him “forever.” Once he knows what “the red flower” is, he develops an idea on how to use it to defeat Shere Khan. Mowgli thinks in singular terms; he knows what he wants, and goes after it. He is terrific at improvising on the fly – when confronted with a problem, Mowgli “invents” a method to solve it, from simple things like getting water with turtle shells to his complex machine that helps him recover honeycomb without being stung! Mowgli does not take things all that personally. He is forever being criticized by other animals for “thinking like a man, not an animal.” It doesn’t take much for him to notice logical inconsistencies and badger Bagheera with questions. Part of him wants to integrate into the wolf pack. He also tries to abide by the jungle laws even though they do not come naturally to him – in order to “fit in” and “be like a wolf.” Other animals’ emotional appeals recruit him into helping them (the bear going on about “you owe me, and I know you’re a nice person, so you’ll pay me back” gets Mowgli stung trying to help him “feed up” for winter; the distress of the elephants means him rescuing their child in the middle of the night). He’s not above complaining or emotional outbursts (“you didn’t tell me!”).

Enneagram: 7w8 so/sp

Mowgli is a happy, good-natured boy, able to see the best in situations, confident about his future and his odds of survival, and “not afraid” of anything. His reckless, opportunistic nature perturbs Baghera, but also enables him to remain positive and proactive in protecting himself and others. His 8 wing kicks in when he challenges Sher Khan for dominance in the jungle. He goes out of his way to help his friends and serve Baloo’s needs, out of a genuine kindness but also a sense of “duty” (because Baloo reminds him, he “owes” him a favor).