INTROVERTED

FLEXIBLE

EMPATHETIC

These kiddos gain energy by being in their heads, with their own thoughts, ideas, dreams, and visions. They prefer quiet. They talk less and more slowly unless they are talking about their favorite subject, in which case they can appear to be more extroverted. 

These kiddos make decisions based on emotions and empathy and avoid conflict or confrontation because it does not encourage internal harmony. They desire to feel valued and need affirmation first before they can receive any kind of constructive criticism. They tend to see the good in people and are more concerned with maintaining harmonious relationships. 

They prefer spontaneity and a loosely held schedule because the unplanned and unexpected brings an abundance of joy and excitement. They enjoy having the ability to work, play, and have fun all at the same time. They are pressure-prompted and will get their best ideas at the last minute.

A LOOK Inside the MEERKAT's Brain

INTROVERTED

FLEXIBLE

EMPATHETIC

It’s good to know what ingredients make up your kiddo’s personality; however, it’s also helpful to understand how this plays out at home. 

As Meerkats receive information into their brain, their focus is on exploring and processing their own personal values, feelings, and emotions against what they experience. They make decisions based on what will bring internal harmony, ensuring that everything they do aligns with their own personal value system. They process and make decisions based on emotional reactions or “how it feels” rather than objective facts and data. This process is in-depth and complex and typically not evident to anyone else as it’s an internal process. Many times, Meerkats are not even aware of their intensely held values until someone violates them, in which they typically react with big behaviors. To understand this unique brain wiring, here’s an example.

Meerkat’s are born with an internal moral compass and create internal guidelines for how to live. They have naturally held personal values and beliefs about what is morally right and wrong. Imagine a sort of filter inside the Meerkat’s brain: as information comes in, it gets filtered. If it feels right, it gets through the filter. If it feels wrong, it is rejected.

Let’s call this process their “moral machine.” This machine determines the significance of what they’re experiencing. This helps create and refine the rules and guidelines for how they live their life. So, for example, if a Meerkat kiddo gets made fun of, their moral machine will reject that experience because it hurts and doesn’t feel right. With this experience, they create a rule or guideline in their brain: do not make fun of others because this doesn’t feel good.

These “guidelines” become the lens in which they use to cultivate their reality. When something they experience comes into their moral machine, it will either align closely with their guidelines or completely contradict and violate them. Then, and only then, will they have an emotional reaction. However, there are plenty of other times when they feel indifferent towards an experience or situation, and their feelings or behaviors may appear more ambivalent or dismissive.

As they grow, they create more and more guidelines about how to live life. They also tend to embody their values and become a living example for their values rather than promoting them onto other people directly. Their moral machine, guidelines, and unique lens on life give them an extraordinary ability to tune into other people’s feelings and emotions. They tend to have the highest level of empathy in all personality types. Why? Because everything is filtered through the moral machine of “does this feel right?” If it doesn’t feel right, they tend to get offended.

Because of this, they know what it’s like to be hurt or in pain. They are highly introverted and feel deeply, and they will benefit significantly with patient adults who have the skills to help uncover, without shame and judgment, what and why the Meerkat is feeling. They are gentle kiddos who dislike violence and cruelty against people or animals, whether in games or in real life. They are thoughtful souls who treat others with empathy and sensitivity.