The Sage Doll
Historically known as “the wise woman”
The Nerd, The Corporate Barbie, Academia Doll, BOSS AND CEO, Girl Boss
Our example: Olivia Pope (Scandal)
The plot of Scandal to an everyday person may seem like a typical, forbidden love story. In part, it is that (as Olivia is the “other woman.”) But a lot of what kept Scandal together was having a dynamic, talented but flawed protagonist.
Olivia Pope, played by Kerry Washington, is a stellar example of a Sage.
Sages are based on “the wise woman” Athena who was known for a reputation of intellect and problem solving skills. Sages are also defined by psychologist Carl Jung as the Wise Old Man or Wise Old Woman.
Sages are put together on the outside and brandish big titles/huge accomplishments, but on the inside they are deeply sinking in their own turmoil and deep need for recognition.
Sages are recognizable and have made a mark on society in some form or fashion. Think Oprah (lol…anyways), or Michelle Obama.
Below is my personal creation of the Sage Doll, what I think the archetype is, and what we can learn from them!
1. Knowledgeable
a Sage’s favorite catchphrase (besides “you’re not listening”, “we need a plan” and “that doesn’t make any logical sense”)
The Sage Doll is the definition of knowledge. This is the person that decides to research something before speaking.
This is the person that you go to when you want to learn something, especially something historical, philosophical, political, or psychological.
This is the person that makes everyone wish they knew more, and motivates them to open their minds up to concepts that they are unfamiliar with.
A lot of friends may call them “google” as a term of endearment (but also annoyingly because it’s like they’re constantly ahead of everyone). This is mainly because their pursuit of knowledge goes beyond the academic setting, and a lot of people stop learning at school and do nothing but scroll on their phones.
When Sages aren’t learning or outdoing themselves, they feel like part of their life is missing. A drawback of being so knowledgeable and resourceful is that they may not easily be attached to the reality of things that aren’t so black or white. Many situations require gray areas that they have difficulty recognizing.
All of the knowledge they possessed made them have absolutely no filter at times with everyone looking at them. And it’s like… “what? I’m just being honest”. (Neurodivergents definitely understand this scenario and can portray qualities of Sage.)
Sages define themselves based on their intellect and how much they “know”… so when a situation arises that goes outside of polarity, they malfunction.
There is ultimate power in constantly updating what you know and being a student of life. It can be intimidating to others and cause a lot of problems.
Your accomplishments, your image, and your entire being can be intimidating to others. People may think you’re “perfect” because you’re well put together or because you are well versed on something. Just because that insecurity exists for them doesn’t mean you have to micromanage it. Let people make their assumptions.
I remember as a literal nine year old I would tell people who used to bully me about it: “well maybe if you were smarter you wouldn’t be making fun of me reading a book that you could never read. If you were smarter you wouldn’t make fun of me being smart, you’d be off doing better at school. Not my fault I know more than you” LOL
Positive: good resource and capable of deep, intellectual conversations
Negative: can come off judgmental or intellectualize menial things
What we can learn:
Knowledge is power, but wisdom is how you harness that. There’s wisdom in still having the capacity to learn.
Reflect on what defines you outside of your intellect and accomplishments.
It’s okay to not know something. Don’t be so attached to your reputation of excellence in one area that you neglect that being a student of life is what got you to be so great in the first place.
People will talk about you for the things you do. Let them… their insecurities speak louder than you ever could.
2. Mentor
the gladiators!!!
Their propensity to be detail oriented about their entire life causes them to be a centerpiece of everyone’s life.
They are often confidants and have a very empathetic approach to people they care about (stranger or well known). Their advice is more so strategic, rather than spiritually led like the Bohemian. Sages are all about the end result and the solution when it comes to helping others.
Doing things for others gives a Sage fulfillment, but this can be a huge drawback because they can go beyond their personal limits and become overbearing. Their strong desire to want the best for people can make them overstep and have disagreements with their friends… or in Olivia’s case, go to dastardly lengths.
Olivia Pope owned a firm and was seen as a mentor to everyone who worked for her. She did everything in her power to be seen as the go to, and even compromised herself AND her employees to maintain her image.
The thing that we can learn from Sages is that you can teach people as much as you want to, you can reach out to them as consistently as possible, you can go out of your way to build a rapport, you can be there for them at the drop of a dime, and then people will still do what they want to do anyway.
A good example of this is Olivia’s relationship with the fictional President of the United States “Fitz”. Despite all of her efforts, he was still going to break her heart anyway being that he had a whole family on the side. Without giving any spoilers of further seasons, their dynamic became more and more complex as the show went on.
Olivia also would tell everyone about themselves in order to take the spotlight off of herself. She failed to realize that all of that wasn’t going to make her fulfilled. She didn’t know how to stay in her lane especially when someone has proven that they don’t have the tools to fix their own life.
People can only meet you as far as they’ve met themselves. Your authenticity and transparency is intimidating to other people because they don’t have the capacity to be authentic and transparent with themselves. You cannot make someone be who you want them to be.
Becoming a “mentor” or a helpful person does not mean that you have jurisdiction to insert yourself in that nature. Sometimes, it’s better to just listen and hope for the best.
I’ve had to learn this.. it’s hard watching people sabotage their own life. While I wait for the opportunity to say “I told you so” I also grieve for the person that is too embarrassed to admit I was right.
Positive: a resource for everyone
Negative: sometimes oversteps boundaries
What we can learn:
Know the difference between being helpful and controlling. People are going to do what they want regardless.
You will always be judged or betrayed when you are put on a pedestal due to how much you do for others out of good faith. It’s not your responsibility to manage that pedestal. That’s their choice.
Being seen as the “helpful friend” or “Google” is a lot of pressure. It’s not your job to be that all of the time.
3. Competitive
The Sage is known for being very competitive with any of their achievements. Some Sages pursue things only for the sole pleasure of outdoing someone else. They often compare themselves and like to be able to say unequivocally that they are lightyears beyond everyone else.
Olivia went to boarding school, Princeton for undergrad, and Georgetown for law. She got an ego boost talking about her credentials (as she SHOULD!) especially when trying to gain power in the White House. Competition at its core is a thirst for power and recognition in my opinion.
If anyone challenges them and underestimates their potential, that will make them go 10 times harder than they would have in the first place.
Olivia Pope’s original character framework revolved around doing things because the general public thought she couldn’t.
Competitive Presentation
Another area Sages are competitive in is their looks. An aesthetic of the Sage will include a polished, high class look that screams “I am better than you.” Corporate baddie. Call it arrogance, call it pompous, call it respectability politics, but they kind of ate.
One thing corporate baddies have down-pat is the attire… they aren’t wrong that you can put on a blazer dress and heels and everyone will look at you differently. But Sages have a hard time not putting on an image or performance everytime they walk outside….so much so that they critique others for not doing the same.
Think of Mo’nique being upset about bonnets.
Anywho, that is how Sages feel about someone dressing “inappropriately”. This attitude definitely has a lot to do with society and upbringing which will be discussed further down.
Sages have a pet peeve of someone else looking disheveled. Even though it isn’t their business, they honestly believe everyone should look and think like them because it just makes “sense”.
This is their competitive spirit. Looking at someone else’s fab or drab is a sign that they’re doing better or worse than the other person. Those who have more Bohemian qualities do not even think twice about this!
Get the look:
For my Corporate Barbies and CEO Dolls!
notice the commonalities: blazers, layers, simple neutrals…often a good monochromatic will get you this aesthetic!
Get the look:
For all of my Academia Dolls (& more casual examples!)
Let me also say that when Olivia has worn casual clothing, she still took up the room which brings me to our favorite - presence! That’s how you know this is a high powered archetype like Superstar because presence cannot be ignored nor duplicated.
Competitive Presence
SERVING CUNT
Chile, I live for this. ***Sidebar… Shonda has an obsession with her protagonists having a dramatic walk(Annalise had an elder walk…which conveyed power and exhaustion lol.)
Obviously, you want people to look at you and think you’re better than them. This sounds crazy, but you have to stick out to be that iconic.
I’ve spoken on Presence in my Superstar Doll post, however the presence of a Sage is less flashy and more regal. Instead of gawking at them, most people are outright intimidated in both good and bad ways, especially on a day that they have RBF.
Something profound to mention is the legendary scene of Olivia Pope and her father. Her father gives her one of the “talks” all Black children have… how you have to be twice as good as everyone else to get half of what they have. Meaning: Due to racial bias, people are already going to see you as lesser than, so you have to outdo them with every breath you take.
This is equally motivating and soul crushing. This was hammered into her head with no balance of “honey, you’re doing great.” she didn’t get enough of the validation she needed.
*With that being said, a lot of oppressed groups reading this may find Sage qualities in themselves or may be matched directly as a Sage (coming soon in the quiz once I am done with all of the archetypes) because of the mentality instilled in us when we were younger just from society’s watchful eye in general.
Important: Because of this, Sages desperately need to be told that someone is proud of them to evolve. Living with the weight of the world on your shoulders no matter what you do is soul crushing.
Inner Child affirmations for the Sage:
“I am so proud of you.”
“What you’re doing is enough.”
“You are so special to me.”
Positives: goal oriented, self assured
Negative: imposter syndrome
What we can learn:
Competition is healthy, but in doses.
It’s better to focus on the things you’re already doing, rather than what someone says you cannot do because you will end up succeeding for them not yourself.
What motivates you can also be your downfall.
Even if you have to be “twice” as good as everyone else, at what point will you determine your own standard?
Affirmation: “I am already enough as I am” - you have to recognize things as they already are. It’s easier said than done, but forcing your mind to perceive what may or may not happen in the future is putting way too much dip on your chip.
4. Logical Truth Seeker
The Sage’s kryptonite is actually seeking the truth. They look for it in all things and try to sniff out inconsistencies. When arguing with a Sage, you might as well give up because they are going to deconstruct your argument and you’ll be left trying to put it back together.
Here are two Sages in a stalemate argument. I personally don’t think either of them won, they both ate each other up in true Sage fashion.
Annalise (HTGAWM) and Olivia are nearly the same and feed off of each other. They say they aren’t the same, but meanwhile we have known both characters to possess the similar qualities, just utilizing them in a drastically different way.
a read.
Sages will often hear “you should be a lawyer” if they speak their mind. The Sage is known for blunt, to the point honesty. In their profession, studies, or maybe upbringing they had to think on their feet for certain things.
Because of this quick witted tendency, they may have short patience.
A “get to the point” attitude is a sign of a Sage who has been overworked and burnt out. A Sage at their worst will be snappy, judgmental, impatient, and condescending. That’s when they need to reel back and take a beat. Basically, regardless, they don’t mind being rude, unlike The Sweetheart.
Everyone has a purpose in the Sage’s game.
Olivia was always trying to get ahead of the game in any situation. She was very strategic as to how she handled other people, even if it was at their expense. Everyone was like a pawn in her game of knowledge. I’m not saying this is the way to do things, but I am saying that this is a hallmark unevolved Sage trait.
As you can see, Olivia is quick enough to come up with a strategy to manipulate the parents in the clip. At the end, they end up complying to her wishes.
Sages will discover the layers to everyone around them, but rarely share enough for others to do the same. There’s a loneliness in seeking the truth all of the time instead of allowing things to just be. This is why Sages get lost in their work or the things they are good at.
They shine by distracting themselves with other people’s flaws or a problem that needs to be solved.
They love to feel needed, they love to be seen…but they don’t know how to ask for those things if it’s not strategic or in a “plan”.
think of a sage you know (or if it’s you, think of yourself) and how many times “we need a plan” has come up, take a shot for each time you’ve heard/said it
People think they’re robotic or have no emotions, but that’s far from what their truth really is.
They care so much and that’s why they keep looking for answers even if it’s swept under the fridge where all those random crumbs are. They’re that meticulous.
Too much truth and realism will have a Sage sitting with a huge glass of wine and a bowl of popcorn. I’ve had many a nights like this where I sought too much into the truth of things.
it be like that sometimes dolls
It’s depressing to always focus on things in such a black or white way. Some call it negative, but those of us who relate to Sage archetype call it being “logical” because being too emotional compromises preparation for the worst. This is a Sage’s biggest challenge!
look at how big that wine glass is it don’t even make no sense
All of the above traits can be an advantage but also we have gone over the clear disadvantages.
This is why a Sage has to have time to be strategic outside of work/school life. What keeps a Sage sane is engaging in strategic hobbies. Sages like to continuously be stimulated with something that can never truly be mastered (otherwise they’ll get bored because they are too smart). Strategy is everything, and seeing the result is the most satisfying part.
Examples: reading, video games, puzzling, writing, cooking, painting/drawing, sports, critical analysis of media and the world, sudoku, chess, gardening
Sages should also consider branching out into less strict activities and seek out things or people that are more experimental like a Vixen or Bohemian friend.
Positives of truth seeking: always being ahead, quick witted/sharp, wordsmith, able to defend themselves due to awareness
Negatives: can be mean, manipulative, habit of intellectualizing arguments, and overwhelms themselves with all or nothing thinking, comes off robot-like due to wanting to expose the issue
What we can learn:
Sometimes you have to read someone down every once in a while. But there’s a time and place for it.
Constantly seeking the truth means you constantly see through bullcrap. This mindset creates discernment of character… ask yourself what situations actually look like. Not what you want it to be.
Reality isn’t always pretty. It’s okay to take time away from it… the world is not going to collapse because you took 5 minutes away from your work to take a deep breath and eat your favorite snack.
Learn how to trust yourself so you can trust others. It’s hard to fill the loneliness with just work and hobbies. You have to have community.
You can’t escape from your problems by being involved in everyone else’s.
The truth will set you free, but you have to be ready for yours…not focus on what you perceive everyone else’s truth to be.
In conclusion, the Sage Doll is so multifaceted and sometimes works on survival mode to be that way. A lot of people admire Sages for what they’re able to do and look up to them without really knowing what’s going on in their head.
Sages don’t look as lonely as they really are, but they have a lot of trouble finding their footing socially.
People who aren’t Sages can look up to their candor and wit, their huge accomplishments, and their tunnel vision because the average person cannot commit to all of those things at once. Other archetypes would say a Sage is their right hand, their “therapist friend”.
What they can learn is how to be just as self sufficient, and what Sages can learn from the other archetypes is how to balance sufficiency and vulnerability.
All of the traits above can overlap with other archetypes and be applied to your given archetype.
And now, you have been promoted! You are now one of my elite employees!
LOVE HER DOWN idc
