Go Retrograde
Mix test descriptions to break the labels controlling your choices
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 96%
Go Retrograde is an awareness exercise for the “test believer,” someone who turns a horoscope or personality result into a fixed identity. Gather descriptions from systems such as Myers-Briggs, the Enneagram, and horoscopes, then review the descriptions themselves rather than obeying one assigned category. Select every statement that genuinely resonates. The resulting mix usually crosses multiple labels, showing that no single type fully contains you. That evidence separates a useful preference from a behavioral prohibition: gaining energy alone, for example, does not mean you are incapable of meeting people. Once the label loosens, rewrite it in flexible language and take one action the old identity discouraged. The tool does not require rejecting self-awareness systems; it prevents their descriptions from becoming excuses that control every decision.
Origin
David Nurse introduces Go Retrograde as the tool for the test-believer archetype after criticizing the use of horoscopes and personality labels as excuses not to act.
Core principles
- 01A descriptive label should not become a behavioral limit
- 02People contain traits that cross multiple test categories
- 03Seeing overlap weakens rigid identity stories
How to run it
- 1
Gather descriptions
Collect descriptions from multiple personality, archetype, or horoscope systems.
Pro tip Remove headings where possible so category loyalty does not influence selection.
- 2
Select what fits
Mark every description that genuinely resembles you without limiting yourself to one assigned type.
Pro tip Use examples from your actual behavior to test each selection.
- 3
Inspect the mixture
Notice how your selections cross categories and may even contradict one another.
Pro tip Pay special attention to traits that change by situation.
- 4
Rewrite the label
Turn a fixed identity statement into a flexible preference that leaves room for action.
Pro tip Replace “I cannot” with a precise account of what costs energy or needs preparation.
Watch out Do not dismiss legitimate disability needs or professional assessments.
- 5
Disprove the limit
Take one small action that the rigid label previously ruled out.
Pro tip Record the result as evidence that behavior is broader than the category.
In the wild
Someone has used “I am an introvert” to avoid networking. After selecting traits from several systems, they see that they also value curiosity and one-to-one conversation. They rewrite the label as “large groups drain me, but I can start one focused conversation” and introduce themselves to one person at an event.
→ A fixed identity becomes a preference that can be managed rather than an excuse that forbids action.
Common mistakes
Replacing one label with another
The point is to loosen categorical control, not find a more flattering box.
Rejecting all self-knowledge
Descriptions can still be useful; the mistake is treating them as permanent limits on behavior.
Is it for you?
Best for
People who let personality categories dictate what they believe they can do.
Not ideal for
Clinical assessments or validated accommodations that require qualified professional interpretation.
From the transcript
“And you see all of these things written out there and you're able to pick which ones stand out to you and it ends up…”
“The point of it is showing that you are not just one.”
From the episode
Episode 229: David Nurse: How to Identify Your Action Archetypes
David Nurse