Pope John Paul II
approach to life and appearances

The following is a description of The Pope's basic stance toward life, the way others see him, the way Pope John Paul II comes across, the face he shows to the world. In the page about motivation you will read about the inner Pope John Paul II - his real motivation, which describes the kind of person he is at heart and where his true priorities lie. Study this page and the next one and compare them - there may be significant differences between the two, in which case "the inner Pope John Paul II" may not shine through and others may be in for so a few surprises once they get to know The Pope a little better. This page describes the disguise Karol Wojtyla wears, his role in life, while the page about motivation talks about the real person beneath the disguise.

He is a natural diplomat, reasonable, tolerant, fair, always willing to listen to varying viewpoints, and prepared to see the other side of an issue. Even if he strongly disagrees with someone, Pope John Paul II will try to find points of similarity and agreement rather than emphasizing the differences. He often avoids taking an extreme or one-sided stance on anything. The Pope has a strong desire for harmonious and pleasant relationships, and revels in a spirit of cooperation, compromise, friendship, and fairness. Pope John Paul II very much wants to be liked and because of his need for approval and acceptance, Karol Wojtyla is easily influenced by others' opinions, especially those expressed by the young. He so much wants to please that often Pope John Paul II will suppress his own intense or unpleasant feelings in order to avoid offending others. Sometimes Karol Wojtyla's politeness is interpreted as being phony or wishy-washy.

His need to create harmony extends to his physical environment and personal appearance as well. Pope John Paul II appreciates beauty and has a natural sense of balance, symmetry, and proportion. He does everything in good taste, with a sense of style and art. From his home furnishings to his choice of clothing, everything must be aesthetically appealing, not simply functional or utilitarian.

He also feels that relationships are a form of art - one that Karol Wojtyla is especially interested in and usually quite skilled at, for The Pope possesses tact and acute awareness of other people. Marriage is very significant to him and finding the right person to share his life with is extremely important. Being part of a close relationship seems natural to Pope John Paul II - he is not an independent loner. Having a partner increases his self-confidence. Pope John Paul II does have a tendency, however, to become overly dependent on his partner and perhaps not to develop a clearly defined identity outside of the relationship. Finding the balance between being himself and blending and uniting with another is a challenge for The Pope.

Others see Pope John Paul II as an agreeable, smooth, harmonious, and "nice" person. Though there may be much more to him, this is the sort of face Karol Wojtyla shows to the world. He possesses personal charm and an understated, non-combative manner. His motto could be "one catches more flies with honey than with vinegar" for Pope John Paul II usually adopts a friendly, cooperative approach rather than a strong, forceful, I'm-going-to-conquer-the-world attitude.

The image that Pope John Paul II projects to the world and the person he really is inside, are considerably different. So much so that at times The Pope may feel that people do not see or know the real him. They respond to the face they see, and the initial impression Karol Wojtyla makes may actually be misleading. Within him, also, there is much complexity and tension, and Pope John Paul II often feels that he needs to change himself in significant ways or that he continually holds back essential aspects of his.

Astrological factors in this Astro Profile section:

Libra Rising

Sun Quincunx Asc.