William Butler Yeats
approach to life and appearances

The following is a description of W.B. Yeats' basic stance toward life, the way others see him, the way William Butler Yeats comes across, the face he shows to the world. In the page about motivation you will read about the inner William Butler Yeats - 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 William Butler Yeats" may not shine through and others may be in for so a few surprises once they get to know W.B. Yeats a little better. This page describes the disguise Yeats wears, his role in life, while the page about motivation talks about the real person beneath the disguise.

Cautious, prudent, and rather self-contained, he is a person who approaches life realistically and who is not inclined to take foolish chances or get carried away by the overly optimistic or idealistic schemes of starry-eyed dreamers. In fact, William Butler Yeats frequently has a jaundiced view of such things. He is rather worldly-wise at a fairly young age, even somewhat of a cynic. Often the world does not seem like a safe, friendly place to Yeats, and he tends to approach life in a guarded, conservative manner. He is generally calculated and careful, and is rarely spontaneous, fluid, open, and childlike.

He is pragmatic, shrewd, and an excellent strategist, carefully planning his moves for maximum effectiveness and advantage. He is willing to work long and persistently for what he wants and he often does things the hard way. W.B. Yeats does not expect others to take care of him and sometimes refuses or simply does not seek any outside help. He is often very ambitious, but quietly so. There is nothing flamboyant or flashy about his approach. He is very responsible, conscientious, and concerned with his duties to others and how he comes across socially - his "rank" so to speak.

To others William Butler Yeats seems mature, serious, quiet, reflective, and emotionally detached. W.B. Yeats dislikes sloppy sentimentality and will not openly display his feelings, especially the more tender ones. Yeats likes to always appear poised and in control; and he hates to show any weakness, vulnerability, or chinks in his armor.

William Butler Yeats respects tradition and the time-honored way of doing things, and he feels that there is much to be gained from studying history and also by learning from older, more experienced people. A wise mentor or father is often Yeats' guide in life, and he in turn develops a great deal of hard-earned wisdom, which he likes to impart to younger people.

William Butler Yeats has a stern, authoritarian, no-nonsense aspect to his personality. He expects much from himself and may not give himself enough leeway to experiment and make mistakes.

He also tends to be rather close-fisted, to save and conserve his money and resources rather than spending or enjoying them. William Butler Yeats spends money on things of quality and of lasting value, things which are good investments, but not frivolous, temporary pleasures. There is a bit of the ascetic in him. W.B. Yeats exercises great self-discipline and self-control and he can "do without" very well. His tastes are generally understated and simple.

Though he may have other, more colorful and imaginative sides, the face Yeats shows the world is modest and rather conservative.

Bright, alert, quick of tongue and/or of movement, there is youthfulness about W.B. Yeats' manner and appearance regardless of his chronological age. Moreover, William Butler Yeats also always appears busy and active, and somewhat restless. Yeats needs mental stimulation from his environment, or he will rapidly get bored.

He may be seen as the wild card, the unpredictable or kooky one, because occasionally William Butler Yeats does surprising things that are either totally out of character or are actually intended to shock people. There is an erratic quality or rebelliousness that comes across at odd moments. It seems to be W.B. Yeats' role to shake things up a bit and he may not be entirely comfortable with this himself.

Astrological factors in this Astro Profile section:

Capricorn Rising

Mercury Trine Asc.

Uranus Quincunx Asc.