The essence
We tend to picture a cave as a hermit's retreat, but historically caves were the first shared homes, with dozens of people living together. What defines a cave is a single obvious way in. It can be guarded, so the inside is safe. That's the theme of the number 1: a need for solid footing and protection.
Today a cave is your own room, an office with a door that shuts, a studio, even a car: an enclosed space you can move through the world in. Cave people are largely indoor people. They can go outside, but they feel best within walls.
Social life is built around the cave too. People are invited in, to the home or the office. The owner of the cave is the gatekeeper who lets guests in and sees them out.
Left orientation — Selective
A left arrow makes the environment active. In the cave the person isn't resting, they're doing things: working, receiving people, keeping everything within reach. The name Selective suggests that control of the door is deliberate and precise here: choosing who comes in and when, keeping clear edges around one's space. This person thrives in an office where they're in charge of both the door and the agenda.
Right orientation — Blending
A right arrow makes the environment receptive: the cave becomes a place to simply be and to watch. The name Blending points to another shade. The person shares an enclosed space with others and partly merges into it, without screening everyone who walks in. The core stays the same, walls and one way in, but there's more observing here than guarding.
How to apply it
- A workspace with a door you can close, not an open-plan floor.
- A desk or bed placed so you can see the entrance.
- If a room has several doors, screen one off with a divider or a cupboard.
- Hold meetings in your own space rather than on someone else's ground.
Cave children often sleep badly in a room with more than one door. Try blocking the extra door from view and see what changes.
The trap
A cave person's mind often longs for the opposite: a cabin in open country, life without walls. Another trap is confusing the cave with being alone. A cave is about controlling the entrance, not about isolation; you can share it with many people as long as the door is yours. Open offices and walk-through rooms wear this person down quietly, and they may spend years thinking it's a personal weakness.