Hiding Out (glossary entry)

hide out: vi To manifest a strategy (either consciously or unconsciously) that avoids being held to account for improving one's character or remedying one's failings.

Within the context of a men's team, a man is hiding out if he avoids being challenged by that team to address the types of issues in his life that the team is supposed to be able to address.

A simple example is a man who has a major problem at home (say, chronic financial arguments with his spouse) and simply does not tell anyone about it.

Hiding out is a part of the overall character of the trickster (boy Magician shadow) and manipulator (mature Magician shadow, active aspect) archetypes. Shadows of the Magician are inherently difficult to uncover (except perhaps by the well-developed mature Magician, and then only after considerable time and close scrutiny).

It is for that reason that men often try to choose simplistic ways to avoid the dangers of prolonged hiding out. This is usually done with good intentions, but most techniques amount to a zero-sum game and some are actually a net loss.

Team Shuffling

An example of this is seen in the common practice of ordering complete changes to team lineups. Apart from violations of the Enfranchisement aspect of MCV05, and resulting low morale, the problem here is that arguments exist both for and against the practice:

If the man is "hiding out" on his current team, it is desirable to switch him to a new team.

If the man would be able to "hide out" on a new team, it is desirable to keep him on the current team.

Of these, the second seems the lower risk, but you also have to consider that:

Whenever men are put on new teams, they are always able to hide out until their new teammates get to know them.

The usual solution to balance these risks is to do a completely random rearrangement of team rosters once every one or two years. Usually, because of mistrust and voluntary disenfranchisement, there is no involvement on the part of the membership or even the team captains in the process of deciding who goes where.

Partitioned Lives

Men can "hide out" by partitioning their life, and treating part of their life as the focus that provides rewards or benefit, to the detrimen of other parts of life that are not going so well. Examples:

To "hide out on vacation" is to use a vacation or holiday trip as an escape from work, family life, friends at home, etc.. and is evident when the person does not want to discuss work or career "because he's on vacation".

To "hide out in leadership" means to use one's experience in being a leader, and associated success, to achieve one's fulfillment, even when family life, work, health and fitness, etc. are medocre or poor.

Similarly, a man can hide out in his career to avoid facing difficulties in a marital relationship, hide out in a bar or social club to avoid being at work or at home, and so on.

This page was written in the "embarrassingly readable" markup language RHTF, and was last updated on 2026 Apr 10.

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