Have you ever wondered what image you and you business reflect to others with your Halloween costume? Have you ever considered that when you don a Halloween costume, you might actually be taking on new personality traits without even realizing it?! Well, certain popular Halloween costumes have built-in personality traits. For example, Dracula is a narcissist - but that might not ring true for all vampires.

What do Halloween costumes reveal about personality traits? If you look behind the “trick or treat” mask of these Halloween costumes for women and men, you can see right into people’s thoughts, dreams, and personality! In fact, what your Halloween mask reveals could be more important than what it hides.

If you could dress up as anything you want for Halloween this year, what would it be? Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, a blonde bombshell Marilyn Monroe costume, Shaka Zulu, Dracula, a pirate? Whether you lean towards superhero costumes or naughty nurse attire says something about your personality.

Below are the personality traits of popular Halloween costumes and characters – including vampires, witches, ghouls, and zombies:

Vampires

Do vampires have hearts? Well, I would think so... imploded perhaps (psychologically), hence their need to suck blood.

"Vampires" may have a psychological need to control others. Vampirism could represent a fantasy – whether it’s a Halloween costume or a state of being. The fantasy could be taking over and controlling others by bleeding them. How many of us have met such personalities in our business interactions?

Vampires are evil, scary, and downright creepy. If being a blood-sucking bandit is your costume of choice, this may be your way of giving yourself permission to get in touch with your dark side. Or are you becoming more aware of your own mortality?

Choosing a macabre costume reveals personality traits that revolve around a fascination with the dark side, and perhaps a desire to get in touch with your own dark, hidden, nefarious self.

On the other hand, this costume choice may reveal that you want to separate yourself from others - perhaps business associates or even clients/customers - but you are unsure of how to set those boundaries.

Witches and Wizards

Witches are often depicted as casting spells, controlling situations and having the ability to change their image to others at a moment’s notice. Witches may be the most psychologically healthy of all the creepy Halloween characters. Witches are seen as sinister characters who cast spells in the Middle Ages, but that might be a misrepresented reputation that's perhaps undeserving. In the middle ages, some of the witches were surely emotionally disturbed, however, most of them were not. Some will argue that they were very good herbalists and mid-wives, even surgeons.

Does your business process the good character of "The Good Witch Gilda" or does it focus on the negative characteristics of this Halloween character?

Bottom line - if black robes and hats, pointy shoes and/or warts make up your costume, start thinking about the amount of energy you are using to hide how much you are attempting to control in your business or in other people’s lives.

Delegating tasks or working on teams or with partners may be issues for you. Conversely, a witchy costume choice may reveal that you want more control over certain aspects of your business but may be afraid or may not know how to make it happen.

Ghouls

If you want to dress up as a ghoul, you may be getting more than awkward personality traits. Ghouls have a troubling psychological profile. They tend to congregate in burial grounds, and they have an obsessive-compulsive desire to eat dead people.

Unlike a psychotic, they know what they are doing, know the consequences, know it is wrong, and could turn themselves in. A ghoul may be a popular Halloween costume because it’s whole persona revolves around death, cemeteries, and corpses, but it does truly carry some disturbing traits for the wearer!

Does your business scavenge from others leftovers? Does your business engage in "taboo" practices even knowing very well that those practices are outside normal business etiquette... just for self gratification?

Pirates

Pirates are masculine, strong, powerful and, unfortunately, have little problem with corruption. If ripped pants, puffy shirts and eye patches make up your costume of choice, ask yourself why you have a difficult time enjoying your accomplishments even though they often surpass everyone else’s! Is it because you truly want to rule the world or is it that you simply feel superior to everyone around you?

Conversely, this costume choice may reveal the lack of power you feel you have over your business or even others around you.

Princesses or Fairies

The innocent costumes of your childhood could indicate a wish for youthfulness, and a desire to recapture the naïve tendencies of children. Perhaps you wish for safety and simplicity. Similar to the superhero persona, you may wish for the magical ability to save the world.

Entrepreneurs beware!  These costume choices SCREAM the following personality traits: wish for safety/simplicity (e.g., your business may be running you instead of you running it) or deep denial (e.g.,  a lack of financial resources!) Super Heroes
If you gravitate towards superhero or heroine costumes, you could have a child-like fantasy of saving the world and a desire to fight evil. You like the feeling of being omnipotent and strong, admired and revered. Superhero Halloween costumes for women reveal personality traits connected with fantasies of good and evil….which are both part of our authentic selves.

Incidentally, this custom may mean a cry for help in your business front. Might be your business is facing some adverse challenges and you do not know how to ask for help... the custom might be your unconscious attempt to hide the issues with your business by portraying an aura of strength and untouchability.

French Maids and Dominatrix’s

If you choose an “oo la la” French maid or dominatrix costume, you could be either a repressed or liberated person. In other words, you’re yearning to explore your wild side, or you’re already game for anything…and you enjoy being the centre of attention!

This is the risky entrepreneur; one who jumps into any bandwagon without much thought just because it is the "in thing". You will mostly be susceptible to MLM campaigns, scams and unnecessary expenditure. This may reveal a business that has no long term goals, grounded foundation and one that is always on the "go". This is very true of most "briefcase" enterprises.

So what’s YOUR Costume of Choice?

While Halloween provides a vehicle to express oneself, I am issuing a challenge to all entrepreneurs and executives to think about why they are making the choice for a particular costume.  Who knows?  The insights revealed could be less frightening and more empowering!

As for me, I think I will stick with an animal Costume... But which one?!!

Have a scary Halloween and a not so scary business experience!