The Chinese zodiac tiger, under the element of metal will exhibit characteristics such as aggressiveness, self-centeredness and competitive. While someone born under this Chinese astrology sign will approach problems head on, he or she will also be unorthodox in his approaches; often acting alone. This can sometimes lead to disaster as the Chinese zodiac tiger born under metal always wants too much and, left to his own devices, can become almost radical, willing to destroy those in his way.

The element of water produces the second type of Chinese zodiac tiger. This tiger, who is more realistic than his counterpart tempered by metal, is more open-minded, less concentrated on self and more concerned with people from all walks of life. This Chinese zodiac tiger has lots of friends and because he sees things more objectively in the workplace, he can judge accurately the truth as well as his people. For this reason, the water tiger make an excellent judge of character, a fair-minded boss and an emotionally stable partner.

Wood creates tolerance and practicality in this third type of Chinese zodiac tiger. Able to easily mingle with all types of people, the wood tiger is able to assign chores to others and keep things organized and in order in his world. For someone born under this sign, it is difficult to recognize his abilities and even more difficult to recognize when a task exceeds his limits. For this reason, the wood tiger is sometimes criticized, although whether constructive or not, this is never taken well.

Fire and Earth tigers are actually polar opposites. This is, that they are exactly mirror images of one another. Where the fire tiger finds it hard to contain his energy, the Earth tiger will be quieter. This is also the type of tiger who will use people, developing friendships and partnerships based on the sole purpose of their usefulness to him. The Fire tiger, who is beyond generous, feels that everything and everyone is worthwhile and finds it impossible to be as impersonal as the earth tiger. All tigers like to be different and noticed, but the tiger is selfish by nature and therefore, often fails at important relationships that require mutual trust, responsibility and effort.

The tiger, tempered by any element, often does not make a good partner, initially. There are other ways to tame a tiger, and the Dog and Horse have got it figured out. These two Chinese zodiac signs are the most compatible with the untamed tiger. Born leaders, tigers also need to be balanced enough to allow others to lead, something the Dog does very well. Being aware of your character traits and personality flaws is useful in applying counter strategies for these individuals. If you are a supervisor of a tiger, it would do everyone well to recognize the underlying intent of the tiger. While they are aggressive to the point they sometimes offend, it is in their nature to be different. Concentrating on the good will help the tiger achieve the goals necessary; not just his own.