Enneagram Lesson Six - Types 6-5-7
Today we look at the final three of the nine types on the Enneagram.
This is week six of eight weeks in our study of the Enneagram. If you’re just joining us, welcome! Please review the following posts before reading this one. (Or it may not make much sense.)
Lesson Six - The Head-Centered Types
While the Body-Centered types are formed by their anger and the Heart-Centered types by their shame, the Head-Centered types are coming from a place of fear.
Type 6
Sixes focus on what could go wrong so that they can create strategies to overcome potential future threats. Of all the types, Sixes are incredibly diverse in the way the respond the world based on their primary instincts (subtypes.) Some have suggested the three subtypes for Sixes equate to the three classic responses to a threat: fight, flight or freeze.
They are overly analytical, constantly using their intellect to create strategies to overcome potential obstacles. This can lead to a state of paralysis that can read sometimes as apathy or aloofness.
Sixes long for a trustworthy authority figure. This can lead to deep loyalty when they find one; or intense scrutiny when they aren’t sure if the authority in their lives can be trusted to keep them safe. As a general rule, Sixes are the most loyal of all types to the people they trust.
Their constant awareness of what is going on around them makes them great problem solvers. They can often be the person who “puts the puzzle pieces together” when a problem needs solved.
Their passion is fear. This amounts to a double dose of fear for the Sixes, often causing crippling anxiety as they become overwhelmed with all that could go wrong.
While some Sixes allow others to see their fear responses, the 1:1 instinct Sixes often present as “counter phobic.” In this way, they use dominance and aggression to get ahead of their perceived threats. From the outside looking in, a 1:1 Six can look nearly exactly like the Eight, but the reasons for the way they behave are very different from one another. The dominance of the Eight comes from a thirst for power rooted in their insecurities, while the 1:1 Six dominant instincts come from a place of fear and a desire for safety.
Sixes are often the hardest to type because there is such a wide variety of personality traits, but some have suggested Bono and Joe Biden would fall into the Six type.
Type 5
Fives constantly observe, mostly impartially. because they believe knowledge is power. They see emotions as untrustworthy or a waste of time and energy. Of all the types, they show the least emotion in public. They often have a more narrow range of emotions when they do let them out.
Data is what matters to them. Data can be trusted, but emotions cannot. Fives constantly manage their own energy, often by isolating. Most Fives are introverted. They avoid interactions with people who intimidate them, seem shallow to them or require more energy than they see as necessary. Sometimes seen as anti-social, Fives can struggle to “fake it” socially.
Fives are generally very intelligent, often specializing in careers or hobbies that are complex and intimidate others. As Fives mature, their lust for knowledge can grow into unparalleled wisdom as they learn to relate more to those around them in healthy ways.
Their passion is avarice. Think of them as intellectual hoarders. The gather information as a way to address their deep fear of being unintelligent or unprepared. At there worst, they isolate and function in more robotic than human ways.
Many classic influential “geniuses” like Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking project Five energy.
Type 7
Sevens are the best of the nine types!
Just kidding.
It is what I am, though.
Sevens seek to avoid pain by seeking pleasure and reframing negative situations as positive opportunities. The fear of being trapped in unpleasant situations combined with their reliance on their intellect makes Sevens quick-thinking, creative and strategic problem solvers who focus on a preferred future state of “what could be.”
Sevens will do nearly anything to avoid feeling fear, sadness, boredom, loneliness and anxiety. They keep their options open constantly and tend to “bite off more than they can chew.” Above all, their concern is to distract themselves with pleasure, fun and intellectually challenging projects so that they can avoid their own sense of fear and hopelessness.
The passion of the Seven is gluttony. For these purposes, gluttony is seen as broader than eating or drinking too much, though many Sevens are prone to that. Gluttony here is a never ending appetite for pleasurable feelings and new experiences to avoid pain and self-reflection. Sevens can easily fall into addictive behaviors.
While every type can be creative and artistic, Sevens and Fours tend to drift more toward creative endeavors. This can cause mistyping between the two. Fours are creative in an effort to be true to themselves as individuals and deal with their sense of shame. Sevens are creative from a place of fear. Their creativity stems more from their ever-active imaginations than their deep sense of self, like the Fours.
Many Sevens are specifically drawn to the performing arts. Some notable people who seem to exhibit Seven energy are Miley Cyrus, Elton John and Robin Williams.
There it is! Now you know the nine types.
Do you have a feeling which might be you?
Tomorrow we will lay the nine types over the three subtypes to create the 27 personalities. That often helps people more firmly land on what type they believe they are.
See ya then!