The Enneagram is a personality system describing nine distinct types, each defined by core motivations, fears, and patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving. Unlike trait-based models, the Enneagram focuses on why you do what you do.
The Nine Types
Type 1: The Reformer
Core Motivation: To be good, right, and improve the world
Core Fear: Being corrupt, defective, or wrong
Key Traits: Principled, purposeful, self-controlled, perfectionistic
Ones are idealistic, ethical, and driven by a strong inner critic. They notice errors and work tirelessly to fix them. At their best, they channel their principles into positive change while accepting human imperfection.
Type 2: The Helper
Core Motivation: To be loved and needed
Core Fear: Being unwanted or unloved
Key Traits: Generous, people-pleasing, possessive, demonstrative
Twos focus on relationships and meeting others' needs, sometimes neglecting their own. They give to receive love. At their best, they offer unconditional love while maintaining healthy boundaries.
Type 3: The Achiever
Core Motivation: To be valuable, successful, and admired
Core Fear: Being worthless or a failure
Key Traits: Adaptable, driven, image-conscious, efficient
Threes are success-oriented and shape themselves to win approval. They can lose touch with their authentic self in pursuit of achievement. At their best, they inspire others while being genuine about who they are.
Type 4: The Individualist
Core Motivation: To find their unique identity and significance
Core Fear: Having no identity or significance
Key Traits: Expressive, dramatic, self-absorbed, temperamental
Fours seek depth and authenticity, often feeling different from others. They may dwell in melancholy, longing for what's missing. At their best, they create beauty from pain and help others access emotional depth.
Type 5: The Investigator
Core Motivation: To be capable and understand the world
Core Fear: Being useless, incapable, or overwhelmed
Key Traits: Perceptive, innovative, secretive, isolated
Fives observe life from a distance, gathering knowledge as protection against an overwhelming world. They conserve energy and resources. At their best, they share their insights generously and engage fully with life.
Type 6: The Loyalist
Core Motivation: To have security and support
Core Fear: Being without support or guidance
Key Traits: Committed, security-oriented, anxious, suspicious
Sixes seek safety through loyalty to people, systems, or beliefs. They anticipate problems and may test others' trustworthiness. At their best, they become courageous advocates, facing fears directly.
Type 7: The Enthusiast
Core Motivation: To be satisfied, free, and avoid pain
Core Fear: Being trapped in pain or deprivation
Key Traits: Spontaneous, versatile, scattered, acquisitive
Sevens pursue pleasure and possibility, staying positive to avoid painful emotions. They can become scattered, always planning the next experience. At their best, they find joy in the present moment and commit deeply.
Type 8: The Challenger
Core Motivation: To protect themselves and control their environment
Core Fear: Being controlled or harmed by others
Key Traits: Self-confident, decisive, confrontational, dominating
Eights assert power to protect themselves and others they care about. They hide vulnerability behind strength. At their best, they use their power to champion the vulnerable and show surprising tenderness.
Type 9: The Peacemaker
Core Motivation: To have peace and avoid conflict
Core Fear: Loss of connection, fragmentation
Key Traits: Receptive, reassuring, complacent, resigned
Nines merge with others and their environment to maintain harmony, often losing touch with their own priorities. At their best, they bring genuine peace while staying awake to their own desires.
Wings and Arrows
Wings
Each type is influenced by one or both adjacent types (wings). For example, a Type 4 might be 4w3 (Four with Three wing) or 4w5 (Four with Five wing), adding different flavors to the core type.
Integration and Disintegration
Under stress, each type moves toward the negative qualities of another type (disintegration). In growth, each type accesses the positive qualities of yet another type (integration).
Centers of Intelligence
Types cluster into three centers:
- Body/Gut Center (8, 9, 1): Issues with anger and autonomy
- Heart Center (2, 3, 4): Issues with shame and identity
- Head Center (5, 6, 7): Issues with fear and security
Using the Enneagram
The Enneagram is best used for:
- Understanding your core motivations and blind spots
- Recognizing automatic patterns so you can choose differently
- Developing compassion for yourself and others
- Finding your specific growth path
The goal isn't to change your type but to become a healthier version of it.