Enneagram Types at a Glance

Enneagram Type 1: Moral Perfectionist

Type 1s want to be accurate, honest, fair, and objective. Most importantly, they want to be respectable, to do what is right and what they feel is appropriate. Type 1s have high standards and are methodical, ethical, and diligent. They believe that anything worth doing is worth doing the right way. Under stress, they may become resentful, angry, nit-picky, and overly critical. Their core fears are of being wrong, bad, evil, corruptible, inappropriate, lazy, unethical, and lied to. At their best, they are wise, noble, full of integrity, and offer sage guidance to the world. Learn more

Enneagram Type 2: Supportive Advisor

Type 2s want to be appealing, giving, caring and heartfelt. Most importantly, they want to feel needed, considered important, and appreciated for their efforts. They naturally pay attention to the needs and concerns of others and are ready to step in and lend a helping hand. Under stress, they may have problems with pride and find it difficult to ask for help—becoming manipulative to get attention or have their needs met. Their core fears are of being worthless, unneeded, unappreciated, unwanted, inconsequential, useless, discarded, lonely, and uncared for by chosen attachment figures. At their best, they are empathetic, altruistic people-person that is able to see and intuit the needs of others and then tend to their needs. Learn more

Enneagram Type 3: Successful Achiever

Type 3s want to be competent, efficient, accomplished, and dynamic. Most importantly, they want to be good at what they do and to look good doing it. They are highly ambitious, driven, focused, and self-motivated. They are goal-oriented with the ability to focus. They need goals and projects to achieve and have a strong desire to feel the reward of completion and success. Under stress, they may have problems with vanity and become self-promoting, self-deceptive, or overly competitive. Their core fears are of being unsuccessful, failing, being inefficient, unmasked, found out, incapable, unable to do, unproductive, and/or second best. At their best, they are self-confident, positive, self-motivated, and extremely productive. Learn more

Enneagram Type 4: Romantic Individualist

Type 4s want to be inspired, intuitive, original, and unique. Most importantly, they want to be passionate, true to their feelings and authentic. They see themselves as a sensitive intellectual that is creative, expressive, and spiritual. They are identified with their emotional states and their meaning. They see themselves as emotionally deep and seek beauty and meaning in everything they do. They may have problems with envy. Under stress, they may be moody, haughty or overly emotional. Their core fears are of being painfully lacking, inadequate, flawed, defective, ordinary, not realizing their potential, and being emotionally cut off. At their best, they are emotionally self-aware, self-revealing, creative, and extremely compassionate and humane. Learn more

Enneagram Type 5: Investigative Thinker

Type 5s want to be informed, knowledgeable, concise, and perceptive. Most importantly, they want to have a clear mind, be self-sufficient, and not have the entanglements of obligation. They are deeply introspective and want to understand how systems work. They may have problems with avarice. Under stress, they may be arrogant, withholding, unemotional, or distant. Their core fears are of being ignorant, without mastery, expertise, or knowledge, mentally drained, obligated, without resources, disembodied, incompetent, and with psychic panic. At their best, they are objective, insightful, wise, and clear-minded experts in the area of their interests. Learn more

Enneagram Type 6: Loyal Guardian

Type 6s want to be safe, secure, fit in and belong. Most importantly, they want to have certainty, putting their faith in a reliable authority, a trusted friend, or a known system or tradition. They are the true devil’s advocate and can always see both sides of every issue. They can struggle with feelings of fear, doubt, and/or anxiety. Under stress, they can worry about being blamed, want to protect themselves, and can undermine or blame others. Phobic Sixes will manage their fear by focusing on what could go wrong and becoming overly cautious. Counter-phobic Sixes may deny their fear and take risks to prove that they are not afraid. Secretly, they will heavily prepare. Their core fears are of being alone, blamed for something they didn’t do, “afraid of being afraid,” being unprepared, being without a protector, and not having backup support people, especially with the right expertise. At their best, they are courageous, supportive, engaging, dedicated and loyal. Learn more

Enneagram Type 7: Entertaining Optimist

Type 7s want to be fascinating, fascinated, optimistic and enthusiastic. Most importantly, they want to be stimulated, creative, positive, and excited. They see themselves as fun-loving, diverse, and playful. They are naturally upbeat and see possibilities that others miss. They may have problems with gluttony and always want more and the bigger, better deal. Under stress, they may be scattered, overly happy, jaded, or greedy. Their core fears are of being trapped in emotional pain, missing out, being inferior, uncool, limited, and/or bored. At their best, they are inspirational, visionary, playful, loving and joyful. Learn more

Enneagram Type 8: Challenging Protector

Type 8s want to be open, honest, direct, and straightforward. Most importantly, they want to be independent, make their own decisions, and direct their own course. They want to be masters and commanders of their own life. They are honest and take pride in calling a spade a spade. They say what they mean and mean what they say. They may have problems with being excessive and going to extremes. Too much is almost enough. Under stress, they may be intense, intimidating, overpowering, or unwilling to self-limit. Their core fears are of being misrepresented, powerlessness, being manipulated, humiliated, harmed, and/or controlled. At their best, they are a protective, compassionate, and magnanimous leader that is both tough-minded and tenderhearted. Learn more

Enneagram Type 9: Peaceful Mediator

Type 9s want to be peaceful, relaxed, comfortable, and natural. Most importantly, they want to be agreeable and, if at all possible, to avoid conflict. They are a nice person and go along to get along. They want harmonious relationships. They are very receptive and good listeners. They are patient and like to take their time in whatever they do. They may have problems with inaction. Under stress, they may be passive-aggressive, neglectful, and/or indifferent to the needs of others. They may be unresponsive and/or minimize differences to avoid conflict. Their core fears are of being loveless, uncomfortable, inharmonious, overlooked, discordant, unimportant, non-existent, lost in complications, and/or shutout. At their best, they are steady, kind, accepting, and deeply connected to others and able to successfully mediate differences and restore harmony. Learn more

Take the Enneagram Tritype® Test here to learn your Type and Tritype®: enneagramtritypetest.com