How do I find my Tritype®? 10- Step Process

What is the Enneagram of Personality?

Origins of the Enneagram of Personality

The Enneagram (pronounced “any-a-gram”) is a 9-point personality system. “Ennea” is the Greek word for nine, and “gram” means drawing or graph. The Enneagram symbol is a circle enclosing nine equidistant points connected by nine intersecting lines. This unusual symbol has its roots in ancient Eastern spiritual traditions and modern Western psychological systems. This symbol dates as far back as Pythagoras. The Enneagram of Personality created by Oscar Ichazo symbolizes a vital link between the psyche and the spirit, a complex and sophisticated conceptual system that is at once both a sensible and easily understood tool for self-discovery and personal growth work. Ichazo’s  nine Enneagram points represent how each of the nine different personality types perceives and defends their realities.

How does the Enneagram Work?

The nine Enneagram types are distinguished from one another by unconscious motivations and preoccupations, which produce patterns of perceiving, feeling, and behaving. These patterns can be gifts or obstacles to the personality. The Enneagram identifies the specific idealized images, the core fears, and the defense strategies of the type. These elements merge, creating the nine Enneagram Types’ core motivations that must be managed to feel safe and be at ease.

These motivations are often unconscious, unmet needs, regardless of whether they are real or imagined, that can cause the personality to go on red alert and react defensively. Many personality typologies identify important behaviors and character traits, which are very instructive. However, the Enneagram is the only personality typology based on motivations rather than behaviors and identifications; in other words, it is not what we do but rather why we do what we do.

The Enneagram is a useful tool for determining personal patterns of relating and understanding differing communication styles. Through deeper insight, one can more fully understand one’s own communication style and the styles of others. The wisdom of the Enneagram is that it recognizes nine very different yet inherently valid views of reality, all of which are inherently valid. The power of the Enneagram is that it is a profound and comprehensive tool to harness and transform self-defeating behavior into life-enhancing personal empowerment. The gift of the Enneagram is that through self-discovery, one can create and sustain meaningful and lasting relationships.

How is the Enneagram different from other Typologies?

Many personality typologies identify important behaviors and character traits, which are very instructive. However, the Enneagram is the only personality typology based on motivations rather than behaviors and addresses what is beneath the level of behavior; in other words, it is not what we do but rather why we do what we do. It creates a map of the more hidden motivations of the nine distinct attentional patterns of the personality types that are observable once one has developed the critical self-awareness needed to track their motivations.

What is Tritype®? What is Trifix, What are Trigrams, 3Types, TriTypes, Tri-Type, TriCenter, Tritype® Tristar, Personality Types?

The Origins of Tritype®

Tritype®, a 27-point personality system coined and created by Katherine Chernick Fauvre, emerged during her groundbreaking 1994 qualitative research on the “internal experiences” of the Enneagram Types and Subtypes. Her findings revealed that individuals unconsciously rely on three Enneagram Types, not just one. These three types correspond to the dominant type in each of the three Centers of Intelligence: the Gut Center (Types 8, 9, 1), the Heart Center (Types 2, 3, 4), and the Head Center (Types 5, 6, 7). Together, these types form a composite personality that reflects the idealized images, core fears, and defense strategies of all three types. This combination functions as a unified system that operates in a rapidly repeating, hierarchical stacking order, with the top type serving as the "core" Enneagram type in the individual’s Tritype® Stacking.

Empirical Validation of Tritype® Research

Extensive and ongoing research with tens of thousands of international participants has confirmed that each Tritype® Archetype comprises the specific character traits of the three types within the Tritype®. These traits combine to form 27 distinct Tritypes®, based on the integration of the three sets of idealized self-images, core fears, and defense strategies found in the Gut Types (8, 9, 1), the Heart Types (2, 3, 4), and the Head Types (5, 6, 7).

Research also suggests that the common theme found among the three types within an individual’s Tritype® identifies that individual’s archetypal life purpose: a very specific viewpoint, special expertise, and set of values along with a critical blind spot to self-awareness. The dominant type of the three types is the charge of the Tritype® stacking, but it is the needs and concerns of the instinctual stacking that trigger the Tritype® to handle the perceived threat to security.

Advancing the Enneagram with Tritype®

The Enneagram has long been recognized as a powerful 9-point model for personality assessment, categorizing individuals according to core motivations, idealized images, and fears protected by defensive strategies. While the Enneagram is profoundly effective, its single-type approach can sometimes fall short of capturing the full complexity of the human psyche. Tritype® addresses this limitation by offering a multidimensional model that reflects the layered and intersecting nature of the three Centers of Intelligence: the Gut Center (8, 9, 1), the Heart Center (2, 3, 4), and the Head Center (5, 6, 7).

How is Tritype® different from the Enneagram Type?

What is the Enneagram Primary Enneagram Type? Within the Enneagram system, individuals are classified into one of nine types, each characterized by specific traits, motivations, and fears. However, Tritype® expands upon this framework by revealing that each person not only has one “core” Enneagram Type, but also utilizes three Enneagram Types in total. These three types are associated with the three centers of intelligence: the heart types (2, 3, and 4) - our passionate emotional responses, the head types (5, 6, and 7) - our mental assessments and preoccupations, and the gut types (8, 9, and 1) - our physical actions and sensations.

In the Tritype® system, these three Enneagram Types come together dynamically, creating a unique composite personality profile. The interplay between these three types defines one's worldview and the primary focus of one's attention, thus creating a much more nuanced, “signature” point of view. This innovative approach enhances the accuracy and depth of Enneagram typing, offering individuals a deeper understanding of their personality. The defense strategies of the three types within the Tritype® merge to create a “new” type unto itself with a shared worldview, which is one’s Tritype® Archetype.

Tritype® Identifies a Critical Blindspot to Self-Awareness

Research suggests that the common theme found among the three types within an individual’s Tritype® identifies that individual’s archetypal life purpose: a very specific viewpoint, special expertise, and set of values. Tritype® also identifies a critical blind spot that limits one’s ability to be self-aware.

This blind spot is inherent and emerges as a result of the merging of the three types in the Tritype®. Whatever the three types share in common is amplified and creates the dominant focus of attention. Whatever the three types do not focus on is minimized and creates the blind spots. The dominant type of the three types is the charge of the Tritype® stacking, but it is the needs and concerns of the instinctual stacking that trigger the Tritype® to handle the perceived threat to security.

What is the difference between Tritype® vs Trifix

What is Tritype®? How did it come into being?

1994: Katherine discovers 3Types (Tritype®) during her qualitative research
1997: Arica Institute adds Trifix to their offerings

Tritype® and Trifix share a fundamental similarity: both acknowledge that individuals use all three triads—emotional, mental, and visceral. However, Katherine Chernick Fauvre's Tritype® theory and Oscar Ichazo's Trifix theory differ significantly in their name, focus, and methodologies.

Tritype®

Katherine Fauvre discovered Tritype® in 1994 through her research, which revealed that people use the entire dynamics of their dominant types from each center of intelligence, including the heart (emotional passions), head (mental fixations), and gut (visceral convictions) of all three types in their Tritype®. A key feature is that the merging of the three types creates a new, more specific, singular focus and view of reality unique to each Tritype®.

Trifix

In contrast, Ichazo introduced Trifix in 1997, focusing solely on the mental “fixation” of each leading type of each triad without incorporating the heart (emotional passions) or gut (visceral convictions) aspects. Fixations refer to the fixed mental beliefs and preoccupations associated with each type.

Tritype® and Tritfix Hybrids

Enneagram enthusiasts have innocently combined aspects of both Tritype® and Trifix without fully understanding either system, and are calling it Trifix. This hybrid 'Trifix' is a misrepresentation that is not true to either system. This is problematic and often interferes with accurately Trityping® and determining your Trifixing.

Therefore, it is essential to note that we only have a mental “fix,” because “fix” is short for “fixation.” So it represents your mental fixations only; one from each triad (2,3,4), (5,6,7), and (8,9,1).

When someone defines Tritype® or Trifix as having a “head-fix,” a “gut-fix,” or “heart-fix,” they are not accurately describing Tritype® or Trifix. Instead, they are describing Tritype® but using incorrect terms, making it a hybrid rather than Tritype®. Full Backstory, lower right column.

What are the Ways of Working with Tritype® System?

Katherine has found that there are distinct ways to work with the Tritype® material. Within type, Conically, Stacking Patterns, the Essential Qualities: Holy Virtues, Holy Ideas, and Holy Actions, and Subtypes.

Influence of Tritype® using Nine Patterns:

1. Types: The 9 Tritype® in each Type -125,126,127,135,136,137,145,146,147 - (Nature)
2. Canonical Order: 27 Archetypes -125: 125, 152, 215, 251, 512, 521- (Nature)
3. Centers: 1st Type, Core Type, 2nd Type: Resistant Type, 3rd Type: Blindspot. 
3. Stacking Patterns: Visual Bar Graph Distribution (Nature)
4. Stacking Order: Hierarchical order ranks the types in order of dominance. (Nature)
5. Stacking Proportions: Percentages of each type in the Tritype® (Nature)
6. Stacking Identifications: Positive (+), Negative (-), Neutral (+/-) (Nature) 
7. Tritype® Stackings: Combination of the Instinctual Subtypes and the Tritype® Stacks
8. Instinctual Stackings, Tritype®: Combined with TrueType and MBTI (Nature)
9. Holy Virtue, Holy Idea, and Holy Action (Free Flowing Essence)

1 Tritype® within Type: Modifies the expression of Core Type

One way is to study the different variations within a single Enneagram type by examining which of the 9 possible Tritype® are influencing its reality. Comparing those with the same dominant type but different Tritype® combinations reveals how each Tritype® shapes, amplifies, or moderates the expression and experience of the core type.

For example, Type 1 has 9 possible combinations:(125, 126, 127, 135, 136, 137, 145, 146, 147). Through observation of how these different combinations of Type 1 conceptualize and navigate the social world, distinctions may be noticed depending upon the types in the Tritype®.

In the case of type 9, the 9 may or may not have type 3 or type 6 as part of their Tritype®. Type 9 could have a Tritype® of 925, 926, 927, 935, 936, 937, 945, 946, or 947. Each type combination of type 9 creates a different expression and focus of type 9. If the 9 does have the 3 and 6 in their Tritype®, as with the 369, the influence of these three types is greater do to the lines of connection already linking the 3, 6, and 9 together. This creates a very distinct version of the type 9 focus of attention that matches the common descriptions of type 9. However, if the 9 has types in their Tritype® that are not connected by a line, such as the 945 or 947, they will outwardly appear to be very different from the 9s that have the 936 Tritype®.

2. Tritypes® Conically: Archetypes

Another key method is to look at the Tritypes® conically; the three types together in any order. This method of working with Tritype® focuses on the similarities among individuals who share the same three Enneagram types, regardless of order. By examining the shared worldview and underlying patterns of those with the same Tritype®, this approach reveals the common lens through which they interpret and engage with reality. Each of the 27 Tritype® combinations illustrates a particular and individual archetype that emerges when combining the three types in the Tritype®. This merge creates the Tritype® archetype, amplifying whatever views and values these three types share in common and revealing the overall archetypal focus of each Tritype® combination. These archetypes were identified through the observation of recurring patterns—core triggers, core fears, life purposes, blind spots, and “growing edges” that consistently define how each Tritype® experiences and engages with the world.

Comparing individuals who share the same Tritype® but have different dominant Enneagram types further reveals the consistent traits and worldview that arise from the shared three core types, regardless of which one is primary. By observing these similarities, it becomes clear how the Tritype® configuration contributes to the overall lens through which individuals perceive and respond to the world.

3. Tritype® Stacking Patterns: Order, Proportions, Identifications

1. Stacking Order: Refers to the hierarchical sequence (dominant, secondary, tertiary) in which the three Enneagram types within the Tritype® influence personality expression and responses.

2. Stacking Proportions: Indicates the relative degree or percentage each of the three Enneagram types contributes to the overall personality within the Tritype®, shaping emphasis and behavior.

3. Stacking Identifications: Represents the degree to which an individual consciously identifies with, values, or recognizes each of the three Enneagram types within their Tritype®.

4. Tritype® and the Essential Qualities create the Life Purpose

One of the most transformational ways of working with Tritype® is to use the Essential Qualities: Holy Virtues, Holy Ideas, and Holy Actions to counterbalance the ego level of the Tritype®, neutralizing the passions, fixations, and convictions.

5. Tritype® Subtypes: The Influence of Instinctual Stacking

Another method is to study the influence of the 27 Tirtypes® in conjunction with the 27 subtypes. Each individual has both a tritype® stacking and an instinctual stacking. Understanding the interplay between these dynamic elements reveals key nuances influencing each individual’s needs and worldview.

Tritype® and the 3 Centers of Intelligence

Head Center: The mental triad consists of Enneagram types 5, 6, and 7. This center determines how we make decisions. Depending on the dominant type, the focus of our head type is on what we need to know or learn to feel safe.

Heart Center: The emotional triad consists of Enneagram types 2, 3, and 4. Depending on the dominant type, the focus of our heart type is on the image we need to have to attract others to feel safe.

Gut Center: Instinctive triad consists of Enneagram types 8, 9, and 1. Depending on the dominant type, the focus of our gut type is on the physical world and what we need to do or not do to feel safe.

Research suggests that individuals use their main Enneagram Type, known as the “core” type, along with the two other types, one from each of the three centers of intelligence: head, heart, and gut, in a consistent, oscillating, cascading, and repetitive manner.

Therefore, while each type within the Tritype® is employed separately, combining all three types together gives each Tritype® a unique defense strategy (or way of defending against reality) and a more specific focus of attention.

More on Tritype® here: https://enneagramtritypetest.com

Interrelationships of the Enneagram Triads:

Holistic Tritype® Approach

Tritype®, created by and further developed by Katherine Chernick Fauvre—an internationally recognized Enneagram author, teacher, researcher, and coach—is a natural evolution of the traditional Enneagram system. By identifying your dominant type in each of the Gut (Types 8,9,1), Heart (Types 2,3,4), and Head (Types 5,6,7) Centers, Tritype® reveals a unique internal configuration that guides how you perceive the world, relate to others, respond to challenges, and defend your view of reality.

These three types do not function in isolation; they operate in conjunction, informing and influencing one another to form a coherent and deeply personal psychological structure. The Trialectic union of the three types within the Tritype® also facilitates access to all three Centers of Intelligence.

According to the teachings of Oscar Ichazo, Claudio Naranjo, Katherine Chernick Fauvre, and her research findings.

Enneagram Centers of Intelligence

Head Center: The mental triad consists of Enneagram types 5, 6, and 7. This center determines how we make decisions. Depending on the dominant type, the focus of our head type is on what we need to know or learn to feel safe.

Heart Center: The emotional triad consists of Enneagram types 2, 3, and 4. Depending on the dominant type, the focus of our heart type is on the image we need to have to attract others to feel safe.

Gut Center: Instinctive triad consists of Enneagram types 8, 9, and 1. Depending on the dominant type, the focus of our gut type is on the physical world and what we need to do or not do to feel safe.

Research suggests that individuals use their main Enneagram Type, known as the “core” type, along with the two other types, one from each of the three centers of intelligence: head, heart, and gut, in a consistent, oscillating, cascading, and repetitive manner.

Therefore, while each type within the Tritype® is employed separately, combining all three types together gives each Tritype® a unique defense strategy (or way of defending against reality) and a more specific focus of attention.

More on Tritype®
Evolution of Tritype®: katherinefauvre.com
Tritype® Page: katherinefauvre.com/tritype
How to Type and Tritype®: katherinefauvre.com/howtotritype
Take Enneagram Tritype® Test: https://enneagramtritypetest.com

What are the Enneagram Instinctual Centers?

Transformational Impact and Practical Applications

The primary benefit of Tritype® lies in its capacity to increase psychological insight and deepen self-understanding. Learning your Tritype® enhances awareness of the layered motivations, defense mechanisms, and emotional dynamics that shape your inner world. This awareness fosters greater empathy, emotional intelligence, and personal development. It also allows for the recognition of ingrained patterns that might otherwise remain hidden, empowering you to engage more consciously with your internal experience and relationships.

Tritype® in a Contemporary Context

Tritype® has gained widespread recognition as a sophisticated typology utilized in coaching, therapy, organizational development, and interpersonal dynamics. Its value lies in its precision and depth, offering a comprehensive and holistic framework for transformation, healing, and authentic expression. Unlike other systems that attempt to flatten complexity, Tritype® embraces it, giving individuals and practitioners a profound tool for understanding personality in its full richness.

The Expansive Promise of Tritype®

In today’s rapidly evolving and psychologically aware world, Tritype® stands out by expanding the original Enneagram framework. It offers a dimensional map for both personal and relational development. By integrating emotional sensitivity, intellectual insight, and instinctual wisdom, Tritype® provides a holistic lens for understanding the human condition. It is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking a deeper, more complete understanding of who they are and how they relate to the world around them.

Tritype® Expansion of Identity

In addition, the shared view by the types in an individual’s Tritype® gives important clues as to what is needed to live a more conscious and meaningful life. The “core” or dominant type represents the ego’s preferred defense strategy and controls the 3Type: Tritype®defense system. The ego always uses the strategy of all three types in unison in a rapid, repeating, hierarchical stacking order throughout the day, every day.  The dominant type will continuously deploy the other two types in the Tritype® to make decisions and solve problems, handle emotional issues and relationships, and take or avoid the actions needed to prevail.

By thoroughly exploring all three types within their Tritype®, individuals can gain a more comprehensive understanding of their personality. This holistic insight encompasses their strengths, weaknesses, and core concerns, ultimately facilitating personal growth and self-awareness.

The Tritype® system offers an intricate and nuanced exploration of an individual's personality. It leverages the advanced application of the Enneagram to provide a more profound understanding of an individual's inner dynamics, emphasizing the importance of accurate self-identification within the system.

What is the purpose of Tritype®?

Katherine Introduces Tritype® (3Types, TriCenter, and Trigram)

In 1994, during her pioneering qualitative research on the “internal experiences” of the Enneagram types and subtypes, Katherine Chernick Fauvre discovered a hidden blueprint embedded within the system—the Enneagram Tritype®. This insight revealed how personality distinctions emerge from the synchronized influence of three types across the Heart (2,3,4), Head (5, 6, 7), and Gut (8, 9, 1) centers.

What began as an inquiry into how individuals subjectively experienced their Enneagram type quickly evolved into her recognition of significant and far-reaching patterns. Again and again, people described internal experiences that pointed to three dominant types shaping their worldview, each from a different Center of Intelligence.

This breakthrough showed that individuals do not operate from a single type alone, but from threetypes—each representing the dominant influence from one of the three Centers: the Heart Center ( 2, 3, 4), the Head Center ( 5, 6, 7), and the Gut Center ( 8, 9, 1). 

As she conducted 3-hour in-depth interviews and meticulously tracked patterns across hundreds and then thousands of participants, Katherine found that these three types worked together in a repeating, Hierarchical, Stacking Sequence, shaping how individuals feel, think, and act. This discovery forever altered the landscape of the Enneagram of Personality, expanding the understanding of both Enneagram types and Instinctual Subtypes and adding key nuances that allowed for a more refined and transformational application.

Tritype® identifies the dominant Enneagram type you use in each center of intelligence: Heart (234), Head (567), and Gut (891). The three Enneagram types in each Tritype® combine to create a “new type” unto itself with a “more specific focus of attention.”

Tritype® provides a snapshot of what matters most to your types and Tritype® at the ego level. Each Enneagram Type has some traits or values in common with each of the nine types and some that are exactly the opposite, producing distinct Tritype® Archetypes that are more than just three types with which one identifies. Instead, the theme of the Tritype® is based on what the types share in common, amplifying some traits while minimizing others. This is key to understanding the influence of the types in the Tritype® and revealing the hidden motivations of the Tritypes®.

Tritype® Spiritual Perspectives

What are the Holy Ideas, Holy Virtues, and Holy Actions?

How can we use the Holy Ideas, Holy Virtues, and Holy Actions of the Tritype® while we are in the process of being and becoming on the path of transformation? The Holy Ideas, Holy Virtues, and Holy Actions of the three types in your Tritype® combine to reveal your innate sense of purpose and what gives your life meaning. 

They also reveal your blind spot to self-awareness, which can keep you mired in suffering and unaware of your true self. Understanding the passions, fixations, and convictions of the three types in your Tritype® and what they share in common will help you discover more about your blind spot and how to bring your shadow material into awareness. 

When we are lost in the delusions of our idealized images, suffering the psychic pain of our core fears, and alienating others with our dogmatic defenses, it is extremely difficult to break these patterns of entrenchment. However, we can use the higher states of the Holy Ideas, Holy Virtues, and Holy Actions of the types in our Tritype® to neutralize the intense overreactions we express.

Whenever we are triggered by situations that bring up our negative emotions, fixed beliefs, and habitual behaviors, we can examine the distortions of our passions, fixations, and convictions by reviewing the Higher Opposites of our Holy Ideas, Holy Virtues, and Holy Actions of the types in our Tritype®. This will initiate the process of calming all three centers of intelligence, which is why it is so important to identify our Tritype® accurately.

Research suggests that working with the most accurate Tritype® and the corresponding Essential Qualities of the Tritype® feels most congruent and soothing to the ego types. While all of the Holy Ideas, Holy Virtues, and Holy Actions are Essential Qualities and are, as such, soothing, participants shared that when they tried using the Essential Qualities of the types in their Tritype®, the process seemed more holistic.

Tritype® theory suggests that while individuals primarily utilize one of the main Enneagram Types as their ‘core type,’ everyone actually employs three central Enneagram Types - the one that is the most dominant within each center of intelligence, (the Head (567), Heart (234), and Gut (891).

These types are used in a specific oscillating, repeating, and hierarchical stacking order.

Although one of these three Types in your Tritype® is dominant, or your primary Type, the other two Types are an essential part of your defense strategy.

What is noteworthy is that these other two Types are not always the Types along the lines of connection (the lines connected to your primary Type). For example, if you are a Type 9, you may or may not have Type 3 and/or Type 6 as part of your Tritype®. You could have a Tritype® of 926, 936, 946, or 925, 927, and so on. The Tritype® System recognizes that each person has three types, one from each center, each with their own set of fears that merge to create a diverse defense strategy.

Do you know your Tritype®? If not, take the https://Enneagramtritypetest.com.

Three Enneagram Types:

Extensive research that began in 1994 revealed that individuals use three Enneagram types, not just one. These three types occur as the individual’s dominant type in each of the three centers of intelligence. These three distinct Enneagram types are from the nine fundamental types. Serving as windows into different facets of their personality, these three types provide a profound understanding of the combined influence of one’s set of idealized self-images, core fears, motivations, and defense strategies.

Hierarchy and Stacking Order:

Tritype® organizes these three types in a hierarchical stacking order. The Enneagram type situated at the top of this hierarchy is referred to as the "core" type, exerting the most significant influence on an individual's personality. The other two types in the Tritype® configuration play secondary and tertiary roles.

Shared Focus of Attention:

The shared characteristics among the three types within the Tritype® identify the driving force and central focus of an individual's personality. These shared traits offer a finely tuned and nuanced perspective that can serve as both an individual's greatest strength and their most significant challenge. Exploring the high side of this intersection and the fusion of types can pinpoint an individual's archetypal life purpose and provide a profound sense of self. Conversely, delving into the low side of this intersection and the amalgamation of types may lead to an overly narrow perspective, creating blind spots in self-awareness and making it challenging to understand alternative viewpoints.

Behavior and Identifications versus Motivation:

It is important to note that just combining the three preferred types, one from each of the three centers, is not enough to explain the distinct attentional patterns of each of the 27 Tritype® Archetypes or to confirm which Tritype® is dominant. It is essential to distinguish between behavioral traits and character traits because it is not what you do but why you do it that determines Enneagram type and, therefore, Tritype®.

One can theorize about which type they “identify” with most in each triad as a starting point, but the focus of attention of the Tritype® emerges because of what happens when these three types merge and, in effect, become one type, which is the Tritype®. This is because the characteristics of all three types influence one another. As a result, some characteristics are amplified, while other characteristics are minimized by the characteristics of the two other types within the Tritype®. These distinct differences explain why each Tritype® is unique.

Precisely identifying the three types within an individual's Tritype® is essential. This identification relies on recognizing one’s idealized self-images, core fears, and the defense strategies one uses. This allows for a deeper understanding of the high and low sides of one’s emotional sensitivities, mental assessments, and visceral reactions.

How is Tritype® useful? Enneagram Types are dynamic!

It is helpful to note that the Enneagram types are dynamic due to each type’s relationship to both of its wing types and both of its lines of connection (both of which are patterns of three).

When combined, these forces generate the dynamic energy that creates each of the 27 Tritypes®. This process is based on the Laws of one, three, and seven. G.I. Gurdjieff and Oscar Ichazo used this Enneagram symbol because it maps movement. Any graph of a nine-pointed symbol would also be an Enneagram. So, each type is a result of the dynamic interplay of the type with its two wing types, which is Ichazo’s Trialectics, and the type with both connecting lines, which is also Ichazo’s Trialectics.
©1995-2024 Katherine Chernick Fauvre • All rights reserved Enneagram Tritype® Test

Trigram: Interconnections of the types in the Tritypes®

The Trigram shows the ego intersection among all three types in the Tritype®, revealing the more specific viewpoint.

Continuous and Oscillating Spiral of the 3 Types in the Tritype®

The interconnections of the Types in the Tritype®: Notice that the wing types are not connected in the Trigram image above. This is because you only have one type in each center. However, because the Enneagram, according to Ichazo, is based on Trialectics, your wings are omnipresent. The same is true for your Tritype®.

The Enneagram and Tritype® are not static but rather are continuously in motion. The unfolding process is mathematical and continues to infinity. Lines, types, and wings are part of the dynamic processes of the Enneagram.

Which of the 27 Tritypes® are You?

Katherine Fauvre created the names of the 27 Tritype® Archetypes due to many qualitative interviews with each of the three types in each of the 27 Tritypes®. These are the names that participants representing all three types in each Tritype® could agree on as their term.

The Mentor Tritype®: 125, 152, 215, 251, 512, 521

If you are a 125, you are diligent, caring, and knowledgeable. You want to be ethical, helpful, and wise. You are idealistic and see what needs to be done and the simple and effective ways to do it. You seek practical systems and procedures to measure results and effectiveness. You are intensely private but care about people and what is needed. So, you readily offer your time and energy when you think something is needed. 

The Supporter Tritype®: 126, 162, 216, 261, 612, 621

If you are a 126, you are diligent, caring, and inquisitive. You want to be ethical, helpful, and supportive. Highly responsible and cooperative, you are most comfortable when you do things ‘by the book’ and know what to expect. Focused on the needs and concerns of others, you feel you know what is important and what should or should not be done in any given situation. You seek ways to be of service and enjoy being the dynamic and influential power behind the throne.  

The Teacher Tritype®: 127, 172, 217, 271, 712, 721

If you are a 127, you are diligent, caring, and innovative. You want to be ethical, empathetic, and inspired. Engaging, fun-loving, and outgoing, you want to be with people and be a part of what will make a difference. You seek fun with a purpose. You need to meet your goals and be responsible, but you also make sure there is time to play, celebrate, and enjoy life. You love discovering new things. You have a gift of being able to squeeze the boredom out of anything tedious.  

The Technical Expert Tritype®: 135, 153, 315, 351, 513, 531

If you are a 135, you are diligent, focused, and knowledgeable. You want to be ethical, efficient, and wise. Highly rational, you seek systems and procedures. Detail-oriented, you like mathematical concepts and finding ways to break down and understand complex material. You are very precise and good with exacting details that others find difficult to manage. Often technical, you prefer to work with facts and logic and can, at times, seem unemotional or insensitive.  

The Taskmaster Tritype®: 136, 163, 316, 361, 613, 631

If you are a 136, you are diligent, ambitious, and inquisitive. You want to be ethical, efficient, and dutiful. Highly industrious and responsible, you are focused on achievement. You feel obligated to be orderly and create a successful image as dictated by society. You emulate people you admire and cultivate values that others respect. Most importantly, you focus on your duty and commonly accepted ways of doing things to feel confident and at ease.  

The Systems Builder Tritype®: 137, 173, 317, 371, 713, 731

If you are a 137, you are diligent, ambitious, and innovative. You want to be ethical, efficient, and upbeat. You are self-motivated and want to set and achieve your goals. Naturally perfectionistic, you present the image that is most admired.  You want to do your best and want to look good doing it. You naturally focus on success and seek ways to measure it. You do this by noticing what others value, mapping the steps to achieve your goal, and perfecting what you do so it is recognized by others.

The Researcher Tritype®: 145, 154, 415, 451, 514, 541

If you are a 145, you are diligent, intuitive, and knowledgeable. You want to be ethical, original, and wise. Highly intellectual, creative, and methodical, you naturally focus on what you need to know and learn to express your internal sense of aesthetics. Researching comes naturally because you wish to be a true expert in whatever you do. An astute judge of what others perceive is correct, you seek and quote experts to avoid being seen as ignorant. Mastery provides the skills you desire to manifest your creative interests.  

The Philosopher Tritype®: 146, 164, 416, 461, 614, 641

If you are a 146, you are diligent, intuitive, and inquisitive. You want to be ethical, original, and certain. You are a private and introspective person and prefer to keep your world small to pursue your creative interests. Only one or two know your true thoughts and insecurities. Morally focused, you voice your expectations and criticisms, hoping your insights will help them to improve. However, you are kind-hearted, and cannot turn a blind eye to others you feel you should assist.

The Visionary Tritype®: 147, 174, 417, 471, 714, 741

If you are a 147, you are diligent, intuitive, and innovative. You want to be ethical, expressive, and positive. You are passionate and idealistic and want to make a difference in the world and do what is it right.  You see many possible approaches to any given situation. Diverse and hardworking, you uphold your idealism with standards of excellence and a strong moral compass. Perfectionistic by nature, you seek standards that improve lives.

The Strategist Tritype®: 258, 285, 528, 582, 825, 852

If you are a 258, you are caring, knowledgeable, and protective. You want to be helpful, wise, and straightforward. You can take charge, be direct, and to the point, but prefer to be relational. You are naturally empathetic and focused on people, but need time on your own to follow your own pursuits undisturbed. You are both introverted and extroverted. Sometimes, you can be direct, move towards others, and ‘over' give or pull away to be alone and recharge.  This can be confusing to others.

The Problem Solver Tritype®: 259, 295, 529, 592, 925, 952

If you are a 259, you are caring, knowledgeable, and accepting. You want to be helpful, wise, and peaceful. You are naturally very quiet, soft-spoken, and shy, but observe and track everything going on around you.  You focus on problems and enjoy tinkering and fixing things. You need companionship and avoid feelings of loneliness by focusing on the needs and concerns of others. You are the smart, reserved, and sympathetic ‘people’ person. You can see how to fix things, but struggle with inaction when overwhelmed.  

The Rescuer “Hero” Tritype®: 268, 286, 628, 682, 826, 862

If you are a 268, you are caring, supportive, and protective. You want to be helpful, engaging, and straightforward. You are playful, provocative, and outspoken with a sense of bravado. You want to be in charge of your world, but tend to focus on others and what is needed. You are attracted to the noble cause. You are the “every man or woman” who will fight the “good fight” for the greater good. You may be uncertain at times, but will instantly challenge what is unjust or step up to shield others from harm.

The Good Samaritan Tritype®: 269, 296, 629, 692, 926, 962

If you are a 269, you are caring, inquisitive, and accepting. You want to be helpful, supportive, and peaceful. You like people and want to find ways to engage with them. Your sense of pride comes from getting along with others and being of assistance. You are known for your kindness, easygoing, and friendly disposition. You will push for what you think is needed, but may struggle with being seen as passive or quietly passive-aggressive.

The Free Spirit Tritype®: 278, 287, 728, 782, 827, 872

If you are a 278, you are caring, innovative, and protective. You want to be helpful, loving, and straightforward. You are independent and assertive with a heart of gold. You have a ready smile, a rapier wit, and a twinkle in your eye. You are fun-loving and enjoy people and adventures, nurturing those in your circle of care. You use your charming disposition to create an upbeat, positive, and action-packed environment. You follow your own muse but enjoy the attention and energy of a group of your choosing.

The Peacemaker Tritype®: 279, 297, 729, 792, 927, 972

If you are a 279, you are caring, innovative, and accepting. You want to be helpful, upbeat, and peaceful. You are very kind and tend to see the best in others. You focus on easy and comfortable ways of relating. You have a sunny disposition and are very kind and optimistic. You dislike any form of conflict or strife and use your sense of humor to smooth out difficulties. Your need for okay-ness can, at times, be seen as insensitive.

The Solution Master Tritype®: 358, 385, 538, 583, 835, 853

If you are a 358, you are ambitious, knowledgeable, and protective. You want to be efficient, wise, and straightforward. Tough-minded, you are good at studying a problem and finding both the original and practical solutions others often miss. You are a no-nonsense person and prefer to use logic over emotion to achieve your goals. Highly tenacious, you work tirelessly until you find effective solutions and can prevail against adversity.

The Thinker Tritype®: 359, 395, 539, 593, 935, 953

If you are a 359, you are ambitious, knowledgeable, and accepting. You want to be efficient, wise, and peaceful. Intellectual and clever, you have your eye on the prize but find amenable and pleasant ways to manage your goals. Kindhearted, you naturally offer help but prefer to avoid difficult situations. Often shy, you are very private and are slow to trust others. You need time to reveal yourself to others. You are ambitious but seek admiration in a subtle manner.  

The Justice Fighter Tritype®: 368, 386, 638, 683, 836, 863

If you are a 368, you are ambitious, inquisitive, and protective. You want to be accomplished, loyal, and straightforward. Verbally adept and a good reader of people and situations, you have the ability to identify unjust authority, rebel against tyranny, and verbally spar against it. You seek people and situations that share your values and work hard to achieve your goals. You want to get along with others, but can struggle with being too direct and outspoken.

The Mediator Tritype®: 369, 396, 639, 693, 936, 963

If you are a 369, you are ambitious, inquisitive, and accepting. You want to be successful, engaged, and peaceful. You seek peace, balance, and harmony. You want to know what is expected of you, and will adjust your behavior to succeed. You want to be the everyman or woman, the good neighbor, friend, and coworker. You adapt to maintain this rapport because you need affirmation, reassurance, and a sense of well-being to feel connected to others.

The Mover Shaker Tritype®: 378, 387, 738, 783, 837, 873

If you are a 378, you are ambitious, innovative, and protective. You want to be efficient, happy, and straightforward. You are a dynamic go-getter, focused on the prize. An expansive powerhouse, you see the big picture and have the will to make it happen. You are a true entrepreneur and empire builder who recognizes what is possible and will work hard to achieve results. Obstacles are seen as competitive challenges.

The Ambassador Tritype®: 379, 397, 739, 793, 937, 973

If you are a 379, you are ambitious, innovative, and accepting. You want to be focused, upbeat, and peaceful. You are outgoing even if you are shy. You seek companionship, so naturally, include others in your circle. Your friendly, welcoming, and diplomatic approach provides a warm and pleasant atmosphere that fosters a sense of goodwill. Secretly, you avoid complications, preferring to stay with pleasantries. You strive for success and a feeling of personal importance.

The Scholar Tritype®: 458, 485, 548, 584, 845, 854

If you are a 458, you are intuitive, knowledgeable, and protective. You want to be original, wise, and straightforward. You study what makes people tick and quickly form and share strong opinions about what you learn. Somewhat introverted, you are identified as being someone who is an intuitive and intellectual strategic thinker. You look to the past and identify great historical thinkers and philosophers you wish to emulate. You see and focus on the interconnections that others often miss.  

The Contemplative Tritype®: 459, 495, 549, 594, 945, 954

If you are a 459, you are intuitive, knowledgeable, and accepting. You want to be original, wise, and peaceful. Highly self-aware and reflective, you are very shy, reserved, and self-conscious. You need regular quiet time to reflect on your thoughts and emotions. Easily flooded with emotion, it is difficult to voice your ideas and feelings. You are hurt when extroverts don’t ask for your thoughts and opinions, not realizing they may also be ill at ease. 

The Truth Teller Tritype®: 468, 486, 648, 684, 846, 864

If you are a 468, you are intuitive, inquisitive, and protective. You want to be original, certain, and straightforward. You are outspoken and opinionated yet deeply sensitive and introspective. Your high sensitivity drives you to seek immediate resolution to potential issues or threats. You excel at detecting inconsistencies and exposing hidden agendas, deception, and ulterior motives. While you are very kind, loving, and protective, your intensity may lead to lightning-fast reactions to careless acts or thoughtless deeds. 

The Seeker Tritype®: 469, 496, 649, 694, 946, 964

If you are a 469, you are intuitive, inquisitive, and accepting. You want to be original, certain, and peaceful. You are very sensitive and can easily feel reserved and inhibited. You are a deep thinker with strong emotions and can struggle with intense feelings of self-doubt. You seek answers to life’s questions. As a result, you need multiple sources of confirmation. You want to be individualistic but avoid confrontation because you fear it will cause separation with chosen others.

The Messenger Tritype®: 478, 487, 748, 784, 847, 874

If you are a 478, you are intuitive, innovative, and protective. You want to be original, creative, and straightforward. A cutting-edge tracker of both your internal and external worlds, you are an unconventional, passionate, and self-possessed master of solutions. You seek what is new and innovative with a strong need to share what you learn with others. Outwardly, you come across as confident with a sense of panache, but inwardly, you are emotionally sensitive and shy.  

The Gentle Spirit Tritype®: 479, 497, 749, 794, 947, 974

If you are a 479, you are intuitive, innovative, and accepting. You want to be original, positive, and peaceful. Others see you as very receptive and ethereal. You are identified with the defense of optimism and possibilities. Secretly, you are shy and long-suffering and tend to hide your painful feelings and pessimism for fear of being rejected. You focus on what is new and giving meaning to your suffering. Others see you as gentle, tenderhearted, and lyrical. You are attracted to healing arts.

©1985-2025 Katherine Chernick Fauvre • All rights reserved • This intellectual property cannot be used in whole or in part without written permission from Katherine Fauvre.

Enneagram Tritype® Tristar:

A special thank you to Waldemar Bandosz for creating the Tristar Image showing the Unfolding of the 27 Tritypes®. and to Rob Callopy (Zeke) for the two early Tritype® visuals based on Katherine’s research about the Unfolding of the 27 Tritypes®.

Tristar Symbol

For the first time, Katherine is teaching the Tritype® Tristar: How to Use the Tristar as the Map to understand the Path of Unfoldment for the 27 Tritype® Archetypes. Learn More

To understand the Enneagram Tritype® Tristar symbol, one needs to know of the similarities and differences between the Enneagram system and the Tritype® Archetype system.

The Enneagram is a 9-point personality system organized within a 3x3 matrix that is inherently divisible by 3. In contrast, Tritype® extends this framework into a 27-point personality system, introducing a 3x3x3 structure within a 3x9 matrix, which also maintains a divisibility by 3.

The Enneagram symbol is represented as a circle encompassing nine equidistant points connected by intersecting lines, forming three distinct triads (a Trialectic model). This symbol is believed to capture the dynamic spiral forces at play in the universe, incorporating principles associated with the numbers one, three, seven, and nine.

The Tritype® Tristar symbol takes the form of a circular representation, featuring an arrangement of 27 triangles signifying the 27 Tritypes® organized into three triads, with each triad consisting of 9 Tritypes®. Positioned at the center of this symbolic structure is the primary 369 Tritype®, which forms intricate connections with the 258 Tritype® and the 147 Tritype®. These connections offer valuable insights into the universal aspects of the core primary 369 Tritype® and its relationship to the two “core” hexads; Tritypes® 258 and 147, revealing the sequential path of unfoldment among the 27 Tritypes®.

In which Triad does your Tritype® reside?

What is your Tritype® meant to do in the Tristar Path of Unfoldment? Are you more inclined to Initiate and begin actions (3), Oppose and see the other side of every equation (6), or Integrate and reconcile all points of view (9)?

Tritype® Path of Unfoldment

The Tritype® Path of Unfoldment is a structured journey within the Tristar diagram, starting with the 369 Tritype® at its core and extending outward in a systematic pattern. This pattern progresses from the most common Tritype® combinations to the least common ones, creating 27 distinct Tritype® Archetypes.

The Tristar map mirrors the three triads of the Enneagram, placing each Tritype® within the corresponding triad to which it belongs. The 369 Tritype® holds a central position and consists of the three primary numbers in the Enneagram (3, 6, 9), forming a 3x3 system that aligns with the spiritual Law of 9. This Tritype® is recognized for its universality and adaptability due to its more direct connection to all 9 types by way of its wing types in the center in which it resides in the Enneagram system.

The 369 Tritype® harmoniously interlocks with the two hexad (1428571) Tritypes®—the 147 and the 258. Together, these triads encompass all nine Enneagram numbers (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9). Remarkably, when you sum these numbers (1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9), you get a total of 45. Reducing this sum to a single digit (4+5) results in 9, thereby concluding this process within the context of the 9-fold system.

The 369 Tritype® consists of the three primary types at its core, followed by the inclusion of two primary types along with one hexad type. As the path of unfoldment continues towards the outer center of the Tristar, it transitions to combinations comprising one primary type with two hexad types. Finally, the journey culminates with Tritypes®, which are composed entirely of three hexad types situated at the outermost edges of the Tristar. This intricate structure provides a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between different Tritype® combinations and their evolving relationships as they radiate outward from the core.

Think of the 369 Tritype®, which is made up of the three primary types, as the “generalist.” This is the most common and adaptable Tritype® because it has access to all nine Enneagram types via its wings. So, it is not by chance that the 369 Tritype® identifies with all nine types to some degree at first. This is because 369 Tritype® sees other points of view faster than the other Tritypes®, which is one of the reasons why it takes longer for them to accurately confirm their lead type.

In contrast, think of the 478 Tritype®, which is made up of the ending three hexad types, as the “specialist.” This is the least common Tritype®, residing on the outer points of the Tristar edge, which is the least adaptable Tritype®.

Why is the 478 Tritype® made up of the “ending” three hexad types?

The Enneagram is the 9-fold system that begins and ends with type 9. It is important to note that the Tristar symbol moves in a clockwise order, beginning and ending with type 9. This means that type 1 is the first move out of type 9 and that 8 is the last gut type before merging back to the wholeness of type 9. When organized by centers, it is much easier to see. To find the numerical significance of each type, add up the numbers, then reduce all numbers to a single digit.

The 234 is the heart center and is focused on emotions. The 234 becomes 2+3+4=9.

The 567 is the head center and is focused on thoughts. The 567 becomes 5+6+7=18 then, 1+8=9.

The 918 is the gut center and is focused on sensations. The 918 becomes 9+1+8=18 then, 1+8=9.

The centers combined equals 9. So, 9+9+9= 27. 2+7=9.

Each Tritype® thereafter adds up to one of 9 potential numbers from 1 through 9, which gives additional details about the focus of the Tritype®.

©1995-2025 Katherine Chernick Fauvre

Is there research on the Enneagram and Tritype®?

How did Tritype® emerge?

Tritype®: An advanced application of the Enneagram of Personality
In 1994, during her pioneering qualitative research on the “internal experiences” of the Enneagram types and subtypes, Katherine Chernick Fauvre discovered a hidden blueprint embedded within the system—the Enneagram Tritype®. This insight revealed how personality distinctions emerge from the synchronized influence of three types across the Heart (2,3,4), Head (5, 6, 7), and Gut (8, 9, 1) centers.

What began as an inquiry into how individuals subjectively experienced their Enneagram type quickly evolved into her recognition of significant and far-reaching patterns. Again and again, people described internal experiences that pointed to three dominant types shaping their worldview, each from a different Center of Intelligence. This breakthrough showed that individuals do not operate from a single type alone, but from three types—each representing the dominant influence from one of the three Centers: the Heart Center ( 2, 3, 4), the Head Center ( 5, 6, 7), and the Gut Center ( 8, 9, 1). 

As she conducted 3-hour in-depth interviews and meticulously tracked patterns across hundreds and then thousands of participants, Katherine found that these three types worked together in a repeating, Hierarchical, Stacking Sequence, shaping how individuals feel, think, and act. This discovery forever altered the landscape of the Enneagram of Personality, expanding the understanding of both Enneagram types and Instinctual Subtypes and adding key nuances that allowed for a more refined and transformational application.

Tritype® Research - IEA Journal 2012

Exploring Enneagram Tritype®: Theory and Practice

©2012 Katherine Chernick Fauvre  •  David William Fauvre. •  IEA Journal 2012
©1995-2024 Katherine Chernick Fauvre  •  Updates and Additions

Abstract

When theory building for a system like the Enneagram, it’s important to meet those theories that are both elegant and intuitive. With the breadth of fine distinctions already built into Enneagram theory, it seemed that most avenues of distinction had been fleshed out. However, upon working with a multitude of clients, a fascinating pattern emerged. Research and test results with clients revealed that people utilize one type in each center of intelligence: head (5,6,7), heart (2,3,4), and gut (8,9,1), and that these types were used in a preferred order, with one being dominant. '

These Tritype®combinations also reveal specific character archetypes that enrich and enhance current Enneagram theory and provide Enneagram researchers and enthusiasts with a new typing language. Understanding the basics of Tritype®can help those working with the Enneagram (enthusiasts, clients, therapists, and coaches) communicate in a new typological language.

Aristotle suggested that true internal harmony could be achieved only when internal conditions allow each aspect of the psyche to perform what it was primitively meant to perform. The authors have found that one’s Enneagram Tritype®reveals critical aspects of the psyche and how they were meant to perform, thus allowing one to develop the self-awareness needed to create internal harmony and live a more fulfilling life. Read more here: Full Tritype® Research Article PDF

©1995-2025 Katherine Chernick Fauvre • All rights reserved • This intellectual property cannot be used in whole or in part without written permission from Katherine Chernick Fauvre.

369 Tritype® Example

The 358 Tritype® Archetype

Katherine also promised to say more about the commonly mistyped tough-minded, smart, dynamic, realistic and impersonal Tritype®.
Ok, just this description for now...a very short example...

358 - The Solution MasterIncludes the 358, 385, 538, 583, 835, 853.

This Tritype® is a dynamic achiever and power broker but is also often misunderstood.

From the outside, the 358 Tritype® may seem like a brash, confident, and success-driven achiever that does not suffer fools gladly. They can appear to be tough-minded individuals that can easily call a spade a spade but can also come across as stony and insensitive.

This is true in part because the 358s are street-wise and believe in the school of hard knocks. They think that one learns the most by doing, and they think that the best lessons in life are learned by having to do things the hard way.

The 358 is known for being strategically brilliant but also for being blunt and to the point. Their inner drive is to succeed and conquer. They do this by using a mind-over-matter approach to life and their innate ability to quickly size up the competition or situation at hand. They begin by setting their sights on something that is of interest to them and then developing and executing the plans needed to acquire it. They achieve their goals by employing foresight, strategic planning, and step-by-step analysis.

538’s are known for being impersonal and unemotional.

Yet the truth is everything is very personal for them. They see life as one giant chess game that they intend to win through mastery.

But that is only part of the story. They succeed not because they do not have emotions but rather because they are not limited by emotions. The 358 can separate their emotions from any issue at hand, which can, at times, be confusing to some of the more tender-hearted Tritypes® like the 269, 379, or 469, all of whom use their emotions to make decisions. In fact, the 358 Tritype® believes that emotions confuse and limit, only serving to slow them down.

358s focus on the long game and have very little use for ignorance. They are demanding of themselves and others. They are natural entrepreneurs and generally achieve whatever they set out to do. They seek and can readily identify the competitive advantage in any area of life, whether in business, sports, or love. They will always have or will readily develop a strategy for success.

358 focus in life is to achieve the realization of their ambitions

They do this by enduring and overcoming adversity. They never give up and do not back down or give in. Setbacks become fuel for future endeavors. Failures pave the way for greater successes.

They are no-nonsense people who value experience over titles or degrees. They are extremely hard workers and are very self-motivated. They can be seen as workaholics, but they truly love whatever they do, or they would stop doing it. They are what they achieve.

358s are actually thinkers and doers rather than feelers

Another important part of the story is that the 358s are actually thinkers and doers rather than feelers, especialy if they are the T function in Myers-Briggs. But, underneath their logical solution mastery is a impersonal yet sensitive person that manages distress by doing something to fix a problem rather than being trapped in what feels like illogical, emotional chaos. The truth is that the 358 is uncomfortable with emotions, both their own emotions and the emotions of others. This is because they value data and information and fail to see the data and information that emotions provide.

358s have a defense strategy that survives by learning from their experiences so that they can succeed the next time they face the same problem. Emotionally charged experiences that result in feelings of shame and humiliation leave the strongest impressions. As a result, these are the areas of life that the 358s wish to conqueror first. And these are the first lessons the 358s want to teach loved ones.

358s do not want anyone they care about to suffer or be disadvantaged because their loved one is mired in an emotional crisis or emotional paralysis. They vividly remember the times they felt debilitated because their own emotions got in the way of affirmative action. As a result, 358s prefer the power that comes from action and mental constructs even at the expense of their emotions. They are naturally more adept at using their will center and mental center. They see their ability to go into action and use a mind-over matter approach to life as much more reliable than the inconstancy of the heart. They prefer the world of logic, thoughts, actions, and willfulness over the world of feelings and emotions. Instead of offering sympathy, they offer strategies.

They respect those that overcome obstacles, and they admire those that develop the confidence that ensues as a result of overcoming adversity. They want their loved ones to learn how to provide for themselves so that they will have the confidence and know-how that comes from succeeding by learning from failures. They show love by teaching their loved ones how to provide for themselves and/or by providing resources for those in their circle of care rather than offering sentiment. But more specifically, they demonstrate love by teaching loved ones how to survive and make it on their own no matter what life throws at them.

©1995-2024 Katherine Chernick Fauvre • All rights reserved • This intellectual property cannot be used in whole or in part without written permission from Katherine Chernick Fauvre.

Endorsements

"Katherine is a gifted teacher and researcher with superb presentation skills. She has a great sensitivity to her audiences, a sparkling presence, and a command of different approaches to the Enneagram that gives her a unique perspective on the subject. Her work with the Instinctual Variants and Tritype® are original and innovative contributions. Her research into the inner world of the types has made it easier to understand the basic fears of the types. We highly recommend her work and look forward to her continued contributions to the field.”
-Don Riso and Russ Hudson, The Wisdom of the Enneagram

Katherine is the most skilled and knowledgeable coach and teacher I've encountered. I have attended numerous trainings and find that her expertise, knowledge synthesis and charismatic and compassionate delivery is exemplary in every way. I write this with the highest recommendation possible.
-Sterlin Mosley Ph.d

"It's a pleasure to endorse Katherine Chernick Fauvre, an eminent pioneer in the field of Enneagram studies and the creator of Tritype®. As a master of microexpressions, visual archetypes, body language, and behavioral analysis within the Enneagram framework, Katherine has developed comprehensive Enneagram practices that integrate these elements seamlessly. Her creation of the in-depth inquiry process and her expertise in lexicon language specific to Enneagram types showcase her unparalleled understanding of personality dynamics.

Katherine's innovative approach also extends to combining Enneagram insights with Myers-Briggs personality types, offering a holistic view of individual and interpersonal dynamics. Her work on the Enneagram in spirituality and empathy further underscores her mastery and thought leadership. Co-creating and co-teaching the Personality Matrix with her has been a profound learning experience. This 10-week intensive program delves into Tritype®, archetypes, the processes of the 16 personality types, and the instinctual subtypes and stacking, providing rich, layered understanding at three levels.

As I near the completion of my certification as a master Enneagram teacher under her guidance, I am continually impressed by Katherine’s depth of knowledge and innovative spirit. Working with her has been an absolute privilege—her dedication to exploring and teaching the nuanced aspects of type is truly inspiring. Katherine Chernick Fauvre is not only a mentor but also a luminary in the psychological community, whose contributions continue to enrich and transform the way we understand human behavior and personality."
- Joyce Meng
Master MBTI Practitioner • Certified Enneagram Tritype® Teacher • Founder of Type Talks 

For more endorsements



More on Tritype®
Evolution of Tritype®: katherinefauvre.com
Tritype® Page: katherinefauvre.com/tritype
How to Type and Tritype®: katherinefauvre.com/howtotritype
Take Enneagram Tritype® Test: https://enneagramtritypetest.com

Tritype® Specials

Tritype® 4.0 Advanced Video Series on Sale

Tritype® 4.0 Series - Sold as a set and sold separately by each Tritype®!

Tritype®r 4.0 Individual Tritypes: ®Save $10
• One Tritype® Archetype of your Choice
• Bonus Video: Introduction to Tritype® 4.0 Video 1.5-hours

Each Tritype® Archetype begins with an Introduction to Tritype® Video that covers the basics of using the Tritype® and Tristar System.

$65.00 on sale for $45.00-$55..  (for a limited time only).
Save $10 on individual videos with a special introductory price!
Learn more and purchase individual Tritype® videos here

Advanced Intro to Tritype® 4.0 + Evolution of Tritype®
125 - The Mentor
126 - The Supporter
127 - The Teacher
135 - The Technical Expert
136 - The Taskmaster
137 - The Systems Builder
145 - The Researcher
146 - The Philosopher
147 - The Visionary
258 - The Strategist
259 - The Problem Solver
268 - The Rescuer
269 - The Good Samaritan
278 - The Free Spirit
279 - The Peacemaker
358 - The Solution Master
359 - The Thinker
368 - The Justice Fighter
369 - The Mediator
378 - The Mover Shaker
379 - The Ambassador
458 - The Scholar
459 - The Contemplative
468 - The Truth Teller
469 - The Seeker
478 - The Messenger
479 - The Gentle Spirit
Full set of 29 Videos Includes Intro + Evolution of Tritype®

Learn more and purchase individual Tritype® videos here
©1995-2024 Katherine Chernick Fauvre Working with Tritype®

How do you find your Tritype®? 10-Step Process

What is the most Common Mistake people make when Trityping®?

People do not understand the significance of the “synergy” between the 3 types in the Tritype®, which creates the new type unto itself!

People also do not understand the difference between their innate motivations versus their changing behaviors and identifications.

When Trityping®, we can begin by considering the three types that we identify with; however, that does not confirm Tritype® for one very important reason:

Tritype® is based on the synergy of the three types, which create a new focus of attention that is indicative of the Tritype® itself, not just the three types with which we most readily identify. This is because the  Tritypes®, like the Enneagram types, are based on our more hidden motivations, not our behaviors, talents, or our personal identifications with the type. Tritype® reflects the synergistic fusion of three motivational forces into one cohesive archetype, not just the presence of three independently chosen types.

Definitions of the Idealized Images, Core Fears, Defense Strategies are listed below after. Be sure to read the entire column to understand all the key points necessary to Accurately Tritype®.


More on Tritype®
Evolution of Tritype®: katherinefauvre.com
Tritype® Page: katherinefauvre.com/tritype
How to Type and Tritype®: katherinefauvre.com/howtotritype
Take Enneagram Tritype® Test: https://enneagramtritypetest.com

Common Misconception about Tritype®

Traits and Descriptions Clarifying Misconception of Center Bypass

A common misunderstanding in the interpretation of the Tritype® system arises from the assumption that the lower placement of a type in the hierarchical stacking order implies a functional bypass of its corresponding center. One such misinterpretation suggests that a Type 5, when connected to Type 8 energy, may express that energy directly without the influence of the gut center—because the gut type is last in the Tritype® hierarchical stacking order. However, this is a fundamental misunderstanding of how the Tritype® functions. The following clarification outlines the accurate mechanism of Tritype® interaction. If 8 is in the Tritype®; the type is more dominant than the line of connection.

Misunderstanding 1:

“Because the gut fix is lower in the hierarchical stacking order, Type 5’s connection to Type 8 bypasses the gut fix.”

Question: Your core argument is: “It seems that Type 5's connection to Type 8 energy is directly expressed without needing to pass through the gut center, because the gut fix is lower in the hierarchical stacking order,” and you cited Fauvre's description of "hierarchical stacking order"—if the first fix fails to overcome an obstacle, then the strategy of the second fix is employed, and so on.

Katherine’s response: The gut type is never bypassed. The hierarchical stacking order does not determine whether energy flows through a center—it determines which type’s strategy is employed first as a coping mechanism. All energy from a center is automatically processed by that center’s dominant type, regardless of its position in the hierarchical stacking. The three types in the Tritype®—Head (5, 6, 7), Heart (2, 3, 4), and Gut (8, 9, 1)—form the dominant energetic and psychological architecture of the personality. Their influence supersedes that of the wings or the lines of connection, which offer secondary access points or nuanced flavors but do not replace the fixed processing of each center.

How Your Tritype® Works

1. Individuals use all three triads or centers of intelligence in an oscillating hierarchical stacking order: Head (5, 6, 7), Heart (2, 3, 4), and Gut (8, 9, 1).

2. The three types in each triad are ranked in a hierarchical stacking order of dominance.

3. The dominant types in each of the three centers are then ranked in a hierarchical stacking order of dominance as well.

4. The type at the top of the hierarchical stacking is the lead or "core" type and is in charge of the three ego types in the Tritype®..

5. These three types cascade into one another and are in constant motion—rapidly repeating and oscillating.

6. These types merge the three sets of idealized images, core fears, and defense strategies to become a "new type" known as the Tritype® Archetype.

7. This combination of types creates a synergistic force that is operating from all three centers, headed by the core type.

8. A perceived threat to an idealized image of any of the types triggers all facets of the Tritype®.

9. The core type in the Tritype® deploys the combined energies of the types to handle the problem.

10. The triad most triggered determines the lead mental, emotional, or visceral reaction and leads the response.

11. Under the direction of the lead type, the triad most wounded is amplified and deployed to find a satisfactory solution.

12. All three types weigh in and are part of the oscillating synergistic process within the Tritype® itself.

13. If the lead viewpoint of the first type fails to overcome an obstacle, then the strategy of the second type is employed, and so on.

14. The core type continuously directs this process of synergistic interaction in a rapidly oscillating and repeating order fashion, using the combined views, values, and gut reactions of all three types as needed in the hierarchical stacking order until a solution is found.

15. When the three types in the Tritype® share the same views, values, and gut reactions, the solution is immediate and decisive.

16. If the three types in the Tritype® have conflicting views, values, and gut reactions, the ego types are divided, creating a longer process of resolution that can remain partially unresolved or become a chronic source of ongoing frustration.

17. These conflicted areas can resurface constantly because there is little to no agreement among the three ego types in the Tritype®.

18. These differences can be experienced mildly or as chronic, leading to neurotic second-guessing, ongoing looping, and rumination.

19. The core type leads the continual deployment of the three types.

20. The only way to neutralize the repeated ego level of functioning is to counterbalance this lower level of using the passions, fixations, and convictions with the use of the Higher Essential Level of the Holy Virtues, Holy Ideas, and Holy Actions.

Conclusion: The Core Is Not a Shortcut—It’s the Conductor

The hierarchical stacking order of the Tritype® does not imply energetic omission. It refers to the hierarchy of defense deployment, not the bypassing of a center's input. All three centers are essential and active in personality processing. The idea that Type 5 could express Type 8 energy while skipping the gut type fails to understand that each center’s type functions as an automatic processor of input from that center. Instead of a bypass, the Tritype® operates more like a wiring system—one in which every wire conducts, but one carries the primary current. The core type may initiate, but all three types within the Tritype® activate in a rapid and interdependent cycle that defines the whole of the personality.

Step 1: How to identify your Types in Tritype®?

Traits and Descriptions

In the initial stages of the typing process, we learn about the traits and descriptions of the nine Enneagram Types. Naturally, we focus on what the types do and don’t do, comparing these traits to our own behaviors. While this is a helpful starting point, it should only serve as the first step—not as a way to confirm our type.

Special Note: If we rely solely on behaviors to determine our type, we will likely mistype ourselves, which is why so many people are mistyped.

It’s also important to note that primary types (3, 6, and 9) are naturally adaptable shapeshifters. They track behaviors and adjust to situations, which makes it challenging for them to recognize their deeper, more hidden motivations and why they do what they do. For types 6 and 9, this is particularly difficult due to their tendency toward indecision. They are wired to carefully weigh the pros and cons before making decisions.

Type 6 faces the most significant challenge in accurately identifying their type or Tritype®. As the core type in the thinking triad, they are most prone to questioning and doubt. They are also unique in their worry about how their test results will be perceived, sometimes trying to manipulate testing instruments. Interestingly, if the results suggest they are type 6, they may become angry and blame the test.

Why Start your Typing Process with Tritype®?

The Tritype® method efficiently narrows down potential types by clearly identifying the dominant influences across each intelligence center. By initially ranking all three types in each center, you systematically eliminate confusion or ambiguity. Your core type naturally emerges as the predominant influence from this structured exploration.

It is important to note that brain prefers to sort and rank in patterns of 3 instead trying to rank all 9 Enneagram Types at once. The Enneagram is a Trialectic system so it is much easier to sort and rank the types in each center first and then rank the three top choices.

This comprehensive method is proven by decades of research and offers unmatched accuracy by capturing the dynamic interplay of your personality's three foundational dimensions.

Understanding the Terminology, Meanings, and Definitions

Be sure to read all of the definitions further down the page to understand the definitions of the Idealized Images, Core Fears, and Defense Strategies.

Step 2: Understand your Behavior vs Motivation

To accurately determine our Enneagram type and Tritype®, we must explore the deeper, more hidden motivations driving our behaviors.

Behaviors

Behavior refers to the outward actions an individual takes, which can be observed and described. Behaviors are superficial and subject to change, making them unreliable indicators of type. For example, all nine types may experience feelings of sadness, confusion, or anger. Similarly, all types can sometimes display assertiveness. However, not all assertive individuals are type 8s or 1s.

Motivations

Motivation refers to the internal drivers behind those behaviors, shaped by an individual's core fears, desires, and values.

Step 3: Idealized Images, Core Fears, Defense Strategies

Understand Idealized Images, Core Fears, and Defense Strategies

Comparing our idealized images, core fears, and defense strategies provides a more accurate and insightful way to identify our Enneagram type and Tritype®. This approach is based on decades of research and goes deeper than relying on external behaviors or searching for a "perfect match" description of a type, which is often misleading and can feel frustrating and limiting.

Focusing on our idealized images, core fears, and defense strategies reveals our motivations and ...cuts through the noise of surface-level behaviors. It aligns with the original teachings of the Enneagram and is all about understanding the "why" behind what we do, not just the "what." Comparing idealized images, core fears, and defense strategies provides a more accurate and insightful way to identify our Enneagram type. This approach goes deeper than relying on external behaviors or searching for a "perfect match" description of a type, which can often feel frustrating and limiting.

Idealized Images

Idealized images are the positive self-concepts we strive to embody and present to the world. They identify the image we need to portray to have value and how we wish others to see us and be safe. These images reflect how we want to be perceived and help us to feel valuable and accepted.

Core Fears

Core fears are the underlying fears and anxieties we strive to avoid at all costs. They identify how we gather the know-how needed to feel safe and survive. These fears shape our behaviors, motivations, and defensive strategies.

Defense Strategies

Defense strategies are the automatic, instinctive ways we react when feeling triggered or mistreated. They identify the unconscious defense strategies we use to manage emotional pain and psychic panic. These defense strategies protect our idealized images, manage our core fears, reinforce our convictions, and defend our view of reality.

Identifying these deeper aspects simplifies, clarifies, and enhances the typing process. This strategy is excellent for anyone feeling stuck or overwhelmed by descriptions that don't fully resonate.

Step 4: Understand the Tritype® Model

Tritype® significantly narrows down personality complexity by focusing on your dominant type from each of the three Centers of Intelligence:

•    Head Center: Types 5, 6, and 7 – (mental clarity, knowledge, certainty)
•    Heart Center: Types 2, 3, and 4 – (identity, image, emotional connection)
•    Gut Center: Types 8, 9, and 1 – (autonomy, integrity, physical and instinctual power)

Your Tritype® is composed of your most resonant type from each of these centers, ordered according to dominance.

Step 5: Rank your Types within each Center

Reflect deeply on each type within each center. Using the following core frameworks from Katherine Fauvre’s approach using the—Idealized Self-Images, Core Fears, and Defense Strategies—rank each type in order of dominance from most to least in accordance with your internal experience.

Remember to Pay Attention to your Behaviors vs Motivations

Be sure to remember the importance of the difference betwen your “motivations” vs your behaviors and identifications:

• Behaviors: Refer to observable actions, or patterns; talents, identifications, reactions to
situations and conditions.

• Identifications: The surface-level attributes with which people align themselves.
Identifications are idealized. Some Tritypes® identifiy with negative traits.

• Motivations: The deeper driving forces behind these behaviors—are the most critical
factor in identifying a Tritype®.

• Behaviors and Identifications: vary according to the situation.

• Motivations: Reveal the consistent underlying drives, desires and fears of types in the
Tritype®.

Head Center (5, 6, 7)

Type 5: Investigative Thinker

•    Idealized Self-Image: Knowledgeable, insightful, self-sufficient
•    Core Fear: Ignorance, incompetence, depletion, obligation
•    Defense Strategy: Isolation, detachment, withdrawing

Type 6: Loyal Guardian

•    Idealized Self-Image: Loyal, trustworthy, prepared
•    Core Fear: Uncertainty, blame, lack of support or guidance, being alone
•    Defense Strategy: Projection, anticipation, reassurance seeking

Type 7: Entertaining Optimist

•   Idealized Self-Image: Optimistic, fascinating, innovative
•   Core Fear: Being trapped in emotional pain, limitation, boredom
• Defense Strategy: Rationalization, reframing, distraction

Example of Ranking Head Center:

1.   Type 7
2.   Type 6
3.   Type 5 

Heart Center (2, 3, 4)

Type 2: Supportive Advisor

•    Idealized Self-Image: Caring, helpful, appreciated
•    Core Fear: Worthlessness, being unloved, unwanted, or discarded
•    Defense Strategy: Repression, denial of own needs, focusing outward

Type 3: Successful Achiever

•    Idealized Self-Image: Competent, successful, accomplished
•    Core Fear: Failure, inefficiency, being exposed as incapable
•    Defense Strategy: Identification, self-promotion, adapting image to succeed

Type 4: Romantic Individualist

•    Idealized Self-Image: Unique, authentic, emotionally deep
•    Core Fear: Being inadequate, ordinary, lacking meaningful identity
•    Defense Strategy: Introjection, melancholy, self-absorption

Example of Ranking Heart Center:

1.   Type 4
2.   Type 2
3.   Type 3

Gut Center (8, 9, 1)

Type 8: Challenging Protector

•    Idealized Self-Image: Strong, independent, protective
•    Core Fear: Powerlessness, being controlled or manipulated, vulnerability
•    Defense Strategy: Denial, intensity, asserting control or dominance

Type 9: Peaceful Mediator

•    Idealized Self-Image: Peaceful, harmonious, agreeable
•    Core Fear: Conflict, disharmony, being overlooked or insignificant
•    Defense Strategy: Dissociation, minimizing problems, passive-aggression

Type 1: Moral Perfectionist

•    Idealized Self-Image: Ethical, accurate, principled, responsible
•    Core Fear: Being corrupt, wrong, flawed, inappropriate
•    Defense Strategy: Reaction formation, criticism, rigidity, perfectionism

Example of Ranking Gut Center:

1.   Type 8
2.   Type 1
3.   Type 9

Step 6: Identify Your Dominant Type in Each Center

Rank all three types in each of the three centers. Choose the highest-ranked type from each center based on resonance with your deepest motivations, idealized images, fears, and strategies.

From the example above:

•    Head: Type 7
•    Heart: Type 4
•    Gut: Type 8

Step 7: Determine Your Tritype® Stacking Order

Arrange your three dominant types into a hierarchical stacking order, beginning with your most influential type (core type), followed by the second and third in terms of dominance.

Example of Tritype® order:

1   Core Type: 8 (Gut)
2   Secondary Type: 7 (Head)
3   Tertiary Type: 4 (Heart)

This creates your precise Tritype® (874, "The Messenger"). 

The Messenger Tritype®: 478, 487, 748, 784, 847, 874

If you are a 478, you are intuitive, innovative, and protective. You want to be original, creative, and straightforward. A cutting-edge tracker of both your internal and external worlds, you are an unconventional, passionate, and self-possessed master of solutions. You seek what is new and innovative with a strong need to share what you learn with others. Outwardly, you come across as confident with a sense of panache, but inwardly, you are emotionally sensitive and shy.  

Step 8: Confirm and Validate Your Tritype®

Validate your identified Tritype® by thoroughly reviewing detailed descriptions, including the blend of types' passions, fixations, and convictions at katherinefauvre.com and katherinefauvre.com/tritype or take her test at enneagramtritypetest.com. Ensure this deeply resonates with your self-experience.

Ask yourself:

•    Does this accurately reflect my idealized self-image, core fears, and defense strategies?

•    Does this clarify nuances that may have previously caused confusion or mistyping?

Special Notice:

Katherine has found that understanding your Tritype® can enrich your self-awareness by clarifying the deeper motivations and unconscious dynamics that guide your life, empowering personal growth and meaningful transformation through the Enneagram.

Step 9: Accurately Trityping®

For example, the 478 Tritype® has the three hexad “creative" Enneagram Types, one from each triad (4,7,8), which include the two hexad types that prefer what is unusual (4,7). It also has two hexad types that share the line of intensity (4-8) and the two hexad types that are assertive (7,8).

Together, these three types focus on what they share in common. When merged in a Tritype®, a more specific focus emerges, creating a personality structure that is seen as innovative, creative, outspoken, intense, assertive, and deep with an original sense of style.

The deeper motivations of the 478 are based on the unconscious need to maintain the idealized images of the three types in the Tritype®: being singular, unique, interesting, innovative, self-possessed, and protective.

It also means avoiding the corresponding core fears of the three types: being inadequate, flawed, or defective; inferior, trapped, or limited; and weak, controlled, and harmed. The three defense strategies intervene when there is a perceived threat to the idealized images (real or imagined), triggering the three core fears, which lead to a restless sense of distress, which in turn triggers an immediate reaction and deployment of the three defense strategies to defend reality.

Tritype® not only names details about how the system works, but it also identifies the corresponding Holy Ideas, Holy Virtues, and Holy Actions/Intuitions of the 3 Types in the Tritype that can neutralize the intensity of the fixed beliefs, negative emotions, and habitual behavior that cause the unconscious suffering. By making the unconscious suffering conscious, one can ease their suffering enough to recognize more productive ways of handling a perceived threat to the ego types.

Step 10: Example: How to find your Tritype®

How do I find my Enneagram Tritype® using my Idealized Images, Core Fears, and Defense Strategies?

How do I find my Idealized images, Core Fears, and Defense Strategies? What is the difference between Behaviors and Motivations?

Do I have to like helping people to be a Type 2?
What would I focus on if I had the 279 Tritype®?
I think I focus on cheering the people up who are down and keeping events interesting so we can all have a good time together.

Katherine's Response:
Good questions and insights.To a degree, yes. More importantly, Type 2s are deeply relational and seek roles that make them the “go-to person.” They want to be seen as a special friend and an indispensable advisor in the lives of others.

But first, let's look at what’s needed to type accurately.

Excerpt: Enneagram Tritype® Advantage 2.0  coming Summer 2025
© 1984-2025 Katherine Chernick Fauvre

Katherine on Enneagram Typing Tips - Short

Tips on Typing: 25-point Factor Analysis

Typing the Idealized Images, Core Fears, and Defense Strategies

The idealized images, core fears, defense strategies, behaviors, identifications, and motivations are foundational concepts for accurately understanding Tritype®.

Defining these keywords helps with the typing process:

Idealized Images: Reflect the self-perception or role a type believes it must embody to be valued, feel worthy, and be secure.

Core Fears: The primary anxieties or threats a type works to avoid.

Defense Strategies: The psychological mechanisms each type employs to cope with challenges and protect its core fears.

Behaviors:  Refer to observable actions or patterns.

Identifications: The surface-level attributes with which people align themselves.

Motivations: The deeper driving forces behind these behaviors—are the most critical factor in identifying a Tritype®.

Behaviors and Identifications may vary.

Motivations: Reveal the consistent underlying desires and fears of types in the Tritype®.

In her first Enneagram Research Study, conducted in 1994–95, Katherine Chernick Fauvre discovered that participants and clients consistently identified with the idealized images, core fears, and defense strategies of three distinct Enneagram types rather than just one. To uncover these deeper motivations, she used the “In-depth Inquiry Process (IIP),” a method designed to bypass participants’ super-egos and move beyond surface-level identifications and behaviors.

This process enabled them to access the deeper psychological drivers shaping their experiences. However, identifying these types independently is challenging without guidance from an experienced Enneagram teacher, as individuals tend to focus on the types they relate to rather than the types they actively use. To correctly identify your Tritype®, you must embody the images, fears, and motivations of the three types and demonstrate their language, talk styles, and defense strategies.

A key finding from Katherine’s study was that study participants and types did not necessarily have a line or wing connecting the three types to the core type. Instead, these three types always included one type from each of the three Centers of Intelligence: Head (5, 6, 7), Heart (2, 3, 4), and Gut (8, 9, 1). Katherine initially referred to this concept as TriCenter: an individual’s 3Types within the Trigram symbol.

The presence of all three types is evident in an individual’s word choices, needs, concerns, and values. These three strategies are not only active but also highly influential in shaping a person’s worldview and decision-making. Among the three, one type emerges as the primary or core type, yet all three types are used continuously in an oscillating and descending stacking order.

It is essential to understand that simply combining the three types you relate to is insufficient for determining your Tritype®. The attentional patterns of each Tritype® Archetype emerge from the interaction of the three types’ characteristics. These interactions amplify certain qualities while minimizing others, creating the distinct focus of attention that defines each Tritype®. This unique dynamic sets Tritype® apart from traditional Enneagram typing. The merging of the types in the Tritype® brings out qualities unique to the Tritype®, qualities that may not apply to each type separately.

To confirm that you have accurately identified your Tritype®, you must ensure that it includes the core fears, idealized images, and defense strategies of the three types. These must be observable in your behavior, language, and thought processes. If you find yourself listing behaviors and parts of Tritype® descriptions, it is a sign that you are still attempting to Tritype® based on external identifications rather than internal motivations. This misstep is common, particularly for Types 3, 6, and 9, as these types are naturally attuned to tracking behaviors and inconsistencies and then adapting their behaviors to the circumstances. This makes it harder for them to recognize their deeper, more hidden motivations.

From a statistical perspective, Types 9, 6, and 3 are the most prevalent in the population by a large margin. Consequently, a significant portion of people have one or more of these types in their Tritype®. By contrast, pure hexad Tritypes®—those without Types 3, 6, or 9—are much less common. There are only eight Tritypes® that are pure hexad: 125, 127, 145, 147, 258, 278, 458, and 478. All the rest of the Tritypes® contain at least one primary type: 3, 6, 9.

In conclusion, accurately Trityping® requires a disciplined focus on the motivations and defense strategies of the three types in your Tritype®. This approach can uncover a profound and nuanced understanding of yourself, revealing a unique path to personal growth and self-awareness. Enneagram Tritype® Test.

Idealized Images, Core Fears, Defense Strategies

In every Tritype®, there are three distinct Enneagram types—a dominant type from the heart center (Type 2, 3, or 4), a dominant type from the head center (Type 5, 6, or 7), and a dominant type from the gut center (Type 8, 9, or 1), in a hierarchical stacking order.  The type at the top of the stacking in Tritype® is the "core" type, which is in charge of the three types in the Tritype®.

The Idealized images, core fears, and defense strategies of the three types within the Tritype® merge into a “new” type unto itself with a shared worldview, creating a much more specific focus of attention, which is our Tritype® Archetype.

Just as the Passions are the negative emotions and reactions that generate the suffering of each Type, and the Fixations are the mental justifications and rationalizations that support the Passions, the Convictions are the ego-bound dogmas that synthesize both, anchoring the defense strategy in a fixed interpretation of self, others, and reality.

Convictions operate like an internalized script, driving behavior, perception, and reaction. They determine what information is filtered in or out, shaping a personal mythology of what is true, right, or necessary. These core beliefs do not simply color experience—they construct it.

Unlike Holy Virtues, Ideas, and Actions, which arise from Essence and reflect universal truth, Convictions arise from the ego’s attempt to create certainty and structure in a world that feels threatening or disorienting. They are the battleground where the personality fights to maintain its idealized self-image and deny its core fear. Each Type clings to a set of Convictions that feel like moral imperatives but are actually adaptive illusions.

They are hidden beneath language and behavior, detectable only through repeated themes in narrative, tone, motivation, and blind spots. Convictions must be recognized, deconstructed, and ultimately surrendered in order to experience the emotional alchemy of the Holy Virtue, the liberating insight of the Holy Idea, and the transformative embodiment of the Holy Action. Understanding the idealized images, core fears, and defense strategies of the Tritypes® is essential for accurately typing and Trityping®.

The Tritype® focus is based on three sets of idealized images, three sets of core fears, three sets of convictions, and all three sets of defense strategies from each type in the Tritype®. These types merge to create an internal hierarchical stacking order of these important categories that drive the identity of each Tritype®, forming the specific viewpoint of the Tritype® and shedding light on the coping mechanisms they utilize. These three types represent a 3x3x3 pattern, resulting in a 27-point personality system.

The Tritype® Archetypes can be observed by identifying our idealized images (who we think we need to be to have value), our core fears (the irrational fears and anger we project outward when others criticize us for not being ideal), our dogmatic views (our unbending values and attitudes), and our defense strategies (the habitual reactive behaviors we display when defending our reality to maintain our idealized images). Together, these types, when wounded, either act out against others or act in against themselves. This is because the three types in our Tritype® incorporate a more specific focus of attention.

————————————————————————
Take the Enneagram Tritype® Test v8

Identifying and confirming your dominant Enneagram Type and your Tritype® is an essential part of the transformation process.

Do not be discouraged if it takes time, as the process will give you many valuable insights.

If you are unsure of your Tritype®, take Katherine’s Enneagram Tritype® Test and pay close attention to any special notices you receive.

This Enneagram Tritype® Test is the only test programmed to detect the rare patterns that only 6s use. These special notices will tell you if you have the test-taking pattern of the 6, even if you do not have a single 6 card.

Some 9s, about 20%, have a somewhat similar pattern. If the 9 has 6 in the Tritype®, they will have many of the same patterns.

With this knowledge, we can better define our blind spots and areas for personal growth.

Knowledge of your Tritype® will also shed light on your Higher Self and sense of purpose. Working with the Higher Qualities of the three types in your Tritype®, along with the three sets of Holy Virtues, Holy Ideas, and Holy Actions, reveals how you can access your Essential Self.

More on Tritype®
Evolution of Tritype®: katherinefauvre.com
Tritype® Page: katherinefauvre.com/tritype
How to Type and Tritype®: katherinefauvre.com/howtotritype
Take Enneagram Tritype® Test: https://enneagramtritypetest.com

The Enneagram Tritype® Test v8 identifies an individual’s Type, Tritype®, and Instinctual Stacking.

More on Distinguishing our Behaviors vs Motivations

Why? The Enneagram is the only personality typology that is not based on observable behaviors. Instead, it focuses on motivations—the reasons behind what we do.

The idealized images, core fears, defense strategies, behaviors, identifications, and motivations are foundational concepts for accurately understanding Tritype®.

Defining these keywords helps with the typing process:

Idealized Images: Reflect the self-perception or role a type believes it must embody to be valued, feel worthy, and be secure.

Core Fears: The primary anxieties or threats a type works to avoid.

Defense Strategies: The psychological mechanisms each type employs to cope with challenges and protect its core fears.

Behaviors:  Refer to observable actions: identifications, situations, or patterns.

Identifications: The surface-level attributes with which people align themselves.

Motivations: The deeper driving forces behind these behaviors—are the most critical factor in identifying a Tritype®.

Behaviors and Identifications may vary.

Motivations: Reveal the consistent underlying desires and fears of types in the Tritype®.

In her first Enneagram Research Study, conducted in 1994–95, Katherine Chernick Fauvre discovered that participants and clients consistently identified with the idealized images, core fears, and defense strategies of three distinct Enneagram types rather than just one. To uncover these deeper motivations, she used the “In-depth Inquiry Process (IIP),” a method designed to bypass participants’ super-egos and move beyond surface-level identifications and behaviors.

This process enabled them to access the deeper psychological drivers shaping their experiences. However, identifying these types independently is challenging without guidance from an experienced Enneagram teacher, as individuals tend to focus on the types they relate to rather than the types they actively use. To correctly identify your Tritype®, you must embody the images, fears, and motivations of the three types and demonstrate their language, talk styles, and defense strategies.

A key finding from Katherine’s study was that study participants and types did not necessarily have a line or wing connecting the three types to the core type. Instead, these three types always included one type from each of the three Centers of Intelligence: Head (5, 6, 7), Heart (2, 3, 4), and Gut (8, 9, 1). Katherine initially referred to this concept as TriCenter: an individual’s 3Types within the Trigram symbol.

The presence of all three types is evident in an individual’s word choices, needs, concerns, and values. These three strategies are not only active but also highly influential in shaping a person’s worldview and decision-making. Among the three, one type emerges as the primary or core type, yet all three types are used continuously in an oscillating and descending stacking order.

It is essential to understand that simply combining the three types you relate to is insufficient for determining your Tritype®. The attentional patterns of each Tritype® Archetype emerge from the interaction of the three types’ characteristics. These interactions amplify certain qualities while minimizing others, creating the distinct focus of attention that defines each Tritype®. This unique dynamic sets Tritype® apart from traditional Enneagram typing. The merging of the types in the Tritype® brings out qualities unique to the Tritype®, qualities that may not apply to each type separately.

To confirm that you have accurately identified your Tritype®, you must ensure that it includes the core fears, idealized images, and defense strategies of the three types. These must be observable in your behavior, language, and thought processes. If you find yourself listing behaviors and parts of Tritype® descriptions, it is a sign that you are still attempting to Tritype® based on external identifications rather than internal motivations. This misstep is common, particularly for Types 3, 6, and 9, as these types are naturally attuned to tracking behaviors and inconsistencies and then adapting their behaviors to the circumstances. This makes it harder for them to recognize their deeper, more hidden motivations.

From a statistical perspective, Types 9, 6, and 3 are the most prevalent in the population by a large margin. Consequently, a significant portion of people have one or more of these types in their Tritype®. By contrast, pure hexad Tritypes®—those without Types 3, 6, or 9—are much less common. There are only eight Tritypes® that are pure hexad: 125, 127, 145, 147, 258, 278, 458, and 478. All the rest of the Tritypes® contain at least one primary type: 3, 6, 9.

In conclusion, accurately Trityping® requires a disciplined focus on the motivations and defense strategies of the three types in your Tritype®. This approach can uncover a profound and nuanced understanding of yourself, revealing a unique path to personal growth and self-awareness. Enneagram Tritype® Test.

More Idealized Images, Core Fears, and Defense Strategies?

Comparing our idealized images, core fears, and defense strategies provides a more accurate and insightful way to identify our Enneagram type and Tritype®. This approach is based on decades of research and goes deeper than relying on external behaviors or searching for a "perfect match" description of a type, which is often misleading and can feel frustrating and limiting.

Focusing on our idealized images, core fears, and defense strategies reveals our motivations and ...cuts through the noise of surface-level behaviors. It aligns with the original teachings of the Enneagram and is all about understanding the "why" behind what we do, not just the "what." Comparing idealized images, core fears, and defense strategies provides a more accurate and insightful way to identify our Enneagram type. This approach goes deeper than relying on external behaviors or searching for a "perfect match" description of a type, which can often feel frustrating and limiting.

Overview:

Idealized Images

Idealized images are the positive self-concepts we strive to embody and present to the world. They identify the image we need to portray to have value and how we wish others to see us and be safe. These images reflect how we want to be perceived and help us to feel valuable and accepted.

Core Fears

Core fears are the underlying fears and anxieties we strive to avoid at all costs. They identify how we gather the know-how needed to feel safe and survive. These fears shape our behaviors, motivations, and defensive strategies.

Defense Strategies

Defense strategies are the automatic, instinctive ways we react when feeling triggered or mistreated. They identify the unconscious defense strategies we use to manage emotional pain and psychic panic. These defense strategies protect our idealized images, manage our core fears, reinforce our convictions, and defend our view of reality.

Identifying these deeper aspects simplifies, clarifies, and enhances the typing process. This strategy is excellent for anyone feeling stuck or overwhelmed by descriptions that don't fully resonate.

The 9 Types: Idealized Images, Core Fears, and the Defense Strategies

The nine sets of idealized images, core fears, and defense strategies reveal the attentional patterns of the nine types.

To be a type or Tritype®, you need to have idealized images, core fears, and convictions of the types you are considering. You must also be able to recognize that you are defending your reality with the defense strategies identified by Claudio Naranjo.

If you do not identify with the idealized images and core fears or do not use the defense strategies of the type, it means you have not yet found your primary type and Tritype®.

When Trityping®, if you identify with four types, make sure you go beyond your behaviors and what you identify with.  Remember that Enneagram types are based on the more hidden motivations beneath your behaviors. It is not what you do but rather why you do what you do.

Explore the crazy fears you have if an idealized image is threatened and you are told you are not seen as the person you think you need to be or are proud to be. What would happen if you had to experience your core fear? What does you ego do to protect you when you feel threatened?

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9 Types: Idealized Self-Images, Core Fears, and Defense Strategies

Type 1
I am good, I am right, I am in control, I am diligent, and I am appropriate.
Resentment with the fear of being wrong, bad, evil, or corruptible.
Reaction Formation: Expressing the opposite of true feelings or behaviors to avoid appearing unacceptable or lacking in self-control.

Type 2
I am caring, I am nurturing, I am helpful, I am altruistic, and I am appealing.
Pride with the fear of being worthless, needy, inconsequential, or dispensable.
Repression: Suppressing their own needs and desires to focus on the needs of others, often at the expense of their own well-being.

Type 3
I am successful, efficient, competent, focused, and productive.
Vanity with the fear of failing, being incompetent, inefficient, exposed, or unable to do something.
Identification: Identifying with external images and success to project an image of competence and achievement.

Type 4
I am unique, I am special, I am deep, I am accomplished, and I am tasteful.
Envy with the fear of being inadequate, emotionally cut off, defective, or flawed.
Introjection: Taking on the feelings and experiences of others to define themselves, often feeling a sense of inadequacy or difference.

Type 5
I am perceptive, I am knowledgeable, I am observant, I am wise, and I am different.
Avarice with the fear of ignorance, invasion, not existing, annihilation, or obligation. Isolation: Withdrawing from emotional and social connections to protect themselves from being overwhelmed or hurt.

Type 6
I am dedicated, I am reliable, I am provocative, I am loyal, I am compliant or rebellious.
Fear of Fear, submitting, being blamed, targeted, alone, physically abandoned.
Projection: Attributing own unwanted feelings or traits to others to create a sense of external threat or fear with a need to prepare for rhe worst.

Type 7
I am happy, I am optimistic, I am fun, I am enthusiastic, and I am playful.
Gluttony with the fear of being incomplete, inferior, limited, bored, or missing out.
Rationalization: Justifying behaviors or actions with logical explanations to avoid confronting own insecurities or fears.

Type 8
I am invincible, I am powerful, I am protective, I am straightforward, and I am authentic.
Excess with the fear of being weak, powerless, harmed, controlled, or manipulated.
Denial: Refusing to acknowledge vulnerability or pain to maintain a facade of strength and control.

Type 9
I am agreeable, I am easygoing, I am peaceful, I am humble, and I am unassuming.
Indolence with the fear of being in conflict, loveless, shut out, discordant, or inharmonious.
Narcotization: Numbing or deadening emotional awareness to avoid conflict and maintain harmony.

Inquiry Process - How to Identify these three Factors:
Idealized Images, Core Fears, and Defense Strategies

Type 2: Inquiry Process Questions Using Type 2

Idealized Images – Type 2:
Reflect on the version of yourself you strive to present to the world—the qualities you most value and want others to see in you.
Ask yourself:
What do I want to be known or admired for?
What qualities do I believe make me valuable or lovable?
Example: Type 2 wants to be seen as warm, generous, and indispensable—someone others count on for support and care.
• I am loving and unselfish.
• I am always there for others.
• I am someone who makes people feel cared for.

Core Fears – Type 2:
Consider what you avoid at all costs—those deep fears that drive your actions and reactions.
Ask yourself:
What do I fear when I don’t know what to do or how to do it?
What triggers anxiety or discomfort for me?
Example: Type 2 fears being unwanted, unloved, or seen as unworthy of connection.
• I fear being unneeded and unimportant.
• I fear being invisible or rejected.
• I fear being seen as selfish or unlovable.

Defense Strategies – Type 2:
Observe your automatic reactions when you feel triggered, anxious, or misjudged—the instinctive patterns you use to stay safe.
Ask yourself:
How do I protect myself when I feel exposed, overwhelmed, or criticized?
What habitual strategies do I use to avoid pain or regain control?
Example: Type 2 avoids focusing on their own needs and becomes overly helpful to secure a connection.
• I deny or minimize my own needs.
• I try to earn love by giving more.
• I become indispensable to avoid rejection.

More Examples of Type 2: (Supportive Advisor)

Type 2 Idealized Images:
The idealized image revolves around being a good, heartfelt person who is kind, caring, attentive, generous, and altruistic. They strive to be appreciated and valued as indispensable individuals who are emotionally attuned and always available for others. By pursuing this idealized image, Type 2s aim to secure their place in the lives of those around them, often acting as the hub of their family or social groups.

Type 2 Core Fears:
Being worthless or without value.
Feeling unwanted, discarded, or disposable.
Being perceived as replaceable or irrelevant in relationships.
These fears drive Type 2s to constantly seek validation and reassurance through acts of service and emotional connection, hoping to affirm their worth and importance in the lives of others.

Type 2 Defense Strategy: Repression

Type 2s use repression as their primary defensive strategy. They suppress their own needs and desires, pushing them out of conscious awareness to focus entirely on the needs of others. By doing so, they attempt to maintain the image of being selfless and indispensable. However, this repression can create internal conflict. Over time, their unacknowledged neediness may manifest as resentment or feelings of being unappreciated, especially if their efforts to help others are not reciprocated or acknowledged.

Type 2 Behavior vs Motivation
Definitions:
Behavior: Behavior refers to the outward actions an individual takes, which can be observed and described.

Motivation: Motivation refers to the internal drivers behind those behaviors, shaped by an individual's core fears, desires, and values.

While the behaviors of Type 2s may appear outwardly altruistic (helping others, offering support, or creating rapport), their deeper motivation lies in earning validation, securing emotional connection, and protecting themselves from feelings of worthlessness or rejection.

This distinction is critical when understanding Type 2. Their behaviors reflect a desire to maintain their idealized image and protect against their core fears, not just a simple enjoyment of helping others.

Neutralizing Passions, Fixations, and Convictions

Typing with the Passions, Fixations, and Convictions

Each Type contributes a complete set of three passions, fixations, and convictions. These elements do not merely coexist; they converge into a unified psyche that functions as a single, emergent personality pattern. Through the fusion of the three emotional drives (passions), the three cognitive lenses (fixations), and the three guiding principles (convictions), a new, more precise focus of attention arises—one that transcends any individual type and defines the unique Tritype® Archetypal focus.

What are the Passions, Fixations, and Convictions?

Your Tritype® includes the passions, fixations, and convictions of the three types in your Tritype®: one from each Center. These types merge to create your specific focus of attention. Whatever views the types have in common will be amplified.

Passions

Passions are deeply rooted emotional habits that drive each Enneagram type, forming repetitive, automatic emotional responses anchored in the heart (Types 2, 3, 4). Each type's passion compulsively reinforces defensive emotional patterns, distorting perceptions and provoking habitual feelings that protect and maintain one's idealized self-image. These emotional fixations act as survival strategies, falsely promising security and reinforcing ego patterns that perpetuate internal suffering. When passions are activated, emotional reactions become intense, narrowing perception and diminishing reason. Becoming conscious of one's passion allows intentional interruption of automatic emotional loops. This awareness opens a pathway toward emotional authenticity, freedom, and healing.

Fixations

Fixations are deeply embedded mental habits that define each Enneagram type, forming repetitive, automatic cognitive patterns rooted in the head (Types 5, 6, 7). Each type’s fixation continuously reinforces distorted perceptions, sustaining obsessive thought loops that rationalize behaviors and maintain one's idealized self-image. These rigid mental preoccupations serve as protective strategies, falsely promising certainty and reinforcing ego patterns that perpetuate cognitive rigidity. When fixations are active, thinking becomes narrow, habitual, and inflexible, diminishing clarity and insight. Recognizing one's fixation allows intentional interruption of habitual thought processes. This awareness fosters greater cognitive flexibility, adaptability, and mental clarity.

Convictions

Convictions are deeply internalized existential beliefs that define each Enneagram type, forming repetitive, automatic assumptions anchored in the gut (Types 8, 9, 1). Each type’s convictions dogmatically reinforce core assumptions about how the world must operate to ensure survival, maintain identity, and function effectively. These existential beliefs serve as foundational truths, falsely promising emotional and psychological security while reinforcing ego structures that perpetuate internal rigidity. When convictions are challenged, individuals experience intense emotional reactivity, defending these beliefs as fiercely as physical survival. Becoming aware of one's core convictions enables conscious interruption of automatic existential assumptions. This awareness invites openness, deeper flexibility, and transformative personal growth.

Naranjo on Defense Strategies

Claudio Naranjo's defense strategies, as described within the Enneagram system, are the core personality traits that individuals of each type use to manage their emotions and avoid having their idealized images threatened. A threat to an idealized image triggers the core fears that reinforce the convictions and are defended by the defense strategies. While helpful in the short term, these strategies can also lead to rigid beliefs and stagnation. Becoming aware of your idealized images, what you fear and avoid at all costs, your dogmatic beliefs, and how you defend your reality offers deeper insights, enhances problem-solving skills, and provides the flexibility and resilience needed to manage anxiety and distress, restoring a sense of calm.

Typing by Merging the Passions, Fixations, and Convictions

More specifically, the three passions of the types in the Tritype® blend into a single emotional tone, determining what feels most urgent. Simultaneously, the three fixations of the types in the Tritype® interact to form a unified mental pattern, shaping how reality is interpreted, and the three convictions of the types in the Tritype® fuse into an overarching creed that guides every choice. These merged forces of the passions, fixations, and convictions do not act in isolation; When the three passions merge, the three fixations merge, and the three convictions merge, these new mixtures then combine with each other. This synergy produces the "new" type unto itself, whose focus emerges from the seamless integration of all three elements.

Neutralizing the Passions, Fixations, and Convictions of the 279

279 Tritype®: Neutralizing Passions, Fixations, Convictions

Using Tritype® 279 as an example, each type contributes three Holy States—one for the passions, one for fixations, and one for convictions—that work in concert to neutralize emotional, mental, and physical distortions:

Type 2 (Supporting Advisor):

Passion (Pride): Holy Virtue—Holy Humility dissolves the heart’s impulse to earn love through an inflated sense of value and service.

Fixation (Flattery): Holy Idea—Holy Freedom dispels the mind’s tendency to seek approval and earned entitlements based on superficial rapport.

Conviction (Need to Be Needed): Holy Action—Holy Generosity redirects the drive for worthiness toward genuine compassion and service without expectation.

Type 7 (Entertaining Optimist):

Passion (Gluttony): Holy Virtue—Holy Sobriety calms the restless quest for stimulation, fostering presence with experience.

Fixation (Planning): Holy Idea—Holy Wisdom/Plan frees the mind from compulsive anticipation, allowing ideas to flow organically.

Conviction (Stimulation): Holy Action—Holy Inspiration channels the drive for pleasure into wholehearted engagement without clinging.

Type 9 (Peaceful Mediator):

Passion (Sloth): Holy Virtue—Holy Right Actions transforms passive avoidance into active kindness.

Fixation (Indolence): Holy Idea—Holy Love/Harmony breaks mental inertia, inviting full awareness of inner and outer reality.

Conviction (Comforts): Holy Action—Holy Charity shifts the focus from conflict avoidance to conscious connection.

When these nine virtues, ideas, and actions converge—three from each type—they form an integrated field of awareness that transcends individual motives. This unified presence illuminates how emotional drives, cognitive lenses, and guiding principles interweave to create a distinct Tritype® Archetype.

In practical terms, one experiences greater clarity of purpose: reactive impulses soften, habitual blind spots become noticeable, and choice emerges where compulsion once reigned. Through this conscious integration of Holy Virtues, Holy Ideas, and Holy Actions, the emergent Tritype® focus shifts from fragmented reactivity based on the chaotic passions, fixations, and convictions into a cohesive self‑direction, enabling authentic expression of one’s archetypal life purpose while preserving balance and inner harmony.

279 Tritype® Example

Tritype®: 279:
Supportive Advisor, Entertaining Optimist, Peaceful Mediator

Type 2 (Supportive Advisor)
shares overlapping qualities with Type 9 (Peaceful Mediator) and Type 7 (Entertaining Optimist), but their motivations and expressions differ:

Type 9 Influence:
Type 2 and Type 9 share a focus on kindness, but Type 9 expresses kindness through passive, enduring acts of goodwill, whereas Type 2 demonstrates kindness in a more proactive, emotionally involved, and relational way.

Type 7 Influence:
Type 2 can exhibit playful, adventurous, and freedom-seeking qualities commonly associated with Type 7. However, for Type 2, these traits are employed as a means of creating joy and connection through acts of service and emotional attunement.

By understanding these nuances, we can clearly distinguish the unique motivations and strategies that define Type 2.

Idealized Images, Core Fears, and Defense Strategies across Types 2, 7, and 9 Tritype®.

Type 2 (Supportive Advisor)
Idealized Images: Being kind, caring, emotionally attuned, indispensable, and altruistic.
Core Fears: Being worthless, unwanted, disposable, or easily replaced.
Convictions: I must show goodness.
Defense Strategies:
Repression: Suppressing their own needs to focus on others’ needs, maintaining their image as selfless and caring.
Identifications: Over-identifying with others’ emotions and problems as a way to stay connected and indispensable.

Type 7 (Entertaining Optimist)
Idealized Images: Being optimistic, adventurous, exciting, and free-spirited.
Core Fears: Being trapped, missing out, feeling limited, or stuck in emotional pain.
Convictions: I must be excited and exciting
Defense Strategies:
Reframing: Recasting painful or negative situations into positive ones to avoid discomfort.
Intellectual Sublimation: Using mental activity or rationalization to detach from emotional pain and focus on possibilities.

Type 9 (Peaceful Mediator)
Idealized Images: Being peaceful, harmonious, easygoing, and agreeable.
Core Fears: Being overlooked, disconnected, uncomfortable, or in conflict.
Convictions: I must be kind
Defense Strategies:
Narcotization:
Avoiding conflict or discomfort by “numbing out” through routine or distractions.
Going to Sleep to Oneself: Suppressing their own desires and opinions to maintain external harmony and avoid internal discomfort.

Merging all three types in the 279 Tritype®

Types, 2,7,9:The Peacemaker or Peace Seeker
Types merge to create a more specific focus of attention. This amplifies some characteristics and minimizes others. It also details qualities unique to each Tritype®.

279 Idealized Images:
2-Being kind, caring, emotionally attuned, and altruistic.
7-Being optimistic, adventurous, exciting, and free-spirited.
9- Being peaceful, harmonious, easygoing, and agreeable.

279 Core Fears:
2-Being worthless, unwanted, disposable, or easily replaced.
7- Being trapped, missing out, feeling limited, or stuck in emotional pain.
9- Being overlooked, disconnected, uncomfortable, or in conflict.

279 Defense Strategies:
2-Repression: Suppressing needs to focus on others’ needs, maintaining a selfless image
7-Reframing: Recasting painful or negative situations into positives to avoid discomfort.
9-Narcotization: Avoiding conflicts or discomfort by “numbing out” through routine or distractions.

The 279 Tritype® :The Peacemaker
The 279 Tritype® is often referred to as The Peacemaker and Peace Seeker. This Tritype® is characterized by a strong desire to create and maintain comfortable, easy, and harmonious relationships. Combining the qualities of the Supportive Advisor, the Entertaining Optimist, and the Peaceful Mediator, The Peacemaker is warm, optimistic, and relational. They excel at building connections, offering emotional support, and fostering an atmosphere of positivity and cooperation. Their main focus is on being kind, uplifting, and indispensable, often prioritizing others’ comfort and happiness above their own.

©1985-2025 Katherine Chernick Fauvre©1985-2025 Katherine Chernick Fauvre

Book Launch!

Enneagram Instinctual Subtypes 2.0!

Watch Katherine talk about her research studies on the Enneagram Types, Tritypes®, Instinctual Types, and Subtypes, and what was lost in the dissemination of the Enneagram, all of which can be found in her new book.

This new 392 page mega book also includes Introduction to the Enneagram Types, Tritypes®, Wings, Lines of Connection, and Centers as well as Enneagram History and Research. Enneagram Instinctual Subtypes 2.0: Advanced Instincts, Subtypes, Countertypes, and Stackings—Now on sale on Amazon!

Tritype® Stacking + Instinctual Stacking = Focus of Attention

Katherine Fauvre suggests that Tritype®, combined with your Instinctual Stacking, is like your own Enneagram thumbprint, showing the unique way you manage your life using the strategies available. It defines the strategies you employ to negotiate life.

It also identifies what motivates you, what drives you towards excellence, and your sense of purpose.  It gives you the ability to recognize when you are in defense and how to move toward a healthy perspective. Further, it reveals why you are different from others of the same Enneagram Type.

If you struggle with determining your dominant Type and/or Tritype®, please consider that you may have type 6 and/or type 9 in your Tritype®. Both of these types struggle with doubt and tend to identify with the other types. You can take Katherine’s test here.

More on Tritype®
Evolution of Tritype®: katherinefauvre.com
Tritype® Page: katherinefauvre.com/tritype
How to Type and Tritype®: katherinefauvre.com/howtotritype
Take Enneagram Tritype® Test: https://enneagramtritypetest.com

Endorsments

“Katherine’s work on the Tritype is fresh, innovative and illuminating. Even those well acquainted with the Enneagram will be surprised at the precision of this approach in identifying key features of the personality. Highly recommended!”
-Russ Hudson, 548, coauthor, ‘The Wisdom of the Enneagram’

“Katherine is an experienced, knowledgeable, and superb teacher of the Enneagram material. She works with care and compassion, sharing her extensive experience in both coaching and teaching the Enneagram. I hold her in high regard, and I support her work fully. Her interest in the internal style of type, tritype, and the connected instinctual subtype behaviors make her a leader in the field. Virtually everyone can benefit substantially from her research, classes, and workshops.”
- David Daniels, MD 621, author of Enneagram Essentials

“Katherine's Enneagram expertise and instruction on the Enneagram and Tritype increased our team's ability to relate with one another on a business level. Moreover, her teachings at the Federal Reserve Bank over the years helped me understand more about myself as a person, and I've taken her instruction with me well after I took her classes. Working with Katherine was a profound and important milestone in my life.” 
April 14, 2011, hired  Katherine more than once as a Business Consultant
Top qualities: Great Results, Personable, Expert
-Keane Li

For more endorsements

Tritype® 4.0 Advanced Video Series on Sale

Tritype® 4.0 Series - Sold as a set and sold separately by each Tritype®!

Tritype® 4.0 Individual Tritypes®: Save $10
• One Tritype® Archetype of your Choice
• Bonus Video: Introduction to Tritype® 4.0 Video 1.5-hours

Each Tritype® Archetype begins with an Introduction to Tritype® Video that covers the basics of using the Tritype® and Tristar System.

$65.00 on sale for $45.00-$55.00.  (for a limited time only).
Save $10 on individual videos with a special introductory price!
Learn more and purchase individual Tritype® videos here

Advanced Intro to Tritype® 4.0 + Evolution of Tritype®
125 - The Mentor
126 - The Supporter
127 - The Teacher
135 - The Technical Expert
136 - The Taskmaster
137 - The Systems Builder
145 - The Researcher
146 - The Philosopher
147 - The Visionary
258 - The Strategist
259 - The Problem Solver
268 - The Rescuer
269 - The Good Samaritan
278 - The Free Spirit
279 - The Peacemaker
358 - The Solution Master
359 - The Thinker
368 - The Justice Fighter
369 - The Mediator
378 - The Mover Shaker
379 - The Ambassador
458 - The Scholar
459 - The Contemplative
468 - The Truth Teller
469 - The Seeker
478 - The Messenger
479 - The Gentle Spirit
Full set of 29 Videos Includes Intro + Evolution of Tritype®

Learn more and purchase individual Tritype® videos here
©1995-2024 Katherine Chernick Fauvre Working with Tritype®

Tritype® 5.0: Tristar Masterclass

The 639 Tritype® and Instinctual Types and Subtypes

Katherine promised to say more about the commonly mistyped elusive, dedicated, smart, emotionally complex type 6w7 639 Tritype®.
Ok, just this description for now...a very short example...

The 369 Tritype® is the only “pure” primary Tritype®
and the most amenable and adaptable of the 27 Tritypes®. This Tritype® includes the core types of each center of intelligence. The core of each center is seeking to balance the opposites within each center to create balance and resolution. The core of each center is usually out of touch with the focus of their respective center and tends to be caught in the dance of opposites created by the opposing defense strategies of the wings in each center.

So the 6, as the center of the head triad, struggles to trust themselves and their own inner guidance. They oscillate between feeling they need to be an expert about something or feeling they need to know a little about everything to feel safe. But they know they don’t truly know everything that is important, so they befriend those who can do what they cannot. This expands to include competent friends of their friends to seek advice from when they need it, or to have friends of their friends that can do whatever the 6 feels unsure about.

So, the 3 is trying to manage the overall fear of being ignored. The 6 is trying to manage the fear of fear itself and chaos, and the 9 is trying to manage the fear of being overlooked and unimportant. Together, the focus is on creating, restoring, and maintaining peaceful relating.

If your Tritype® is the 369, it reinforces the primary issues. As a result, neutralizing conflict is a primary concern.

The 7 wing gives the 6 a lighter touch and a desire to manage stress with quick-witted, often self-deprecating humor. So, the 6w7 with the 639 is the friendly boy or girl next door who wants to engage with others as a means of survival. This strategy is true even if the person is shy. And, the extroverted 639 still feels cautious and/or has doubts, but the extraversion makes it easier to bridge their shyness by saying something funny and/or witty. The introverted 639 uses their shy smile to disarm and engage others.

Self Preserving 639 Tritype®

The self-preserving 639 is preoccupied with their physical needs. They focus on their sense of security and what will keep them feeling safe, nurtured, and comfortable. They tend to worry about everything associated with their essential needs, focusing on the demands of their home, job, pension, and family, etc.

Being disarming and friendly are tools of the trade for the self-preserving 6. And a friendly and socially acceptable partner may be considered just as important as a good job as both reinforce that they have what they need in times of uncertainty. As such, they monitor their physical needs and resources to gauge if they are safe and secure. To maintain a sense of well-being, they may also track the physical needs of their designated other(s). This can be exhausting and feel difficult to manage, so they often keep their world small, letting in only one person or a trusted few.

The Social 639 Tritype®

The social 639 is preoccupied with their place or position within the group(s) of their choosing. Ideally, their group needs to be considered socially acceptable, and their partner needs to be considered friendly and successful to ensure and maintain the security that comes from status. 

They focus on being dutiful and supportive to the people, beliefs, values and/or creeds they have chosen to align with. As such, they monitor who is doing what with whom and whether or not they feel included and secure. To maintain their security, they seek a role or position within their group(s) and family systems to ensure they have others who will come to their aid should they need it. They see themselves as dedicated and loyal to the people in their lives. They instinctively shapeshift and become what their others need in order to be deemed worthy of admiration and protection. 

The Sexual 639 Tritype®

The sexual 639 is preoccupied with selecting and/or being a desirable and irresistible alpha mate. They are more intense and counter-phobic than the self-preserving and social 6. They seek intensity and chemistry in their intimate relationships and tend to push the edge in whatever they do. They manage their fears and anxiety by jumping into situations that cause distress proving to themselves that they are strong enough to manage whatever feels threatening. They can move from fear to action in nanoseconds when they have already projected a worst-case scenario and have prepared for it. As a result, they may not identify with having fear.

The sexual 639 focuses on having and being strong enough and/or beautiful enough to attract a desirable mate who will stand beside them and protect them when they feel insecure. Strength may mean physical strength and beauty or can be defined as someone who is extremely smart and competent. Ideally, they want their mate and close friends to be extraordinary in some way they feel they are not. As such, they may choose a mate that they think is smarter than most so that they feel they have all of their bases covered. To that end, they adapt to what their mate or partners want to ensure they have their special someone who will stand together with them against an uncertain world.

Qualitative Research on the Internal Experience of Type

Tritype® theory was born of the research gathered from Katherine Fauvre's initial explorations of the “internal experiences” of the Enneagram types, instinctual subtypes, core fears, self-image, language, spirituality, intimacy, and pair bonding from 1994 to 1998. It was so informative to hear about the types' “internal experiences” that the study has remained ongoing since 1994!

Initially, this questionnaire (EQ) was sent to 400 participants who were already familiar with the Enneagram so that Katherine could examine whether or not individuals with the same Enneagram types described themselves using similar language and symbology. Although Katherine suspected some questionnaire similarities among those with the same type, what she discovered was the likelihood that the Enneagram type was possibly determinable by simply examining word choice in self-description categories.

After her analysis of the Enneastyle Questionnaire (EQ) responses from her first research study on the Instinctual Subtypes and Enneastyle-the 9 Languages of Enneagram Type, and Enneastyle, then later in conjunction with the Enneacards Enneagram test – and the Enneagram Tritype® Test, Katherine consistently noticed that individuals with the same Enneagram types described themselves similarly.

Tritype® Coaching Testimonial

I decided to work with Katherine without a specific issue or concern in mind, except to advance my self-awareness and understanding my enneagram tritype. In our first meeting Katherine helped me identify and clarify a self-limiting belief and a constellation of defence strategies organized around this belief. I have gained a deeper insight into how this belief system plays out, how to identify it and most importantly actionable steps to notice this previously unconscious mode of operating. I also gained a deeper understanding of how the tritype functions as a part of this pattern. If you are looking to up your game in terms of self-awareness or wondering just how much further you take your knowledge of the enneagram, fasten your seat belt and sign up for session with with Katherine. 
-Paul, Canada

Tritype® Examples

478 Tritype® Example

Another way of looking at these combinations is to consider what each type brings to each Tritype®. If your primary type is 8, you might have a Tritype® configuration of 874. The primary Enneagram Type would be Type 8; however, this Tritype® combination indicates that this Tritype® would most likely be a strong, positive person who seeks solutions (8), options (7), and meaning (4).

What is fascinating is that the strategy of Type 8 merges with the other two types together, creating a new type unto itself.

With the other two types in the Tritype®, the 8 desire is to overcome obstacles; then they also employ the strategy of Type 7 and Type 4.

The types in the Tritype® expand, contract, and flow in a continuously oscillating manner.

This reveals the particular pattern of each Tritype® and how to intervene in an effective manner.

478 Tritype®: Instinctual Stacking vs Tritype® Stacking

The 4, 7, and 8 are the three types that share a drive for authenticity and creativity. All three types are non-conformists. In addition, the 4 and 7 like what is unusual. The 7 and 8 are assertive types, and the 4 and 8 share the line of intensity.

These qualities are amplified in the Tritype®, making the 4 more assertive, the 7 more concrete and creative, and the 8 softer and more introspective. What these three types do not share are minimized. So this Tritype® is sensitive and sees the world from a more extroverted lens of perception even if one is an introvert.

478 Core Fears

As mentioned, Katherine Fauvre's research interviewed subjects that consistently identified with the core fears and idealized self-images of three, not just one Enneagram type.

When correlated with other personality typology systems, the Instinctual Types Stacking of three and the Tritype® pattern of three appeared to be the two most powerful governing typologies.

 This was due in part to the fact that these two systems identify the underlying, often unconscious, motivations and defense strategies of the Enneagram Personality Types.

468 Tritype® Example

Each Tritype® combination creates a different expression of Enneagram Type. If one is an Enneagram Type 4, he or she might have a Tritype® of the 468.

This would mean he or she predominantly uses Type 4 as the lead type; however, Type 4 would also employ the strategies of Type 6 and Type 8 in all decision-making processes.

Your Enneagram Type 4 strategies merge with the Type 6 and Type 8 strategies to produce results.

All permutations (wings and lines of connections) of Type 4 and those of the other two types, 6 and 8, combine to manage problems and create solutions.

There are books and videos on the Enneagram Tritype® here.
Learn more about Tritype® 1.0 - 4.0 in the Tritype® Masterclass Recordings here.
More on Tritype® here: https://enneagramtritypetest.com
©1995-2024 Katherine Chernick Fauvre • All rights reserved

This advanced application of the Enneagram introduces a higher degree of precision when it comes to pinpointing the specific areas of focus and core concerns associated with the "core" type.

By combining three Enneagram types within the Tritype®, it becomes possible to identify a shared focus of attention, thus expanding the structural understanding of an individual's personality. In doing so, it also becomes feasible to recognize the common talents and challenges inherent in that personality configuration.

This, in turn, makes it possible to recognize the core triggers and patterns of distress for each Tritype®, thereby disrupting the pattern sooner rather than later.

Furthermore, the placement of the Tritype® on the Tristar adds an additional layer of clarity to the life theme associated with the Tritype®. This, in turn, enhances one's capacity to delve deeper into one's personal journey of self-discovery and fosters a greater sense of empathy and understanding not only for oneself but also for individuals who possess different Tritypes®. It offers a profound opportunity for personal growth and enriches our interactions with others who navigate the complexities of their own Tritype® configurations.

468 Example

Example: The 468 (486, 684, 648, 864, 846) has been deemed “The Truth Teller” by Katherine Fauvre.

Most research participants who identified this as their Tritype® combination reported similar archetypal patterns that, according to Katherine, warranted this title, such as the desire to track inconsistencies and call off hidden agendas and ulterior motives.

According to Katherine, each of the 27 Tritypes® has a corresponding archetype that gives a "snapshot" into the archetypal life path of that particular Tritype® combination.