What's my Enneagram type?

[Raver]

Well, I changed my Enneagram type from 6w7 to 9w1 mainly because I felt when I acted like a six was because I was under stress at the time, which would make sense for a 9. I generally fit well with 9 when reading the descriptions, but I'm curious to see your opinions on this. Thanks.

[Raver]

Just 1 vote? I guess I'm going to have to figure out this one on my own. Probably better that way come to think of it.

[Galen]

Well what specifically about 6w7 and 9w1 fixations do/did you identify with?

[Roro]

If you have to ask, probably 6.

[Raver]

Well what specifically about 6w7 and 9w1 fixations do/did you identify with?

I initially picked six because of my natural nervous nature and I do tend to worry a lot. I also feel like I'm able to play many different roles depending on how I feel at the time, which is supposedly what a 6 does. The 7 wing made sense as I'm more friendly/approachable then a 5 wing would be. I can be a little wild with experimentation at times so that's another reason why the 7 wing fits.

For nine I've been told that I have a rather calm persona (a contradiction haha), which is supposedly how nines come across. I can relate to the intellectual nature of nines that is rather fluid and open unlike the rigid intellectualism of fives. The 1 wing makes sense in that I am a bit of a perfectionist at times and I do try to establish some sense of order in my life once things get a bit chaotic.

If you have to ask, probably 6.

Cool.

[Galen]

I initially picked six because of my natural nervous nature and I do tend to worry a lot. I also feel like I'm able to play many different roles depending on how I feel at the time, which is supposedly what a 6 does. The 7 wing made sense as I'm more friendly/approachable then a 5 wing would be. I can be a little wild with experimentation at times so that's another reason why the 7 wing fits.

Not sure what you mean by "playing many different roles." You'd probably be a 7 wing if you are a 6 though.

For nine I've been told that I have a rather calm persona (a contradiction haha), which is supposedly how nines come across. I can relate to the intellectual nature of nines that is rather fluid and open unlike the rigid intellectualism of fives.

When it comes to nines, I don't necessarily see calmness as much as passivity of the ego, physical/emotional numbness when under stress, or even a poorly defined sense of self. What's seen as being fluid and open is more due to the 9's own individual needs not being recognized.

This link is fairly insightful into the mindset of a 9 for me: http://ocean-moonshine.net/e14285736...position=36:36

The really crucial problem for type Nine individuals is that they tend to have an inadequate sense of self. This leads to a tendency on the part of Nines to both downplay their own significance and to borrow a sense of significance from others. There is, in fact, a sort of paradox at the heart of the type Nine fixation. At a largely subconscious level, Nines intuitively grasp that the constructed personality, the personality with which most of us identify, is not the true self; it is not who they are. This is, in fact, a very deep truth; the constructed personality is simply that - a construct through which consciousness operates, much of it built out of defenses and reactions to dangers which are no longer present; it is, in a sense, both a limitation and an obscuration. But the constructed personality also serves a necessary function; it gives the individual a base from which to operate, a sense of self, however ultimately flawed and partial. While the constructed self is not ultimately who we are, it is a necessary step towards the development of true individuality. Gurdjieff has this to say: "For inner growth, for work on oneself, a certain development of personality, as well as a certain strength of essence are required. An insufficiently developed personality means that...a man cannot begin to work on himself, he cannot begin to study himself, he cannot begin to struggle with his mechanical habits."

I'm damn sure you're not a 5 either, if that's what you were trying to get at.

The 1 wing makes sense in that I am a bit of a perfectionist at times and I do try to establish some sense of order in my life once things get a bit chaotic.

This sounds like how most people are?

[Raver]

Not sure what you mean by "playing many different roles." You'd probably be a 7 wing if you are a 6 though.

Ah, this quote illustrates what I meant by that:

Until they can get in touch with their own inner guidance, Sixes are like a ping-pong ball that is constantly shuttling back and forth between whatever influence is hitting the hardest in any given moment. Because of this reactivity, no matter what we say about Sixes, the opposite is often also as true. They are both strong and weak, fearful and courageous, trusting and distrusting, defenders and provokers, sweet and sour, aggressive and passive, bullies and weaklings, on the defensive and on the offensive, thinkers and doers, group people and soloists, believers and doubters, cooperative and obstructionistic, tender and mean, generous and petty—and on and on. It is the contradictory picture that is the characteristic “fingerprint” of Sixes, the fact that they are a bundle of opposites.

When it comes to nines, I don't necessarily see calmness as much as passivity of the ego, physical/emotional numbness when under stress, or even a poorly defined sense of self. What's seen as being fluid and open is more due to the 9's own individual needs not being recognized.

This link is fairly insightful into the mindset of a 9 for me: http://ocean-moonshine.net/e14285736...position=36:36
[/FONT]

I'm damn sure you're not a 5 either, if that's what you were trying to get at.

Yeah I know I'm not a 5, I was just saying that I relate to 9 intellectualism, which is in stark contrast to 5 intellectualism. I can relate to what you just posted, but my problem has been more about revealing my personality, which I felt I've kept hidden for many years, so not sure if that relates or not. I also do see myself as a kind of peacemaker trying to compromise with everyone, but that could also be perceived as loyalty, which is a six trait. I can relate to both the nine and six descriptions and even four to an extent, but that could be a tri-type issue.

This sounds like how most people are?

Yeah I figured that might of been a forer effect like argument.

[Galen]

Ah, this quote illustrates what I meant by that:

That's an interesting and very apt 6 quote. Where'd you find it?

Yeah I know I'm not a 5, I was just saying that I relate to 9 intellectualism, which is in stark contrast to 5 intellectualism. I can relate to what you just posted, but my problem has been more about revealing my personality, which I felt I've kept hidden for many years, so not sure if that relates or not.

Could you elaborate on how you think you keep your personality hidden?

I also do see myself as a kind of peacemaker trying to compromise with everyone, but that could also be perceived as loyalty, which is a six trait. I can relate to both the nice and six descriptions and even 4 to an extent, but that could be a tri-type issue.

Yeah, I've seen similar sorts of peace-making habits in all of the Attachment Triad types. It all stems from a sort of nebulousness pertaining to the self, where they don't have a clearly-defined sense of what/who they are in some respect and thus turn outward to compensate.

Also, there are entirely too many people self-typing as some 469 variant around these parts. That's not to say you aren't 469 though.

Yeah I figured that might of been a forer effect like argument.

What I find with 1 wings isn't so much a perfectionistic streak to them, but more a moralistic one. My 9w1 mom has these little flashes where she reacts towards things she sees as objectively wrong/offensive/etc, and tends to chastise accordingly.

[Raver]

That's an interesting and very apt 6 quote. Where'd you find it?

I got it from here: http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/typesix.asp

Could you elaborate on how you think you keep your personality hidden?

I just have a lot of anxiety and fear that holds me back from expressing my true self and even if I don't, I still hold back because I think I can be weird at times. Even though when I do reveal myself, the response is usually positive and only sometimes negative, so it's a very irrational fear holding me back.

Yeah, I've seen similar sorts of peace-making habits in all of the Attachment Triad types. It all stems from a sort of nebulousness pertaining to the self, where they don't have a clearly-defined sense of what/who they are in some respect and thus turn outward to compensate.

Also, there are entirely too many people self-typing as some 469 variant around these parts. That's not to say you aren't 469 though.

Ah okay this makes perfect sense. Yeah 4-6-9 makes the most sense to me as my tri-type.

What I find with 1 wings isn't so much a perfectionistic streak to them, but more a moralistic one. My 9w1 mom has these little flashes where she reacts towards things she sees as objectively wrong/offensive/etc, and tends to chastise accordingly.

Ah okay, well I'd say I definitely do feel strongly affected when someone has done a heinous act and feel they need to be punished properly, but I thought that was something everyone felt.

[Galen]

I just have a lot of anxiety and fear that holds me back from expressing my true self and even if I don't, I still hold back because I think I can be weird at times. Even though when I do reveal myself, the response is usually positive and only sometimes negative, so it's a very irrational fear holding me back.

This sounds like more of a head fixation than a gut one.

[silke]

I just have a lot of anxiety and fear that holds me back from expressing my true self and even if I don't, I still hold back because I think I can be weird at times. Even though when I do reveal myself, the response is usually positive and only sometimes negative, so it's a very irrational fear holding me back.

Do you feel that fear localized more in your body, the gut, or is it localized more in your head? With a few 6s what I've noticed often happens is that when they feel anxiety or fear, their mind starts rapidly working, often coming up with some rationalizations to what caused that fear (more characteristic of phobic 6s). It's like their fear fuels their head. The gut triad instead associates emotions with physical sensations, so for example an emotion of fear might make your stomach churn, and gut triad is especially sensitive to this. Their fear resonates on the level of the body. There were several discussions of this on the enneagram forums: http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/fo...TOPIC_ID=11032

It's not like people of other types don't experience anxiety, or fear, or uncertainty, everyone feels those things, but different types tend to experience and deal with it differently, so you have to figure out what your response is like and whether it is more in line with a 6 or a 9.

I initially picked six because of my natural nervous nature and I do tend to worry a lot. I also feel like I'm able to play many different roles depending on how I feel at the time, which is supposedly what a 6 does.

I haven't seen that mentioned in profiles of Sixes. If I think of someone switching roles and behaving like a chameleon, I think of a 3 or a 9. Nine because of what was mentioned in that quote that Galen has posted, that their sense of self is lacking. Perhaps it is because they try to embrace everything at the same time (like hitta says "everything is connected", I type him as a 9 too btw) but having a well-defined identity or well-defined course of action you have to exclude certain things and that's what stops a Nine.

[Raver]

Do you feel that fear localized more in your body, the gut, or is it localized more in your head? With a few 6s what I've noticed often happens is that when they feel anxiety or fear, their mind starts rapidly working, often coming up with some rationalizations to what caused that fear (more characteristic of phobic 6s). It's like their fear fuels their head. The gut triad instead associates emotions with physical sensations, so for example an emotion of fear might make your stomach churn, and gut triad is especially sensitive to this. Their fear resonates on the level of the body. There were several discussions of this on the enneagram forums: http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/fo...TOPIC_ID=11032

It's not like people of other types don't experience anxiety, or fear, or uncertainty, everyone feels those things, but different types tend to experience and deal with it differently, so you have to figure out what your response is like and whether it is more in line with a 6 or a 9.

Strange thing is when I was a child I would say my fear definitely traced down to my gut as I would feel my stomach churn and physically feel sick whenever I was in a phobic situation. Nowadays, it's more mental the fear as I end up psyching myself out mentally quite often, when there's no need. So not sure what that makes me.

I haven't seen that mentioned in profiles of Sixes. If I think of someone switching roles and behaving like a chameleon, I think of a 3 or a 9. Nine because of what was mentioned in that quote that Galen has posted, that their sense of self is lacking. Perhaps it is because they try to embrace everything at the same time (like hitta says "everything is connected", I type him as a 9 too btw) but having a well-defined identity or well-defined course of action you have to exclude certain things and that's what stops a Nine.

Interesting take, yeah it's mentioned in this profile of six with this quote:

Until they can get in touch with their own inner guidance, Sixes are like a ping-pong ball that is constantly shuttling back and forth between whatever influence is hitting the hardest in any given moment. Because of this reactivity, no matter what we say about Sixes, the opposite is often also as true. They are both strong and weak, fearful and courageous, trusting and distrusting, defenders and provokers, sweet and sour, aggressive and passive, bullies and weaklings, on the defensive and on the offensive, thinkers and doers, group people and soloists, believers and doubters, cooperative and obstructionistic, tender and mean, generous and petty—and on and on. It is the contradictory picture that is the characteristic “fingerprint” of Sixes, the fact that they are a bundle of opposites.

What you said about nines makes a lot of sense though as 9s change roles as well, but for completely different reasons then sixes, so the challenge perhaps from what I'm getting your post in a whole is to find the source of such changes in behaviour. The same can be said for finding how fear manifests itself in a person.

[Galen]

Do you feel that fear localized more in your body, the gut, or is it localized more in your head? With a few 6s what I've noticed often happens is that when they feel anxiety or fear, their mind starts rapidly working, often coming up with some rationalizations to what caused that fear (more characteristic of phobic 6s). It's like their fear fuels their head. The gut triad instead associates emotions with physical sensations, so for example an emotion of fear might make your stomach churn, and gut triad is especially sensitive to this. Their fear resonates on the level of the body. There were several discussions of this on the enneagram forums: http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/fo...TOPIC_ID=11032

Well to be fair, another 6 I know and I have talked with each other about how our feelings, particularly fear and anxiety, are physically felt as a sensation in our solar plexuses (solar plexi?), like a sort of weight pressing down upon our chests that won't go away until the thing is dealt with.

I haven't seen that mentioned in profiles of Sixes. If I think of someone switching roles and behaving like a chameleon, I think of a 3 or a 9. Nine because of what was mentioned in that quote that Galen has posted, that their sense of self is lacking. Perhaps it is because they try to embrace everything at the same time (like hitta says "everything is connected", I type him as a 9 too btw) but having a well-defined identity or well-defined course of action you have to exclude certain things and that's what stops a Nine.

Even if it's not mentioned outright, I do find that it holds true to some extent for sixes as well. It happens more as a function of insecurity and not really having a good sense of which path is the "correct" one, so the Six's opinion can easily vacillate depending on which side sounds more correct in the moment.