Context Slice The Nine Enneagram Types
Type 1: The Reformer
Core Fear: Being corrupt, evil, or defective
Core Desire: To be good, have integrity, be balanced
At their best: Principled, purposeful, self-controlled, and perfectionistic in the healthiest sense—they improve everything they touch.
Under stress: Critical, resentful, inflexible. Their inner critic runs rampant, and they project their standards onto others.
Key behaviors: Strong sense of right and wrong, organized, detail-oriented, struggle to relax when things are "unfinished," suppressed anger that leaks as resentment.
Growth path: Learn that imperfection is okay. Practice accepting what is. Transform "I should" into "I choose."
Wings: 1w9 (The Idealist)—more introverted, cooler, detached. 1w2 (The Advocate)—more interpersonal, warm, focused on helping.
Type 2: The Helper
Core Fear: Being unwanted, unworthy of love
Core Desire: To feel loved, needed, appreciated
At their best: Generous, demonstrative, people-pleasing in genuinely caring ways. They see and meet others' needs intuitively.
Under stress: Possessive, manipulative, martyred. They give to get, then resent when the transaction isn't honored.
Key behaviors: Focused on others' needs, warm and expressive, struggle to identify own needs, can be intrusive in their helpfulness.
Growth path: Learn to receive as well as give. Acknowledge your own needs without guilt. Love yourself first.
Wings: 2w1 (The Servant)—more principled, controlled, critical. 2w3 (The Host)—more ambitious, image-conscious, charming.
Type 3: The Achiever
Core Fear: Being worthless, without inherent value
Core Desire: To feel valuable, worthwhile, accepted for who they are
At their best: Authentic, self-accepting, role models who inspire others by embodying their values rather than chasing image.
Under stress: Deceptive (to themselves first), narcissistic, competitive. They confuse their achievements with their identity.
Key behaviors: Driven, efficient, image-conscious, adaptable to audiences, struggle with authenticity vs. performance, avoid failure at all costs.
Growth path: Slow down enough to discover who you are without achievement. Learn that you are worthy independent of what you do.
Wings: 3w2 (The Charmer)—more people-oriented, helpful, warm. 3w4 (The Professional)—more introspective, creative, emotionally complex.
Type 4: The Individualist
Core Fear: Having no identity or personal significance
Core Desire: To find themselves and their significance, to create an identity
At their best: Inspired, creative, emotionally honest. They transform pain into beauty and help others access depth.
Under stress: Melancholy, self-absorbed, envious. They feel deficient compared to others and romanticize what they lack.
Key behaviors: Drawn to authenticity and depth, aesthetic sensitivity, mood swings, tendency toward melancholy, feel "different" from others.
Growth path: Recognize that your identity isn't dependent on being unique. Find the ordinary beauty you share with others. Stay present instead of longing.
Wings: 4w3 (The Aristocrat)—more ambitious, image-aware, productive. 4w5 (The Bohemian)—more withdrawn, cerebral, unconventional.
Type 5: The Investigator
Core Fear: Being useless, helpless, incapable
Core Desire: To be capable, competent, to understand the environment
At their best: Visionary pioneers, ahead of their time, seeing things others miss. They share knowledge generously.
Under stress: Isolated, antagonistic, eccentric. They hoard resources (time, energy, knowledge) and become increasingly detached.
Key behaviors: Cerebral, observant, private, need lots of alone time, compartmentalize emotions, minimize needs to maintain independence.
Growth path: Engage with life instead of just observing it. Share yourself before you feel fully ready. Trust that you have enough (time, energy, knowledge).
Wings: 5w4 (The Iconoclast)—more creative, emotionally sensitive, unconventional. 5w6 (The Problem Solver)—more practical, anxious, collaborative.
Type 6: The Loyalist
Core Fear: Being without support and guidance, unable to survive
Core Desire: To have security and support
At their best: Courageous, trustworthy, committed defenders. They face their fears and build genuine security through relationship and competence.
Under stress: Anxious, suspicious, reactive. They project threats, test loyalties, and oscillate between compliance and rebellion.
Key behaviors: Questioning mind, loyalty to people and ideas, worst-case thinking, self-doubt despite competence, can be phobic (avoid) or counterphobic (confront) with fear.
Growth path: Develop self-trust. Recognize that security comes from within, not from systems or authorities. Act despite uncertainty.
Wings: 6w5 (The Defender)—more introverted, cerebral, independent. 6w7 (The Buddy)—more outgoing, playful, adventurous.
Type 7: The Enthusiast
Core Fear: Being deprived or trapped in pain
Core Desire: To be satisfied, content, to have their needs fulfilled
At their best: Joyful, accomplished, able to deeply experience and contribute. They bring enthusiasm without escapism.
Under stress: Scattered, undisciplined, escapist. They flee from pain through constant activity and stimulation, avoiding depth.
Key behaviors: Optimistic, spontaneous, versatile, future-focused, struggle with commitment and follow-through, reframe negatives as positives.
Growth path: Stay present with difficult emotions instead of escaping into the next experience. Complete before starting. Find depth in limitation.
Wings: 7w6 (The Entertainer)—more anxious, loyal, relationship-focused. 7w8 (The Realist)—more assertive, ambitious, materialistic.
Type 8: The Challenger
Core Fear: Being harmed or controlled by others
Core Desire: To protect themselves, be in control of their own life and destiny
At their best: Magnanimous, heroic, championing others. They use their power to protect and empower rather than dominate.
Under stress: Confrontational, controlling, ruthless. They bulldoze opposition and deny vulnerability as weakness.
Key behaviors: Intense presence, direct communication, protective of inner circle, excess as a lifestyle, struggle to show vulnerability, black-and-white thinking.
Growth path: Allow vulnerability—it's strength, not weakness. Yield sometimes without losing yourself. Notice how your intensity affects others.
Wings: 8w7 (The Maverick)—more extroverted, entrepreneurial, pleasure-seeking. 8w9 (The Bear)—more receptive, calm, agreeable.
Type 9: The Peacemaker
Core Fear: Loss, separation, annihilation
Core Desire: To have inner stability and peace of mind
At their best: Indomitable, all-embracing, bringing people together. They hold complexity with equanimity and model genuine peace.
Under stress: Complacent, disengaged, stubborn through passivity. They merge with others, losing themselves, or become immovable in resistance.
Key behaviors: Agreeable, easygoing, avoidant of conflict, struggle to know their own priorities, can be passive-aggressive, "go along to get along."
Growth path: Claim your own wants and opinions. Engage with conflict instead of numbing out. Wake up to your own life as the protagonist.
Wings: 9w8 (The Referee)—more assertive, protective, earthy. 9w1 (The Dreamer)—more idealistic, orderly, principled.