PREVIOUS : Subtype STACK Details (Types 4, 5, 6)

SITE: “The Enneagram System’s 27 Personality SUBTYPES” (Types & counter-types) by Beatrice Chestnut

REVIEW: The content of the 27 subtypes highlights the reasons why two people of the same type can look very different, & clarifies the impact of the operation of biological goals that drive our
behavior.

COUNTER instinct of TYPE 7 – Sacrifice
Social 7s go against ‘normal’ gluttony from a conscientious efforts to be of service to others. Deliberately wanting to avoid exploiting others, they need to feel ‘pure’, sacrificing their own needs in support of others – & passionately want to be seen as ‘good’ for it.
Their ascetic ideal is expressed by making self-deprivation into a virtue.
Their idealism & enthusiasm becomes a way of making themselves feel active & valued in the world.
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COUNTER instinct of TYPE 8 – Solidarity
Social 8s express lust & aggression – but mainly in the service of others. A social-antisocial person, the helpful 8 appears less aggressive & more loyal than the other two subtypes. The name “Solidarity” emphasizes their tendency to offer protection whenever it’s needed.
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COUNTER instinct of TYPE 9 – Participation
Social 9s fuse with groups. An internal laziness makes them work hard at being part of the different groups in their lives – fun-loving, sociable & congenial.
Externally – they can be workaholics, prioritizing the group’s needs above their own. This high level of activity makes them the 9’s countertype.
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NEXT : Subtype STACKING (#1)

PREVIOUS: Subtype Details (1,2,3)

BOOK : “The Complete Enneagram : 27 Paths to Greater Self-Knowledge“ by Beatrice Chestnut

COUNTER instinct of TYPE 4 – Tenacity
Self Preservation 4s are long-suffering, stoic in the face of their inner pain, not share it with others as much as the other two 4s. They learn to tolerate discomfort & ‘do without’ – as a way of earning love.
Instead of sitting in their envy, SP 4s act it out by working hard to get what others have & they lack. More masochistic & less melodramatic, these 4s demand a lot of themselves, have a strong need to endure, & have a passion for effort.
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COUNTER instinct of TYPE 5 – Confidence
Sexual 5s have a romantic streak. The most emotionally sensitive of the type, they suffer more, resembling 4s that way, & have more visible desires.
They express avarice (greed) by searching for fantasy-images of absolute love, with the need to find a partner who fulfills an ideal of trust. They have a vibrant inner life that may be expressed through artistic creation, but are still cut off from others in many ways.
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COUNTER instinct of TYPE 6 – Strength/Beauty
Sexual 6s express fear by going against it – by becoming strong & intimidating, trusting themselves more than the other two subtypes. So when they’re afraid, their inner programming follows the idea that “the best defense is a good offense”.
They take on a powerful stance both in what they do & how they look, as a way of holding the ‘enemy’ at bay. Their anxiety is quieted through skill & readiness in the face of real or potential attacks.
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NEXT : Subtype Details (7, 8 ,9)

PREVIOUS : Enneagram

Review
🔸 Instincts tell what our needs are.
🔸Our type indicates how we get those needs met, how we go about it.
🔸The variants (focused on the outside world) represent our priorities. Further down the levels of health, use of the instinct is more compulsive, & less a response to the actual need of the moment.

COUNTER instinct of TYPE 1 – Zeal
Sexual 1s are “counter-instinctive” to the 1’s normal tendency to repress emotions, being more impulsive & outwardly angry, which they act out through an intense desire to improve others & get whatever they want.

They’re more reformers than perfectionists, feeling entitled in the way zealots do, from the belief that they have a higher understanding of Truth & know the reasons behind “the right way to be.”.
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COUNTER instinct of TYPE 2 – Privilege
Self Preservation 2s “seduce” others (like a child around grown-ups) as a way of unconsciously inducing others to take care of them. Assuming that everyone likes children, SP 2s take on a youthful attitude to get special treatment well beyond childhood – acting charming, playful, irresponsible.

As the countertype, it’s harder to see Pride (‘normal flaw’) because they’re more fearful of & ambivalent about connecting with others. “Privilege” reflects this 2’s desire to be loved & prioritized just for being who they are, not for what they give.
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COUNTER instinct of TYPE 3  – Security
Self Preservation 3s are vain about not having vanity. They too want to be admired, but avoid openly going after recognition. Not just satisfied with looking good, SP 3s strive to BE good, determined to match the perfection model of how a person should be – which implies being virtuous, & virtue implies a lack of vanity. SP 3s try for a sense of security through being good, working hard by being effective & productive.

NEXT : Subtype STACK Details

PREVIOUS : Subtypes – motives

BOOK : 27 Paths in Life & Subtypes in Relationship ∼ Peter O’Hanrahan
POSTS :  EnneaType EMOTIONS
2,3,4s = Grief, Shame // 5,6,7s = Fear, Anxiety, 8,9,1s = Anger, Rage 

Each Type handles it’s primary emotion differently:
❖ The first Type in its triad (blue) is overt & “externalizes” – 2 its shame, 5 its fear, 8 its anger—->

◆ The second Type in its triad (pink) is covert or “represses” – 3 its shame, 6 its fear, 9 its anger

✦ The third Type in its triad (lavender) is neutral or “internalizes” – 4 its shame, 7 its fear, 1 its anger (From : Enneagram Central Blog)

☆ Psychologically – the subtype instincts are closely associated with 3 crucial developmental stages of early childhood . Studying instinctual subtypes can help identify life-long patterns, and recover from early losses & insecurities.
1. Self-Preservation (SP) : infant bonding & grounding = our right to exist
2. Sexual / Intimate (SX) : growing awareness of self vs. other in the first “dyad” (mother or primary caregiver) = our right to be loved
3. Social (SO): entering the larger community of family, friends & peers = our right to belong

☆ Archetypally – subtypes can be described as the central patterns of human consciousness. Each has a special role in our society & in the history of our culture. Each has its major strengths & drawbacks.
For anyone interested in personal or spiritual growth, on the S & I path of “individuation,” it’s vital to come to terms with these powerful archetypes & the part they play in our life.

Enneagram as ONION LAYERS

SELF-PRESERVATION Subtype ATTITUDES
2 – Nurturer – feel privileged, & earn approval through caretaking
3 – Company Man/Woman – achieve success & financial security
4 – Creative Individualist – reckless in pursuit of authenticity
5 – Castle Defender – home as refuge, or having a “womb with a view.”
6 – Family Loyalist – seek safety through kindness & affection
7 – Gourmand – enjoy fun, food & family
8 – Survivalist – protect the space & the family
9 – Collector – appetite for food & possessions
1 – Pioneer – overcome anxiety with hard work

 SEXUAL / ONE-TO-ONE Subtype ATTITUDES
2 – Lover – use seduction or aggression for attention
3 – Movie Star – have best masculine or feminine image
4 – Drama Queen or King – beat the competition through power or style
5 – Secret Agent – keep things confidential
6 – Warrior – overcome fear by maintaining strength or creating beauty
7 – Salesman/woman – fascination & suggestibility with ideas, people & products.
8 – Dictator – drive for possession, & maybe surrender
9 – Seeker – sexual or spiritual union & the urge to merge
1 – Evangelist – over-zealous or jealous

SOCIAL Subtype ATTITUDES
2 – Ambassador – seek recognition thru ambition
3 – Politician – achieve social success & prestige
4 – Critical Commentator – overcome social shame
5 – Professor – use social symbols & systems
6 – Social Guardian – do one’s duty
7 – Utopian Visionary – limitations, & make sacrifices for the cause
8 – Group Leader – fiercely committed to friends & social causes
9 – Community Benefactor – strengths & problems with participation
1 – Social Registrar – socially correct but non-adaptable
(P. O’Hanrahan)

NEXT :

PREVIOUS : SP instinct

SITE : “Your next PLANT purchase by Ennea-Type” 

SUBTYPE INSTINCTS (cont)

🔷The SEXUAL Instinct (SX) = SNAKE
NOTE : SX is about “attraction”, NOT “one-on-one”, which romance, a heart issue.
In Nature, sexual reproduction helps genetically diversify the species, for survival. This instinct is aggressive, competitive, single-minded, on display, smells, stimulation. Use of energy is intensely creative, fiery, go-get-it, a life-and-death matter.

Humans have a drive to project ourselves into the environment, form alliances & extend ourselves through the generations, to leave a legacy – either by passing on our DNA, or more symbolically through ideas.

SXs types are the most “energized”, most emotionally charged. They fear incompleteness, loss of attachment & attractiveness. It explains why some people are more interested in intensity & shared experiences within special-others, rather than career, fame…..

They look for stimulating objects in their world & need a strong energetic charge in primary relationships, with attention on coupling, & having “chemistry” with others. Without it they stay dissatisfied. They enjoy deep involvement, even merging with others, & become disenchanted with partners who can’t meet their intensity.

SX energy is ‘The World experienced as a mating dance,’ broadcasting the Self as a beautiful object, attempting to allure with the ‘art of me’ (my aesthetic, my music, my art, my taste),
It throws out a net (pheromones) for that certain someone to complete an electrical circuit, a nose for the individualized scent of the soul we long to burn our imprint into, & theirs into us.

It’s Chemistry, not Intimacy. Involuntary attraction & repulsion :
— the sense of being a half-something on the hunt for the other half
— being ‘in heat’ (psychologically), exploring for ‘electrical juice’, the narcotic of attraction
— fanning out electric-colored peacock feathers
— pouring through the keyhole for a peak at something special. but also pushing the envelope, out on the edge
— exposure to potential self-destruction in the other 2 realms of Social & Self-Preservation.

SX energy is a raw narcotic of wanting, untethered by ethics & morality. It’s Reckless, a live wire longing to burn – & be burned to death.
The classical image of Eros’ arrow (erotic attraction) shot through the heart accurately indicates the danger : potential ruin & destruction under the guise of Love.
♥️

The SOCIAL Instinct (SO) = ROOSTER
SO explains a person’s patterns & behaviors which prioritize socializing & the good of the group, the instinct to get along with others & form secure peer-bonds. Attention is on the social structures in our community, with a need to belong, be accepted & therefore feel safe. It emphasizes a high awareness of social norms & status positions / levels, with energy put into a shared purpose or the greater good.

SOs tend to warm, more open, engaging & socially responsible. They want partners who can share their social activities & get involved in projects & events along with them.
They fear alienation, inferiority & loneliness. SOs lose their sense of identity & meaning when not involved with others in activities that go beyond individual interests.

Paradoxically, they tend to avoid long periods of exclusive intimacy & quiet solitude, which feels too limiting.

SOs want to be involved with both a special someone or some group – affiliating, co-creating, participating, contributing.  This is the parenting instinct, the bridge or link between instinct & the same broad-view emotions that inspire animals to care for their young.

SO is the physical sensation of not being a closed circuit (“No man is an Island”). Bonding & relationship-building belong in this category, not with the Sexual Instinct.  “Social” gives the ‘intelligence’ to read people & respond or adapt to them, communicating & interpreting subtleties. All language / words / verbal exchanges are part of this Instinct.

Lofty eternal principles & ideologies get their first push & continued attention from the Social Instinct. It expresses wholesome cleanliness & the ‘white light’ themes of order, law, history, medicine, higher education, government.  

The SO instinct is the connection to history, the participation in the collective human journey, the drive that animates our impulse toward
— the Humanities, altruistic vision, goodwill, the ‘higher good’, the concepts of civilization & religion.

However, It can also go low. It can spark the response that :
—  burns witches at the stake
—  exterminates populations that are deemed ‘diseased vermin’ or those that are lesser/lower in some way…
— or put too much attention on status, rank, respectability, pedigree, reputation, strata, provenance.

NEXT : Enneagram

PREVIOUS – Enneagram

BOOK : “The Complete Enneagram: 27 Paths to Greater Self-Knowledge” — Beatrice Chestnut

🟩 Enneagram SUBTYPES, from INSTINCTUAL VARIANTS
Several factors influence the traits & behaviors of each type.  The INSTINCTS (Self-Preservation, Social groups & Sexual / One-to-One bonding.) are variations on each core Ennea-type, called ‘Personality’, which is our unconscious ‘putting on a face’ to individuate ourself – ways we function, interact, & communicate with the world. Thus we get a minimum 27 variations of Personality. CHART ⬇️

As we grow through childhood, we typically develop one of them more fully, & the other two in lesser degrees. Just as all nine personality types are active in every number, all three instincts are active in every person. And as with the types, one instinct tends to be dominant.
Physical Source :
Self-preservation (SP) instinct is from the brain stem
Sexual (SX) instinct is from the mammalian brain
Social orientation (SO) instinct is from the neocortex.

Recognizing subtype nuances allow us to examining how our instincts affect the way we interact with the world around us, which provides basic survival strategies, & helps explain how people of the same Ennea-number respond differently.

EXP: A Sexual (“Intimate / 1-to-1”)  Type 6 person will likely not be as fearful as a typical 6. So much so that a SX-6 can seem like an 8, & even be mistyped as such! However, the 6’s core motivations are still there.

This CHART ⬇️ shows how 81 variations are derived. 

RELATIONSHIPS : Knowing our-and-their subtypes allows us to better meet our partner’s needs for security & identity, managing the rhythms of connection & withdrawal – without taking it all so personally.
‣ What do we expect of our partner for personal time & attention, & how does this fit in with their priorities?
‣ Who initiates physical /sexual contact,  how much, how often?
‣ Who cooks & cleans?
‣ Who takes care of the finances?
‣ How do we include friends & family?

IDENTIFYING : The main way to figure out which subtype influences you – is to notice where you consistently, automatically put your attention when in public or in a group.

▪︎ SELF-PRESERVATION (SP) = PIG
SP prioritizes a person’s security for themself, the instinct to preserve our body, its life & effective function. The focus on well-being, material security & comfort – while  minimizing threats to physical needs such as health, finances, food, shelter & family.
They fear not surviving – poverty, mortality, annihilation. If stress & anxiety combines with this instinct, it can drive a person to conserve or hoard energy & resources, in response to demands from the environment or other people.

SPs tend to be more grounded, practical, serious & introverted than the other two. They can have active social lives & a satisfying intimate relationship, but if they feel that their SP needs aren’t being met, they won’t be happy or at ease. SPs are “nesters”, wanting domestic tranquility with a stable, reliable partner.

Most of the World is SP-Dom. This overall global predominance is one reason we see the general public so easily is so easily upset by news of natural disasters & imploding financial markets.

This Instinct’s ‘eye’ if forever focused on every situation or condition affecting their physical self — all about the ‘me’. SP-Dom people can put too much attention on :
⚠️ day-to-day details such as food, shelter, health & finances
⚠️ their physical environment  (hot/cold, light/dark, dry/humid, clean/dirty, quiet/loud….).
how they experience the immediate environment (inviting/disturbing, familiar/haunting, enticing/disquieting….)
⚠️ tangible resources – money, tools of all kind, time, practical know-how, material provisions & useful objects…. stockpiling for future survival.  Particular value is placed on ‘getting things done’ & building or acquiring things that will last.

How satisfied their needs & wants are at any given moment ——> will decide how they feel emotionally.

ARCHETYPE animals of the Bhava-chakra (pig, snake & rooster) plus the Life-giving elements (fire, air, water, earth) animate & shape the ecosystem.

“All relationships between people are essentially social (Rooster). Human connections involve Sexual (SX-snake) & Self-Preservation (SP-pig) in varying ways, but aren’t the raw stuff that compels bonding & closeness.

∆ The snake has no friends, no bond, no romance.
∆ A pig will ‘eat anything,’ so we call someone a pig / hog when they take-&-take & never give, or take more than their fair share.
∆ BUT – Social (SO) – in part 2 –  is the ‘human instinct,’ differentiating us from animals, with complex verbal & written language, the animal-instinctual that bridges to our hearts, connecting in commonality &/or purpose, to find our place with others.
It gives the urge to achieve, befriend, compete, excel, illuminate, improve, learn, protect & teach.” (MORE…)
♥️

NEXT : 3 SUBTYPES – Intro (Part 2)

PREVIOUS : Misusing Strengths #1

SITE : “Learn About Your Enneagram Type”

IMAGES : ” I Don’t Know What I Don’t Know, but I DO Know This” (2019)

TYPE 5
☀︎ I dismiss others’ opinions because they’re supported by intuition or emotions rather than factual analysis
☀︎ I get so content that I miss out on good things that I may really enjoy
☀︎ I get so comfortable observing – that I don’t put myself in the ring (even if it can benefit me)

☀︎ I focus so intently on planning – that it’s all consuming – so there’s no room for spontaneity
☀︎ I keep researching to the point that I can’t make a decision – because I’ve just uncovered so many more things I don’t know
☀︎ I only rely on data – without considering how decisions or perspectives will affect my emotional state

TYPE 6
☀︎ I cling so tightly to my set of plans that I can’t enjoy them
☀︎ I feel overly responsible for all the little details, & for making sure things go well
☀︎ I’m so aware of what might happen – that I forget to acknowledge all of the good that’s currently happening in my life

☀︎ I overthink everything – to the point that I’m stuck in analysis loops
☀︎ I stay fully committed to a situation that is no longer serving me – because I’m loyal, & am more comfortable with white-knuckling my way through – than with stepping into the unknown
☀︎ I take on tremendous worry and concern for those I truly care about

TYPE 7
☀︎ I choose to only see what’s going well, & overlook important problems that need to be addressed
☀︎ I consistently chase the next jolt of excitement – so I miss the chance to cultivate something I already love doing
☀︎ I make everything into a positive – even when it would actually help to look at the big picture, including the minuses

☀︎ I over-focus on an exciting solution to a problem / task / situation – to the point that I forget to consider the practical action-steps that are needed
☀︎ I pressure myself to be the cheerful & supportive person in the room, even when it feels like too much for me to do
☀︎ I recognize that I’m doing too much & running myself into the ground, but continue full speed ahead – because I assume I can handle it all

TYPE 8
☀︎ I focus so intently on being competent – that I have *negative* patience for people who work slowly or don’t know what they’re doing
☀︎ I get over-zealous toward others when trying to get them to apply my helpful suggestions
☀︎ I’m so focused on reaching the end goal of a project or plan – that I overlook others’ opinions or feelings about it

☀︎ I over-work & “push through” – way past the point of exhaustion
☀︎ I take on too much of the workload (because I’m so capable) & miss an opportunity to empower someone else to us their talents
☀︎ I take on the responsibility of fighting others’ battles, sometimes without their permission or need

TYPE 9
☀︎ I get so focused on not offending others – that it’s hard to get my point across, even though I sometimes feel it’s really important to let others know I disagree
☀︎ I over-emphasize my understanding of others – that I blur the lines between empathy & enabling.
☀︎ I often sacrifice my own needs or wants – because it’s easier to go with the flow

☀︎ I prioritize supporting others – to the point that I leave myself behind
☀︎ I’m so good at making my own “comfy space” inside – that I mentally live there instead of engaging in the real world
☀︎ I’m so understanding of everyone’s perspective – that it’s hard to identify my own opinions

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