5w6 Enneagram 5 Wing 6 Explained

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Jesse Williams

Deciphering personalities through Enneagrams types and wings can be a lot of fun. If you want to judge someone quietly and never show that you do, that’s fine by us too.

Nevertheless, it can’t hurt to have some fun. So, let’s get to know the Enneagram type 5 wing 6. Others tend to call it The Troubleshooter, but we call it The Prepper.

Enneagram 5 wing 6 Description

Individuals who are categorized as 5w6 Enneagram are said to be very much into the type 5 description but also have some qualities of type 6s. They are supposedly independent, logical and practical in the way they behave.

Compared to other type 5s, these individuals are said to be a lot more cooperative. They are passionate and want to use the knowledge they have to solve problems in the real world.

Enneagram 5 w 6 Careers

Since they are supposed to be logical and practical, they are said to be very good at solving problems. Those who fall in the Enneagram 5 wing 6 category are said to be do-gooders who apparently do well when they can gain knowledge that helps them grow.

So, it’s no surprise that these individuals often become accountants, professors, mathematicians and biologists.

Enneagram 5w6 Relationships

The people in Enneagram 5 w 6 category are said to find relationships demanding. It’s said that they worry about not having enough emotional bandwidth to keep it going. They are said to be good at managing their emotions, but apparently, they find people who are too emotional to be tiring.

You can see why.

5w6s also feel like getting into someone else’s emotional universe isn’t worth their time or energy. If that seems crude or cruel, 5w6s are also said to think that people who can’t manage their emotions are illogical and weak.

But since they have to often deal with other humans, they find different ways to keep people they consider overly emotional at a distance.

5w6 Enneagram Characters

If you’re just goofing around the internet and want to find celebrities in type 5, wing 6 category, you’ve come to the right place.

There’s Diane Sawyer, who can make dictators cry on camera, and then there’s poet Emily Dickinson if you’re looking for a creative confidant.

If you’re looking for engineering and innovation role models, there’s Nikola Tesla, but he genuinely believed that a pigeon fell in love with him. So, that’s something to think about. And if you thought that’s crazy, Elon Musk is also a type 5…

If you were looking for conventional heavyweights who are thinkers, Sigmund Freud and Friedrich Nietzsche are also in this category.

Enneagram 5w6 vs 6w5

Now, let’s compare and contrast a little. You know that we call 5w6s The Preppers. We have a name for 6w5s as well, and it is, lo and behold, The Know-It-All.

Enneagram 6w5
Enneagram 6w5

When you compare the two, The Preppers are said to be detached. They just want some peace and mind their own business…alone. This is said to make the people around them think that 5w6s forgot about them.

The Know-It-Alls, on the other hand, are said to like other people, especially when they’re in a good mood. These individuals are usually considered to have a lot of good friends and also be very loyal family members. And since they’re so loyal, they’re willing to get into trouble for their people.

Preppers are really intensely into their own independence. And while they are loyal, it’s not at the same level as The Know-It-Alls.

Enneagram 5w6 vs 5w4

Now, let’s compare The Prepper with the other wing in type 5. We like to call 5w4s The Mad Scientists.

Both of these are two wings of the same type, so they do want to learn and help others. But you could say that Preppers are more about engineering while Mad Scientists are about innovation.

Preppers are said to like other people but draw a line with the introductions when they need me-time. They are also said to be inclined toward their pursuit of knowledge.

Mad Scientists, on the other hand, don’t care so much about other people and like to spend time alone. They are also said to be interested more in the purpose of the world than their own purpose.

Preppers are said to be more about loyalty, and Mad Scientists are said to want to be authentic more than anything.

Dr. LaHue provides an even deeper dive into this comparison:

Be sure to get your own Enneagram Results

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Hint: For most people, the best test is from Truity.

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Written By Jesse Williams

Jesse has taken a deep dive into how personality effects our daily lives. After taking all the tests under the sun, she enjoys comparing her results with total strangers. It's fun for her.