People with Enneagram type 1 personalities are often called advocates due to their strong principles and sense of justice. An established morality or idea of right and wrong is something common in type 1s, so if this sounds like you, welcome aboard!
As an enneagram type 1, you are probably extremely organized, responsible, accurate, purposeful, diligent, efficient, and ambitious. You are on a journey to improve your circumstances as well as the circumstances of others, resulting in a passion for humanity yet a distinct awareness of its flaws and ugliness.
More often than not, this kind of personality tends to result in a lot more anxiety and rigidity as compared to other Enneagram types. Like everything, there are bound to be ups and downs in your behavior and life, so here are some helpful indicators of what could go right and wrong.
Type 1 Enneagram Description
If you are an enneagram type 1, you have a firm understanding of how the world works. There is a sense of duty and responsibility that you feel to act in the correct ways, which is why most of your actions are guided by a need to strive for goodness, justice, balance and hope.
There are various times when you feel the need to crusade and revolt against the injustices in the world, resulting in huge actions and gestures on your part. This makes you active in the political community, but this is not to say that you are necessarily a politician.
You have the desire to push some boundaries and limits that the people and groups around you carry. Breaking the walls is what you desire and you might go to great extents to achieve this kind of change.
Often self-sacrificing, type 1s sometimes get too lost in the good fight and find it unimportant to take care of themselves. If this resonates with you, it might be time for you to take a break from what you are focused on so that you regain the energy and motivation to carry on with your essential project.
Whether personal or professional, you are extremely organized and have a well-developed plan either in your mind or noted down. You are good at following your plans and sticking to your goals, making it possible for you to achieve them.
At the same time, strict adherence to these goals can sometimes make you rigid, impractical and frustrated, especially if you cannot maintain the perfectionist role you envision for yourself.
Here is Fr. Richard Rohr explaining more in this video:
Enneagram 1 in Stress
Enneagram type 1s are significantly prone and vulnerable to stress. Often working on difficult projects, these personalities can sometimes become too absorbed by all the energies and problems around them, resulting in high levels of stress and anxiety that can border on panic.
Taking a breather from these issues and reminding yourself that they are separate from you is vital to alleviating your stress and taking care of your mental health.
There are times when you might also feel stressed out by the lack of results of your efforts. You will not be able to change someone’s life at all times, which is why you need to prepare yourself for this outcome and manage your expectations in a healthy manner.
At other times, the difference you make might seem too small for you, but doesn’t everything start out on a small scale? Learning the value of making a difference in small ways will make it easier for you to get through your life while also resulting in more self-confidence and satisfaction.
Make sure you take it easy on yourself and be kind to your efforts. This is also important when it comes to your expectations of others so that you do not stress yourself and others out too much.
There are many times when you will need to act in a rigid and unchanging manner. You might receive criticism for this, but you should always stick to your principles while also remaining open enough to change and accepting constructive criticism.
Enneagram 1 Careers
Type 1s look for control, independence, organization and the ability to make a real difference in a community. You are more likely to find satisfaction in work that grants you cooperation, intellectual support, collaboration, fieldwork and dealing with people in large groups.
It is important for you to work with like-minded people toward a common goal. The people you work with should agree with your perspectives while also offering ideas and suggestions of their own. Through this kind of mutual support and ideation, you are bound to find true satisfaction.
There are times in your career when you might have to deal with vulnerable people and groups, making it vital for you to practice sensitivity without going in too strong. At such times, you should also learn when to take a step back and focus on your own health and fortitude.
Ignorance, lack of support, criticism and chaos are likely to bring you down and cause you some dissatisfaction. Here, it might be better for you to communicate well with your peers and learn flexibility. You might also need to remove yourself from the position if you do not get the respect you deserve.
Some careers that type 1s usually undertake include teaching, law, policymaking, social work, nonprofit work, politics, journalism, medicine, military, counseling/therapy and others.
Enneagram 1 Relationships
Type 1s in relationships often make for caring, loving, passionate and tender partners. As long as you have healthily developed traits and patterns, you are likely to be a nurturing and supportive person in the relationships in your life, no matter what form they take.
There is also a fun and playful side of you that comes out with people you are comfortable with, resulting in joy, passion and excitement. However, it can take a bit of time for you to express this side of yourself, which is finding the right people is extremely important to you.
You love encouraging others in their own projects and passions, resulting in a good balance of independence and shared moments. Growing individually and together is an important aspect here, with you constantly seeking ways to develop.
However, there are times when you might force yourself into situations where your partner might simply need you to offer support from a distance. Learn to recognize the difference between your hopes and dreams for your partner and their own hopes for themselves. Having healthy expectations is key to a happy relationship.
It is important for you to have someone who understands your ideas and positions while also agreeing on them with you. At the same time, you should be careful while having discussions with them so that you do not project your thoughts onto them.
Remember to consciously make time for your relationships as well so that you give them equal importance and support as you do to your work.
Enneagram 1 Subtypes
The following subtypes are commonly seen in Enneagram type 1s.
- Self-Preservation (Worry and Anxiety): In this subtype, you tend to put too much pressure on yourself to be and do good despite the anger within you. The worry that your anger will spill out causes you to put on a mask of gentleness and warmth, resulting in obsessive self-control.
- One-on-One (Passion to Change): Interpersonally, you carry a desire and passion to change the lives of others and improve their performance and skills. However, this can sometimes come across as forceful, harsh, hurtful, and intolerant.
- Social (Rigidity): In a group setting, type 1s might focus too much on acting and behaving in a certain way. They want to be the leader or the perfect example to the rest of the group, resulting in a sense of superiority that might drive the others away.
Unhealthy 1 Enneagram
In a healthy sense, your type 1 traits are likely to result in strength, affirmed convictions, realistic goals, maturity, and satisfaction in how you go about your attempts. However, there are times when there might be an unhealthy manifestation of your traits.
For instance, rigidity and becoming stubborn about your methods and ideas might end up doing more harm than good to your project or campaign. This is also likely to drive your loved ones away, especially if you become too obsessed or absorbed in your work while neglecting the people around you.
Often, this kind of unhealthy manifestation might also result in a bias or prejudice against what others think or believe. If left unheeded, this might also result in extremism, aggression, and dogmatism.
Further, in case things go wrong, an unhealthy way of dealing with the issue might be to have a breakdown or fly into a fit of violence and rage.
Given that a major aspect of the motivations behind this type’s actions comes from their dissatisfaction with the world, there is a possibility of it turning into resentment. This is bound to spill into your personal life too, which is why it is important to tame your expectations at times while still dreaming big.
Learn how to manage your shame and guilt whenever they arise.
Enneagram 1 Wings
Type 1s have wings with type 2s and 9s. Based on which wing you have, there might be variations in terms of your traits, thoughts, and actions. Take a look.
- 1 wing 2 (1w2): Type 1s with this wing often play the part of the coach. They are often focused on the well-being and performance of others, resulting in a position that gives them a bit of power or authority over them. It is important to manage this power without letting it turn into control or manipulation.
- 1 wing 9 (1w9): Type 1s with this wing are much more at peace than pure type 1s. Although they are still quite principled, they tend to be a lot more adaptable and open to other thoughts and perspectives. If you have this wing, you might prefer working behind the scenes without gaining recognition.
At times, an aversion to conflict might also arise.
Enneagram 1 Fear
Type 1s usually carry a lot more fear with them than they let on. Do you agree with this assessment of yourself? People around you might think of you as having everything in place and going your way, but the truth is that you are afraid of everything going away.
You are too hard on yourself at times and tend to have a fear of losing your way. For advocates and revolutionaries, your job might come with a constant fear of becoming corrupt and losing your morality, which is why you tend to be even stricter and self-conscious.
At times, you might also exhibit fear of making a choice that actively harms others against your will. This is why you tend to spend plenty of time thoroughly thinking through your decisions, even the smallest ones.
Enneagram 1 Celebrities
Here are some famous and well-known people who share your enneagram type 1 personality:
- Joan of Arc
- Nelson Mandela
- Mahatma Gandhi
- Tina Fey
- Meryl Streep
- Tina Fey
- Kate Middleton
- Ruth Bader Ginsberg
- Emma Watson
- George Bernard Shaw
- C.S. Lewis
Enneagram 1 Memes
If you are looking for humor to deal with everything you have read here, here you are!
Summing Up
Type 1s are what the world needs, but there are times when you become too caught up in your project or crusade that you forget to focus on the smaller things. There is satisfaction to be found even in the minute changes you have made in your life and the lives of others.
Throughout your interpersonal interactions, whether romantic, familial, platonic, or professional, make sure you account for the voices you are speaking for and speaking to. Take healthy breaks and remember to practice flexibility and adaptability.
