Those with an Enneagram type 6 personality are those that are committed to the people they are with or the work that they do. This makes them extremely loyal, especially if there is a sense of trust and reliability on their part. However, the matter of earning this trust from them in the first place is where things get tough.
If you know yourself to be a type 6 personality, you are probably wondering about various aspects and elements of your personality. Having a deeper understanding of these will enable you to move forward in an informed and self-aware manner.
To embark on this journey of self-awareness, take a look at each of the following sections in this comprehensive post. Put your seatbelt on to face some harsh and bumpy truths and embrace the view on the other side. Let’s begin!
Type 6 Enneagram Description
Those with a type 6 Enneagram are incredibly organized and well aware of the things they want in their life. This can include the people surrounding them or the careers they want to embark on. They take things as they come and are always extremely focused and committed to the cause they have devoted themselves to.
Developing this kind of commitment is often the result of plenty of effort. Being loyal and hardworking, type 6s are dependable people who are likely to get the job done no matter what. Successfully carrying their jobs out often results in a sense of stability and contentment in type 6s.
These individuals are also incredibly precise and accurate in their judgments. If you relate to this, you have probably spent a lot of time reading the room and thinking about what the people around you are like and what they expect.
By recognizing how others think and act, you are able to mold your own actions into something worthy of acceptance. Everything you do is well thought out and undertaken only after plenty of deliberation and ideation. You examine most things from a variety of angles, which is where your skepticism and logic tend to come from.
However, this does not mean you are cold and overwhelmingly focused on the hard facts. The reality is quite the opposite! Your sense of preservation and ability to think everything through provides you with empathy and perspective.
Being guided by a sense of safety, security and warmth, you seek out reassurance and support from others.
Of course, not everything is rosy and happy. There are times when you might become too suspicious and anxious while also overthinking every small detail. Self-doubt, indecision, insecurity and pessimism might also become overt in some situations.
Here is Fr. Richard Rohr giving a deep description of the enneagram type 6:
Enneagram 6 in Stress
Type 6s often feel lots of stress and anxiety that mainly stems from an absence of concrete support and safety. This stress usually manifests itself in the relationships and careers of these types, resulting in a variety of responses.
In the case of a well adjusted and healthy type 6, you might have an existing and established way of dealing with your stress. Due to your experiences, you might have become better at recognizing signs of stress and taking action based on mitigating this stress.
In some cases, however, you might still end up experiencing extreme levels of stress. This is more common with those who are still figuring things out or have not had a chance to experience healthy patterns. The stress here can result in panic and an inability to perform.
Such stress usually arises for type 6s due to unsupportive people, failure in a task, undeserved criticism and antagonism around them. This can also turn into pessimism and insecurity if you are not careful.
Enneagram 6 Careers
Type 6s usually seek out careers that offer stability and security to them. A place where they can express their thoughts and ideas freely is likely to establish loyalty and dedication from them. If you are a type 6, some occupations you might tend to flock to include those of lawyers, nurses, teachers, dentists, police force and others.
In many of these professions, you might also enjoy the sense of support and help you can provide to others due to your sense of duty and empathy. These careers are also those that often give back as much as you are giving, allowing you to feel safe on the job.
Appreciation and collaboration with the people around you are likely to help nurture creativity and discussion, thereby improving your performance. However, if there are situations in which you do not receive appreciation or are under constant criticism or exploitation, it might be time for you to reconsider your options.
Once you find something that works for you, however, you might end up staying there for a long time while also undertaking your responsibility with care. Make sure you do not confuse stability for stagnancy, though!
Enneagram 6 Relationships
The bonds and connections that you might form with people are probably extremely strong. Due to your loyalty, passion and fondness for the people you grow to trust, your relationships are generally highly enriching and healthy. This is important for you to feel safe and truly satisfied with how your life is going.
Given your practical and reasonable personality, you might get along best with those who are more independent, flexible and playful. This is bound to result in an optimal balance while also allowing you to step out of your comfort zone at times. Personal growth combined with mutual growth is key to a happy relationship in your case.
However, there are times when you might become overly suspicious of your partner, whether romantic or platonic. Making the effort to trust your companion and communicating your fears will help you grow closer.
Enneagram 6 Subtypes
There are three kinds of instincts when it comes to Enneagram types—Self-Preservation, One-on-One and Social. Each of these instincts comes out in different ways for different Enneagram types.
As a type 6, here are the three main subtypes associated with these instincts.
- Self-Preservation (Fear and Masking): To preserve your own sense of security, you might end up masking your true feelings as a way of building relationships. By acting in a warm and affectionate way, you might strive to attract people who can protect you.
- One-to-One (Offense and Confrontation): In this subtype, you tend to take the offensive and try to confront your anxiety and fears head on. However, this often becomes too strong and aggressive, resulting in rebellion and driving people away from you.
- Social (Reliance): One way in which type 6s deal with their fear in social settings is by finding someone or something to rely on. This can include a person or a general belief system. This ideology can help you keep secure and affirmed in your identity.
Unhealthy 6 Enneagram Traits
There are times when your environment might bring out the worst in you. If you have not grown up with healthy patterns and relationships, the chances of developing unhealthy traits of the type 6 Enneagram are higher.
These unhealthy patterns and traits might then end up causing a schism in your relationships and professional interactions, which is why the first step should be to recognize them. It is only through this recognition that you will be able to correct and improve them.
- A sense of inferiority might arise if they fail in one of their tasks or if something goes wrong under their protection.
- It is possible for type 6s to become overly suspicious and take their skepticism to unhealthy levels. This might cause them to become anxious in every possible and imaginable situation.
- A sense of paranoia might result in false accusations against some people in their lives. This can also sometimes result in aggression, violence and stubbornness.
- Unhealthy relationships can form through suspicion and anxiety, causing type 6s to find support in controlling and abusive figureheads. Alternatively, it can also result in a turn towards addiction or extremism in a certain belief.
Enneagram 6 Wings
Go through the two possible wings that you might have as a type 6.
- 6 wing 5 (6w5): Type 6s with this wing have certain traits of type 5s in their personality, resulting in a bit more introversion and a need for privacy. You might be a bit withdrawn, quiet and serious while also being incredibly focused. In some cases, you might also become defensive and arrogant.
- 6 wing 7 (6w7): Some type 7 traits might show up in your personality if you have this wing. This might make you sociable, fun-loving, emotionally confident and considerably in your element in large groups. You are also very friendly but can sometimes become a bit moody and restless.
Enneagram 6 Fear
Given that the basic motivation and desire of type 6s come from a sense of safety, support, security and protection, the primary fear that you might have would be the loss of this safety. It is important for you to have a safety net and someone with whom you can overcome your fears.
When this gets taken away, it can result in plenty of anxiety and fear. Not knowing what might come is another major source of fear, which is why you put in so much effort to be aware of every possible outcome of a certain situation.
Enneagram 6 Celebrities
Some commonly know celebs that are enneagram type 6:
- Mark Twain
- Bruce Springsteen
- Jennifer Aniston
- Tom Hanks
- Sigmund Freud
- Mindy Kaling
- Julia Roberts
- Prince Harry
- Kristen Stewart
- Marilyn Monroe
Enneagram 6 Memes
Memes are great ways of finding relatability and community, even when things appear bleak. If you are a type 6 and want to have a giggle or even learn some more things about yourself, here are some memes from the large and wide internet.
The Final Word
Enneagram type 6s are full of loyalty and trust, making for a solid personality. The fact that you experience assurance and confidence in yourself is a sign that you have already overcome your suspicion and constant doubts, but there are several occasions wherein such traits might resurface.
Make sure you always proceed without caution but are also aware of when to trust openly. Use your tolerance and expectation to form meaningful relationships and to keep moving ahead one step at a time.
