The Enneagram system is so wide and varied, with almost every type of personality covered in its 9 main types, 9 countertypes, and 27 subtypes. However, even this extensive system has its limitations, which is exactly what we’re discussing today—Enneagram types that should exist, but don’t!
Here are the different Enneagram types that we think should exist, and how these types would have turned out had they existed.
Enneagram Types That Should Exist
Before we go into these types that should exist, let’s take a look at why they don’t exist.
The Enneagram system is a 9-point circular map or diagram, where each personality type has neighbors on either side. Type 1 has types 2 and 9 sitting on either side, type 4 has types 3 and 5 sitting on either side and so on.
These neighbors form the main type’s wings, so every personality type also has two wings—for example, type 1 has the 2 (1w2) and 9 (1w9) wings. These wings can only be formed by the type’s immediate neighbors; therefore, you can’t have a 3w1 or a 9w4, as there’s no way that 1 could ever be next to 3 or 4 ever next to 9.
However, if some of these impossible Enneagram combinations did exist, here’s how they’d be!
Enneagram 4w2
A 4w2 would be a walking contradiction. While 4s are usually reserved, personal, sensitive, and self-aware, 2s are interpersonal people pleasers!
2s love helping others out, and are warm, authentic, and empathetic people. This type is given to sentimentality, self-sacrifice, and generosity, and has issues acknowledging its own needs and possessiveness, unlike 4s.
4s are creative people, but they can be quite self-conscious and moody, which leads them to stay away from others in the pursuit of not being seen as defective or vulnerable. They dislike self-indulgence and self-pity.
An Enneagram 4w2 could swing either way, but whichever way it does, it would be a highly contradictory type that’s hard to figure out!
Enneagram 2w4
As we just saw, 2s are caregivers while 4s are individualists. A 2w4 would mean an Enneagram type 2 wing 4 personality, where the type 4 personality borrows heavily from the type 2; in fact, to a further extent than its own main personality.
A 2w4 may be mistaken to be a 2; that’s how strong the influence of type 2 would be on this type.
Therefore, a 2w4 would be caring, outgoing, helpful, and of course, people-pleasing, but it may also have its moments of introspection, moodiness, self-absorption, and drama, that remind you that this is still a 4, and not a 2, that we’re dealing with!
Enneagram 3w1
A 3w1 or a type 3 wing 1 would be a type 3 influenced by type 1 characteristics.
Type 1s are obsessed with doing the right thing. They are highly ethical and conscientious, with a strong sense of wrong and right, and their core motivation is to be good people.
Type 3s are obsessed with achievements and success (whatever the definition of success is that they might hold). They are charming, competent, ambitious, energetic, and very worried about what other people have to say or think about them.
A 3w1 would likely be obsessed with doing the right thing and being good, unlike usual 3s who prefer to stay diplomatic and not do anything to sully their image, but it’s also likely that this need to do and be good will stem from wanting to look good in people’s eyes and be moral heroes or because they’re going to see it as another achievement.
The competitive workaholics that 3s usually are, being ethical might just become about winning a competition at the workplace, instead of the genuine need to do good like most 1s.
Enneagram 3w8
We’ve seen that 3s are competitive and obsessed with success and achievements. 8s, on the other hand, are decisive, confrontational, and willful.
Like 3s, 8s are also extremely assertive and self-confident. However, they may go into being domineering and ego-centric as well, with a need to control their environment (people included). This can be quite intimidating, especially when combined with how obsessive 3s can get!
However, 8s aren’t just the Enneagram bogeyman—they can also be the Casper! This type can be inspiring and heroic, with an aim to improve the lives of those around.
At its best, this type would be charming, strong, protective, and high-achieving.
Enneagram 5w8
5s are very cerebral and intense. This is a type that prefers to stay isolated and secretive, due to which not many people realize that 5s are curious, insightful, perceptive, and alert.
This type can birth some pretty complex ideas and pick up some pretty complex skills and are extremely inventive, innovative, and independent.
Put a 5 and an 8 together, and you’ll have a pretty intimidating type on your hands—a stoic, secretive, assertive, isolated, and protective type that’s also curious and extremely smart.
Enneagram 9w2
9s are a stable, trusting, and accepting lot, with high levels of complacency, receptivity, and creativity. However, this can be quite a lazy and stubborn type. 9s also despise conflict and will do anything to keep both internal and external peace.
This ties in quite nicely with 2s, who can be compulsive people-pleasers. A 9w2 may, therefore, turn the task of keeping the peace into a full-time job, foregoing its own needs and issues to help others by avoiding/minimizing conflict.
That apart, at its best, a 9w2 can bring together people and help them heal while serving them to the best of its ability, even though the service may be motivated by a need to be indispensable or validated.
Enneagram 4w8
As we’ve seen, 4s are introspective, personal types—so are 8s.
Therefore, a type 4 wing 8 would be a highly reserved and intimidating type that keeps to itself unless it needs to protect someone in the fold. This type would combine the sensitivity of a 4 and the protective nature of an 8, making it a type that’s sensitive to others’ problems, and hence, steps in protectively.
Enneagram 6w1
6s are quite like V from “V for Vendetta”—they can be notoriously hard to figure out! However, on the whole, 6s are seen as responsible, engaging, suspicious, hardworking, trustworthy, and reliable. They’re excellent at solving problems, but can get pretty stressed out, which leads to evasiveness, anxiety, defensiveness, indecisiveness, and defiance.
6s can also get very suspicious and self-doubting. However, at their best, 6s go hand in hand with 1s, as their sense of responsibility will spur them to do what is good for themselves and the world around them.
Enneagram 9w4
A 9w4 could be highly reserved, due to the 4s need to introspect and withhold themselves, or highly participative due to the 9s need to keep the peace. It depends on which personality type holds greater influence over.
If this type can get over the laziness that is typical of 9s, it can achieve excellent artistic and creative results and growth.
Enneagram 9w6
An Enneagram 9w6 can be relied on to keep the peace, as 6s are usually hardworking and reliable. However, this type can get highly stressed by having to keep the peace, turning it into a complaining, evasive, and anxious presence, which may not help keep the peace very well!
Enneagram 9w7
7s are the Enneagram’s party animals! This is a hedonistic, optimistic, spontaneous, and extroverted type that loves a good time. However, this type can be quite scattered and undisciplined, with the attention span of a goldfish! The search for new experiences and adventures is always on, even if that leads to exhaustion and distraction.
A 9w7 would be a fun-loving type that’s excellent at bringing people together, as both 7s and 9s are. However, it’s possible that to enjoy its time as much as possible, this type would run away from conflict, even if it’s unhealthy to do so.
The Bottom Line
While these types don’t exist, it can be fun to imagine a possible existence for these types. In any case, the Enneagram system is so varied that similar combinations do exist. If not, you can always dream up your own, as we have!
