If you know anything about personality testing and types, then chances are you’ve heard of the enneagram types. This fun 9-pointed geometric shape has been all the rage in coaching for the past decade, but what does it mean?
The nine points are all numbered, and each number is linked to deeper facets of your psyche. This can determine your virtues, motivations, desires, fixations, and temptations. Your enneagram number can help you learn more about yourself and personality.
Still confused? I’m breaking down the enneagram personality types for complete beginners. Let’s get started!
What’s The Purpose Of The Enneagram?
The entire point of the enneagram is that it can tell you more about your personality than you have ever known before. There are nine Enneagram types, showing what is most important to you and what you care less about.
It’s useful for anyone who wants to understand more about their unconscious core fears and desires, behaviors, strengths, and weaknesses.
The Enneagram depicts several patterns of how you might react to certain situations and how you’d manage your emotions.
For the nine-point diagram, each number represents a personality type. This diagram helps you see your number as well as your Enneagram wings, which are the numbers directly next to your personality type.
Enneagrams Types Described
You might be wondering how on earth a personality quiz is going to determine your deepest core values. I was wondering the same thing before I took my first test! But the Enneagram model is based on a few propositions that make it believed to be accurate.
These are:
- The personality is relatively stable, and you will not stray from the main type that your personality belongs to,
- Enneagram test types are both male and female – there are no separate personality types for different genders,
- The basic type you belong to will change from healthy, unhealthy, and average levels. You’ll be operating at one of these levels in any given situation,
- None of the nine personality types is deemed better or worse than the others. Each number has its own set of strengths and weaknesses,
- Similarly, the higher the number of your personality type doesn’t indicate that you are better or worse than lower numbers,
- The Enneagram model uses numbers to label personality types as numbers are objective and unbiased.
- The theory of the Enneagram states that you will have one basic personality type represented by a number 1-9 on the model,
- You will also have two wings, which are the numbers next to your basic number on the Enneagram diagram. For example, if you were personality type 9, your wings would be 8 and 1.
For a fun and entertaining description of the types, here is a video from Abbey Howe:
Enneagram Types: What Yours Says About You
The nine Enneagram number is split into three types: head type, body type, and heart type. This refers to the 3 x 3 arrangement for all of the nine types in the three centers.
Here are the three centers:
- The thinking center, head type
- The instinctive center, body type
- The feeling center, heart type
These three centers are linked to three Enneagram personality types. These links have been placed on the basis of a powerful unconscious emotional response that the individual experienced after a loss of contact with the ‘self’.
The thinking center has Enneagrams 5, 6, and 7. The emotional response is fear.
The instinctive center has Enneagrams 1, 8, and 9. The emotional response is rage or anger.
The feeling center has Enneagrams 2, 3, and 4. The emotional response is shame.
Now let’s take an in-depth look into the Enneagram test types to teach you more about yours and others around you.
What Are The 9 Different Enneagram Types?
Enneagram Type 1: The Advocate
These people are fair with everything and everyone they come across. They have a set of rules for their life to avoid making mistakes as much as possible. These people are stubborn and reluctant to change.
Advocates like to do everything with order, and chaos is often upsetting to them. They prefer to accomplish things with good quality. They are to the point and will often not beat around the bush with their point.
Type 1s fear is being morally flawed and imperfect. You’ll rarely ever see them doing things that do not conform to society’s rules and traditions.
They’re known for being serious, responsible, quiet, judgemental, and perfect.
Are You A Type 1?
- Sets a high standard for work and performance
- Straight to the point
- Stubborn and dislikes change
- Strong moral values
- Talented in teaching, guiding, and instructing others
- Focused
- Rule follower
- Fears imperfection
- Repressed anger
Enneagram Type 2: The Wingman
Type 2 personalities are known for eagerly helping others and making others’ lives easier. If you have this personality type, you might have noticed that you enjoy involving yourself in other people’s lives.
These people are selfless and are always willing to put other people first. They are emotional and can connect with other emotions very well.
Type 2’s are known for being caring and nurturing. If you’re having a bad day, you’ll want to find a type 2! Their fear is being unloved and ignored.
2’s are approachable people who are warm and affectionate to their loved ones.
Are You A Type 2?
- They’re often smiling with others
- Prefer meaningful connections
- Selfless
- True friends
- Loves to talk about people
- Overcommitted
- Generous and gentle
- Compassionate
- Creative
- Favorite thing to do is spend quality time with friends.
Enneagram Type 3: The Pioneer
These people are goal-oriented and focused on the future. They’re practical and realistic thinkers, but they can also adapt to changing situations.
Type 3’s have full faith in themselves and know themselves best. They will strive to work on themselves continuously, focusing on the task to better themselves for the future. They will do so with accuracy and precision.
3’s have an excellent work ethic and are able to follow deadlines without any issues. They can have back-to-back meetings without getting overwhelmed or stressed.
Their fear is worthlessness, so they strive to get better and better. They are good role models and are always looking to be extraordinary.
Are You A Type 3?
- You strive for success to prevent failing
- Highly motivated
- Seeking validation from others to feel worthy
- Portray a strong personality to others, while inside tells a different story
- Socially conscious
- Natural leader
- Live by high expectations set by society and yourself.
Enneagram Type 4: Flying Solo
Type 4’s are driven by a personal purpose in life. They think that life should be meaningful and that nothing should be done that is unproductive to adding value to life.
Their personality is unique and creative, and there is often no one else out there like them. They’re often looking for an ideal ‘self’ since they feel like they need a purpose in life.
4’s are known for being deep thinkers. However, they will express themselves to the outside world as perfectly as possible.
Their fear is being flawed and deemed not worthy. They want to fill in the missing gaps in their life that make them look anything less than perfect. They’ll often suffer from insecurities and not feeling good enough.
Are You A Type 4?
- You feel different from other people
- Thoughtful and introspective
- Moody and inconsistent
- Thrive on being sociable
- Looking for a meaningful life
- Self-exploration
- Perfectionist
Enneagram Type 5: The Scholar
5’s are reserved and like to watch others rather than interact. They are closed off and prefer not to socialize. Too much socializing can be draining for them.
Type 5’s fear is being overwhelmed by emotion, so they like to isolate themselves to prevent as much social interaction as possible.
These people are minimalists and innovative. They’re thoughtful and like to explore things out of the box.
5’s core motivation is to be competent and worthy and understand the world on a deeper level. They thrive on knowledge and are unphased by others.
After type 7, 5 is one of the rarest enneagram types to encounter.
Are You A Type 5?
- Deep thinkers
- Lacks focus
- Closed off to others
- Highly knowledgeable
- Diverse interests
- Emotionally withdrawn
- Introverted
- Hates small talk
Enneagram Type 6: The Dependable
This person’s instinct is to always safeguard themselves from harm. They want support from their loved ones and to always feel reassured that they are good enough.
6’s crave stability and security. They might challenge facts before trusting them. They won’t trust at face value.
You’ll determine an enneagram type 6 by their doubts, alertness, and caution. They will go through all possible negatives before making important decisions. They’ll often be able to foresee issues before they arise.
6’s are rule followers and hate change, and are not adaptable people. They fear being controlled and shy away from responsibilities. They value strong relationships to keep them feeling protected.
Are You A Type 6?
- Fearful and vulnerable
- Skeptical about intentions
- Want to be safe and secure
- Untrusting
- Small circle of friends
- Loyal
- Organized and systematic
Enneagram Type 7: The Aficionado
The main goal in life for a type 7 is to be happy and satisfied. They want to avoid pain and only experience pleasure. They are extroverted and love experiencing new things in life.
With a good outlook on life, they want to explore new possibilities. They think ahead of time and want to be as knowledgeable as possible. They are good at communicating and can adapt easily to new things.
7’s look at things from all angles before making a decision. They are not prejudiced or closed-minded.
They’re enthusiastic about everything, which can make it harder for them to focus on things. They might miss important information. This is one of the very rare enneagram types!
Are You A Type 7?
- Fear being bored
- Forward thinkers
- FOMO sufferers
- Avoids conflict
- Life of the party
- Has many hobbies
- Sociable and spontaneous
Enneagram Type 8: The Rival
Challengers don’t want to look weak or vulnerable. They want to be perceived as confident and powerful. Type 8’s will often defy rules and challenge protocols. They are decisive and self-reliant with a great sense of self.
8’s are motivated to be strong, and they hate small talk. They are serious and focused on their work.
8’s are great hard workers and are very dedicated, focused, and passionate about what they put their minds to. They don’t waste time and are always ready to face a challenge. They have lots of energy and are raring to go get what they want.
Are You A Type 8?
- Self-reliant
- Confident
- Stubborn and serious
- Headstrong
- Go-getters
- Good leaders
- Daring and always up for a challenge
Enneagram Type 9: Keeper of the Peace
9’s are driven by their desire to live a happy and fulfilling life. They’re easygoing and agreeable people who will go along with what others are saying to avoid conflict.
They are happy to go with the flow, although they dislike being controlled by others.
9’s are independent and dependable, and they aren’t looking for attention. They want a harmonious life and enjoy the small things.
These people can be good counselors as they are able to negotiate sensibly. Some would call them people-pleasers.
Are You A Type 9?
- Crave emotional comfort
- Carefree and relaxed
- Happy to ignore things that do not bring them joy
- Laid back
- Able to mitigate conflict
- Mellow
- Can get emotionally overwhelmed
- Hate being controlled
Enneagram Celebrity Types
There are a lot of different celebrities that have known enneagram types. Maybe you share yours with one?
Type 1
Andy Stanley, Christopher Cook, Michelle Obama, Natalie Portman, Steve Jobs.
Type 2
Andrew Greer, Emily Ley, Dolly Parton, Jessica Alba, Stevie Wonder.
Type 3
Beyonce, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Oprah Winfrey, Muhammad Ali.
Type 4
Anne Frank, Edgar Allen Poe, Taylor Swift.
Type 5
Albert Einstein, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Steven Hawking, Tim Burton.
Type 6
Bear Grylls, Ellen DeGeneres, Tom Hanks, Princess Diana, J.R.R. Tolkien.
Type 7
Elton John, Jack Black, Lil Nas X, Miley Cyrus, Robin Williams.
Type 8
Bernie Sanders, Kathy Bates, Martin Luther King Jr.
Type 9
Abraham Lincoln, Audrey Hepburn, Marie Kondo, Walt Disney, Queen Elizabeth II.
Summary
I hope that you have enjoyed my article on Enneagram types! Remember that there is no best Enneagram personality type – they all have their strengths and weaknesses. And, as you can see, some cool celebrities all have different personality types!
Which type are you? Be sure to take a test to find out! There are plenty of them out there and I’ve written all about them in this article about the best free enneagram tests. Check it out!
