Enneagram Descriptions

The Enneagram is a powerful and dynamic personality system that describes nine distinct and fundamentally different patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting. Each of the nine patterns is based on an explicit perceptual filter. This filter determines the focus of your attention and how you direct your energy. Underneath each of the nine patterns is a basic proposition, or belief, about what you need in life for survival and satisfaction.

Type 1 - The Perfectionist

Believes you must be good and right to be worthy.

Consequently, Perfectionists are conscientious, responsible,

improvement-oriented, and self-controlled, but also can

be critical, resentful, and self-judging.

Strengths: Hard working; responsible; consistent; logical;

improvement – oriented

Difficult: Resentful; non-adaptable; critical; controlling;

judging

Type 2 – The Helper

Believes you must give fully to others to be loved.

Consequently, Helpers are caring, helpful, supportive,

and relationship-oriented, but also can be prideful, overly

intrusive, and demanding.

Strengths: Relationships; responsible; supportive; likable;

Caring

Difficult: Boundaries; privilege; indirect; intense; difficulty

saying no

Type 3 – The Achiever

Believes you must accomplish and succeed to be loved.

Consequently, Performers are industrious, fast-paced,

goal focused, and efficiency- oriented, but also can be

inattentive to feelings, impatient, and image-driven.

Strengths: Confident; high energy; efficient, overcomes

problems; results oriented     

Difficult: Missing your own feelings; moving into action too

quickly; wanting too much attention from others

Type 4 – The Individualist

Believes you must obtain the longed for ideal relationship

or situation to be loved. Consequently, Romantics are

idealistic, deeply feeling, empathetic, authentic to self, but

also dramatic, moody, and sometimes self-absorbed.

Strengths: Inspiring; creative; authentic; emotional depth;

expressive; intuitive

Difficult: “Nothing” is good enough, rejected by others;

feeling different from others

Type 5 – The Observer

Believes you must protect yourself from a world that

demands too much and gives too little to assure life.

Consequently, Observers are self-sufficiency seeking, nondemanding,

analytic/thoughtful, and unobtrusive, but also

can be withholding, detached, and overly private.

Strengths: Scholarly; respectful; objective; expert;

Competent

Difficult: Isolation; detached from feelings; feelings of

intrusion; seeing requests as demands

Type 6 – The Loyalist

Believes you must gain protection and security in a

hazardous world you just can’t trust. Consequently, Loyal

Skeptics are themselves trustworthy, inquisitive, good

friends, and questioning, but also can be overly doubtful,

accusatory, and fearful.

Strengths: Thoughtful; warm; protective; devoted to others;

fair; sensitive

Difficult: Inaction; fear; wanting more proof before

decisions; pessimistic

Type 7 – The Enthusiast

Believes you must keep life up and open to assure a

good life. Consequently, Epicures are optimistic, upbeat,

possibility- and pleasure-seeking, and adventurous, but also

can be pain-avoidant, uncommitted, and self-serving.

Strengths: Curious; upbeat; engaging; quick thinker; positive

Difficult: Impulsive; unfocused; avoid pain; self-absorbed

Type 8 – The Protector

Believes you must be strong and powerful to assure protection

and regard in a tough world. Consequently, Protectors are

justice-seeking, direct, strong, and action-oriented, but also

overly impactful, excessive, and sometimes impulsive.

Strengths: Strength; direct; assertive; inspiring; leadership;

protective of others

Difficult: Sharing fear; losing control; lowering energy or

presence; demanding

Type 9 – The Mediator

Believes that to be loved and valued you must blend in

and go along to get along. Consequently, Mediators are

self-forgetting, harmony-seeking, comfortable, and steady,

but also conflict avoidant and sometimes stubborn.

Strengths: Harmonious; easy-going; caring; accepting;

mediating; trusting

Difficult: Going along to get along; saying no; conflict;

forgetting oneself; delayed decisions