Common One Traits:
Rational, Idealistic, Principled, Purposeful, Self-Controlled, Perfectionistic

Also known as the “Moral Perfectionist,” Type 1s are idealistic and optimistic. They pay great attention to detail and are a strong defender of other people’s rights. They have a love of and commitment to community, and they possess a deep sense of their own values. This type is highly focused on what is ‘right’ vs. ‘wrong’, and core fears include being bad, unredeemable or corruptible. Pitfalls include falling into unconscious habits of setting unrealistic expectations and placing judgment—directed both at self and others.

Core Fears:
Being wrong, bad or defective

Core Desires:
To be right, good, ethical, and moral

Core Weakness:
Resentment and anger

Core Longing:
To hear they are good

These nine points on the Enneagram each represent a unique way of looking at the world that is formed by a combination of our inborn temperament and our formative experiences.

Each type has its own strengths and weaknesses, its own fears and desires, its own longing for something more.

It’s by becoming aware of these tendencies that we are able to evaluate our current “state of the union” and determine the RE|formation we desire.

Health, optimally, comes from first becoming healthy within our own unique space, then gradually taking on healthy traits of the additional types, as well.

Let’s look at each one!

Common One Traits:

Rational, Idealistic, Principled, Purposeful, Self-Controlled, Perfectionistic

Also known as the “Moral Perfectionist,” Type 1s are idealistic and optimistic. They pay great attention to detail and are a strong defender of other people’s rights. They have a love of and commitment to community, and they possess a deep sense of their own values. This type is highly focused on what is ‘right’ vs. ‘wrong’, and core fears include being bad, unredeemable or corruptible. Pitfalls include falling into unconscious habits of setting unrealistic expectations and placing judgment—directed both at self and others.

Core Fears:
Being wrong, bad or defective

Core Desires:
To be right, good, ethical, and moral

Core Weakness:
Resentment and anger

Core Longing:
To hear they are good

Common Two Traits:

Caring, Interpersonal, Demonstrative, Generous, People-Pleasing, Possessive

Also known as the “Supportive Advisor,” Type 2s are excellent at supporting and caring for the people around them. They are positive, warm, and dedicated, and it’s these traits that help them forge lasting relationships easily. This type is often characterized as “the helper” and seeks to avoid being thought worthless, needy or unworthy of love. They often do this at the expense of their own self-care and may end up pushing others away in their attempt to pull them closer.

Core Fears:
Being unloved, unwanted, worthless

Core Desires:
To feel loved, wanted, and appreciated

Core Weakness:
Pride and flattery

Core Longing:
To hear they are wanted just for being them

Common Three Traits:

Success-Oriented, Pragmatic, Adaptive, Excelling, Driven, Image-Conscious

Also known as the “Successful Achiever,” Type 3s are charismatic and confident, and they’re excellent at using these natural skills to motivate those around them. They desire success and all the accolades that come with it, and they will stop at nothing to achieve these things. Threes tend to place a lot of focus on “success”, and fear incompetence, or being exposed as an ‘imposter’. While they are driven and motivated, they remain image-conscious and may present an un-authentic version of themselves.

Core Fears:
Failing; being worthless or incompetent

Core Desires:
To feel successful, valuable, worthwhile,
and admired

Core Weakness:
Deceit and vanity

Core Longing:
To hear they are loved for simply being them—they do not need to achieve it

Common Four Traits:

Sensitive, Withdrawn, Expressive, Dramatic, Self-Absorbed, Temperamental

Also known as the “Romantic Individualist,” Type 4s are imaginative and creative. They are excellent at understanding the feelings of others, even when those feelings are not expressed out loud. They are self-aware, honest, and take pride in always being authentically themselves. Fours often place their value in their own sense of unique-ness, feeling special based in what they believe they offer the world. However, their fears are rooted in the inverse: believing that they are tragically flawed, mundane or insignificant.

Core Fears:
Being mundane, indistinct, insignificant,
or inadequate

Core Desires:
To be special, unique, authentic, significant and original

Core Weakness:
Envy and melancholy

Core Longing:
To be SEEN and loved for exactly who they are—special and unique

Common Five Traits:

Intense, Cerebral, Perceptive, Innovative, Secretive, Isolated

Also known as the “Investigative Thinker,” Type 5s lead with logic as opposed to their feelings, so they can often be perceived as cold and condescending. It’s for these reasons they often prefer to be alone, dealing with facts and data as opposed to people. This type’s main concern is in feeling capable and competent in what they do, with their fears resembling the opposite: being thought ignorant or incompetent, as well as not being able to protect valuable resources such as their time and energy.

Core Fears:
Being obligated, helpless, incapable, incompetent, or ignorant

Core Desires:
To be capable, competent, and knowledgeable

Core Weakness:
Avarice and stinginess

Core Longing:
To hear their needs are not a problem

Common Six Traits:

Committed, Security-Oriented, Engaging, Responsible, Anxious, Suspicious

Also known as the “Loyal Guardian,” Type 6s are unlikely to be late for work or a meeting, as they are responsible, practical, and considerate. They are protective of the people they care for, and consider things both logically and emotionally. Those who fall into the type six personality are often hyper-focused on those in their immediate environment. They desire security and support from those around them, and without it, they fear being alone, targeted, or physically abandoned.

Core Fears:
Being alone without support, guidance,
or security

Core Desires:
To have support and guidance; to be secure

Core Weakness:
Anxiety, cowardice, and fear

Core Longing:
To hear they are safe

Common Seven Traits:

Busy, Fun-Loving, Spontaneous, Versatile, Distractible, Scattered

Also known as the “Entertaining Optimist,” Type 7s are highly energetic and optimistic. As natural extraverts, they love meeting and interacting with other people. They think quickly on their feet and are highly creative. Those with a type seven personality focus on seeking experiences and stimulation in attempt to become fully happy, satisfied and content. They fear missing out or being trapped in emotional pain with no escape, and thus desire to ‘fill up’ on positive experiences instead.

Core Fears:
Being trapped in emotional pain or depravation; being limited, bored, and missing out

Core Desires:
To be satisfied and content; to be happy

Core Weakness:
Gluttony and planning

Core Longing:
To hear they will be taken care of

Common Eight Traits:

Powerful, Dominating, Self-Confident, Decisive, Willful, Confrontational

Also known as the “Protective Challenger,” Type 8s are bold, courageous, action-oriented, and unafraid to stand up for what they want or believe in. They are excellent leaders, and undeterred by any kind of confrontation. (They may even like it.) Those with a ‘Challenger’ personality have many fears rooted in being weak, powerless, or in any other way vulnerable. Their main desire of protecting the self at all costs flows from their need to avoid feeling out of control, although this may come at a cost in terms of relationships.

Core Fears:
Being harmed, controlled or violated; being weak, powerless, manipulated, or at the mercy of injustice

Core Desires:
To protect themselves and those in their inner circle

Core Weakness:
Lust (for excess; for control) and vengeance

Core Longing:
To hear they will not be betrayed

Common Nine Traits:

Easygoing, Self-Effacing, Receptive, Reassuring, Agreeable, Complacent

Also known as the “Peaceful Mediator,” Type 9s are calm, adaptable, and they have the ability to see multiple people’s perspectives at once—all of which make them great peacekeepers and mediators. They are supportive, encouraging people who are ready to help anyone. Nine’s often find their identity in their desire to live in harmony with others and have also their own sense of inner stability. They fear living in conflict and discord and lost connections with others. Often they merge with those in their world at the expense of their own opinions and desires.

Core Fears:
Being in conflict, separated, overlooked, shut out, or in discord with others

Core Desires:
To experience wholeness, peace of mind, and inner stability

Core Weakness:
Sloth and indolence

Core longing:
To hear their presence matters