#assertive triad

Upon reading this write-up made by RafflesiaArnoldii (kendrixtermina) I was inspired to symbolically represent the Enneagram types in an alchemy-esque manner.

Centres of Intelligence & Underlying Fixations

Gut / Impulsive → Anger

Heart / Emotional → Shame

Head / Mental → Dread

Either fixation can manifest in a three-fold manner:

Exteriorised { anger / shame / dread }

Centralised { anger / shame / dread }

Interiorised { anger / shame / dread }

Note. In hindsight, my symbols for 3 centres of intelligence are akin to how 4 congitive functions are represented in Socionics (〇 for sensation, △ for intuition, □ for thinking/logic, ∟ for feeling/ethics).

Object Relation Triads

Rejection / Transactionalist / Relationist → “Sulphuric”

Attachment / Pragmatist / Adaptive → “Saline”

Frustration / Idealist / Utopian → “Mercurial”

Hornevian Triads

Assertive / Aggressive → “Idic”

Withdrawn → “Egoic”

Dutiful / Compliant → “Super-Egoic”

Note. This is based on the theory of scrambling of centres. In hexad types (1/4/7 & 2/5/8), the secondary centre is in service of the primary, whilst the tertiary is (mostly) taken out of the picture; in triangle types (3/6/9), it’s their primary centre that is walled off from the secondary & tertiary centres.

Harmonic Triads

Positive Outlook / Reframing → “Sublimating”

Competency / Procedural → “Dissolving”

Reactivity / Expressing → “Præcipitating”

Note. Out of the multitude of alchemical processes to represent the harmoning triads I have chosen the following three: sublimation, dissolution, & præcipitation. This was done on the basis of their metaphorical meanings that are in common usage but which have been ultimately derived from their respective primary (al)chemical significations.

to sublimate (← Latin sublīmō “to raise, elevate”)

(alchemy & chemistry) to change directly from the solid to the vapour state without passing through the liquid state

(psychology) to divert the expression of (an instinctual desire or impulse) from its unacceptable base or primitive form to one that is considered more positive or socially or culturally acceptable

Types 2/7/9 cope with an adverse situation by shifting away from it, reframing it into sth positive, habitually searching for silver linings, &c. Thus, they sublimate.

to præcipitate (← Latin præcipitō “throw down, hurl down, throw headlong”)

(alchemy & chemistry) to cause vapour to condense and fall or deposit; to separate a substance out of a liquid solution or suspension into solid form

(common usage) to bring about a certain condition, especially abruptly, sudddenly, and quickly; to fall headlong or act with violent or unwise speed

Types 4/6/8 have an immediate, intense, flaring response or even an outburst to an adverse situation. Thus, they præcipitate.

to dissolve (← Latin dissolvō “to loosen up, break apart”)

(alchemy & chemistry) to disintegrate into a solution by immersion into a liquid or gas

(obsolete usage) to solve; to resolve; to clear up

Types 1/3/5 tend to cope by finding rational, logical solutions. Verbs solve, dissolve, & resolve share the same root. The image that comes to mind is this: analysing the situation at hand (i.e., dissolution) and coming up with the most suitable course of action to deal therewith (i.e., (re)solution).

Constructing an overall symbol (ligature) for each Enneagram type

It is possible to construct a cumulative symbol for each type by combining their respective triadic glyphs into one ligature.

Thus, the Hornevian Triad glyphs for each type would become the base to which the rest of the glyphs would be adjoined.

Then, for hexad types, one would append the respective Object Relation Triad glyph (sulphur for 2/5/8 or mercury for 1/4/7) on top of the base; for triangle types, the salt glyph (for 3/6/9) would instead go underneath.

As for the respective Harmonic Triad glyphs, those would go below everything: the dissolution glyph (for 1/3/5) would be inverted for the purposes of visual congruity; the glyphs for sublimation (for 2/7/9) & præcipation (for 4/6/8) would be used as they are.

Instinctual variants

It is also possible to represent the dominant instinct by adding one of the following to the overall symbol for any Enneagram type:

[ * ] Self-preservation instinct

[ ** ] Sexual instinct

[ *** ] Social instinct

First of all, I'll start and say every type can be prone to this kind of dissatisfaction. However, some types are more likely than other to create a pattern around dissatisfaction and are more prone to addictive tendencies. So, I'll highlight the likelihood to fall in that specific kind of perpetual dissatisfaction pattern.

Cognitive Functions: Pe and Je.

Why: Pe functions are all about exploration. They make us prone to try new things and drive us toward novelty. Therefore, being stuck with the same old shit will likely create dissatisfaction with anyone with Pe as lead or that have it integrated, since their psyche is consciously driven and craving for novelty and exploration. It will also therefore be prone to create a lot of "desires", and if they can't be attained, dissatisfaction will result. So, it's also more likely to make someone feel as if their needs are not met when in reality it's just that they have many conflicting desires that cover as needs.

In terms of addictive pattern, it is the most related and prone to fall for addiction because of the novelty driven. Biologically speaking, this novelty drive is linked with certain neurotransmitter linked with the feeling of pleasure, which is pivotal in addictive pattern. And so, Pe is more likely related to that Biological pattern as well, but I don't have proofs of that, so take it with a grain of salt.

Je is also prone to create this dissatisfaction since it's a very action oriented cognitive function. It creates goals and is relentless about succeeding at those goals. Therefore, failing to attain any goal it had in mind would be a massive blow and would create an even bigger urge to correct course and succeed at it. This also apply with the notion of desires, which can likely be confounded for needs, creating potential for dissatisfaction as not attaining every desire fuel this relentless and restlessness pursuit Je has.

Even with addiction, I have seen a lot of Je leads being addicts. This never ending quest for achievement lead them to seek ways to relieve all the tension it creates, or to seek ways to perform even more. Enneagram often works in conjunction here however, and those Je leads tend to either be standard (l---) dev or often have Pe integrated.

Ji can also be infinitely picky since it can be prone to Idealism, but it's almost more contemplative therefore less likely to actually be dissatisfied at getting whatever need met. It can create more dissatisfaction however as an integrated function in Pe and Je lead as it can instill bitter criticism and an eye for imperfection, seeing flaws everywhere and thus always feeling one step away from true fulfillment. On it's own tho, it's not driven into actualizing their perfect pristine towers of idealism, so the fact it isnt met in reality brings far less discontentment than Pe and Je types that do strive on the "external". So, I preferred to mention it.

And Pi is probably the most resistant to dissatisfaction since they can remain in the same comfort zone for long before finding an issue and a discomfort that would create dissatisfaction. Tho, Pi lead with integrated Je and/or Pe can become more prone to this dissatisfaction as the psyche has identified a need to share and actualize the Pi patterns into the "external". But overall, on their own they can easily stay into this Pi navigation mode without being too fussy about things not meeting those patterns.

Enneagram: Id core (3,7,8)

Why: Because those being related to the id complex (Freudian theory), they have learned to assert their way to get whatever they want because if they don't, their core issues get triggered. However, this creates types that also confound their desires for needs, since the core fear gets to be linked to the attainment of their desires as well. So, we get back to the same issue as above with cognitive function.

It leads to this perpetual quest for satisfaction, so they are by default on a sort of constant feeling of dissatisfaction as this hunt for this perpetual satisfaction is what makes them striving. Since enneagram types are about compulsions, they will be compulsive about those every desires and whim they will have.

Tho, the healthier the person, the least they are bound to the types compulsion. So, healthy 3,7,8 will be less in that state of dissatisfaction and perpetual quest for satisfaction.

Instinct: Sx.

Why: Because this instinct is based on attraction-repulsion dynamic, and the repulsion aspect is all about being dissatisfied with something. It strives on how much something satisfy it or doesn't, therefore it is more bound to dissatisfaction than its counterparts Sp and Soc. Its goal will also to instill the desire to pursue things it is attracted to relentlessly until it reaches its goal. Once reached, it will seek for the next. So it is a never ending chase of the next satisfying things, which comes back to the same issue as the functions and enneatype above.

But tbh, Soc and Sp can also totally create that sense of dissatisfaction as well. Instincts purpose is survival, so they will always instill a sense of "needing more or better" of whatever they care about to secure their core needs. Tho, I would argue the unhealthier, the more this dissatisfaction will occur, the healthier the more satiated and secure the person is. But that applies overall to cognitive function and enneatype as well.

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In the end, chronic dissatisfaction is mainly the result of having poor coping skills and/or being in situations and environments that are deprived of opportunities for what we need to meet our needs. As a reminder, feeling dissatisfaction now and then is normal, it's a feeling we experience to inform us of needs unmet and that need our attention.

Tired of the idea people are pushing that anyone who says "hmm, it depends on the situation..." when talking about their personality and behavior, is a 6 or a 9.

Have y'all ever been outside and met actual Assertive types? Not people who are identifying as Assertives on the internet or in typology communities... I'm talking about actual people who are too 378 to even analyze their psychology.

It's associated with the id because assertion is implied as acting on whatever desire crosses those types mind. Everything they do is so they get what they want, no matter what people have to say about it. They could be seen as the most selfish ennea types, if we put it in a very simplistic fashion.

So, I’ll resume what the Id concept is to show how it applies to each type. Id is an ego construct in psychoanalytic theory where the libido (energy, pulse, instinct) is mainly stored. It’s the part of self that is the most instinctive and preoccupied with self-satisfaction. It’s sheer pure energy and often compared to the ‘’child’’ aspect of oneself, because it is unfiltered and care about the self only. That’s when Ego and Superego complex appears, the former to be the balance between Id and the latter, which is responsible to care about the external’s world demands. Now that we got that in mind, I’ll explain how it relates to those enneatypes.

3s have learned that to get what they want, they had to achieve something substantial. This is how they get to associate that their value depends on the achievements they accomplish. It is through achievements and success they were rewarded attention or affection, and/or that they were getting other kind of rewards. They are id based because their value is related to their every whims, or in other words, they have value only if they succeed at getting what they want, because the reward is the proof of their value. This is why they are assertive, proactive and often portrayed as shallow, since every of their action is based on prime desires. They don’t care about the ‘’right’’ or ‘’wrong’’ way, they only care about how to get what they want, no matter how.

7s have learned they weren't safe when emotional implication was needed, since it would result in hurt. They learned that avoiding the issue was the only way to feel free and relief. But, when 7s are young, they cannot really escape literally, this is why their dreams or Idealism becomes their primary escape and also, simply their safe place. Dreams and ideals are the definition of one's prime desires, and so id. This then make 7s ever chasing their next dream or ideal, and so asserting every of their whims is reclaiming their safety, but also freedom, which then also becomes associated to safety. What is safe is what I am free from.

8s have learned that the only way to protect their boundaries and earn respect was by literal assertion of their anger. No filter on, no time to care for the other, only the 8 matters. They learned from that they only have to use brute force to get what they want. So whatever they feel, whatever they need, the only way is raw force. It's unfiltered pure "libido". It's id based since id is responsible of the childish aspect of meeting needs as they are felt, but anything not respecting 8s basic needs will automatically cross their boundaries, making them react and assert promptly, like a child. This is why 8s are also reactive, since not having needs met is a primary concerns for survival, and they have learned unfiltered anger is what allow them to meet them.

To resume, assertion is all about attaining what the person wants, without caring for the consequences. They all have learned at some point that the only way for them to properly survive was by acting on their needs by themselves as they showed. The how to get it never provided them anything, only the result matters.

On a side note, I would say 3s can be the most deceptive, since being part of the harmony triad, they can be good at playing chameleon to polish the image of ‘’what they do to get what they want’’ as something ‘’good’’ (w2) or acceptable or even ‘’desirable’’ (w4). Like, using social media to picture themselves as the X archetype of successful, accomplished, enviable (w4), Good (w2) but actually being a total trashy mess behind the scenes. They want the result (social media example: the likes, the follows, the fans), but the core of it is often not aligning, thus their reputation for being shallow (the unhealthier they are on the scale, of course).