#ennea 6

Core type- Passion: fear. For e6s life is like a huge threat. They are convinced everyone is against them. They even see their own fear as a safe space, something that can guarantee physical safety. Fixation: cowardice. Due to the constant doubt, they lead to create an infinite amount of unrealistic worst case scenarios to prepare themselves for anything. Trap: security. To protect themselves, they often look for someone stronger than them. They expect this person to keep them safe from impending disaster, and devote themselves to this person completely. Defence mechanism: projection. To avoid rejection and keep their self image of being loyal, they attribute feelings, thoughts and most importantly fears, onto an external source. This is called projection. Virtue: courage. Once e6s realise nothing can harm their essence, they can allow courage to replace fear. Key traits: Hypervigilance, theoretical orientation, orientation to authority, doubt and ambivalence, contrarian thinking, self-fulfilling prophecy, 

Subtypes-  Self preservation [sp]: The sp6 is often called the most fearful subtype, they’re the most in touch with their fear. They close their true self off and create an image of friendliness to avoid arguments and such. They can drop this act once people get closer to them and they start feeling uncomfortable by this intimacy. When this happens they often start to either close themselves off from this person completely or lash out. Sexual [sx]: Sx6s are pretty much the opposite, they think that once people think their kind, they're seen as weak. To avoid this they create fake courage and strength. They often want to be seen as a leader, because when they’re the ones with power they need not worry about those who may have more. Social [so]: So6s often hide behind people with more strength and courage than them. They’re extremely loyal, the downside of this is that they put full trust in these people. What this person of power says is always true in their eyes, the other way around, they blame mistakes they’ve made on this person as well, giving them full responsibility over the so6.

Contradictions-  ENTP, ENFP, ESTP, ESFP, ESFJ, ENFJ E6 is mostly an introverted type, this is mostly due to cowardice, security and projection. Their extroverted cognition and lack of cognitive and logical structure leads these types to be incompatible with e6. However, Te is widely considered to be compatible with the subtypes sx and so. Naranjo also compares sx6 and ENTJ specifically.  Types you might want to look into if you are on this list are e1, e2, e3, e4, and e8.

ENNEAGRAM TYPE SIX : the loyalist

Enneagram Tritype Moodboards: (8/27)

So it struck me in the light of recent discourse that when we think of 6, we think more of what the individual doesn't want to happen (to be a coward, to have no clue what to do on your own) than what it is that they're seeking.

Like we typically think of 1 as "the one that wants to be moral", 2 as "the one that wants to be liked", 9 as "the one who wants to be connected & at peace" etc. but someohow 6 is the scaredy cat type?

All the types have both desired things and outcomes they want to avoid. & there are effects at work self-fulfilling prophecies, enantiodromia, overcompensation etc through which one can shoot themselves in the foot, but still ultimately, a 6 is a person who wants to avoid being a scaredy cat. (So no wonder they all loathe the descriptions!)

Now part of this may be because 6 is a negative type & hence perceptions of absence, lack & insufficiency would predominate, but, we dont really think of 4 as the "boring insignificant pedandic" type or of 5 as the "deer in the headlights" type (though the latter would have moments where its accurate...)

Then it occurred to me that it may be the switcheroo thing.

Let me elaborate:

One thing that happens with 6s is that inside & outside stuff can get flipped - There are the classic examples of interpreting stuff as signs of cheating because youre jealous or taking other people's words as trash talk when you're feeling insecure, but there is also a reverse of this where a person seeks out in admired figures good traits that they themselves would like to have while maybe not realizing the extent to which they have said good trait themselves.

Cordon has like the sober realistic take on that in his 6 writeup; In Maitri's book she does this thing where she maps each of the types to some supposed aspect of the divine which such a person would wish to experience, embody and in a sense offer to others.

For the 6 its a sense of strength, courage, and grounded solidity and the kind of empowerment that coes from alingment with the truth (personal or universal), a theme that i certainly notice in art or inspirational speeches. It may not exist as an aspect of the divine but perhaps as an "obscure sorrow". While reading the text I was strongly reinded of the 6 athlete/motivational speaker guy that the BHE dudes did a video on & that speech thingy he gave.

It's the counterpoint to... not so much your destructibility & animal nature itself (thats more 5) but what being destructible & an animal might lead you to do. like cracking under pressure 1984 style or, missing some important danger because you're fallible, being blamed & accused...

Interestingly, here too there is a switcheroo - that the type 6 person either wants to be this ideal of strenght & courage themselves, or looks for a person or a belief that they connect with that ideal.

So, do we have the basic desire right even? Is it not as much to be strong & courageous yourself than to find a source of strenght? 'Courageous' is probably the best word, because it could imply both intellectual integrity & fortitude of character.

It's probably a nonsensical question, the split attention between inside & outside is itself the characteristic thing. 6 flipflops between "outside good, inside bad" and its opposite (whereas in 5 and 7 it's strongly fixed in one direction... )

If you have both they reinforce each other, they become part of the same thing, if you think of yourself existing in context.

The line blurs with the 'hyper-logical' 6s solid belief system & put it inside themselves to apply it & thereby become self-reliant.

Like even 6s that aren't tough feel they should be. (however the individual defines strenght - doesn't have to be the traditional macho way - could also be intellectual or moral.)

If you look at 6s on average, there is probably a higher rate of being resilient, disaster proof, sporty, street smart, knowing martial arts, having practical resourcefulness, or smelling bullshit a mile away.

An "authoritarian follower personality" isn't something anyone is born with - contrary to pessimistic 20th century conclusions about human nature, nowdays its believed to be a damage that happens if your parents over-control you as a teenager.

But like, my point is, the basic desire might be to be to be courageous & have inner solidity as it is to find solidity on the outside. Having friends and knowing your shit basically helps you be brave. Having strong allies puts you in a position of strenght.

Because of the switcherroo thing you might feel the others have the strenght you want - or rather, you will be on the lookout for it. Obviously the evil power structures of the world are not all imagined.

i mean, compare it with the other types - their desire can usually be summarized more as some desirable-sounding adjective ("righteous", "loveable", "worthy", "meaningful/deep", "capable/insightful", "free/happy", "autonomous/vital", "peaceful") than an external thing to have.

Why would 6 alone be about "fellating other people", as one poster so succintly put it?

but of course 6 has the split inner/ outer attention & the context focus, so its no surprise that there is an "outside" formulation of what it wants.

Actually all the Compliant types could be consider to have this "external cope" thing going on - 2 wants to feel loveable so to get that others must love them. 1 wants to feel aligned & "right" so they create order the environment.

It's also worth considerin how all the factors are connected.

Eg. 5 would tend to have that particular fear of the whole deer-in-the-headlights, cant-deal-at-all situation cause thats more likely to happen if you gpt a sensitive, easily startled disposition & little access to instinctive snap judgements. Having a clue of wtf is going on prevents that, so it seems attractive.

2 would have a fear of being unloveable cause they'd have an especially strong desire for love & connection, so you'd try to win it by acting all loveable. On the other hand having a strong desire for (and capacity for) love isn't bad! I guess even in the 5 example, introversion comes from having a higher baseline "activity level", so, the "overprocessing everything" might've come first, & that can be useful in some ways too. having a big imagination is fun!

Likewise the 6s ability to keep both the inner & outer world in view, to both observe someone's face & theorize about what it means, is actually an useful strenght. But the flipflopping & re-questioning of everything may leave you not knowing what to do & then starting to freak out about that, which you'd want to avoid. & hence you'd desire this sense of courage to make decisions. But the great mental energy & flexibility might've come first.

Tl; DR: The desire of 6 might be better formulated as to be brave, courageous and strong enough to withstand danger & adversity.

1 💥🏛♟️🗞✒️☕️💢-Judgement, Competence, Perfection, Effort, indiscriminate, hypocritical, puritan, smiting, resilient, accountability, executive, strict, uptight, present, self-reliant, controlled and controlling, balanced, righteous, sharp, teaching, tight leash, don't waste their time, perceives ppl to be distasteful/disgusting, organized, structured, dissatisfied, punishing,

Examples: Helen (Ozark), Rei Hino (Sailor Moon), Doctor Carr (Mind Hunter), Levi (Attack on Titan), Maka (Soul Eater)

2 ❤🤝🌎💉🫂- Approval, Applause, superficial, Mother Theresa, charitable, people-oriented, caring, helpful, affectionate, wants to solve people's issues, betterment, highlights their own good traits, wants to be without flaws, inspiring, imposing on others, overextends themselves, passive aggressive, needs to be needed, wishes to be the person ppl turn to, diplomatic, prideful, condescending, infantilize people around them, competitive

Examples: Steven (Steven Universe), Historia (Attack on Titan), Katara (Atla)

3 ✨️🥇🎭🪞👏- Cockiness, theatrics, Acting, desireable, becoming someone else, competitive, Self-Pleasure, Extra, Confidence, need to impress others, show-off, Shiny, Vanity, egotistical, fears disappointing, admiration, pushing own limits, the best, convinced they deserve luxury, everything is an Imposition on them, want fans and fame, charming, two-faced, scandalous, first place

Examples: Roy Petty (Ozark), Wendy Byrde (Ozark), Steve Harrington (Stranger Things), Patrick Bateman (American Psycho), Louis (Beastars), Juno (Beastars), Jayce (Arcane), Pina (Beastars), Azula (Atla)

4 ☔️🕸🎨🥀🗣- expression, idealism, black sheep, tryhard, self absorbed, dramatic, nonjudgemental, relatable, understanding, cringe, acceptance, out of pocket, proud of flaws/doesn't attempt to hide them, whimpy, romantizing, poet, emo, outspoken, main character syndrome, need to share themselves, emotional baggage, contrary, calls people out on bs, brings attention to being upset/unsatisfied

Examples: Lapis (Steven Universe), Susanna (Girl Interrupted), Wyatt (Ozark), Sasuke (Naruto), Zuko (Atla)

5 🤖🧠🎮💡🧪- Avoidance, robotical, breakthrough, locked in, spectator, nerdy, little regard for emotion, impersonal, don't admit to faults, monologing, spiteful, productive, innovative, obsessive, focused on work/interests/passions, neglectful of own and everyones needs, forgets others around them, immersed, dedicated, perceive everything as inconvenience to their plan, hermit, developed skills gain them respect,

Examples: Marty Byrde (Ozark), Joe Goldberg (You), Viktor (Arcane), Walter White (Breaking Bad), Rust (True Detective), Peridot (Steven Universe), Hanji (Attack on Titan)

p6 👥️️🍏🩹🏘📈📉- unsure, security/stability-seeking, doubtful, community-oriented, hard-working, dependable, wreck, morality, goodie-2-shoes, believes in doing the right thing, black/white thinking, anxious, goal orientated, wants to prove themselves, unity, getting along, uplifting, togetherness, enjoys being a part of the big whole, interpersonal

Examples: Ami Mizuno (Sailor Moon), Holden Ford (Mindhunter), Moxxie (Helluva Boss), Haru (Beastars), Armin (Attack on Titan), Pearl (Steven Universe)

cp6 👺🚨🗡⚠️🗯- Devotion, Restless, securing, protecting, backing, loyal, sacrificing, daring, guts, opinionated, volatile, guarded, easily irritable, tense, alarming, both impulsive and prepared, don't play by the rules, ruthless, ends justify the means, risk-taking, changes the game, hierarchy, interpersonal, clear guidelines, overlooking, straight to the point, transparent, little effort in trying to get along

Examples: Silco (Arcane), Ruth (Ozark), Eren (Attack on Titan), Arya Stark (Game of Thrones), Eddie Brock (Venom)

7 🎉🪀🍰🤸‍♀️🔫- Freedom, Escape, consuming, fleeing, playing, partying, Fulfillment, Gluttony, selfish, uncontrolled, adventurous, easily bored, hate negativity, spread positivity, mischievous, chaotic, emotionally raw, simple, hates rules/authority, distraction, childlike behavior, Enjoyment, Vacation, Speed, spending, wants no consequences/no accountability, can't handle criticism, jumpy, positive needs come first and are unfiltered, jokes

Examples: Jinx (Arcane), Amethyst (Steven Universe), Venom (Marvel), Blitzo (Helluva Boss), Spinel (Steven Universe), Usagi (Sailor Moon), Aang (Atla)

8 🔞🥩🥊🚬🗿- Taking up space, demanding, self-assured, presence, grounded, physical, physically enhancing, self-centered, bully, independent, emotionally stunted, leader, rough play, blunt, territorial, alcoholics, thick-skinned, Meathead, rude, barbaric, animalistic, gruff, bars, nightlife, poker, tough, shoot first think later, impulsive, angry, independent, strength

Examples: Vi(Arcane) , Sevika(Arcane), Billy Hargrove (Stranger Things), Lisa (Girl Interrupted), Tyler Durden (Fight Club), Jasper (Steven Universe), Toph (Atla), Garnet (Steven Universe), Bill (Mind Hunter)

9 💤⚰️😶‍🌫️🍃📺- Blocking, Stasis, unmoving, not fully there, sleeping, unreachable, overwhelmed, exhaustion, despairing, ignoring, uncomfortable with attention, averting, quitters, numbing, want to rest in peace, takes breaks, emotional outbreaks then act like it didn't happen, stay in their lane, compassionate in small ways, doesn't want to burden others, chill, lowkey, cut-off, avoidance

Love is reactive, protective, caring and insecure. Love is very concerned with having a relationship as she seeks stability. 

I feel like Love was a bit difficult to type, because I think what the show is going for is that Love and Joe are the same. However, I don’t believe they have the same motivations for killing or for their actions. I also think this is shown in that Joe is constantly becoming obsessed with new people because he is desperate to find ‘the one’. Yet, I think Love is more concerned with finding love so she can have a stable relationship and have the family she always wanted, especially as her family life has been very dysfunctional. I also feel like Love kills when she feels like she needs to protect her loved ones (Forty and Joe), whereas, Joe kills when he feels rejected (attempted murder of Candiace and Beck) or in pursuit of his obsession (Benji and Peach). Hence, I actually think Love is more of a 6 than a 2, as she is more reactive (as 6s are in the reactive triad) and she is more driven by security and stability than love itself. 

At her best, Love is very caring and does a lot for the people she loves, as we see in her relationships with Joe and Forty. 

At her worst, Love can be overreactive and do things without thinking, as we see in her killings. She also seems to become paranoid and insecure. 

Love had a very close relationship with her brother Forty as she has always felt like she had to keep him safe and make sure he was ok. Her mother even scolds her and tells her that her one job was to keep him safe. As a result, she is always looking out for signs that something is going to go wrong with Forty, which is common for 6s. She is very scared he is going to relapse so she has trained herself to recognise the signs to make sure he is ok. 

Love becomes very obsessed with Joe and does a lot to protect the relationship, even going as far as killing Deliah and Candiace. However, this is a double-edged sword, as she also has at the back of her mind that Joe does’t love her anymore because of the things she has done, leading her to do bad things like killing Natalie. She admits to having a fear of abandonment and she is always worried that Joe will kill or leave her, meaning she can never truly trust him. 

Love has a wing 7 as she is more personable, extroverted and warm than a 6w5

Tri-type: 6w7 - 2w3 - 9w1

Some quotes to describe Love’s motivations

“We’re all a little broken. Yet some pieces still manage to fit together.”

“No one who tries to love you really measures up when you’re a twin.”

“Relationships are scary. You don’t get all that goodness and possibility with zero risk.”

type one

type two

type three

type four

type five

type six

type seven

type eight

type nine