#instinctive triad

The instinctive triad is also known as the ‘gut’ or ‘anger’ triad as they are very concerned with their instincts and their central emotion is anger. These types seek autonomy, however it manifests in different ways depending on their core type. They are mostly concerned with influencing and controlling their environment, yet they resist being influenced or controlled. They create inward (directed internally) and outward (directed externally) boundaries.

Type 1: 1s are concerned with making the world better and controlling their environment in just the way they want. Their main boundary is inward, as they direct their anger internally, which is why they often seem to be repressing their emotions. 1s put up ‘internal walls’ against certain parts of themselves. 1s tend to repress their anger. e.g. “I don’t want to be angry so I’ll push it down”

Type 9: 9s want to be in control of their environment, however they will often reject controlling others and will try to avoid conflict to gain control. 9s do not want their equilibrium to be disturbed. 9s will put up walls both against others and parts of themselves, as they are in the centre of the triad, this will manifest more strongly in their wing. e.g. a 9w1 will be more repressed and inward, whereas a 9w8 will be more likely to show emotions. 9s tend to deny their anger. e.g. “I’m fine” or “I don’t know what I’m feeling.”

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Nines are the most patient and tolerant types in the enneagram. They have an innate belief that other people are similar to them underneath in a way they can't explain that makes them anything but megalomaniac. They are truly accepting of peoples' faults and are biased to give others the benefit of the doubt. They are good listeners and one can talk to them about almost anything. They are able to see where others are coming from and can genuinely sympathize with what it feels like to not be listened to. They can make people feel good about even the deepest gloom.

They are easygoing and low-maintenance. They enjoy relaxing and letting their minds wander. They like immersing themselves in their hobbies and are often drawn to the outdoors. They don't impose their preferences and aren't sticklers over little things. They don't need for things to be spelled out. They are good-natured and unflappable. They have the ability to stay hopeful as well as level-headed and calm during a real crisis. Whether they are anxious, frustrated, angry, excited, or enthused, they show less than most people and appear stable no matter what.

They see being united and coming together in a positive light. They believe in "flow", whether it's going with the flow, idealizing a reality or philosophy that has flow, synchronizing themselves with the ebbs and flows of life, or being attracted to what naturally flows. They have a knack for waiting for the right time when things to come to them instead of them forcing the action. They have just enough of a positive outlook to favor letting things work out on their own but are anything but full of themselves. They have a good balance between being competitive and someone to simply hang with. All in all nines tend to be likeable.

As gut types nines are very "present" in their bodies in a naturally grounded and inert way. From being in the center of the gut triad they are saturated with enough earthy energy to make staying in their comfort zone their main priority, to the point where they block out the harshness and complications of life, and whatever doesn't "jive" with them in general. They want as much as possible for things to go smoothly and resist what bothers them. Their autonomy is important to them and a lot of things that make life more complicated aren't worth the trouble. With their instinctive energy trapped inside them they tend to stick with what's familiar, sometimes to the point of inertia and complacency. They go with the flow and are reluctant to assert their preferences outside of their comfort zone. They like feeling invited and feeding off others' energy but not to the point of no longer being able to slip in and out seamlessly. They lack strong personal boundaries in that they rarely tell people to go away so they don't want to risk a level of involvement that could lead to unwanted obligations. When they don't take the initiative to make themselves heard it often leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy of others ignoring them. They hold back their frustrations although they may not realize how much they do this.

On a much deeper level the underlying current of "anger" in gut types is traced to the eternal frustration of not being able to see themselves well due to being overly present in their bodies, similar to the frustration of groping in the dark. Inner needs like cultivating an identity have trouble being met with an unconscious sense of self, which in conjunction with being "held back" by their inertness makes it hard to get out from inside of them what they really mean and how they really feel. This constant low-idle "groping in the dark" rhythmic body-consciousness from which frustration and anger springs is the primary backdrop of the "overly present in their body" gut triad, similar to anxiety and shame for the head and image triads respectively. Although nines may deny their annoyance and irritation as forms of anger, they loathe being pushed or bothered, and especially anything that even faintly smells of obligation. Like eights and ones a nine's underlying frustration is there but instead gets redirected into less visceral forms like stubbornness and digging in their heels. If they are dragged into doing something they grit their teeth and make the best of it. Nines have an easier time accessing sadness, fear, hurt, confusion, numbness, than anger itself though ironically they get mad at themselves for saying yes when they didn't mean to.

Nines being very present in their bodies comes at the expense of having a conscious sense of "self" or awareness of having a persona. This makes them seem the least "put on" and adds to their likeability. On the flip side this lack of an identity makes them prone to self-neglect and introjecting aspects of others without them realizing it. That's why nines have difficulty vocalizing what they want or how they are feeling. When they say yes to the possibility of something in general others misinterpret that as committing to a real yes. They also have difficulty saying no with enough conviction for others to get the message that it's non-negotiable, especially when they feel pushed to defend and justify the no to someone who refuses to take no for an answer. This is a source of frustration for them and only adds to why they think communicating their wants and needs isn't worth the trouble. In an external sense nines tend to believe "everything will turn out fine"..."no need to get panicky"..."there are ways to work around that and we'll find them", while on an internal level nines have lowered expectations and are less positive thinking. They tend to see a bland neutral world with many shades of grey and prefer to be positive as they find negativity draining. That is why nines are more positive outlook than pure optimists like sevens.

Nines see the waves of conflict between them and others larger and more treacherous than they really are. They can be unnerved by focused negative energy and to a lesser extent relentlessness. What others see as a spirited discussion they see as a needlessly argumentative atmosphere. They don't like it when people feel compelled to fight over stuff in raised voices rather than try to discuss and merely understand each other. They feel people interrupt them and never give them an opportunity to say something important. They settle for an illusion that if they don't invite conflict or rock the boat everything will be okay. They bury their anger and frustration and are happy that their boat is still floating even if it's just drifting out of inertia. Steering the boat through problems would require a sense of direction so they are content to let it drift along. By ignoring problems they make them worse which causes them to ignore them even more and a negative feedback loop ensues. When there's too much swept under the rug to "numb out" any longer they finally erupt. This takes others aback and reinforces to them that anger is bad. On a more subconscious level they try to neutralize their anger by seeing the good in people.

Much of a nine's issues surface in relationships where it's about two people getting what they want from each other. It's not uncommon for nines to seem apathetic and invest less of themselves in something to protect themselves emotionally in case things go bad. To others they can seem emotionally disconnected or "numbed out". In relationships they are often able to shrug off disappointments easier because they had already left internally to some degree. It's not a matter of them not being accepting enough for if anything they hold out too much hope. They feel that people ignore them as well as don't pay attention or listen to them. Once they've determined things are passed the point of no return, they try to get the other person to leave by being unavailable and unappealing so that they have a guilt-free conscience. They don't think they make waves or invoke strong feelings in others. This way they confirm to themselves that they are invisible enough to slip in and out of situations without making enough waves to be responsible for whatever happens. In prematurely resigning themselves to being less visible they underestimate the effect they have on others and are surprised at how blindsided close ones can be.

Because nines are less "present" on the inside their cognition has less "form" or "definition" and therefore less of the restrictions that accompany them. This enables nines to gloss over negative scenarios just enough to think they can live a simple and easy life without disruptions, provided they don't invite conflict that could lead to estrangement from others (9w1), or make life more difficult for themselves (9w8). They especially fear being separated from loved ones (9w1), or losing loved ones permanently (9w8). Emphasizing they are distinctly separate individuals goes against their ego in not having self-importance (9w1), or in their self-importance not mattering (9w8).

With their ability to subtly gloss over what's uncomfortable to think about nines are able to drown out what disturbs their peace of mind (9w1), or their rhythm (9w8). While the seven's jumping-the-gun cognition makes them clearly see positive scenarios before the future can disprove them, the nine's more elastic cognition makes them block out what they consider disruptive. Due to having less "form" or "definition" their cognition is often more in symbols and images and other things of a less conscious nature than concrete words. They can be complacent and selectively not remember things. Any one thing can possibly lead to anything, for unlike fives there are no dead ends or other cognitive restrictions to their thinking process. They tend to explain things in stories where one thought naturally flows to another. This type of internal wiring though can make it harder to discriminate between what is essential and what isn't, and makes it more difficult to find their calling in life and set priorities. Although their ability to see many shades of grey gives them a talent for mediating others' disputes, it makes it harder to isolate what they really want in life.

In an ever-changing world they are reluctant to commit on the spot as they feel a need to have something "jive" with them to tell if they really want it or not. They fear being swept up in the wrong thing and the obligations that come with it..."do I really want this or not?" Enough stress makes them hunker down and avoid everything as well as numb out. "Why bother?"..."which way to go?..."it doesn't really matter does it?"..."I don't know so I'll stay here and hope it goes away." Therefore their top priority remains to be as comfortable as possible with what's familiar, internally as well as externally. To achieve this their more amorphous cognition makes them block out what is outside of their comfort zone, particularly the harshness and complications of life.

In enneagram theory nines are instinctive (gut) center primary at the expense of their thinking and identity centers. This leads them to become more "checked out" and numb to their feelings in response to conflict or another stressor, as well as over focus on living comfortably at the expense of critical thinking beyond their comfort zone and a developed identity. However a sense of self even if it's false helps one "get out there" and have one's self-perception and version of reality regularly tested. On a deeper level nines take pride in their invisibility as otherwise it would be too much of a blow for their invisibility to be "confirmed" by others on top of not being able to see themselves. Twisting their perceived invisibility into a strength also enables them to use it as an excuse to do whatever they have to do to stay in their comfort zone. On a deeper level they want to be stay in their comfort zone and avoid taking responsibility for their true needs and desires. A person needs to be a part of themselves before they are a part of anything though. Hence nines need to see themselves as distinctly separate to connect with greater humanity.

Nines attempt to reach a state of premature comfort and/or enlightenment. Seeing friction and a lack of fluidity in eights and ones next to them may awaken some nines to the possibility that an easy life without disruptions may lead to missing out on essential parts of the human experience like being involved. Other nines may immerse themselves in activities to feel more alive to counteract inertia. Yet other nines may be surprisingly intellectual and even indulge in introspection, though the latter is usually on their terms. Similar to sixes there can be a wide range of nines. While it's not uncommon for nines to seem like fours, fives, sixes, and sevens even, what all nines have in common is presuming that things will be okay if they stay in their comfort zone by minimizing conflict and tension as well as blocking out the harshness and complications of life, numbing out what's unpleasant, an attraction to "flow" or willingness to go with the flow, and an underdeveloped sense of identity so that they often feel "invisible".

To get healthier nines need to wean themselves off autopilot mode or away from any delusion that they can ascend to a nirvana-like state without going through the arduous process of figuring out who they are and what they really want in life. They need to accept the reality that emotional pain cannot be numbed or escaped and instead comes with simply being present. They then need to learn to put themselves out there and allow for the discomfort that comes from being more emotionally honest and engaged with others. They need to stand by their own convictions and accept the risk that they will find conflict and come up against others' opinions. To live a more honest life they have to lay it out there and accept that whatever happens happens. If others reject their right to see things the way they do they are rejecting their truth which is unacceptable. Thus conflict can finally lead to closure. Once they see that anger is conviction in their truth they can see it as a constructive force that they could and should experience in real-time. When healthy nines are able to stay focused and rational during anger and let it run its natural course. They can then utilize their strength at seeing the merits of others' views without losing themselves in the process. With new self-assertion victories their sense of identity is developed enough to enable them to escape inertia instead of pain. They can become more "alive" and begin the positive feedback loop of engaging life more fully, releasing the logjam of instinctive energy that's trapped inside them.

The instinctive triad seems to "just know" compared to the relatively ungrounded cognition of other types so being in the center nines present an interesting paradox. They are more in touch with less conscious processes and the collective unconscious, yet have a tendency to be disengaged and subtly gloss over things that go against their preferred way of seeing reality. They have a knack for going with the flow and waiting for things to develop instead of forcing the action, but are also more prone to seeing what they want to see and living in their own bubble. Being in the center of the instinctive triad they are saturated with enough of the less conscious gut energy (not to be confused with not being intellectual) that it can be difficult to overcome their inertia and "get up and go". It's similar to sixes who "what if" so much they fake themselves out and threes who try too hard to hit the right notes with people.

9w8 is about calmness (nine) from a position of strength (eight). They choose to be calm as opposed to feeling they have to maintain being calm to avoid conflict or estrangement like a 9w1. They don't invite conflict but don't shy away from it either as they nip conflict in the bud as quickly as possible. They are the most "chill" of the instinctive triaders. They have the best balance in their personal boundaries as they are halfway in between being a doormat and dominating others. This is why they are generally the most likeable of all subtypes.

9w8 is called the "comfort-seeker" and wants to make life easier for themselves. They are firmly grounded in their bodies with an emphasis on being physically comfortable. Hardly anything bothers them. They aren't nearly as hard on themselves as 9w1s. They are easygoing but can be direct with others if forced out of their comfort zone as they are much more assertive than their 9w1 siblings. While they have a bias towards letting things work out on their own they have no problem stepping in and settling things.

9w8s have an ego in being grounded in reality. They pride themselves in being simple regular people. They take pleasure in noticing when there isn't any point to discussing something, often to the extent of exhibiting a "who cares" apathy. Asserting their self-importance certainly falls in that category. While they are realistic about themselves they have a tendency to be underestimated by others. Like eights they play down and trivialize what's not worth dwelling on as "no big deal". Not getting what they want is also declared "no big deal" and therefore not that important. They tend to be attracted to the outdoors and other physical activities. They mainly fear permanently losing loved ones.

9w8s are more genial and practical. They are significantly less withdrawn than 9w1s. Although they are less intuitive than 9w1s, they have a natural sense of rhythm for the ebb and flow of things around them. They have an ability to make anyone like them even when they are being irreverent and mischievous. They have an "it's all good" attitude as nothing appears to bother them. In response to a prank they might go "nice one" whereas a 9w1 would initially seem dazed and taken aback before saying it's alright. 9w8s have an overt (eight) haze (nine) in comparison to the more repressed (one) haze (nine) of 9w1s. Like all 9s they have trouble expressing anger directly and become less focused when they do. Their 8 wing though makes them more able to blow off steam by expressing anger physically at least, like throwing stuff in frustration.

9w1 is about keeping their inner peace (nine) intact (one). They avoid conflict externally and the reality of that conflict internally. They see conflict as an endless web of which any path could lead to estrangement so they hold their anger inside. They suppress their rough edges and conceal disagreeableness to seem accommodating. They have trouble saying no gracefully: "what do you mean?"..."answer to what?"..."I'm flattered you asked but I'll have to think about that as I have something else I gotta do"..."me participating would likely make no difference so you'd be better off asking someone else". They may also feel emotionally unsafe wanting something that's counter to the wants of the people around them. They'll either be wishy-washy and try to change the subject or find a way to go along while feeling they were sucked in. Basically they trade their comfort for others' comfort and hope and assume that by ignoring conflict they will maintain their emotional tranquility. To a 9w1 hope and assume are often close enough to be interchangeable. If they are in a safe and comfortable environment they can better explore disagreement.

9w1s are sensitive and self-effacing as well as gentle and loving. While they have issues with expressing anger they can also feel crippled with anxiety. They suppress or ignore their wants due to fear. They "cocoon" under stress and their "positive outlook" is a defense against a deep-seated belief of an inability to have an influence or impact. The delayed anger responses from 9w1s result from an excessive buildup of intense long-term anxiety that never got dealt with. They are much harder on themselves than 9w8s. They are very sensitive to criticism because they take it as a judgement on them as people. This is why praise can have such a positive effect on them. The key is to try to relieve their anxiety directly and then anger issues will resolve themselves.

9w1s have an "ego in having no ego", as opposed to the 9w8 ego in being able to be apathetic to what's pointless. They can be unusually intuitive and cerebral as well as creative and fantastical. They have a knack for synthesizing various theories and viewpoints. Sometimes they can seem like 4s and 5s except they idealize "flow" and don't take things to the same extremes. It's tough to narrow down the possibilities and discriminate the way they see everything as interconnected. They feel ambivalent and out of touch with what their instincts tell them. They repress and ignore negative urges in themselves but get frustrated with those who disturb the peace. In response to being disturbed themselves they might initially be taken aback or dazed and then say everything is okay.

9w1s are high-minded types who idealize peace, harmony, healing, and union with others. They mainly fear being separated from loved ones and on some level they feel like they don't matter as a distinctly separate person. "United we stand divided we fall" resonates with them because on a deeper level separation is equivalent to annihilation. They dream about formlessness as the perfect reality, where one is freed from struggles of the ego and anything else that detracts from fluidity. They feel drawn to being connected with the vastness and beauty of nature and are attracted to things like large bodies of water and celestial entities in the sky. The Way of the Tao is very 9w1, as are other eastern philosophies that aspire to a formless and egoless nirvana. "The answer will come to you in time my son" wiseman archetype is also very 9w1. In such a reality unnecessary details, pain, and anxiety are either drowned out or work themselves out on their own.

 9 vs 1: Nines aren't aggressive like ones are. They lack the one's constant need for self-improvement and complex around perfectionism.

9 vs 2: Nines don't have the two's controlling tendencies nor do nines have the two's ego strength.

9 vs 3: Nines have an inhibition against taking the initiative to make themselves heard unlike threes. Threes focus on meeting expectations and personal goals while nines care about avoiding obligations. "Seize the day!" doesn't resonate with nines like threes.

9 vs 4: Nines don't use separation from others to exalt themselves like fours do. Fours like to bring attention to themselves unlike nines. Fours unlike nines are comfortable taking the initiative to make themselves heard.

9 vs 5: Nines are drawn to comforting thoughts as opposed to fives who are mentally intense, strong-minded, and argumentative, and drawn to disturbing thoughts. Fives like to argue for sport while nines don't want to bother with winning an argument since it means getting angry which feels unpleasant. Fives unlike nines put a premium on what they say being well thought-out. Nines have a bias to simplify whereas fives have a bias to complexify. Nines have an elastic cognition while fives are constrained by their internal logic. Nine thinking is involved with generalities whereas five thinking is highly concentrated, penetrating, and almost microscopic in its focus. Nines are more "present" physically. Nines see being united and coming together in a positive light.

9 vs 6: Nines see sixes are too wound up and need to chill out while sixes see nines as asleep. Nines have much more elastic cognition. Effective communication isn't as important to nines as it is to sixes who need things to be spelled out. Nines are comfortable letting things happen on their own while sixes notice what can go wrong. Sixes being reactive types find it much harder to shield their annoyance from others. When nines feel smaller than their internal resources to deal with a situation, they get to a "what's the point anymore? “paralysis. Sixes lack the presumption of nines.

9 vs 7: Nines find it much easier to adjust their wants with what they are likely to get. Sevens don't feel invisible at all and easily take the initiative to make themselves heard. Unlike sevens, nines hold back their cockiness until they feel comfortable.

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Eights are strong-willed rugged street-smart types who like feeling "grand" about themselves. They are competitive and decisive. They are gluttonous types who like to "live life hard"...like "work hard play hard"..."I want to really sink my teeth into that juicy steak." They delight in seeing themselves as animalistic yet think about things more deeply than they let on. Eights "just know" they have an inherent "gravitas" that most people don't have. They are anything but apologetic for taking up space around them. Others can immediately feel an eight's physical presence from their uninhibited "I am aligned with myself not you" expansiveness that is a reflection of their grand personality. They are naturally confident enough to not need to prove their strength to others or themselves. They simply assume they are both formidable enough and mentally tough enough to do whatever they gotta do, no discussion necessary. As tough as eights seem on the outside, what largely separates eights from eight-lookalikes is how eights are even tougher from the neck up. They stomach the harsher realities of life that most others find unsettling. They are the least likely type to crack or break down psychologically. While they prefer being independent they know they can lead should they choose to. On the flip side they know deep down they are outsiders who can never fully be "one of the guys".

In a dog-eat-dog world eights feel they must be masters of their own destiny. They are unwilling to be controlled in any way. They tend to either run things or be independent contractors. They are wary of any interdependent setup where they aren't calling the shots. The eights that do work for others place a premium on getting financially independent as soon as possible. Even the mere possibility of being controlled triggers a need to prevent that from happening at all costs. That means controlling others if necessary whether it be dominating them or taking charge in a more formal capacity. The eight delusion is that they intend for reality to comply with how they want things to be. When that doesn't happen it feels like losing control. Basically the eight reframes not getting what they want as losing control which triggers increased anger and dominating behavior. This invites needless friction and makes them have to repeatedly learn life's lessons the hard way. Where it really costs eights is emotionally though. They pit themselves against the world so much that they deprive themselves from experiencing what it's like to be fully human. They miss what it's like to feel elated and discouraged, to be awed and appalled, to feel other emotions fully other than pure visceral anger. Letting their guard down and opening up is difficult for them.

Eights have a very strong sense of justice. There is nothing that ticks them off more than getting a raw deal. Eights have the biggest tempers and the English language often feels too trite to express their anger with. If there's one thing the eight feels compelled to do its cuss. As eights don't like to be "moved" against their will, they are very aware when others are unfairly "moved" against theirs. They have a soft spot for innocence as it reminds themselves of what they've lost and are eternally trying to reclaim. In a dog-eat-dog world full of bad people it's one of the few things that makes them think the world isn't broken beyond repair. When they see innocent people getting the shaft it makes them very angry. Their protective instincts quickly kick in. They know someone's going to feel some pain and it's not going to be them. Eights are comfortable seeing themselves as monsters and have no inhibition against being "badder" than the bad to meet out punishment. "Judgement day" is where they feel most at home, where they are judge, jury, prosecutor, and most importantly, executioner. "Executioner" in this case means due to the eight the life of the perpetrator will never be the same.

Eights do not trust easily but once you're in you're in to stay unless you really screw up. If an eight yells at you he sees you as a decent person who did a bad thing. That's not as bad as him giving you the silent treatment which means he's cutting you out. Eights like to test people not to see where they stand but more to putting the finishing touches on whatever they have compiled on you. They pride themselves on having the ability to see what makes a person tick. They prefer to enter the fray only at the very end when they are about to finish things as opposed to lashing out in the middle of things. When an eight starts testing you it means he already found a red flag, like an "any last words before I get rid of you". They don't like to show their full hand until the end. Of course if you betray them you are gone.

Due to their more unconscious sense of self they aren't as aware of how they come across to others. They shamelessly assert their selfishness which others find refreshing. They do not feel the need to justify themselves in the least. They do they feel the need to hold themselves to any standards. Their streams of consciousness are "I choose to" as opposed to "I feel obligated to" or "I hold myself to". They revel in being "bad" and in not needing validation. In response to being called a thug, they may respond "damn straight" while kneeling down to give a child a free ice cream cone. They assume others don't like them until proven otherwise and therefore they don't need validation from others. When they don't get validation it confirms their self-image of someone who doesn't need validation. They also like to have a disconnect between them and others' perceptions of them to reinforce what others think of them doesn't matter. It reinforces their outsider nature, how they are "here" others are "there". That's how things were always fated to be. It goes without saying as outsiders eights also view many societal rules as stupid.

In enneagram theory eights are instinctive-thinking-feeling in that order. On a much deeper level eights really want power to make sure they are never vulnerable. Eights unconsciously do everything from a position of strength. They have a nose for what detracts from gravitas in real time and avoid that. They live large and move against the world at the expense of feeling soft and tender emotions, and coming to grips with neglected feelings. They "trivialize" emotions and avoid both feeling them and coming to grips with them. The eight fixation in its purest form is an aversion to being "moved" by soft and tender emotions that make them feel weak. During a "moment" they become even more grand to avoid being moved emotionally. Their speaking becomes more measured as if to try to slow down time itself. With their fear buried deep in the unconscious position they can walk and talk like they have gravitas. The inhibition against being "moved" also applies to the physical and thinking realms. Everything seems so clear when they keep themselves pitted against the world. They know who their enemies are. They have a purpose and a mission. Simply put they feel engaged and alive. But it only serves to keep their mind off of coming to grips with their feelings they've put off processing. Their internal landscape feels like a purgatory as they forever battle unresolved emotions and issues that linger. They feel emotions most deeply when they leave them behind as if to finally give them a proper burial after a long period of neglect. They are much more sentimental than they let on and feel regret and nostalgia over not having felt more in the moment that had come and gone.

Unhealthy eights are totally out of touch with their feelings. They are often outlaws. They brag about having no conscience and more importantly they mean it. They are totally insensitive to others and have no remorse. They focus exclusively on living hard and large. They can be very destructive. In extreme examples they are brutal dictators. Saddam Hussein was a good example but not just because he was a brutal dictator. Eights in general don't like feeling they need to understand the world to navigate it. They see it as the world "telling them what to do". But most eights come around to reality and do what they gotta do to survive. Saddam was totally delusional. He ignored the advice of his generals and drew up the battle plans himself without regard to logistics. His plan was to have his army fall back in concentric rings around Baghdad despite there being a limited number of crooked roads. He had no desire to play his hand the best he could. He just didn't care he was out of touch with reality anymore. Healthy eights in contrast are magnanimous. They acknowledge their emotions. Although they are naturally self-validating they accept being "touched" by others. They are willing to make themselves vulnerable emotionally as the hardest person to conquer is oneself.

8w7s are less inhibited and tend to be colorful characters. They tend to have more mercurial life patterns. They are cockier and convey a "it's a privilege for you to engage me" vibe. They intend for reality to contour itself around the way they go about their business. They expect the red sea to be parted for them. They are a double-gluttony subtype and are more likely to have the itch to gamble and be high-rollers. They are vulnerable to taking on too much risk and overextending themselves. They are more frenzied and cathartic and have more self-destructive tendencies. They tend to be iconoclasts who delight in turning things upside down instead of solidifying them.

8w7s believe the best defense is a good offense. Their style of dominating is to preemptively attack you to keep you off balance. They delight in "checkmating" you as their seven wing makes them focus on where your options and possibilities are so they can cut them off. They have a greater focus on tactics and strategy. They are more "I reign supreme and will summon all my powers to blow you to smithereens".

8w9s tend to be more reserved and self-contained. They are more modest and friendly. They aren't as megalomaniac as 8w7s. They are less likely to overestimate themselves. They speak in simpler language and seem less "heady" than 8w7s with their more drawn out cadence. They don't understand the eight-winged-seven self-destructive behaviour. They are more grounded and unmovable but they can get aggressive in a hurry if provoked. They are natural defenders who focus on solidifying structures as opposed to tearing them down and starting anew.

8w9s believe the best defense is to be well-fortified. They don't believe in preemptive aggression. They wait for the enemy to strike first and are natural counterpunchers. Their style of dominance is to endure whatever you throw at them and gradually steamroll you. They delight in pushing their weight against you and making you feel their physical presence. They are more "I am unbreakable and will steadily wear you down.

8 vs 1: Eights don't need to follow rules to consider themselves moral people.

8 vs 2: Eights wear their badassery on their sleeves while twos suppress that side of themselves.

8 vs 3: Eights view themselves as animalistic where that is too uncivilized for a three's self-image.

8 vs 4: Eights trivialize their emotions whereas fours amplify them.

8 vs 5: Eights have much more energy and will and aren't overwhelmed by their emotions.

8 vs 6: Eights like to feel grand and sixes don't. Eights often see the need for clarity as weakness and deny it.

8 vs 7: Eights will control people if necessary to avoid being controlled whereas sevens are more carefree.

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Ones idealize a moral purity that both transcends reality and is the foundation of it. They see the world through their perceptual filter of how things could be improved, the ideal as opposed to the real, which leads to a constant dissatisfaction with reality. They are eternally frustrated with all the flaws around them and with their eye for improvement feel it is their mission to fix them. They take pride in not wavering in their convictions no matter how unpopular and in resolutely pointing out the right way everybody ought to abide by. When everyone adheres to the same rules/ideals/principles there is fairness and order...and when people break the rules ones truly resent that. "You can't do that because if everyone did what you did..." is a common type one stream of consciousness.

Ones have the strongest inner critic of all types and justify their moral authority to "point out the right way" by constantly putting more effort into being good or virtuous than others. Due to their strict superego there is no type that feels as guilty for being "bad" and harder on themselves to be perfectly good. They are not just conscientious disciplined competent and reliable people who hold themselves accountable to do what they are supposed to do. They go further in the self-control department by continually repressing their "dirty" desires and restricting their indulgences. The more self-control they consistently maintain the more upright they are and the more they've earned both their right to point out how things should be and their duty to hold their environment as well as themselves to ideals. 

Ones being perfectionists tend to be uptight and anal-retentive about things and aren't the easiest people to get along with. They practice what they preach however which many find sincere and refreshing in an image-dominated society filled with hypocrisy. They continually hold themselves to their own high standards. They do their duty and are dedicated to standing up for what's right through thick and thin as those are extensions of their perseverance. They are also the least likely type to be full of themselves, so much so one gets the sense that they couldn't promote themselves even if they tried.

Anger in particular is an emotion ones have problems with. Ones pride themselves in being stoic and see emotional expression especially spontaneous outbursts as a lack of self-control, but being in the instinctive triad their dominant emotion is anger. Thus a one's relationship to their anger is like a self-imposed noose around their personal volcano that wants to erupt at the slightest thing that they see is wrong around them. The result is a seeping out of resentment agitation and over criticalness unbeknownst to the one that others find very palpable.

In enneagram theory type ones are (instinctive/gut)-(valuing/feeling/image)-(thinking/head) in that order. Due to their primary instinctive center ones focus on living out their convictions and neglect to use their tertiary thinking center when it calculates an exception to the rules. That's when they turn their thinking center over to their superego to resolve the conflict. Turning themselves over to their superego also causes them to irrationally overvalue self-control which makes them take pride in repressing their "dirty" desires and restricting their indulgences. Ones think they are more rational than they really are due to their stoic nature. Much distortion springs from their overvaluing self-control. This is the root of a one's contractive temperament.

In the lower to average levels of health ones have unrealistic notions of moral purity and self-control that are unattainable. This leads them to having secret indulgences such that their uprightness seems more than it is. Ones seeing their own hypocrisy makes them redouble their efforts only to fail again. As ones get healthier there is more consistency between what they practice and what they preach because their unrealistic moral standards have paradoxically loosened. They realize breaking some rules are okay and it's okay to cut loose a bit. Philosophically speaking the growth path for ones involves eschewing their moral purism in favor of some type of moral humanism.

 1w9s see allowing unnecessary self-interested emotions as detracting from their objectivity. They have a greater focus on abstract and impersonal ideals that can withstand the test of time and endure an imperfect world just as they themselves consistently "withstand" and "endure". They are more stoic and cerebral and may theorize about how things should inherently be, the "perfect" virtues to adhere to, and the "perfect" way to live by. It's no accident that many philosophers are 1w9s as constructing systems of thought based on their "moral postulates" is textbook 1w9 thinking, starting with assumptions they "just know"(instinctive) to be right (valuing/feeling) to build systems of thought (thinking). The principal author of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, was also a 1w9. The downside of their stronger thinking function compared to their two-winged siblings is experiencing more internal conflicts between what they "reason out"(thinking) and what they "just know to be true"(instinctive). This causes their superego to step in more and lead to a more repressed personality that makes them harder on themselves than others. Spock is a fictional 1w9 and Vulcan history is also very 1w9: "By the 4th century, Vulcan was tearing itself apart. Their rampant emotions combined with a hostile warrior culture led to many wars using atomic weapons. But out of this came a philosopher named Surak, who would propose leading a life governed by logic rather than emotion. His teachings quickly spread, and Vulcan finally began a shift towards peace."

 1w2s in contrast sees the 1w9 focus as too detached from humanity and have a more practical morality focus, for example things between people like ethics and etiquette. The 1w2's focus on where to fix things is more in the trenches due to their 2 wing. They value connections between others above abstract ideals in terms of application of principles. They are more "human" which makes them better suited towards activism than philosophy. They take social issues more seriously and define fairness and what is right less in absolute terms and more what they see is equitable for others. This is why they are said to be natural advocates. In comparison to the 1w9, the 1w2 has less internal conflict between thought and action and feels more compelled than burdened. 1w2s feel more compelled to address what needs fixing in the shared interpersonal space between them and others. They see this as their duty. This combined with using the moral high ground to establish and protect personal boundaries between themselves and others makes them seem more authoritarian. While they are harder on others around them and can seem condescending, they are also very hard on themselves. They would have a hard time looking at themselves in the mirror if they didn't take action.

 1 vs 2: Ones are much harder on themselves than twos. Twos can think highly of themselves merely by seeing themselves as considerate of others. Even when twos are self-critical, they have more of a pride in being self-critical. Twos being image-center first won't hesitate to have outbursts of emotion, which seems like a lack of self-control to the one.

1 vs 3: Ones couldn't promote themselves to save their lives while that's the three's gift should they choose to use it. Threes also have much stronger egos and are sometimes willing to cut corners. In the off-chance ones do self-promote it's for the greater good than personal benefit.

1 vs 4: A one's strict superego precludes them from emotional displays and indulging like a four. Ones unlike fours aren't reactive, they have to look before they leap before reacting emotionally. A four sees being emotional as authentic while a one sees that as a lack of self-control.

1 vs 5: Fives unlike ones don't need to adhere to standards that apply to everyone to think they are good enough. Unlike fives the way ones are rational is tied to self-control. Ones find it easy to engage the world while fives find it draining. Fives don't need to obey the rules while ones are compliant to the rules.

1 vs 6: Ones unlike sixes do not worry and are very sure of themselves. They know what their purpose is in the world. They "just know" way things should be and they pride themselves in not wavering in their convictions. Ones have a drive for self-improvement that sixes don't have.

1 vs 7: Ones are inhibited. Sevens are anything but. Sevens do not believe in restricting themselves.

1 vs 8: Ones are contractive while eights are expansive. Eights are very comfortable making exceptions to the rules when judging people. Eights also find it easy to exempt themselves from following any rules. Unlike eights, ones need to follow their rules to consider themselves moral people.