What Are The 9 Enneagram Personality Types?

The Enneagram is used as a system of personality typing, describing the patterns that can be found in the way that people interpret the world around them and can manage their emotions.

In the Enneagram, there are nine distinct personality types that are graphically represented in a nine-pointed diagram. This diagram demonstrates how each of the types are related to each other.

The Enneagram has had a long history, found in both Ancient Babylon and classical Greek philosophy, and having representation in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam spirituality. The Enneagram we use today is a more modern version, applied to psychology.

Often compared to the Myers-Briggs personality test, the Enneagram demonstrates how each personality type experiences their world, and what their motivations and fears are. While the basic Enneagram type is influenced by things like early relationships and biological factors, the relationships between the types help individuals to understand things like how they respond to stress and what they are like as the best version of themselves.

None of the Enneagram types are better than another; they are all equally valid and an individual can move from one descriptor to another through the course of their lives and with personal development.

In this article, we will briefly look at each of the nine different personality types that can be found in the Enneagram.

Type 1: The Perfectionist/Reformer

The Reformer or Perfectionist is described as an idealistic and rational type, both principled and purposeful with self-control.

When they are at their best, they are conscientious and ethical with a strong sense of right and wrong, and they are always striving to improve and advocating for change. They are well organized and they maintain high standards, and they can be seen as wise and noble by the people around them.

When they are not developed, the Type One could be seen as overly critical and perfectionistic, struggling with impatience if others do not match their exacting standards. They can also come across as scared of making a mistake.

Their basic fears are about being seen as corrupt or somehow defective, which makes sense as their basic desire is to be good and balanced with integrity.

Essentially, The Reformer has a sense of purpose - a mission - to improve the world, and this means that they are the type of person who will take practical action because they want to be helpful.

Type 2: The Helper/Giver

The Helper or Giver is a caring and interpersonal type, who is generous, empathic, and warmhearted.

At their best, they might be considered to be sentimental and flattering to other people, and are thought of as being friendly, generous and self-sacrificing. They are driven to be close to others and can be altruistic, with unconditional love for others.

When they are not at their best, the Helper can be possessive and struggle to acknowledge their own needs. They can get overly involved in other people’s lives, and might be considered prideful when they are going out of their way to help people.

Their basic fear of being unwanted, or even unworthy of being loved, while their basic despite is to feel love.

The Helper needs to express their feelings for others, and wants to be needed and appreciated. They are most interested in what they consider to be the good things in life, like family, love, and closeness.

Type 3: The Achiever/Performer

The Achiever or Performer is described as a success-oriented and pragmatic type. They are driven, conscious of their image, and adaptable.

When they are at their best, The Achiever is the kind of person that is the ‘star’, looking to develop themselves to contribute to the world, and pushing others to do the same. This makes them an authentic role model that can inspire others to greatness too.

However, the negative side of this can be that The Achiever might end up being a workaholic, who is so driven in needing recognition and attention that they lose personal connections with others and themselves.

The basic fear of The Achiever is being worthless, and their basic desire is the opposite - to feel worthwhile and therefore valuable.

The Achiever wants to advance; they are conscious of their status and they are ambitious. This makes them seem self-assured and competent, and others will find them attractive and charming.

Type 4: The Individualist/Romantic

The Individualist or Romantic is a sensitive and romantic type. They are expressive and dramatic but can also be temperamental and self-absorbed.

At their best, the Type 4 is creative and personable, with emotional honesty. They are often uniquely talented and self-aware, seeing themselves as fundamentally different from everyone else.

However, at their worst The Individualist can be melancholy, focusing on what they see as fundamental differences and ‘deficiencies’. This can make them seem moody, their negative self-image leading to low self-esteem that makes them feel socially awkward.

The basic fear of The Individualist is that they are not personally significant, and that they have no identity. The basic desire, on the other hand, is to discover who they are.

The Individualist wants to be able to express themselves and take care of their emotional needs, and they want to be able to maintain certain feelings or moods, even if that means withdrawing to protect their self-image.

Type 5: The Investigator/Observer

The Investigator or The Observer is a **cerebral and intense type. **They are perceptive and insightful, but they can also become isolated and even secretive.

At their best, their curiosity and focus can help them develop complex ideas and learn new skills, and because they are so independent they are often innovative and inventive.

At their worst, The Investigator can become so preoccupied with their own thoughts they become detached and highly strung. This can lead to them becoming overly eccentric and nihilistic.

The basic fear of The Investigator is that they are useless or helpless, and their basic desire is to be seen as confident and capable.

The Investigator wants to know why things are the way that they are, and they are always asking questions. Their intense focus on mastering something always gives them something to talk about, but can also lead to them struggling to maintain relationships.

Type 6: The Loyalist/Skeptic

The Loyalist/Skeptic is a security-oriented and committed type. They are responsible and engaging, but they can be suspicious and anxious.

At their best, The Loyalist is reliable and hardworking, internally stable and self-reliant. They are recognized as being loyal to what matters to them, and they champion others too.

At their worst, however, they can be indecisive and evasive, afraid to make important decisions and rely too heavily on outside influences for guidance.

The basic fear of The Loyalist is that they will have to do things without support and guidance - so their basic desire is to have security and support.

The Loyalist is loyal - and that doesn't always mean the status quo. They can be rebellious if they feel that they are supporting those they love, and their need to have guidance from outside can make them seem contradictory as they bounce from person to person.

Type 7: The Enthusiast/Epicure

The Enthusiast (also known as The Epicure) is the variety-seeking, busy type. They are versatile and spontaneous, but they can also be scattered and spend too much time trying to gather experiences and things.

At their best, the playful and high-spirited Enthusiast wants to focus their practical talents on something worthwhile. They like to be occupied, constantly looking for something new to be excited about.

At their worst, The Enthusiast can overextend themselves. They can become distracted and exhausted, and when they are so intent on trying everything they can make bad choices.

The basic fear of The Enthusiast is that they will be deprived of something - and their basic desire is to have their needs fulfilled so that they feel satisfied and content.

The Enthusiast is all about maintaining their freedom and seeking happiness to avoid any kind of pain and while this can mean approaching life with curiosity and cheery determination, their agile mind is constantly looking for a distraction to keep busy and avoid anxiety.

Type 8: The Challenger/Protector

The Challenger or Protector is a dominating and powerful type. While they are decisive and self-confident, they can also be confrontational and wilful.

At their best, The Challenger can be protective and resourceful, using their strength to improve the life of others, making them inspiring and heroic.

At their worst, however, they can seem domineering and intimidating, used to controlling their environment and the people in it. Their ego can make them confrontational, especially if they feel the need to ‘prove’ their strength.

The basic fear of The Challenger is that they will be controlled or come to harm because of others. Their desire, on the other hand, is to control their own life and destiny and protect themselves.

The Challenger is charismatic and wants to make their mark, especially when it comes to retaining or increasing their power over themselves and others. They are determined, but they can also lose emotional control and distance themselves, being sensitive to both real and imagined slights of that power.

Type 9: The Peacemaker/Mediator

The Peacemaker or Mediator is the **self-effacing and easygoing type. **They are usually reassuring and receptive, but their agreeableness can lead to complacency.

At their best, The Peacemaker is accepting and supportive, with a trustworthy nature that makes them able to keep the peace and just ‘go along’ with things. The Peacemaker brings people together through their stability.

At their worst, The Peacemaker’s need to keep things smooth can translate to inertia and even stubbornness. They often simplify problems so that they don’t have to deal with them, retreating into their own minds to run away.

The Peacemaker is often referred to as the ‘crown’ of the Enneagram - mostly from the position of the numbers on the diagram, but also because they can encompass traits from all other types, all in their need to just ‘go along’. Their focus on the ‘bright side’ makes them optimistic and supportive, but they can lose themselves in trying to make everyone else happy.