Hey Kevin, really appreciate your posts on here and as you know I love Enneagram. You make a great point about accuracy being key, I wonder if you could help with typing myself? I've done a gazillion of enneagram tests and read many threads and some books but still not entirely sure. I guess what I missed is meeting people that are both very versed in it and also know me well. There was only one teacher I had and she indeed pointed out I am most likely a four, potentially five — which is what I had been suspecting myself. I do have three like tendencies for achievement/self-image management/efficiency but I wouldn't say I am a three. So a four in between could make sense. But I also see myself in nine due to my avoidant nature (although 4/5 are avoidant types too) and well at times a 7, but that could just be my curious nature. Appreciate you know me just through my brand which is not the same as really knowing someone, but any opinion? or pointers?
Hey Nik. I appreciate your comment. Sure, let's see how I wrap this up.
The Enneagram type fundamentally describes a habitual orientation of our awareness, a narrowing of focus so to speak. Every type is acutely aware of something specific. They notice it without even trying.
I like to exemplify this with Type One because what they notice is so easily relatable. Ones spot whatever is not in alignment and what's not according to their internal standards of perfection. They are often called pedantic because of that, but the truth is they are exactly NOT looking for errors. It's more like the errors are what their awareness naturally registers.
You brought up the withdrawn types Four, Five and Nine and I think that's a good starting point, because from what I perceive of you online, and through your brand, resonates mostly with those three.
Coming back to the focus of attention: the attention of Fours and Fives moves primarily INWARD. Whereas the attention of Nines moves primarily OUTWARD. Nines are the type that is most attuned to questions of universality, wholeness and what's uniting us. Five and Four lie on the opposite end of the spectrum, which is symbolized by their placement on the bottom of the Enneagram.
Both go inward and refine their sense of individuality, to make sure they are sufficiently distinct from everyone else - a Nine would never do that. In fact, a Nine makes sure to be as commonplace (and therefore invisible) as possible.
Of Course Four and Five do these identity refinements on different spectrums. Fives try to do that via mental activity, exploring the depths of their own mind, attempting to penetrate reality through the intellect. Fours try to do it via emotions, exploring the depths of who and what they are by means of what's emotionally resonating with them.
Fives assume the world is demanding and draining which leads to frequent withdrawal to conserve energy and thus avoiding contact. Fours assume the world is superficial and that nobody could understand them anway, so they withdraw to preserve the connection to what they value more than anything: the connection with themselves.
I see a lot of Four in your online presence and brand because you have a very strong sense of aesthetics and beauty. You also seem to frequently refine your personal expression. Which might be clues to Four, depending on why you refine your personal expression. If it comes from a place of "what I expressed before somehow didn't really hit the truth of what I am feeling", Four is at least a very strong canditate.
Fours habitually notice whatever is NOT resonating with their interior, emotional landscape. As if they are constantly saying "nah, this does not even come close!" Because they have such a deep awareness of who they believe to be and how they want to express that, they have the tendency to condemn the world and others for superficiality and artificiality.
Hope this helps !
Those are just starting points of course. If you want to explore it further, send me a DM. I can send you more material.
Love this, super valuable. Yeah must be somewhere on the 4-5 spectrum. Self preservation most likely although most likely a 4 than 5. I guess 4w5 self preservation is the most likely guess
Hey Kevin, really appreciate your posts on here and as you know I love Enneagram. You make a great point about accuracy being key, I wonder if you could help with typing myself? I've done a gazillion of enneagram tests and read many threads and some books but still not entirely sure. I guess what I missed is meeting people that are both very versed in it and also know me well. There was only one teacher I had and she indeed pointed out I am most likely a four, potentially five — which is what I had been suspecting myself. I do have three like tendencies for achievement/self-image management/efficiency but I wouldn't say I am a three. So a four in between could make sense. But I also see myself in nine due to my avoidant nature (although 4/5 are avoidant types too) and well at times a 7, but that could just be my curious nature. Appreciate you know me just through my brand which is not the same as really knowing someone, but any opinion? or pointers?
Hey Nik. I appreciate your comment. Sure, let's see how I wrap this up.
The Enneagram type fundamentally describes a habitual orientation of our awareness, a narrowing of focus so to speak. Every type is acutely aware of something specific. They notice it without even trying.
I like to exemplify this with Type One because what they notice is so easily relatable. Ones spot whatever is not in alignment and what's not according to their internal standards of perfection. They are often called pedantic because of that, but the truth is they are exactly NOT looking for errors. It's more like the errors are what their awareness naturally registers.
You brought up the withdrawn types Four, Five and Nine and I think that's a good starting point, because from what I perceive of you online, and through your brand, resonates mostly with those three.
Coming back to the focus of attention: the attention of Fours and Fives moves primarily INWARD. Whereas the attention of Nines moves primarily OUTWARD. Nines are the type that is most attuned to questions of universality, wholeness and what's uniting us. Five and Four lie on the opposite end of the spectrum, which is symbolized by their placement on the bottom of the Enneagram.
Both go inward and refine their sense of individuality, to make sure they are sufficiently distinct from everyone else - a Nine would never do that. In fact, a Nine makes sure to be as commonplace (and therefore invisible) as possible.
Of Course Four and Five do these identity refinements on different spectrums. Fives try to do that via mental activity, exploring the depths of their own mind, attempting to penetrate reality through the intellect. Fours try to do it via emotions, exploring the depths of who and what they are by means of what's emotionally resonating with them.
Fives assume the world is demanding and draining which leads to frequent withdrawal to conserve energy and thus avoiding contact. Fours assume the world is superficial and that nobody could understand them anway, so they withdraw to preserve the connection to what they value more than anything: the connection with themselves.
I see a lot of Four in your online presence and brand because you have a very strong sense of aesthetics and beauty. You also seem to frequently refine your personal expression. Which might be clues to Four, depending on why you refine your personal expression. If it comes from a place of "what I expressed before somehow didn't really hit the truth of what I am feeling", Four is at least a very strong canditate.
Fours habitually notice whatever is NOT resonating with their interior, emotional landscape. As if they are constantly saying "nah, this does not even come close!" Because they have such a deep awareness of who they believe to be and how they want to express that, they have the tendency to condemn the world and others for superficiality and artificiality.
Hope this helps !
Those are just starting points of course. If you want to explore it further, send me a DM. I can send you more material.
Love this, super valuable. Yeah must be somewhere on the 4-5 spectrum. Self preservation most likely although most likely a 4 than 5. I guess 4w5 self preservation is the most likely guess