The nine Enneagram types

Eights take charge so nobody can control them, and they shield the people who cannot shield themselves.

Fear:

Being controlled, harmed or at the mercy of others.

Desire:

To protect themselves and stay in control of their own life.

Wings:

8w7, 8w9

Arrows:

stress 5, growth 2

Nines keep the peace around them, and often pay for it by losing track of what they want.

Fear:

Loss of connection, and the conflict that might cause it.

Desire:

To have inner stability and peace of mind.

Wings:

9w8, 9w1

Arrows:

stress 6, growth 3

Ones carry a clear picture of how things should be, and they feel the gap between that picture and the world every day.

Fear:

Being bad, corrupt or wrong at the core.

Desire:

To be good, to have integrity and to set things right.

Wings:

1w9, 1w2

Arrows:

stress 4, growth 7

Twos read what other people need before they ask, and they hope someone will one day do the same for them.

Fear:

Being unwanted or unworthy of love.

Desire:

To be loved and to feel needed by the people who matter to them.

Wings:

2w1, 2w3

Arrows:

stress 8, growth 4

Threes know how to win and how to look like winners, and the hard part is knowing who they are when nobody is watching.

Fear:

Being worthless or a failure without their achievements.

Desire:

To feel valuable and to be admired for what they accomplish.

Wings:

3w2, 3w4

Arrows:

stress 9, growth 6

Fours look for who they are underneath the roles, and they feel everything on the way there.

Fear:

Having no identity or personal significance.

Desire:

To find themselves and to matter on their own terms.

Wings:

4w3, 4w5

Arrows:

stress 2, growth 1

Fives want to understand the world before they step into it, and they guard their time and energy like a finite supply.

Fear:

Being useless, helpless or overwhelmed by demands.

Desire:

To be capable and competent, and to understand how things work.

Wings:

5w4, 5w6

Arrows:

stress 7, growth 8

Sixes scan for what could go wrong so the people they care about are covered when it does.

Fear:

Being left without support or guidance when it counts.

Desire:

To feel secure and to know who and what can be trusted.

Wings:

6w5, 6w7

Arrows:

stress 3, growth 9

Sevens keep the future open, because an open door feels safer than a painful room.

Fear:

Being trapped in pain, deprivation or boredom.

Desire:

To be satisfied and free, with their needs met and options open.

Wings:

7w6, 7w8

Arrows:

stress 1, growth 5