Enneagram Type 2 (A 7 point guide)

In this article, we will discuss Enneagram Type 2. We will do that by describing type two personalities in depth along with their fears, desires, and emotions. We will discuss their strengths and weaknesses. We will also explain areas of growth, motivations, sources of stress for them. We will discuss the role of their childhood, their performance at work, and their relationships towards the end. 

Enneagram Type 2

People with an Enneagram type 2 personality are empathetic and altruistic.  They are able to understand the feelings of others and accordingly help them as well.   They are quite generous and giving people who strive to connect to others around them.  They make sure that people are comfortable in their presence and have their needs fulfilled.  They love feeling helpful and being the caretaker.  They are hardworking and highly motivated personalities.

Enneagrams

Enneagrams are a map or typology of human personalities. It was developed by George Ivanovich Gurdjieff, Oscar Ichazo, and Claudio Naranjo. It has nine personality types that are split across 3 triads i.e. Feeling triad, Thinking Triad, or Instinctive Triad. 

It describes a person’s fundamental psychological orientation based on the triad quality i.e. emotion, intellect or instincts most characteristic of his or her personality. 

Enneagram Type 2: The caretaker

Basic fear 

Type 2 have a fear of being unwanted and unloved by others around them.  This is because they have an underlying belief that the only way they can get the love of other people is by serving them and fulfilling their needs.

Basic desire 

Type 2 personalities want to be loved and accepted by others.  For that to happen,  they are extra sensitive to the needs and feelings of other people around them.  They offer their assistance and support be it in any form.  Getting approval from others validates the idea that they are worthy of love.

Type 2 emotions

Emotionally,  type 2  often represses their negative emotions.  Whenever such feelings arise,  they feel uncomfortable and push these feelings away towards the unconscious.  If they find it hard to ignore their emotions,  they use certain defenses like transforming their emotions into something socially acceptable.  They do this because in this way they are perceived as more desirable by other people.

Strengths of Type 2

Type 2 has many strengths. These include the following:

• They are quite supportive and encouraging of other people who need a little push.
• They have the ability to detect the needs of others.
• Overall,  their attitude is positive,  warm, and loving.  This makes them quite affectionate to anyone who interacts with them.
• They are persistent and dedicated people who make sure that their tasks are completed on time.
• They have a strong drive to understand people and get to know details about them.

The Weaknesses of Type 2

Type 2 also has many weaknesses. These include the following:

• In their attempt to get approval from others,  they can be quite dependent on whether people like or dislike them.  Often,  they mask their real self in such an attempt. 
• People find them overbearing sometimes.  Their love and affection can be suffocating. 
• These people put their own needs at the back end. Due to this,  they often have difficulty acknowledging and recognizing their personal needs.
• When people criticize them or express their dislike for them,  it is hard for them to not get offended.

If you’re facing this, it may be a good idea to seek the help of a therapist or other mental health professional. You can find a therapist at BetterHelp who can help you learn how to cope and address it.

Possible areas of growth for Type 2

Type 2 can grow as a person by working on the following:

•  These people can improve and grow as a person if they start acknowledging their own needs and attend to them before turning to others.
• Since they often have difficulty being the receivers and prefer to be givers instead,  it is hard for them to accept help from others.  Accordingly,  if they learn to do that they can overcome this weakness.
• It is important that these personalities appreciate that they are much more valuable than others think and treat themself in a better way. They should learn to accept the idea that their value lies beyond what they can do for others.
• Another weakness that these personalities need to overcome is to identify and work through negative emotions rather than using distraction strategies or suppression to avoid them. Once these personalities realize that working through emotions can be beneficial for them in the long run, they can have better mental wellbeing.

Source of Stress 

Type 2 gets stressed by the following:

• Whenever they are made to feel loved and welcomed, they get very happy.
• Once in a while, when they remember to attend to their own needs, they feel energized.
• Accomplishing their goals and being helpful to others makes them happy.
• When these personalities meet new people and, are able to be friends with them, it gives them a special warm kind of feeling.
• When they serve and help someone who needs their help, they feel useful and wanted.

Workplace and job

People with type two personalities work well in an environment that gives them the opportunity to help others and make lots of friends in the process. They enjoy building a strong social network where they have working relationships with others. Also, when they are allowed to use their skills and abilities to serve others, type 2 personalities thrive and function quite well. 

At their workplace, when someone requests their help, it makes them feel wanted and happy. Similarly, whenever their boss appreciates them and their colleagues listen to them while also doing something nice for them without being asked, type 2 personalities feel energized.

Their work can be draining for them if they are ignored and criticized by others. When their work is neglected and they are not welcomed by their colleagues, they feel dejected. 

Type 2 personalities are hard-working and selfless people who can make a difference in others’ lives. They prefer to sacrifice their needs to help others. Jobs that are suitable for them include counselors, nurses, teachers, humanitarians, etc.

Motivations

They are energized by the following:

• Although they prioritise meeting other people’s needs before their own, complete disregard of their personal needs can be a stressful experience for them.
• Neglect or criticism from others can often break their spirit and make them feel sad and unaccepted.
• Often, these people take on more than they can handle. Due to this, a lot of people are dependent on them for their needs. As a result, they get stressed and overwhelmed by having to meet their needs.
• Professionally, whenever they face rejection from various job opportunities, they get feel low and stressed. 

Romantic Relationships

In romantic relationships,  people with type two personalities are healthy and caring partners.  They are attentive to their needs.  It is important for their spouse who remind them to focus on their own needs and also appreciate them for their efforts.  

Type 2 are caring and supportive of their partner.  They appreciate them openly and express their gratitude.  However,  their relationship can be a struggle if their spouse is extra critical of them.  It is important that they phrase their criticism in a constructive and neutral manner so that these personalities can accept it without getting appointed.  

It is also hard for type 2 personalities to identify and express their needs.  They don’t understand boundaries and giving space to people.  For the relationship to work,  they and their partner need to sit down and discuss their limits/boundaries.  At the same time,  their spouse should pay extra attention to their needs and do things for them without being asked. 

Type 2 Childhood/development

During their childhood,  type 2 personalities lacked nurturance and guidance from their parental figures.  They learned that if they want to earn love,  they have to act selfless and good and not express their own needs.  With time,  repressing their own needs became a pattern.  Accordingly,  their self-love became conditional on feeling worthy only by taking care of others and being approved.  Being needed by others gives type twos a sense of security and warmth.  In a way,  they try to overcome the lack of nurturance in their life by helping others and being needed in return.

You can learn more about the childhood of the subtypes 2w1 and 2w3.

 FAQs: Type 2

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed enneagram Type 2. We found that People with an Enneagram type 2 personality are empathetic and altruistic.  They are able to understand the feelings of others and accordingly help them as well.   They are also generous and giving people who strive to connect to others around them.  They make sure that people are comfortable in their presence and have their needs fulfilled.  They love feeling helpful and being the caretaker.  They are hardworking and highly motivated personalities.

I hope you found this article interesting. If you have any queries or comments, please state them in the comment section 😊

Citations

https://www.crystalknows.com/enneagram/type-2

https://www.psychologyjunkie.com/2020/03/10/the-childhood-wounds-of-every-enneagram-type/#

Personality Types – Using the Enneagram for Self-Discovery by Don Richard Riso with Russ Hudson

The Wisdom of the Enneagram by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson