Enneagram Type 6 (A 9 point guide)

In this article, we will discuss Enneagram Type 6. We will focus on the desire and fear of the types six personalities along with their strengths and weaknesses. We will also discuss stresses, approach to emotions, areas of growth, and motivation for them. We will also discuss their childhood, work performance, and romantic relationships.

Enneagram Type 6

People with type six personalities are quite hardworking and responsible in their manner. Their aim is to feel safe and secure from the dangers and threats of the world. To do this, they try their best to attain a sense of safety and stability. These people are quite loyal in their relationships and are always seeking to expand their social network by building close relationships with others.

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 6: The Loyalist

Basic fear 

Type 6 are fearful of losing their social network, support, and stability. They strive for environments that are stable and secure. For them, predictability is quite important and uncertainty does not sit well with them. They are always on their toes and expect the worst out of situations but still hope that things will turn out fine. This mentality is expressed in the form of their fear and overthinking while making decisions.

Basic desire 

Type 6 personality wants to feel secure and safe. This explains their loyalty and commitment to their relationships. They put their time, energy and effort into building strong and stable relationships. It is important for them to be able to trust others and support them.

Type 6 and emotions

People with type six personalities value loyalty and trust in their relationships. However, if anyone gives them a chance of doubt they can find it hard to trust them again. They can get defensive in their relationships and often project their feelings onto other people. This can affect their relations in a negative way.

The Strengths of Type 6

Type 6 has many strengths. These include the following:

  •  Their overall attitude is quite responsible and they make choices that are practical and realistic in nature.
  •  These people value their commitments and make sure to follow through with their commitments to people and plans.
  •  They can be quite caring about other people and often express their concern for them by protecting them in different situations.
  •  They are able to identify, evaluate, and think about multiple perspectives. This indicates that they are flexible and open-minded.
  •  These people are able to consider both emotions and logic in their information processing. This makes their thinking quite thorough.

The Weaknesses of Type 6

Type 6 also has many weaknesses. These include the following:

  • It is hard for these personalities to not feel anxious and fearful. Because of this, they often have anxious thoughts and cannot stop working.
  •  They have a tendency to expect the worst possible outcome. They can also be quite negative and pessimistic about the present or the future.
  •  On major life decisions, they fear making the wrong decisions. Similarly, they overthink decisions and expect the worst outcome.
  •  These people experience a lot of insecurity and doubt. It is hard for them to trust their judgment and abilities.

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 6

Type 6 can grow as a person by the following:

  •  Type six personality needs to understand that they cannot control everything by being over-prepared. They need to learn to let go of control and realize its limits.
  •  They also need to stop making problems bigger than they actually are. This magnification and dramatizing tendency is actually the reason behind their anxiety.
  •  They need to learn to be more confident and secure in themself. It is important that they trust their judgment and their ability.
  •  Since they have a tendency to focus on the negative, they need to learn to direct their attention towards things that have gone well rather than trying to anticipate the worst especially failure. 

Source of Stress 

Type 6 gets stressed by the following:

  •  These personalities get upset when their relationships are not stable and they are surrounded by people they cannot trust or rely on.
  •  When their personal or work environment has negativity, they can get stressed.
  •  Situations, where these people feel like they are not needed and cannot be of any use to others, can be quite stressful for them.
  • Circumstances, where these people make the wrong decision or are faced with failure, can be quite demotivating for them.

Workplace and job

People with Type 6 personalities work best in environments that recognize and appreciate their abilities. Environments that are secure and stable are good for them. They especially enjoy work that is full of certainty and allows them to build relationships with other people. It also gives the opportunity to make decisions that are well thought.

 These people work best when their boss appreciates their input and overall, they feel supported and safe. When their colleagues take out time to connect with them at a personal level, can be an energy booster for them.

 These personalities feel exhausted when their work environment is not stable and inconsistent. When their boss criticizes them or when their colleagues are unpredictable and too emotional, they can feel drained. Reports that deem them unreliable or lazy can be hard for them to accept.

These people make pragmatic, practical, and trustworthy workers. They are quite dedicated and hardworking and make sure to follow through with their commitments at their work. Jobs that are well suited for them include bankers, professors, Police officers, etc.

Motivations

They are energized by the following:

  • When they have stable, trustworthy, and constant relationships, these personalities feel secure and stable.
  •  They like to help other people. Situations when they can be of assistance and use to others, motivate them to be better.
  •  Standing up for their personal beliefs and values can be quite an energy booster for them.
  •  Since these people value their relationships, spending time in their company can be motivating for their spirit.

Romantic Relationships

In romantic relationships,  these personalities are loyal and practical people.  Partners that are ideal for them need to be free-spirited. It is important that their partner points out when they stress a lot about small things. Type six should also try to get over the negative and focus on positive things.

  These personalities contribute thorough decision-making and dedication to working through difficulties with their partner in a proper manner. They are loyal and committed to them.

 They can struggle in relationships when they have to make important decisions that are quite difficult in nature. Similarly, maintaining their calm in tense discussions can be quite hard for them. Letting go of unhealthy relationships is also difficult for them to stop.

Type 6 Childhood/development

 During their childhood, these personalities were able to connect with the protective figure in their home but learned to depend on them too much for security and guidance.  This prevented them from trusting their own judgment.  The rise of mistrust in their relationship with the authority figure affected them negatively and they had difficulty trusting them again. Situations where they were failed by their protective figure led to the development of feelings of ambivalence towards them. With time, they started to crave security and support.  They also had feelings of mistrust and doubt towards authority. In the process, they stopped depending on their own inner voice.

 FAQs: Type 6

What is a Type 6 personality?

 Types 6 personalities are loyal and hardworking people. Their desire is to have stability in their life, seek to establish relationships that are built on trust, and are reliable. These people can be caring and protective of the people they love. 

What is Type 6w5?

Type 6w5 or Type6 wing5 is an enneagram personality subtype. It has core characteristics of type six personality and complementary characteristics of type five personality. 

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed enneagram Type 6. We found that people with type six personalities are quite hardworking and responsible in their manner. Their aim is to feel safe and secure from the dangers and threats of the world. To do this, they try their best to attain a sense of safety and stability. These people are quite loyal in their relationships and are always seeking to expand their social network by building close relationships with others.

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-6

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 Huds

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