The Rarest Enneagram Types (A 3 Point Guide)

This article will highlight 3 enneagram types that are considered to be the most rare of them all and why. The article will also introduce these 3 enneagrams in detail to the audience as well so they have a better understanding of why these enneagrams are so rare.

fter you enjoy this post, you should take a look at ”The Most Common Enneagram Type’

The Rarest Enneagram Types – The Top 3

Here are the top 3 enneagrams who are considered the rarest:

  • Type 8 Enneagram – The Challenger
  • Type 5 Enneagram – The Investigator
  • Type 4 Enneagram – The Individualist

Let us introduce each enneagram in detail and explain why they are so rare!

Enneagram Type 8: The Challenger

This enneagram type can be described as confident, confrontational, decisive and assertive as well. They do not hesitate to voice out their opinions or take a stand for what they firmly believe in. Furthermore, these individuals are focused on what they want and will not stop at anything when it comes to achieving their goals or desires.

However, although they are resourceful and generally straightforward people, these enneagram types are affected by their ego and can be dominating when it comes to being around other people. They want to have what it is that makes them feel complete or whole and as we said they will do anything in their power to get it!

At their best, they will be very generous especially because of the number of resources they usually possess and use their power and influence to make the lives of people better. However, they sometimes have issues in controlling their temper and become vulnerable or expose their weak points.

All in all, this enneagram type is indeed ambitious and wont stop at anything from achieving its goals. This deep desire to be successful and independent is also derived from their fear of being controlled or manipulated by others which is likely to happen if they are not strong or independent enough!

A famous type 8 enneagram is Donald Trump.

These are the two things that drive the enneagram type 8:

  • The Basic Fear
  • The Basic Desire

The Basic Fear

When it comes to enneagram type 8, their basic fear is to be controlled or manipulated by others to the extent that they end up hurting themselves. They want to be independent and in control of their own lives. What they fear is being exposed or vulnerable so that someone can take advantage of the power or influence they have over the enneagram type 8 individual. 

As a result of this fear, they avoid being helpless in situations and try to stand up for themselves all the time – this could be one reason why they ensure they are so resourceful and independent! However, if they are scared enough, they will avoid situations where they feel vulnerable.

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.

The Basic Desire

Of course their basic desire stems from their fear of being controlled! The type 8 enneagram wants to be in control of their own life. They do not want to live in the constant fear that they will be manipulated or influenced by another being! As a person, they want to be able to take decisions for themselves and hence they are passionate about standing up against injustice not only against their own being but that of others! They understand how it feels to be powerless and hence do not want this for anyone else either.

Why Are Type 8s Rare?

This could be obvious but it is probably because they are so powerful and dominating and evolution has done it’s work! There can only be one king in the land and all others will eventually be wiped out. The same case is with the type 8 enneagram; they prefer to be unique not only in their character but their numbers as well – they do not fare well with others near them who possess the same amount of power and are confrontational. They desire to be at the top and will thus crush or eliminate others who are similar to them!

Who Is A Type 5 Enneagram?

These individuals are very much interested in learning things that are relevant to their area of interest. They will investigate its elements and try to gather as much information as they can! The enneagram type 5 is alert, innovative but secretive at the same time.

People with this enneagram type have the ability to build complex ideas and skills; this is possible only because of their focus on the specific area they are working within and their dedication to master it.

The type 5 enneagram has an innate need to learn continuously. They want more and more information and want to increase their reservoir of knowledge. It bothers them if they have an interest in a certain thing or phenomena however, they are not able to learn more about it. Their curiosity is indeed a problem for them. At the same time, this desire to learn more about their interests distracts them from other things in their life especially the practical ones. 

Another defining trait of this enneagram type is that they want to be different from others in what they learn or study. They want to discover a new area or an area that is least researched by others. They do not want to focus on things that are common or conventional; they want to study the bizarre, unknown, beyond limits, unexplainable topic on the list!

The Basic Fear – Type 5 Enneagram

The basic fear of these enneagrams is that they will become useless in the sense that they have no skill or knowledge. They are scared they will not be competent in any field of life which they can master. The fear is not associated with showing off but to give their own self a sense of assurance that they have a skill they know very well and it makes them stand out from others.

The Basic Desire – Type 5 Enneagram

Their basic desire stems from their fear of not being competent. The desire is to learn so that they are competent and skilled in a certain area that is of much interest to them and not so common or known amongst others. They desire to be different in the knowledge they possess and skills they can employ. It gives them a sense of competence, capability and assurance.

Type 5s – Why Are They So Rare?

One of the reasons why they are so rare is because of their name itself – they are known as the ‘Investigator’ and hence they may not want to be known much. They prefer to stay independent and keep their distance; they may not be so sharing and will not prefer to say more than what is required hence even if they do exist in the population we only know a few of them.

As individuals who are introverts, they are a bit secretive and hence this may be one of the reasons why they prefer not to step into the spotlight!

Who Is A Type 4 Enneagram?

They are also known as the individualist because of their desire to be self-sufficient and do things on their own terms. Being dramatic innately, expressive and sensitive describes them very well. Such individuals are very honest, creative and remain reserved and personal however they do long to connect with others. What prevents this? Their fear of being vulnerable or abandoned hence they tend to keep a distance. 

Another highlighting feature of such personalities is that they dislike the ordinary lifestyles people have most probably because they feel they cannot achieve something like this in their life.

The type 4 enneagram does have a dark side to itself. These enneagrams can become very toxic to themselves if left alone for too long. They fear that they will never develop a self identity with which they can understand themselves. However, they always feel as if something is missing from their life which they can’t seem to pinpoint. The type 4 enneagram is brutally honest with himself or herself; they accept feelings, thoughts, pain and fear which they experience. Hence they are often more equipped to go through experiences others may break during.

When their fears become too much, they can adopt the path of self destruction and engage in habits of excessive alcohol consumption, drugs, reckless sexual behavior and in the worst cases suicide. 

The type 4 also experiences very negative thoughts. They become extremely pessimistic and torment themselves with their thoughts to the extent that they view themself with hatred and dissent. They will try to drive away anyone who tries to help them. 

Basic Fear.

Type 4 enneagrams are confused about who they really are or what beliefs and values define them. They fear not having an identity or self worth. They feel as though they are not benefitting society and have no place in it. Such individuals become a victim of self pity and self indulgence and want to stay inside their thoughts.

Basic Desire.

Their basic desire stems from their fear; they want to discover themself and hence possess an identity. They want to be known for who they are and be visible in the eyes of others so maybe they can connect with them and experience the life of the ordinary and live the dream they imagine.

Type 4s – The Rarest?

Some say that the type 4 enneagram is the rarest of them all! This is because they are true introverts who have a very different internal world hence they do not always relate to others; this could be one reason why they tend to stay away. They are quite emotional and take much time to get through them or process them. They are pure introverts which is another reason why they stay out of the spotlight and hence are rare.

Conclusion

This article took a look at the rarest enneagrams and not only introduced them to the audience but also explained why they are so rare.

References

https://www.relconsultants.com/blog/2018/9/18/which-enneagram-type-is-the-rarest-and-what-challenges-do-they-face
https://millennial-grind.com/what-is-the-rarest-enneagram-type-and-why/

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