What Are the Nine Enneagram Types?

The Enneagram is a personality system with 9 types that each have their own core drives, fears, and motivations. Your type is determined by your innate traits and shaped by your life experiences. Finding your Enneagram type can help you understand why you make the choices that you do.

The Enneagram is a system of personality which describes people in terms of nine types, each with their own motivations, fears and internal dynamics.

The Enneagram is an emotionally focused system of understanding people — honing in on one’s core emotional motivations and fears. Each of the nine personality types has its own driving force, which is centered around a particular emotion.

Some Enneagram types experience strong emotions, while other types aim to avoid emotions in one form or another. However, whether running from emotions or diving into them, each type describes some aspect of emotional experience.

Enneagram Centers of Intelligence

The centers of intelligence are a foundational part of the Enneagram. The nine types of the Enneagram are divided into one of three centers of intelligence: Heart Types, Head Types and Body Types.

  • Heart types (Types Two, Three and Four) depend on their emotional intelligence to understand their own reactions and connect with others.
  • Head types (Types Five, Six and Seven) depend on their intellectual intelligence to make sense of things and navigate the world around them.
  • Body types (Types Eight, Nine and One) depend on their instinctual intelligence to follow their "gut" and respond to threats and opportunities.

These centers, also called Enneagram triads, help us to understand our type’s gifts and challenges, as well as why other types see and interact with the world in drastically different ways. They also help us understand why we get stuck in certain patterns of thinking and behaving and why we may struggle to understand or communicate with others. 

    The Heart Types of the Enneagram

    Heart types react with emotions first. They connect with other people on an empathetic level, and make sense of the world by understanding their feelings about it. These types are guided by the feelings connected to their emotional relationships with other people. They value things such as emotional support, recognition, and inclusion. Types Two, Three and Four are the heart, or feeling, centered Enneagram types.

    Enneagram Type Two

    The Giver

    Twos want to be liked and find ways that they can be helpful to others so that they belong. This type fears being unlovable. Read more about Enneagram 2s.

    Enneagram Type Three

    The Achiever

    Threes want to be successful and admired by other people, and are very conscious of their public image. Type Threes fear failure and not being seen as valuable by other people. Read more about Enneagram 3s.

    Enneagram Type Four

    The Individualist

    Fours want to be unique and to experience deep, authentic emotions. Type Fours fear they are flawed and are overly focused on how they are different from other people. Read more about Enneagram 4s.

    The Head Types of the Enneagram

    Head types react with analysis first. They connect with other people on an intellectual level, and make sense of the world by understanding the systems and theories that underlie what they observe. These types are primarily focused on control, which they gain by maintaining stability, security, and competence. Types Five, Six, and Seven are the head-centered Enneagram types.

    Enneagram Type Five

    The Investigator

    Fives seek understanding and knowledge, and are more comfortable with data than other people. The biggest fear of the Type Five is being overwhelmed by their own needs or the needs of other people. Read more about Enneagram 5s.

    Enneagram Type Six

    The Skeptic

    Sixes are preoccupied with security, seek safety, and like to be prepared for problems. For the Type Six, the greatest fear is being unprepared and unable to defend themselves from danger. Read more about Enneagram 6s.

    Enneagram Type Seven

    The Enthusiast

    Sevens want to have as much fun and adventure as possible and are easily bored. Type Sevens fear experiencing emotional pain, especially sadness, and actively seek to avoid it by staying busy. Read more about Enneagram 7s.

    The Body Types of the Enneagram

    Body types react with an instinctive, gut feeling. They connect with other people based on their physical sense of comfort, and make sense of the world by sensing their body's reaction to what is happening. The primary drive for this triad is to maintain their independence and limit control from outside influences. They respond by being either overly controlling, overly passive, or overly perfectionistic. Types Eight, Nine, and One are the body, or gut, centered Enneagram types.

    Enneagram Type Eight

    The Challenger

    Eights see themselves as strong and powerful and seek to stand up for what they believe in. The greatest fear of the Type Eight is to be powerless, so they focus on controlling their environment. Read more about Enneagram 8s.

    Enneagram Type Nine

    The Peacemaker

    Nines like to go with the flow and let the people around them set the agenda. Type Nines fear pushing people away by prioritizing their own needs, and they tend to be passive. Read more about Enneagram 9s.

    Enneagram Type One

    The Perfectionist

    Ones place a lot of emphasis on following the rules and doing things correctly. Type Ones fear being imperfect and can be extremely strict with themselves and others. Read more about Enneagram 1s.

    Molly Owens
    Molly Owens is the founder and CEO of Truity. She is a graduate of UC Berkeley and holds a master's degree in counseling psychology. She began working with personality assessments in 2006, and in 2012 founded Truity with the goal of making robust, scientifically validated assessments more accessible and user-friendly. Molly is an ENTP and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she enjoys elaborate cooking projects, murder mysteries, and exploring with her husband and son.
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    Type One