Self-Preservation
(Appetite):
The “heavy” Nines. Serve sloth through
appetite, neglecting real needs in favor of
substitutes - most commonly food, travel, TV, or
collecting. Yearning for affection. “Doing without”
is often somaticized. Very concrete, more
aggressive than other Nine subtypes, but doesn’t know it (steam-roller)
- can
be invasive, talkative (“epic tale”). Merges with
things. Doesn’t realize personal agenda is being
shelved when gripped by an appetite (e.g., shopping
fever).
At best concrete,
conversational, generous, strong opinions about
what's possible; at worst too talkative, invasive,
stubborn, addicted to creature comforts.
One-to-One/Sexual (Union):
The most tender of
the Nine subtypes. “Steam-rolled” - become
conscious of self through the other, find “being”
through merging with one person. Confluence, fusion,
symbiosis (living too much through the other),
confusion about contact (real contact would be
awareness of differences). Union with another
provides focus and energy, but the Nine is swept
along without conscious awareness.
At best bonds with others,
supportive of their ideas, gets buy-in through
consensus; at worst self-denying, live too much
through another (spouse, boss, friend).
Social (Participation):
Merge
with group - family,
team, organization, nation, humankind. A kind of “peasant”
mentality. Derive sense of being not from contact
with own
being but through feeling the value of the group.
Energy that could be spent meeting personal
agendas shunted to social activities. Gravitate
toward groups that allow participation at low level
of energy, and maintain ambivalence about the
group.
At best gregarious, active, inspire
responsiveness to multiple demands; at worst provincial, undeveloped, narrow view, find it hard to
initiate except through group focus.
*
* *
*According to
Peter O'Hanrahan,
the subtypes "show how the ruling emotion of our type is expressed through our
instinctual behavior." The above descriptions also draw from Helen
Palmer's The Enneagram in Love & Work and
workshops with
Dr. Claudio Naranjo.
Subtype Test
Answers to Subtype Test
