My continued Enneagram journey of being a Six leads me to explore the realm of fear fairly often. I’ve come to know that it’s never entirely going to go away; the best I can do is understand its origins in my life, become more and more aware of how it’s impacting me, and build a life based on a foundation of courage and faith. Sometimes, that foundation is stronger than other times. Life has thrown me enough curve balls to realize I’m a work in progress. And that’s OK. I’ll keep working on it, I’m good at that.
As we all know, fear is a universal feeling that we all experience from time to time. If a tiger is chasing me, it’s useful. When I imagine “the worst case,” which hasn’t happened, it’s more than a drag.
So, what’s the deal for the other Enneagram types regarding fear? I really like this excerpt from Sandra Maitri’s book The Enneagram of Passions and Virtues.
Take a look and let us know if this seems accurate for you.
- If we are afraid that there is something fundamentally wrong with us or that who we are is not enough or good enough, it is likely that we are a One.
- If we are afraid of rejection, being needy, and of not being loved, it is likely we are a Two.
- If we are afraid of failure, it is likely we are a Three.
- If we are afraid of being abandoned, of our sadness, and of feeling lost, it is likely we are a Four.
- If we are afraid of entanglements and of losing what we have, it is likely we are a Five.
- If, on the other hand, we are simply afraid of everything and everyone to one degree or another, if fear itself in a nameless, faceless way is the driving force of our psyche, then it is likely that we are a Six.
- If we are afraid of boredom, of grunt work, and of being exposed as a charlatan, it is likely we are a Seven.
- If we are afraid of being weak and not being in charge or on top of things, it is likely we are an Eight.
- If we are afraid of creating conflict by making ourselves or our needs too obvious, it is likely that we are a Nine.
—
Mary Anne Wampler
Principal
