# Tritypes and Instinctual Variants (sp, sx, so) explained.



## Bluity

A question on tritypes. 


How closely must one relate to a type for it to be a fix?


Tritype descriptions rarely mention how the subtypes' fears, desires, or holy ideas affect the core.


For example, can one be a 2-fixer if they don't relate to the two's idea of freedom, or their desire to be worthy of love?


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## The Wanderering ______

Bluity said:


> A question on tritypes.
> 
> 
> How closely must one relate to a type for it to be a fix?
> 
> 
> Tritype descriptions rarely mention how the subtypes' fears, desires, or holy ideas affect the core.
> 
> 
> For example, can one be a 2-fixer if they don't relate to the two's idea of freedom, or their desire to be worthy of love?


Yes.


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## Bluity

The Wanderering ______ said:


> Yes.


Then what makes a fix? If one does not relate to a certain type's fixation, then how can one have it as a fix?


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## The Wanderering ______

Bluity said:


> Then what makes a fix? If one does not relate to a certain type's fixation, then how can one have it as a fix?


You have a core type so of course you aren't going to relate to another types fixation more than your own. Honestly though I didn't read your statement very well, so it is possible to relate to the core fixation of another type. You just won't relate to it as much as your core type. Also I think in terms of triads there will be some kind of conflict between types(like the fixation of 2 will not work for 3 or 4 for example).


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## Bluity

The Wanderering ______ said:


> You have a core type so of course you aren't going to relate to another types fixation more than your own. Honestly though I didn't read your statement very well, so it is possible to relate to the core fixation of another type. You just won't relate to it as much as your core type. Also I think in terms of triads there will be some kind of conflict between types(like the fixation of 2 will not work for 3 or 4 for example).


I'm asking what it means to have a fix. I know you won't relate to a type more than your own, but if it is in your trifix surely you should relate to some of it. If you notice behaviors in yourself resembling a two but you don't relate to either the vice, virtue, fear or holy idea of a 2, then do you have a 2 fix or just behaviors that resemble a two?


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## The Wanderering ______

Bluity said:


> I'm asking what it means to have a fix. I know you won't relate to a type more than your own, but if it is in your trifix surely you should relate to some of it. If you notice behaviors in yourself resembling a two but you don't relate to either the vice, virtue, fear or holy idea of a 2, then do you have a 2 fix or just behaviors that resemble a two?


Then yes you have a 2 fix.


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## The Wanderering ______

Bluity said:


> I'm asking what it means to have a fix. I know you won't relate to a type more than your own, but if it is in your trifix surely you should relate to some of it. If you notice behaviors in yourself resembling a two but you don't relate to either the vice, virtue, fear or holy idea of a 2, then do you have a 2 fix or just behaviors that resemble a two?


Excuse me, but I don't think I explained it in enough depth. Your tritype is essentially a giant game of see saw. You're are going to relate to some types more than others. If its possible to split the top 3 types you relate to the most into the 3 triads(image,head,and gut) then congratulations you've found your tritype, but for most people it isn't that simple. Sometimes you might relate more to one type in a triad almost as much as another one because either you can't tell the difference from crappy descriptions, you are at a healthy or unhealthy level and may exhibit traits of a type you relate to in integration/disintegration, or because you are out of touch with that particular triad for whatever reason. That's why when looking at tritype(or all of enneagram for that matter) you really need to look at the core fixations more than anything else because no matter how much an 1 looks like an 8 their fixations will always be different.

If you are a 5 and you research the core fixations of the image triad members and you relate more to 2 than 3 or 4 then yes you are a 5 with a 2 fix. What do you think your gut fix is?


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## meridannight

Bluity said:


> If you notice behaviors in yourself resembling a two but you don't relate to either the vice, virtue, fear or holy idea of a 2, then do you have a 2 fix or just behaviors that resemble a two?


you have a fix, if you also don't relate to either 3 or 4 more than type 2.


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## Quernus

Bluity said:


> I'm asking what it means to have a fix. I know you won't relate to a type more than your own, but if it is in your trifix surely you should relate to some of it. If you notice behaviors in yourself resembling a two but you don't relate to either the vice, virtue, fear or holy idea of a 2, then do you have a 2 fix or just behaviors that resemble a two?


One way to look at it is... each triad focuses or deals with particular issues:

- Heart types deal with self-image and possibly shame.

- Head types deal with issues of anxiety, planning, authority.

- Gut types deal with matters of anger and autonomy.


So as a multifaceted human being, you relate to all these concerns in some way or another. Some more than others. But they're all there. So then you look at the heart/image types, see their different ways of dealing with image issues, and see which one you relate most to. Do the same for Head and Gut types. One of the types from one of the triads will be your primary influence, you will relate to the core vices, virtues, fears and holy ideas. Probably entirely. For your fixes, you may relate to such things on a lesser level, but more than the other types within the triad.

Keep in mind that you may relate to the ~holy ideas~ and crap, of your fixes, more than you realize, too. It's hard enough to confront some of these things about your core type, and can be harder to decipher or understand within your fixes....


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## Bluity

The Wanderering ______ said:


> If you are a 5 and you research the core fixations of the image triad members and you relate more to 2 than 3 or 4 then yes you are a 5 with a 2 fix. What do you think your gut fix is?


I do not know my gut or heart fix. I was using 2 as an example. I do know there is no 7, 8, or 9 in my tritype, but there is a 4.

Are there any tritype descriptions that go into depth on if and how fixes emerge in times of stress, how they work while integrating or disintegrating, or how they effect day to day life? These descriptions are too vague and superficial.


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## The Wanderering ______

Bluity said:


> I do not know my gut or heart fix. I was using 2 as an example. I do know there is no 7, 8, or 9 in my tritype, but there is a 4.
> 
> Are there any tritype descriptions that go into depth on if and how fixes emerge in times of stress, how they work while integrating or disintegrating, or how they effect day to day life? These descriptions are too vague and superficial.


Not really. Tritype descriptions are incredibly vague and annoyingly can have a very once size fits all stamp on them. In my opinion it's better to just find the type you relate to the most in each triad and then you'll find your tritype.


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## Laguna

@MisterD

(*cough* science experiment *cough*)


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## Pempslider

Can the motivations of your fixes in your tritype swap around with those of your core?


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## TaylorS

Promethea said:


> @_IndyAnnaJoan_
> You can take an enneagram test that usually gets pretty close to one's tritype here:
> Comprehensive Enneagram Quiz
> 
> It will give you a score from head, heart, and gut - but you may want to put them in order yourself. Figure out your core, and its put first, and see what you think about the others, through reading up on them. Its a start at least, but the best way is to just read the profiles and see what really stands out as familiar.
> 
> I see you have 4w5 as your core, in your signature. Figure out which of the three of the gut fixes, and head fixes seem closer to you, then put them in order by which seems more dominant.
> 
> For example, say you pick 9, out of 8, 9, or 1, as your gut fix, and pick 7 out of 5, 6, 7 for your head fix, then your tritype may look something like 4w5-9w1-7w6 or 4w5-7w6-9w1. (just an example, I have no idea what your tritype may be)
> 
> (And for your wings, I would definitely encourage you to just read the different profiles to figure out which.)


Holy cow, According to the test I am a 2w1-5w6-9w1. I disagree with the fact that they put me on the 5 side and the 9 side. It did so, I think, because it seems to assume that 6s are always less abstract and more concrete than 5s, and that it assumed that 1s must be very self-controlled.

So, adjusting the results for those caveats it got my tritype correct, the interesting thing is that it put my image fix as dominant. Perhaps I never though of being a core 2w1 because I'm male and so many of the descriptions of the 2 seem to be biased towards feminine gender roles.


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## Paradigm

TaylorS said:


> Holy cow, According to the test I am a 2w1-5w6-9w1. I disagree with the fact that they put me on the 5 side and the 9 side. It did so, I think, because it seems to assume that 6s are always less abstract and more concrete than 5s, and that it assumed that 1s must be very self-controlled.
> 
> So, adjusting the results for those caveats it got my tritype correct, the interesting thing is that it put my image fix as dominant. Perhaps I never though of being a core 2w1 because I'm male and so many of the descriptions of the 2 seem to be biased towards feminine gender roles.


You hit multiple nails on the head, there. Another thing to keep in mind is most tests will equate introversion with withdrawn types, which can result in a lot of confusion and mistypes.


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## Animal

I took the test for giggles.

4w5-5w4-1w2.

:dry:


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## Ace Face

Animal said:


> I took the test for giggles.
> 
> 4w5-5w4-1w2.
> 
> :dry:


Ohhhhhhh! My turn! 

8w7, 6w7, 3w4

Yeah, it's tests like these that made me mistype as 8 way back in the old days. 8s are not the only ones who are assertive, decisive, ambitious, driven, adaptable, energetic, etc. And being a good problem solver doesn't make one a 6. And well, 3w4 isn't too far off the mark, but still >.> This is just more proof that one should take these tests with _just_ a grain of salt.


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## Animal

Ace Face said:


> Ohhhhhhh! My turn!
> 
> 8w7, 6w7, 3w4
> 
> Yeah, it's tests like these that made me mistype as 8 way back in the old days. 8s are not the only ones who are assertive, decisive, ambitious, driven, adaptable, energetic, etc. And being a good problem solver doesn't make one a 6. And well, 3w4 isn't too far off the mark, but still >.> This is just more proof that one should take these tests with _just_ a grain of salt.


I've taken various tests. I usually test as 8w7 or 8w9 (it switches) or 5w4. I probably tested as 4 core ONLY because I have been processing my 4 issues. I've never scored low on 4, ever.. but it rarely comes out on top, whereas 5 and 8 often do, 8 being the most often. Once I tested as a 1w9 core.

Once I took the 144 question RH test and my friend, who knew me since age 5, answered the questions for me. I still scored at type 8. That's scary..


But the reason I mistyped at 8… well there are many reasons. I am a trauma survivor & thus a fighter. Also, I mistook longing for lust. Envy manifests as longing, craving, thirsting. Angry envy manifests as rage & desire. Disintegration to 2 looked 8ish because I didn't understand type 2 & the conquering nature of pride. *hides* heheheh. My narcissistic streak & boldness. My obsession with getting back the innocence I lost. My anger at the world for taking my dreams from me. Etc.

Many other reasons but those are some of the basics. It had nothing to do with tests, in other words, because I don't take them seriously & never did.


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## Ace Face

Animal said:


> I've taken various tests. I usually test as 8w7 or 8w9 (it switches) or 5w4. I probably tested as 4 core ONLY because I have been thinking about my 4 issues, reading about things etc. I've never scored low on 4, ever.. but it rarely comes out on top, whereas 5 and 8 often do, 8 being the most often. Once I tested as a 1w9 core.
> 
> Once I took the 144 question RH test and my friend, who knew me since age 5, answered the questions for me. I still scored at type 8. That's scary..
> 
> 
> But the reason I mistyped at 8… well there are many reasons. I am a trauma survivor & thus a fighter. Also, I mistook longing for lust. Envy manifests as longing, craving, thirsting. Angry envy manifests as rage & desire. Disintegration to 2 looked 8ish because I didn't understand type 2 & the conquering nature of pride. *hides* heheheh. My narcissistic streak & boldness. My obsession with getting back the innocence I lost. My anger at the world for taking my dreams from me. Etc.
> 
> Many other reasons but those are some of the basics. It had nothing to do with tests, in other words, because I don't take them seriously & never did.


I'm glad you didn't take it seriously because when I was new to this, I totally did. I was like, "So cool, I'm an 8." And then when I actually started to do some reading, I was like... hmmmm... yeah, no... don't think so x)


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## Animal

Ace Face said:


> I'm glad you didn't take it seriously because when I was new to this, I totally did. I was like, "So cool, I'm an 8." And then when I actually started to do some reading, I was like... hmmmm... yeah, no... don't think so x)


Well actually..

When I FIRST got into enneagram, back in 2001… there was an enneagram culture at my college. I was very private, hardly knew anyone, but someone meeting me for the first time, suggested type 7, based on my wild outfits. I didn't care for personality systems and just said "okay." Then I found out people believed things about me (as a 7) that werent' true, at one point when he introduced me to some people. I borrowed his book to see wtf was up with this system. I considered 8, 5, 4, and 3, but ultimately told him I think I am a 4w5. He said no, because the other 4s in the school - the only two friends I had, both 4s… were very self destructive, did MORE drugs than I did, slept with MORE guys, were totally reckless etc, and despite being completely wack and quite self destructive I was more grounded by comparison - or at least, didn't make as much of a show of it. I didn't know about "opposites" (4/8) or tritype. 

I related strongly to 8 so I said.. "maybe I'm a 5w4 with a line to 8??" … and presumed my wing was very strong. At the time, in trauma, my inner landscape DID feel arid, and I was doing "experiments" on myself… and very isolated. 5 seemed likely and then I took a test which came out 5w4 and "confirmed" it. So, I fell prey to it too.  But then I came to PerC & the mistyping at 8 had nothing to do with the test, since I would still test at 5 pretty often too. I've never tested at 3, ever ever, and I mistyped at 3 prior to 8. heeh. _facepalm_ … my typing journey was a mess.


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