# Reactive, Optimistic, and Competent Distinctions of the Enneagram



## marzipan01 (Jun 6, 2010)

As is already well-known, there are three centers from which each enneagram type derives: the heart/image center (2,3,4), the head/mind (5,6,7), and the body/gut (8,9,1). Within each of these centers, one type relates to the ego, super-ego, or the id. I'd like to propose a further distinction based on the tendencies of either being reactive, seeking competence, or optimism.

I find this an important point to explain seeing as though I have seen a lot of confusion on typing based on certain issues such as: "you're reactive, you must be a 6." While 6 is a reactive type, it is not the only reactive type. Moreover, not all type 6's are equally reactive or react the same way based on a number of factors including free will, personal psychology, integration/disintegration levels, and--something we actually have the tool to speculate with--tri-type. 

_Reactive enneagram types: _

The definition of reactive seems pretty obvious here. The reactive enneagram types are often called "rebellious" because of the way they react quickly to the threat against their primary motive. Reactive types aren't trying to be rebellious. It's just that their defense mechanisms are naturally quick to protect their motives. 

8 reactive id: reactive against external forces that threaten to deprive/control id desires. Ex. type 8 would seem rebellious when cock-blocked--in the way that they ignored this concept all together and went for it anyway. 

6 reactive super-ego: reactive against external forces that rub against superego ideals or "insecurities." Ex. a type 6 sx counter-phobic male, being taught that men are supposed to be strong, would likely struggle with aggression and rebellion against authority figures such as officers, teachers, etc. 

4 reactive ego: reactive against external forces that threaten the type 4 image of being unique/special. Ex. type 4 may not notice all the ways they have to alter or change something to put their own unique perspective on it but their unique sense of identity and emotive expression is infused in everything they do. They're also extremely sensitive and quick to have an emotional reaction.

The 468 is the triple reactive type.

_Competent enneagram types:_

Competent types are the perfectionists of the enneagram. Because nothing and no one is perfect, these types are prone to depression, apathetic breakdown, or schizoid withdrawal from the world when their standards for perfection are unmet for too long. 

1 competent superego: Type 1 seeks competence to avoid the voice of their super-ego which racks them with guilt and tells them that they aren't good enough, they don't work hard enough, they haven't done enough, etc. Because this voice is insatiable, type 1's don't have an off button to their perfection seeking. They seek perfection as an end in itself. 

3 competent id: Type 3 seeks competence in order to compensate for the shame they feel about their social status. They must be the best or else they are pointless losers unworthy of love. Type 3's measure competence based on the results (obtaining their id desires) rather than the process of obtaining those results. 

5 competent ego: Type 5 seeks competence in order to compensate for feelings of helplessness and vulnerability that arise when dealing with the chaos of the external world. Type 5's want to know completely and absolutely. Like type 1, type 5 seeks perfection in the process rather than perfection in the results (as opposed to type 3) except that type 5's are more interested in the process in an abstract sense on their way to knowing and getting their cerebral fix. Whereas, type 1's are more interested in the process in a realistic/practical sense of having cleanliness, order, and perfection in the tangible world. 

531 tritype is the triple competent type. 

_Optimistic enneagram types:_ 

9 optimistic ego: In order to maintain a peaceful state of mind and avoid conflict, type 9 looks at the bright side and prefers to alter it's perception to find the silver lining. When no silver-lining can be found, the type 9 risks falling into a catatonic, numbed dream-state where they escape into happy fantasy lands. 

7 optimistic id: Unlike type 9 who seeks happiness by shifting their perspective on the external world, type 7 seeks happiness in the external world. Type 7 looks for interests, people, places, and activities to bring the type 7's pleasure. Being that type 7 is a mental type, pleasure is often creative and adventurous. 

2 optimistic superego: Type 2's are optimists in terms of their relationships with others. Unlike the type 1 super ego which tells type 1's that they are bad and should feel guilty, the super ego of the type 2 tells a type 2 that they are really sweet, considerate people who really deserve love and so is everyone else. 

279 is the triple optimist of the enneagram. 

Additionally: 
Types that correlate most strongly to MBTI perceiving preference: 
5, 7, 9
Types that correlate most strongly to MBTI judging preference: 
3, 8, 1


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## dollybones_90 (Jan 22, 2012)

Interesting. Any of the triple types sound like they'd have a lot of issues. Actually, the triple optimist would probably do quite well in terms of relationships and goals.


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## marzipan01 (Jun 6, 2010)

dollybones_90 said:


> Interesting. Any of the triple types sound like they'd have a lot of issues. Actually, the triple optimist would probably do quite well in terms of relationships and goals.


What do you mean by issues?


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## dollybones_90 (Jan 22, 2012)

Now that I think about it, I don't really know what I was thinking. I guess the triple types just seem inevitably prone to imbalance. The triple reactive would most likely have issues with rage, the triple competent might be achievement oriented at the expense of relationships, and the triple optimistic sounds like a people person who would avoid conflict at all costs. Just my 2 cents


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## marzipan01 (Jun 6, 2010)

dollybones_90 said:


> Now that I think about it, I don't really know what I was thinking. I guess the triple types just seem inevitably prone to imbalance. The triple reactive would most likely have issues with rage, the triple competent might be achievement oriented at the expense of relationships, and the triple optimistic sounds like a people person who would avoid conflict at all costs. Just my 2 cents


I appreciated it. Half-penny would have sufficed


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## sodden (Jul 20, 2009)

> Types that correlate most strongly to MBTI perceiving preference:
> 5, 7, 9


@marzipan01, Yeah this makes sense to me, although I would think the competency of the 5 would maybe increase the J preference a bit.

I am an INFP 4w5 with a 479 tritype, though, and perceiving is always my highest percentage score on mbti tests, I display very little judging preference at all.


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## marzipan01 (Jun 6, 2010)

brainheart said:


> @marzipan01, Yeah this makes sense to me, although I would think the competency of the 5 would maybe increase the J preference a bit.
> 
> I am an INFP 4w5 with a 479 tritype, though, and perceiving is always my highest percentage score on mbti tests, I display very little judging preference at all.


5 might seem like a J in some regards but I think it's linked to perceiving because it's an "information gathering" motive and perceivers are called the information gatherers.


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## Owfin (Oct 15, 2011)

marzipan01 said:


> 5 might seem like a J in some regards but I think it's linked to perceiving because it's an "information gathering" motive and perceivers are called the information gatherers.


As an ISTJ I am dominant percieving, so... 

I don't think there is a correlation between enneagram type and MBTI type. MBTI type may, however, influence the way the enneagram type manifests. And visa versa.


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## OrangeAppled (Jun 26, 2009)

I'm 4w5 & 451 tritype and 4s integrate to 1 to top it off, and the competency stuff really hits home (but so does the 4 reactive part too).


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## marzipan01 (Jun 6, 2010)

OrangeAppled said:


> I'm 4w5 & 451 tritype and 4s integrate to 1 to top it off, and the competency stuff really hits home (but so does the 4 reactive part too).


That's interesting. I've read that in the 4 in 451 tritype is called the competent 4. 
This was really about how to arrive at an understanding of how these types interact within a tritype.


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## silverlined (Jul 8, 2009)

I'm a 4 (5)-9-7 tritype 

As a 4 I definitely have a very quick and intense emotional reaction and I often react to things by withdrawing as well. I can get myself very worked up and sometimes it gets to the point where it's overwhelming. Though I can and will deep delve into that at times, I have 2 optimistic types in my tritype so I have conflicting feelings about this.

The type 9 description also resonates with me very much and I find myself doing a lot of re framing sometimes I discover some things so painful that I absolutely need to see the silver lining right away. I also use the 7 strategy when something too painful comes up, though I do it in an introverted way. I throw myself into hobbies and make it so they engage my total interest so that I don't have room for the dark thoughts. My mind often races with plans, ideas and fantasies about traveling to some far away place i'd like to visit. 

I had some trouble relating to the type 2 description, despite that 4 is connected to 2.


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## marzipan01 (Jun 6, 2010)

silverlined said:


> I'm a 4 (5)-9-7 tritype
> 
> As a 4 I definitely have a very quick and intense emotional reaction and I often react to things by withdrawing as well. I can get myself very worked up and sometimes it gets to the point where it's overwhelming. Though I can and will deep delve into that at times, I have 2 optimistic types in my tritype so I have conflicting feelings about this.
> 
> The type 9 description also resonates with me very much and I find myself doing a lot of re framing sometimes I discover some things so painful that I absolutely need to see the silver lining right away. I also use the 7 strategy when something too painful comes up, though I do it in an introverted way. I throw myself into hobbies and make it so they engage my total interest so that I don't have room for the dark thoughts. My mind often races with plans, ideas and fantasies about traveling to some far away place i'd like to visit.


Thank you for the description of your process. I found it very interesting.  



> I had some trouble relating to the type 2 description, despite that 4 is connected to 2.


I wonder if this is because I don't have it right or if the relation of the 4 to type 2 is at the low end of 2 and thus, not exemplary of the essence of the type. While the former is possible, the latter seems more likely to me because the difference between 4 and 2 is quite large despite the fact that they are connected by disintegration and integration paths. 

Type 2 is optimistic and relates to histrionic disorder--extreme confidence. Type 2's have, in my experience/understanding been extremely confident in their social abilities and their love-able-ness.

Type 4's at low levels correlates to depressive or extreme sadness. While type 2's believe themselves love-able, type 4's focus on what they are missing, what's wrong with themselves, etc. 

Type 2's for being an "emotional" type are more "Fe" as they focus on making everyone happy and bringing up the mood. 
Type 4's are more Fi or Ni-Fe in that they focus on what is missing from the group, the mood that is being ignored, the hidden emotion beneath the facade of the friendly warmth. 

2's like joy, love, and laughter. 
4's value emotional authenticity which means sometimes joy, love, and laughter, sometimes melancholy, ugliness of human nature, the beauty in sadness, the truth that is found in anguish. 

The emotional focus is quite different. 

On the note of integration and disintegration.
2's grow by integrating at 4 which means they come to realize that happiness is not all important. They come to understand the importance of the "uglier" emotions. 
4's, when they disintegrate, have the tendency to try to serve everyone as a way of playing out their feelings of inadequacy. They can become needy and clingy trying to get the emotional upper-hand. 

From my experience of having a 4 in my tritype, I have the tendency to--when everyone is really happy around me--reject this happiness as a false emotion and look for the sadness and pain they're all overlooking. It's almost like I feel that pain is more real than happiness and I don't want to be happy and it's a strange thing that people have difficulty understanding. When I'm happy, I want it to be real happiness and the only way for it to be real is if I can wallow in the pain when I'm miserable. 

For the 479, though, I definitely see what you're talking about. I've read the 7 and 9 has the tendency to show happiness to others and to hide the pain and loss they feel in order to prevent themselves from being rejected.


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## Purrfessor (Jul 30, 2013)

"Competent types are the perfectionists of the enneagram. Because nothing and no one is perfect, these types are prone to depression, apathetic breakdown, or schizoid withdrawal from the world when their standards for perfection are unmet for too long."

That's exactly me. I didn't realize until now that I'm triple competent. That explains my perfection seeking. It explains EVERYTHING.


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