# Types and stereotypes



## rajAs (Sep 14, 2012)

I don't know if anyone has already opened a topic like that, but I was wondering about which are the most common stereotypes about enneatypes ( :shocked: ) that we are used to hear, and which of these you find true or false.

For instance, usually people think that all the 9s are lazy, and this is not true. They may be very active, but when compulsive they often focus on useless stuff.

Or it looks like that every 7 is a master of cabarets. A 4 a depressed artist. A 2 an istrionic smiler. And so on.

What's your experience?


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## Acerbusvenator (Apr 12, 2011)

I think it is a bit like this:
1s: Self-righteous
2s: Altruistic
3s: Stuck up
4s: Great artists
5s: Intelligent
6s: Blind followers
7s: Extroverts
8s: Bossy
9s: Lazy

I think that the general stereotypes are like that, some types are lifted up and some are pushed down.
I know people like @Herp, @Paradigm and @Inguz spend a lot of time trying to explain to people that enneagram 6s aren't blind followers etc.
I know that the first thing people think about when they hear someone talk about enneagram 4s is artists.
7s seem to get a lot of the "loads of partying, little thinking" stereotypes.
I noticed before that the first reaction of a guy was that he must be a 5 because he's smart (many descriptions seem to propose that as well about 5s). I guess in that way, 7s and 5s get the opposite stereotypes.
Anyways, I think 3s and 8s share a lot of stereotypes.

This is just my take tho.


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## Recede (Nov 23, 2011)

Type 9 - doormat, conflict-avoidant, mediator, calm and relaxed, happy-go-lucky, avoids introspection, ignores problems

None of which are true for me. I think type 9 is one of the most misunderstood types.


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## Paradigm (Feb 16, 2010)

Stereotypes -

1: Wannabe totalitarian, or perfectly moral
2: Emotionally stifling, or here to serve/love you
3: Workaholic CEOs
4: Any introvert who has feelings
5: Any introvert who reads
6: Sheeple or paranoid
7: Not ever introverted ever
8: Badass, or anyone who enjoys autonomy
9: Never bothered (by anything)


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## wk05 (Aug 26, 2012)

paradigm said:


> stereotypes -
> 
> 4: Any introvert who has feelings
> 5: Any introvert who reads


l o l


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## ShadoWolf (Jun 5, 2012)

Acerbusvenator said:


> I think it is a bit like this:
> 1s: Self-righteous
> 2s: Altruistic
> 3s: Stuck up
> ...


6 as blind followers? Eh, no. More like conspiracy theorists.


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## The Wanderering ______ (Jul 17, 2012)

I think enneagram 6's need a whole entire thread for stereotypes because they are definitely the most misunderstood enneagram type.


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## Acerbusvenator (Apr 12, 2011)

ShadoWolf said:


> 6 as blind followers? Eh, no. More like conspiracy theorists.


Never heard that stereotype. Mostly I hear people accuse them of being sheep to authority or just calling them traditionalists.



The Wanderering ______ said:


> I think enneagram 6's need a whole entire thread for stereotypes because they are definitely the most misunderstood enneagram type.


I think 6s get the worst stereotypes, but 9s seem to be misunderstood the most (the former is an assumption about people of a certain group, the latter is just misunderstanding).
Here's one of the big misunderstandings of enneagram 9.

The basic desire of enneagram 9 is Stability and Peace of Mind (serenity). Enneagram 9 is however a withdrawn type which means that people of that enneagram type withdraw to fulfill their desire (it says "needs", but I assume it is supposed to mean "desire"). What people don't get however is that even tho seeking serenity and stuff inside, it doesn't mean that an enneagram 9 seeks it on the outside and thus an enneagram 9 can be really prone to cause conflicts just like all other types can.

tl;dr: Enneagram 9s are not conflict avoidant, they seek serenity (which is something internal).


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## Paradigm (Feb 16, 2010)

Acerbusvenator said:


> Never heard that stereotype. Mostly I hear people accuse them of being sheep to authority or just calling them traditionalists.


Nah, that's a stereotype, too. It's partly what I meant by paranoid... Though conspiracies are more 6w5ish.



> it doesn't mean that an enneagram 9 seeks it on the outside and thus an enneagram 9 can be really prone to cause conflicts just like all other types can.
> tl;dr: Enneagram 9s are not conflict avoidant, they seek serenity (which is something internal).


I really question this. The main reason I'd expect a 9 to "cause conflict" is to "fight fire with fire," AKA to stop a conflict from happening / worsening. 

---

Introverts who are more "people oriented" can mistype as 9. Dat withdrawn triad gets _all_ the asocials.


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## Acerbusvenator (Apr 12, 2011)

Paradigm said:


> I really question this. The main reason I'd expect a 9 to "cause conflict" is to "fight fire with fire," AKA to stop a conflict from happening / worsening


Well, like I have identified as enneagram 9. When someone starts telling me what my opinion is or something like that (guess that bugs my 4 as well) I start to feel really uneasy inside and the only way for me to release that and start to feel calmer inside again is to throw away an insult or in some way go to attack. I mean, many see my attitude as assertive, but being assertive doesn't fulfill my needs per se, it just takes away what keeps me from feeling peace inside (rather than give me peace inside). People don't see that about 9s tho. Our final destination is to feel peace inside, but there are many roads to that destination.

I think this goes for all types (tho 9s get misunderstood the most), look at 3s for example (which I believe to be the most understood when talking about this at least) who seek achievements/success, but might cheat their way there.


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## Paradigm (Feb 16, 2010)

Acerbusvenator said:


> Well, like I have identified as enneagram 9. When someone starts telling me what my opinion is or something like that (guess that bugs my 4 as well) I start to feel really uneasy inside and the only way for me to release that and start to feel calmer inside again is to throw away an insult or in some way go to attack.


Honestly, I see this as more likely to be a reactive triad trait rather than anything to do with Serenity. And I doubt disintegration or a double-reactive tritype would account for such. But I respect your decision to self-type as a 9, regardless.




> 3s for example (which I believe to be the most understood when talking about this at least) who seek achievements/success


I have a different understanding of 3s. I see them as wanting to be the best at what they choose, not as people who seek nothing but achievement. This means they won't all be famous or wealthy or powerful... But they will attempt to be (sometimes "attempt to look" applies more) the best at their interests. It could be "best spouse," "best artist," "best student," doesn't matter, as long as they feel it's important.

Not meaning to pick on you; you gave me reasons to expand on my first post is all xD


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## Acerbusvenator (Apr 12, 2011)

Paradigm said:


> Honestly, I see this as more likely to be a reactive triad trait rather than anything to do with Serenity. And I doubt disintegration or a double-reactive tritype would account for such. But I respect your decision to self-type as a 9, regardless.


It's not really just me however, there are whispers in the shadows about this...
In all seriousness tho, I think that is one of the problems people get when typing themselves as enneagram 9s... "you can't have your own opinion or stand up for yourself or get angry or you are not a 9".
Also: "They want to see their negative emotions mirrored by others."
That is incorrect for me and not really what I talked about. I don't actually care if the other person is showing negative emotions or not (it actually helps when the person doesn't), if I wanted the other person to also show negative emotions I would agree with you tho. It's just that when the person is telling who I am or what I think then it upsets me and rather than to draw it out, I explode and that's it. Then I calm down again (my anger is very short but intensive).

But meh, psychological abuse and PTSD messes you up a fair bit.


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## Paradigm (Feb 16, 2010)

Acerbusvenator said:


> Also: "They want to see their negative emotions mirrored by others."
> That is incorrect for me and not really what I talked about. I don't actually care if the other person is showing negative emotions or not (it actually helps when the person doesn't), if I wanted the other person to also show negative emotions I would agree with you tho. It's just that when the person is telling who I am or what I think then it upsets me and rather than to draw it out, I explode and that's it. Then I calm down again (my anger is very short but intensive).


Actually, that wasn't the part I was thinking about. This was:


Grey said:


> While Nines can remain silent within their own inner peace, Sixes need to vent with others periodically to discharge their fears and doubts.


Admittedly, this is from a 6 vs 9 post written by RH*; I got my source wrong. Still, I do think the "venting" aspect is reactive at its core: 4s vent their emotions, 6s vent their fears, 8s vent their anger. The positive triadness and withdrawnness of 9 is more apt to joke, ignore/avoid, or disengage somehow.
* Disclaimer that while RH is horrible about 6, I think they got _this part_ right.

As for reactivity, tons of stereotypes there. I actually agree with you about mirroring emotions--from my perspective, who wants negative piled on top of negative? It's talking more about acknowledgement, I believe. Reactive types need their emotions acknowledged, they need to see that you care and understand why they feel such. That doesn't mean they all want you yelling with them, though some reactive types do. I happen to be among the more "moderate" reactives, so I'd rather others be more even-keel emotionally too. However, my reactivity does manifest in different ways, but much of it is internalized--even my venting of fears is a relative rarity, though stereotypically all 6w7s are supposed to do this all the time.


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## Accidie (Jul 11, 2013)

*Type 9.*

I really am a lazy, withdrawn, conflict-avoidant, go-with-the-flow type person tho.


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## Acerbusvenator (Apr 12, 2011)

Paradigm said:


> Actually, that wasn't the part I was thinking about. This was:
> 
> 
> > While Nines can remain silent within their own inner peace, Sixes need to vent with others periodically to discharge their fears and doubts.


I think it ignores the context however, aka. when the inner peace already has been disturbed.
They are also careful to specify "*can*remain silent", rather than "will". It opens to door for possibilities in which the 9 is not silent within its own sense of inner peace.



> As for reactivity, tons of stereotypes there. I actually agree with you about mirroring emotions--from my perspective, who wants negative piled on top of negative? It's talking more about acknowledgement, I believe. Reactive types need their emotions acknowledged, they need to see that you care and understand why they feel such. That doesn't mean they all want you yelling with them, though some reactive types do. I happen to be among the more "moderate" reactives, so I'd rather others be more even-keel emotionally too. However, my reactivity does manifest in different ways, but much of it is internalized--even my venting of fears is a relative rarity, though stereotypically all 6w7s are supposed to do this all the time.


Well, I meant more like these say:
http://personalitycafe.com/enneagram-personality-theory-forum/5824-enneagram-triads.html
Enneagram Harmonics

I will say tho, everyone needs their emotions acknowledged as they need to be acknowledged themselves. It is in human nature. Some are just more or less aware of that.

Speaking of which, this whole thing with the reactive types and that seems to be more about how the different types deal with problems and not conflicts. Everything I read about them seems to be about problems and not how the different groups deal with people fighting or anything like that.


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## meridannight (Nov 23, 2012)

type 8 and leadership going hand-in-hand.


i think this is one of the worst ones out there. being a certain type does not dispose a person more toward leadership than being some other type. i think any type is capable of excellent leadership. 8s can be bad at it, they can be good at it, just like any other type out there. natural leadership gets thrown around a lot in many type 8 descriptions and i don't agree with it.


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## Dewymorning (Nov 24, 2012)

Anyone who thinks 9s never get angry have completely misunderstood the type.

The way I see 9s is "You can do what you want, just let me do what I want".

I can get very angry if someone tries to make me do something I really don't want to do.



I also get very frustrated when people misunderstand what I say. I think while a 4 would just kind of go into a "Oh, everyone misunderstands me" mode (yeah, yeah stereotyping  ). It is more like "Why can't you consider viewpoints other than your own, maybe THEN you would have understood what I said."

And I am not lazy.



As for 4s, one stereotype I have come across is that they think they are 'special snowflakes' and that they hype up their differences just to get attention.


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## cudibloop (Oct 11, 2012)

1: Prude
2: Secret sociopath
3: Ken Doll
4: Special snowflake
5: Oblivious nerd
6: Crazy female
7: hedonistic pervert
8: psychopath
9: vegetable or lamp


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## lebon (Jun 7, 2013)

4: the most awesome coolest type ever


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## steffy (Aug 21, 2012)

6: crazy female :laughing: @cudibloop


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