# Can an enneagram 5 be stupid ? Or a 7 be uninterested in exterior stimuli ?



## Kaioken (Mar 4, 2017)

It may be heavily related to stereotypes, but can someone with a specific enneagram act or simply be completely opposed or at least very different to his supposed enneagram ?

As I said in the title as examples, could a 5 be a bit ignorant and dumb or could a 1 be completely scatter-brained and not focused ?


----------



## Scarlet Eyes (May 15, 2015)

Yes. Just like how a 4 can be non-artistic and a 3 can be modest.

Traits don't solely describe all the types. What also matters are the motivations each type is driven by.

If someone claims to be a type based on traits, and they don't take the basic motivations of that type into account, then they're not that type. Simple as that.


----------



## Little_Bird (Apr 14, 2015)

I'm a 7w8 sx and I am mostly uninterested in exterior stimuli. Most of time, I'm in my head. I'm an INFP, so maybe that has something to do with it?

Remember that enneagram is based on fears and motivations, not personality traits. Although those traits can help identify someone's enneagram, relying solely on descriptions is going to mistype someone. I hate being bored and unstimulated, so I stay in my head where everything is more "interesting". I daydream a lot. I also hate being in emotional pain. I try to entertain myself to get my mind off them/deal with them when my emotions are overwhelming. That's why I'm a 7.


----------



## 460202 (May 22, 2017)

I think that a lack of interest in the external world contradicts what type 7 is all about. At least based on my understanding (which could be wrong), 7s tend to see themselves unequipped to deal with the internal world and so they look outwards. So, no, I really don't think that a core 7 may be disinterested in external stimulation.

I'm sure that there are some stupid 5s out there, although I've never met one (granted, I think I've only known one or two 5s). Even then, I think that there are certain topics that these "stupid" 5s are very knowledgeable about.


----------



## Dangerose (Sep 30, 2014)

In my opinion, 5s can be stupid, anyone can be stupid, but they still have to have defense of retreating from world and intellectualizing it for protection (this intellectualization does not have to be complex or profound)

A very healthy 7 might have limited need for external stimuli. But I would say every 7 does, it just might come in way that looks internal...in the mind...but it's still external from the internal being 7 is trying to escape. Imagining things in head can be an 'external' stimulus in a way for example


----------



## Stellafera (Jan 19, 2015)

Yes on the five thing, no on the 7 thing.

Why 5s can be stupid:



Nissa Nissa said:


> In my opinion, 5s can be stupid, anyone can be stupid, but they still have to have defense of retreating from world and intellectualizing it for protection (this intellectualization does not have to be complex or profound)


Why 7s can't be uninterested in external stimuli:



Flower Hat said:


> I think that a lack of interest in the external world contradicts what type 7 is all about. At least based on my understanding (which could be wrong), 7s tend to see themselves unequipped to deal with the internal world and so they look outwards. So, no, I really don't think that a core 7 may be disinterested in external stimulation.


Enneagram is a personality system focused on what you emotionally want and what you emotionally hate. As a 6, I highly value a sense of certainty, thus, I do 6 things like predicting problems and seeking lots of external input before I feel confident enough to form an opinion. I avoid relying on guesswork, especially if I'm in a situation where I feel emotionally vulnerable. In times of stress I retreat to very 6ish behavioral patterns because they comfort me. Junk food for the soul. 

7's want fun, happiness, new horizons, etc. and they hate the idea of getting stuck, being trapped in a negative situation, etc. The external world is always changing and always opening up new possibilities, and hey, if you're feeling down, isn't it safer to ignore that and redirect your attention on something else that makes you smile? 7's focus on external stimuli directly connects to what they want and fear as a type. 

Scatterbrained 1s and stupid 5s are unrelated to enneagram because neither of those traits are actionable results of the type's wants/needs. A scatterbrained 1 might hate that they're unfocused, but being scatterbrained doesn't really interfere with 1's central pattern of defining life by "this needs to be fixed, this is wrong, this is bad, it should be like this, it should be like that". A stupid 5 can satisfy themselves just fine by wallowing in their own stupid ideas. 

*You can act against stereotype as long as you aren't acting against type.*


----------



## rohan89 (Oct 15, 2016)

I think you can be a slight contradiction to your type, but your tritype and instinctual variant may have a lot to do with it.

For instance, for a 4w5 I'm very fiery, confrontational and have a desire to get out there and do things in the real world.
That has a lot to so with me being a 485 and an sx/so.

At the end of the day, I definately do need an amount of solitude, though.


----------



## Paradigm (Feb 16, 2010)

Much like the MBTI stereotype of intuitives all are smart being wrong, there is no reason to think of all 5s being intrinsically smart or aware of anything outside their bubble (aka ignorant).
(I don't have a 5 example handy, but an example of a "dumb" xNTP that comes to mind is TJ in Gilmore Girls [the one not wearing the hat].)



Nissa Nissa said:


> A very healthy 7 might have limited need for external stimuli. But I would say every 7 does, it just might come in way that looks internal...in the mind...but it's still external from the internal being 7 is trying to escape. Imagining things in head can be an 'external' stimulus in a way for example


This is a good observation, though I wouldn't say a 7 needs to be healthy to reduce their external-seeking behavior. It more depends on what one considers "distracting" and "external," which many people tend to assume are the obvious extroverted, adventure-seeking behaviors. I fully believe that 7s can throw themselves into a solo task that is largely non-physical, as long as it helps them avoid any sort of pain. 

Actually, I consider 7 one of the top-three choices for my core type (1/6/7), though I don't fit the triads well enough to justify it, IMO (I'm not very Positive, and not Assertive in enneagram terms). I see myself forcing my mind away from emotional pain and into anything else - often towards video games or reading. This obviously isn't the healthiest coping method, but it's my instinct to do so and always has been.



Kaioken said:


> could a 1 be completely scatter-brained and not focused ?


Type 1's fear is about not being what they view as perfect. That doesn't mean it necessarily overrides inborn traits. Maybe they beat themselves up over it. Or they could not notice they're scatter-brained. Or think that being scatter-brained is a boon. There's a lot of variation in humans, and thus in types.


----------



## Asd456 (Jul 25, 2017)

You can't conclude that a type 5 is more smart or a type 1 is more focused, etc. You should differentiate by focusing on the core fears and core fixations. To use an example, yes, a type 7 can be uninterested in external stimulation. My father is a type 7 ENTP. When he was younger, he was adventurous, thrill-seeking, etc. - he had a desire to physically experience the world around him. However, with age and maturity, his interest in external stimulation is less physical and more mental now; he prefers to stay home, using his free time to read novels.


----------

