# Gentle Healer Tritype (4-7-9)



## Bluemint (Feb 12, 2014)

Hey all!

I'm starting a thread for this tritype. Anything is welcome.

For myself, I recently decided I have a 947 tritype, with a core of 9w8. Not sure about the order after that, 7w8 and 4w3. Sx/sp. I'm also an ISTP. It's an interesting mix. Anyway, anyone have any growth ideas for this tritype?


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## MrShatter (Sep 28, 2010)

Hi


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## _Blackstar_ (Jul 22, 2015)

Well, to quote from Madhatter's invaluable post on the 27 Tritypes (which you've probably already read), the 4-7-9 archetype is prone to "magical thinking". Thus it's likely that most of the people who belong to it have rich inner worlds, which are the reason for their propensity to miss opportunities to "speak their truth". Do you find self-assertion to be an issue, or do your 4ish, 7ish and sexual-dominant energies render it a non-issue?

To digress into a general discussion of the type, I imagine, unless one has a pronounced 4 influence, that the 7's impulse to quash fear with positivity and activity coupled with the 9's desire to repress anger and maintain peace (which can prompt hermetic behaviour) pulls this type's focus all over the place, or at least has their attention flipping like a pendulum between inner and outer environments. 

I feel like the 4's impulse to cultivate emotional states (even if they are negative) would be derailed by the 7's and 9's contrary tendencies, and the centripetal energy of the 9 would also be liable to be disturbed by the centrifugal force of the 4 and 7, which both seek expression on their own terms. Hence my notion of the type's energy and focus being erratic in the sense that it must accommodate contrary energies and tendencies but can only focus on one at a time. 

Given that you know your core type, tritype and instinctual variant, you probably have a good idea - or perhaps an inkling - as to what your growth areas are. Do you find that being sx-dom makes your 9 more compatible with the 4 and 7 energies in your type?


I'm fascinated by this type, though I'm 99% sure I'm not of it, and would enjoy an in-depth discussion of it.


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## MrShatter (Sep 28, 2010)

Daemonion said:


> Do you find that being sx-dom
> 
> prone to "magical thinking"


Extreme and utterly hopelesse romanticism.


Growth: Turning dreams into reality. Fantasy>Competency.


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## charlie.elliot (Jan 22, 2014)

I suppose this is my tritype... I don't really feel like a "gentle healer" though haha. My one wing is too strong for that.


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## Bluemint (Feb 12, 2014)

Daemonion said:


> Well, to quote from Madhatter's invaluable post on the 27 Tritypes (which you've probably already read), the 4-7-9 archetype is prone to "magical thinking". Thus it's likely that most of the people who belong to it have rich inner worlds, which are the reason for their propensity to miss opportunities to "speak their truth". Do you find self-assertion to be an issue, or do your 4ish, 7ish and sexual-dominant energies render it a non-issue?
> 
> To digress into a general discussion of the type, I imagine, unless one has a pronounced 4 influence, that the 7's impulse to quash fear with positivity and activity coupled with the 9's desire to repress anger and maintain peace (which can prompt hermetic behaviour) pulls this type's focus all over the place, or at least has their attention flipping like a pendulum between inner and outer environments.
> 
> ...


I don't yet have a very strong grasp of it, but this is how I live it. For me, being sx dom just adds to the conflict.
SX vs 9: energy vs rest
4 vs 9: truth vs peace 
7 vs 9: adventure vs comfort
The eight in me also wants to conquer, show it's strength and courage, and the three in me loves attention. 
Also, the sx instinct strengthens the intensity of each of these kinds of experiences I want, often conflicting with eachother as well as my core wish to simply live in peace. With sp instinct second, there's also a need to ensure safety, which backs up my 9 but conflicts with everything else. 

All this conflict puts me through a very complex roller coaster, and I fantasize just to give myself a break and feel good. It also gives me hope. It also helps put me in touch with what I really want and also whats hurting me. As an sx dom, I practically play out my fantasies. Im not much of a magical dreamer, my fantasies are very real situations and people, just their emotions don't match reality. (That was hard to write. It's never really too late, people change, and what I think can happen, though maybe under different circumstances.)

I don't have trouble asserting myself intellectually. I can be quite aggressive in a debate and will enjoy the energy, but I do have trouble asserting my needs and preferences, and also to assert myself to the world by being me and doin just whatever I want (source of conflict). 

It's interesting but I never give up on other people, though I easily give up on myself, and even then somehow I find a way to continue my life.


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## Bluemint (Feb 12, 2014)

MrShatter said:


> Daemonion said:
> 
> 
> > Do you find that being sx-dom
> ...



Wow how do you do that?


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## _Blackstar_ (Jul 22, 2015)

MrShatter said:


> Extreme and utterly hopelesse romanticism.
> 
> 
> Growth: Turning dreams into reality. Fantasy>Competency.


Very interesting! Do you channel your romanticism and dreamy thoughts into creative pursuits or relationships?

I definitely identify with fantasy > competency. You wouldn't identify yourself as a pragmatist, then?



Bluemint said:


> I don't yet have a very strong grasp of it, but this is how I live it. For me, being sx dom just adds to the conflict.
> SX vs 9: energy vs rest
> 4 vs 9: truth vs peace
> 7 vs 9: adventure vs comfort
> ...


You seem to have a pretty complex tritype. Your 8 energies are strong, and they flavour both the 7 and the 9. Also, 3 probably has more influence in you than one might imagine in a 4-7-8 with a 5 wing since many 4s tend to have heavy wings which leads to confusion in self-typing. Take for example, the variation between Kurt Cobain (whose wing is so heavy, the Enneagram Institute page had a long thread basically split into two camps arguing for 4w5 and 5w4 respectively) and David Bowie (who is either a 3w4 or a 4w3 - if I may make an unqualified estimation! ). It seems many 4/5 or 3/4 fixes have no problem identifying their general type, but struggle in deciding which of the two is dominant.

All of that leads to a set of contradictory adjectives: peaceful yet aggressive; image-conscious yet humble. Since 9 is your core type and a source of stress relief for you, do you find that the driven "seeking" energy of the Sx function coupled with the drives of 7, 4, 8 and 3 help you to avoid the unhealthy coping strategies of the 9 like repression, withdrawal and dissociation? 

With a triple imaginative type like 4-7-9, you have a talent for weaving dreams and reality together and creating intense inner worlds, but that comes with the issue of withdrawing from reality; not in the way that a withdrawing type avoids unwanted attention/stimulation, but in the sense that you might not notice something because you're too busy with your own fantasies or ideas. To give a comparison, I believe Katherine Fauvre said that the 4-5-8 is second to none in constructing elaborate webs of knowledge and ideas but is too stubborn/egocentric/individualistic to acknowledge any blindspots in their web. I have a similar notion of the 4-7-9, however, their blindspot might emerge not because they're too stubborn to admit any deficiencies or because they avoided it, but because they were so busy creating their own unique strands that current facts or ideas passed them by.

However, since you see some 8 and 3 traits in yourself, do you findthey help you to get the "best of both worlds" so to speak, and harness the creative, imaginative sides of the 4-7-9 while maintaining balance? Perhaps the roller coaster effect and conflict helps you to avoid stasis. After all, sometimes you have to shake the test tube until it's turbid or boil it for a chemical reaction to occur.

Correct me if I'm wrong!  I'm just trying to wrap my head around the type and your interesting configuration of it. I'm aware that such conflicting forces could also create a situation more like a volcano, with the 9's drive creating a state of dormancy until the combined effect of the Sx, 4's, 7's, 3's and 8's causes an eruption - but that depends on health levels. Perhaps it's about finding balance and exerting enough self-will for them to work harmoniously.

An individual with the 4-7-9's imagination and the 3's and 8's drive would be a tremendous force - creative, driven, self-composed but not domineering or emotionally labile. There's a reason that the 9w8 is commonly thought of as the "guru" archetype, with the Buddha (composed, harmonious but strong) serving as a great example.

So far I see this tritype as "The Maverick", not the "Gentle Healer" (though that's just my first impression). Perhaps the Fauvre's overlooked the fact that although a 4-7-9 combination is likely to produce a caring and creative type (hence the "healer"), it also has the potential to be heavily influenced by type 8. 

I think "The Maverick" fits quite well when you consider this type's "triple imaginative gifts". With its romantic tendencies, it has the power to create an internal world of its own, and if the drive is there, also to make it a reality - think Victor Frankenstein (minus the horror, the egocentrism and the tragedy, of course! ). Victor is eccentric, individualistic and imaginative - he forges his own path and discovers the secret to life, but must reconcile his inner vision (which he makes a reality) with the outer world, which comprises his education, friendships and familial life. Thus he fluctuates between periods of inspired, isolated creation and social contact.

I'm glossing over the fact that he spurns his creation, thereby unleashing a vengeful monster, but the comparison stands: although it can create conflict or a dreamy personality that "spaces out", the 4-7-9 also has the potential to form an original and inventive (or "maverick) personality.


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## MrShatter (Sep 28, 2010)

charlie.elliot said:


> I suppose this is my tritype... I don't really feel like a "gentle healer" though haha. My one wing is too strong for that.


I think the healer part comes from being attracted to, and seeing the beautiful in the ugly/darkness, so transforming it. I think the 27 madhatter said "let's look at it" (ugliness)

And ones are reformers=healing 
Oh yeah I don't feel gentle either, I think they mean more like unassuming/non-judgemental what ever you want to call the "healer" part.

I would like to think Doctor Who is this tri-type w. social. Also notice the 'doctor' part of healer.


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## MrShatter (Sep 28, 2010)

Daemonion said:


> Very interesting! Do you channel your romanticism and dreamy thoughts into creative pursuits or relationships?


Both. Everything from a jar with sunlight going through it.



Bluemint said:


> Wow how do you do that?


Not that I do it. 
Well it hasn't worked on the "love" front. When I fall in love. That stuff just hurts. Write about it. I dribble back to my computer and the collection of stuff just slowly grows as I go on. I think we're pretty resilient folk, and I try and keep that in mind when 'going for it.' And I've always got to go for it. Y'know cause it's magic.

Mementos. Exercise has taken my life in whole new directions.

...

I need to work on my persistence though as that is what is holding me back and will develop the skills I need for competency.

... 
As far as not speaking up/missed opportuinities for truth. I think it's also difficult for others to understand the magical thinking process. I feel like a lot of people think I'm crazy. I think I'm crazy. But I know it, so that gives me an edge over other people who are crazy, and don't know it. I memorized this Nietzsche passage and I like to yell it (theoretically) at people if they say stuff that suggests I'm crazy and they're sane.

Oh You sober beings, who feel yourselves armed against passion and fantasy, and would gladly make a pride and an ornament out of your emptiness, you call yourselves realists, and give to understand that the world is actually constituted as it appears to you ; before you alone reality stands unveiled, and you yourselves would perhaps be the best part of it, oh, you dear images of Sais! But are not you also in your unveiled condition still extremely passionate and dusky beings compared with the fish, and still all too like an enamoured artist? And what is " reality " to an enamoured artist! you still carry about with you the valuations of things which had their origin in the passions and infatuations of earlier centuries! There is still a secret and ineffaceable drunkenness embodied in your sobriety! Your love of "reality," for example oh, that is an old, primitive " love "! In every feeling, in every sense impression, there is a portion of this old love: and similarly also some kind of fantasy, prejudice, irrationality, ignorance, fear, and whatever else has become mingled and woven into it. There is that mountain! There is that cloud! What is "real" in them? Remove the phantasm and the whole human element from it, you sober ones! Yes, if you could do that! If you could forget your origin, your past, your preparatory schooling, your whole history as man and beast! There is no "reality" for us nor for you either, you sober ones, we are far from being so alien to one another as you suppose ; and perhaps our good will to get beyond drunkenness is just as respectable as your belief that you are altogether incapable of drunkenness.

It's pretty fucking epic 

Sleep deprivation is a one way ticket to psychosis. - Special Agent Dale Cooper
,,,,
Now that I'm at it.
I feel like tri-types are a good group to share interests with, I love these guys. 





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http://genius.com/Kurt-cobain-kurt-cobains-suicide-note-annotated

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## 172354 (Oct 21, 2014)

This is my tritype too! I'm a core 4, with my tritype being 4w3-7w6-9w8 sx/so, and I'm ENFJ. ^.^

I completely agree that I am in my head imagining things all the time. It's quite frustrating actually, because real life is never as good as your mind. And when I try and impulsively act on those imaginary plans, others think I'm nuts or things can easily fall through and then I'm all upset and disappointed since I built it up so high in my mind. >.< 

As far as being a "healer", I think the positivity the 7 & 9 bring helps with the 4 being focused on authenticity and being true to yourself, thus helping us to help others actualize their own imagination and dreams. Although, I too don't like this label. I think we are more "escapists" than "gentle spirits", running into our minds and away from everything and everyone else.


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## Sonny (Oct 14, 2008)

*Signs petition once again to have the name changed to The Escapist*

I'm adding no in-thread value besides saying I cannot handle the name "Gentle Healer" because it is so amazingly not me.

Carry on =)


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## Quang (Sep 4, 2014)

I am a SX 974 and highly confident of it.

As a part of having the 479 tritype series, I experience the habit of gently losing focus and drifting into daydreams quite often. In the past, I did not know what I really wanted to do until I started living alone. Living alone help me I push myself outside my comfort zones and I learned that I was able to immerse myself into something that I love doing and become obsessed with the activity (e.g. origami folding, dance, cooking, learning about something interesting). When I am in my comfort zone, I return to the normal inertia where I distract myself through learning things which are interesting not necessarily duties. It's pretty easy to relax and sometimes difficult to get worked up by something.

The 479 tritype series can be summarized as a 'dreamer', in comparison to the 'idealist' 147. 4 and 7 seek what is fascinating and magical, meanwhile 9 passively accepts what comes along in hope to find what is missing. 4-7 creates a juxtaposition of a tragic romantic: we can appear upbeat externally, but there is a hidden sadness; thus the facade of a happiness is used to avoid rejection. A challenge of having this tritype is developing the self-discipline to actualize the dreams, because all three enneagram types (4, 7, 9) share the difficulty of staying grounded, disciplined, focused. Despite having a good disciplined upbringing as a child, there are times where I can't help losing myself to playing games.


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## Quernus (Dec 8, 2011)

I'm starting to entertain that I might be a 4-9-7 instead of 4-9-5. I never thought I could have a 7-fix because, well, I don't relate at all to core Sevens. ....but... The contradictory nature of this tritype rather resonates with me. 



> With a triple imaginative type like 4-7-9, you have a talent for weaving dreams and reality together and creating intense inner worlds, but that comes with the issue of withdrawing from reality;* not in the way that a withdrawing type avoids unwanted attention/stimulation, but in the sense that you might not notice something because you're too busy with your own fantasies or ideas*


I don't really relate to this, though, unless I'm not understanding it. I withdraw because I'm overstimulated all the time from within, and the outside world is too noisy on top of it. I notice everything I don't want to notice. 

But then I cope with that by being intensely, intensely imaginative, where my inner world is both far more... idealistic, and cutting, than anything I relate to on the outside. To me, idealistic doesn't mean completely positive, either. It just means raw and magical and vivid AND, the key here, is... copeable with and in-tune with how I see myself (or want to see myself) in relation to the world. 

Gentle healer, too, makes sense. Well, I don't know, if I spend much time actually healing other people anymore. At one time I did, but I was very disintegrated to Two, I think. Or maybe in some ways also connected to One. In any case, a detachment from self in a way that was driven by self-image and values. But I overextended on it and I feel a lot less nurturing now. But maybe because I'm more in touch with how selfish I am on the inside, yet on the outside I still apparently treat people like a gentle healer. But not intentionally. It weirds me out when people call me "sweet", yet that happens a lot. I am the kind of person who would love to delve deep into the psyche and help talk you through your problems and explore your darkness, but on the other hand, until the time is right I have a very live and let live approach. To me it is greatly a matter of respect and validation. Does any of this make sense...


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## Lord Fenix Wulfheart (Aug 18, 2015)

Daemonion said:


> Very interesting! Do you channel your romanticism and dreamy thoughts into creative pursuits or relationships?
> 
> I definitely identify with fantasy > competency. You wouldn't identify yourself as a pragmatist, then?
> 
> ...


Interesting. I came to the conclusion recently that my tritype must be a variant of 479, and I feel like you just described me pretty well. I definitely have a tendency to repress in favor of peace, and yet at other times I will just go straight for the confrontation in the lease aggressive way I can to solve the problem before it builds. I waver between creativity and intellectualism, solitude and ignoring myself, and strong drive to achieve versus totally vegging out. I think of myself as hard to nail down, as I change every time i think I can put words to what I am. That fits very well with your chosen word, "The Maverick".

I think I am a 4w5 9w1 7w8 (SP/SX/SO). Not totally sure on the order.


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## Lord Fenix Wulfheart (Aug 18, 2015)

@Quernus

Does it make sense? it sure does to me. I think I quite heavily disintegrated to two and have been for a while, which makes typing difficult. It also makes sense that one goes with it - it isn't enough to help others, the need is to *completely* help others. Nine plays in there too - if you completely help them to where they can handle it from here, you go back to your inner harmony and your own little world. Know what I mean?


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## lactosecat (May 29, 2011)

I'm 4w3 7w8 then 9w1. 4w3 and 7w8 are strong compared to 9w1, or maybe it's because I ignore the 9w1 because I deem it as a weak side of me. Any who, I feel like my 4w3 and 7w8 are always fighting with 9w1. I can get excited starting shit with people then 3 seconds later I'll be shivering and pissing my pants from getting too scared of conflict. lol. I can also be quite aggressive whether I realize it or not. What brought me to 9w1 was the coping method. I relate to 9 coping method way more than 1 or 8, even though I relate to those online description of the anger triad types equally. In theory we were to use our two tri-fixes when core type doesn't solve the problem, correct? Yeah, I find myself at some point trying to detach myself from the situation and any negative emotions but I am never, ever successful at that. Probably because I am core 4w3. Trying to capture and tie down my emotional waves is not easy.  
I can definitely related to the "dreamy, flighty and fantasy" aspect of the 479. I've reflected while looking back on all the tumblr photos that I've liked and reblogged and the images all have a certain 479 tone to it. What I can't relate to is "gentle" healer. I am no way in heck gentle but I do aim to heal myself from anything that I see as painful.

Edit: okay just read the posts above and I agree full heartily that the name "The escapists" fits way more than "Gentle healer".


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## Quernus (Dec 8, 2011)

Fenix Wulfheart said:


> Nine plays in there too - if you completely help them to where they can handle it from here, you go back to your inner harmony and your own little world. Know what I mean?


I guess I hadn't really thought of it that way before. For the most part I don't think I relate to that, because when in helper mode, I get like... high off of it. Or did. I liked that I could help them, that my advice or support meant something, or even that it was indispensable in ways. Their turmoil didn't trouble me, aside from the actual empathy thing where I don't like people to be suffering - but it didn't intrude on my inner harmony. Or at least, that wasn't important to me at the time, so I didn't even notice/think of it in those terms.

Later on in life, I have in fact experienced the desire for people to get better/be stable on their own, so that I could feel less guilty about ...ending my life. But then during those times I'm always way too depleted to actually help myself much, never mind anyone else. There's a lot of isolation, it's a waiting game.


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## _Blackstar_ (Jul 22, 2015)

Fenix Wulfheart said:


> Interesting. I came to the conclusion recently that my tritype must be a variant of 479, and I feel like you just described me pretty well. I definitely have a tendency to repress in favor of peace, and yet at other times I will just go straight for the confrontation in the lease aggressive way I can to solve the problem before it builds. I waver between creativity and intellectualism, solitude and ignoring myself, and strong drive to achieve versus totally vegging out. I think of myself as hard to nail down, as I change every time i think I can put words to what I am. That fits very well with your chosen word, "The Maverick".
> 
> I think I am a 4w5 9w1 7w8 (SP/SX/SO). Not totally sure on the order.


That's cool. 

With that combination of tritypes I can see why you might vary between creativity, intellectualism and inanition. How do you find the SP-first energy affects the tritype? Do you find that you must be comfortable/emotionally secure before you can engage in creative or intellectual tasks? Do you feel that your first impression is of a sedated/reclusive personality that belies your inner intensity?

I appreciate the feedback on my uninspired ramblings!


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## Daeva (Apr 18, 2011)

Oi! 479 here 

Or to be more specific; sx 9w8 4w3 7w6..

Yeah.. the 'Gentle Healer'.. even though I'm not a huge fan of the title, I can see where they are coming from. At least, I can, based on how others perceive me. Because, even though I'm far from being a push-over, I *am* gentle with people. I definitely have the 9-7 positive-vibes combo. 
And the healer part.. well.. Again, based on others' perceptions, I do bring this soothing, welcoming energy that, apparently, feels very accepting and understanding. To the point where people feel comfortable enough to open up about their more painful sides. And I don't even have to ask a question. :/

I adapt easily to other people, yet none will sway me from my ideals and desires. Aside from the natural stubbornness of the 9, both types 4 and 7 won't budge to ill-perceived expectations.

So, I guess that's the good, but what good is good without the bad, right?

Even though I know I can take care of myself, I'll always have a (huge) part inside of me that can't get grounded and needs to feel more magic™ in this world. Just always.. more.
If I look at the points of integration for all three types, it gives me the perfect view on what I suck at  The types 1, 3 and 5 are all part of the competency triad, which is the triad I identify least with. My heart and dreams will *always* go before any need for competency. Always. I feel incapable of doing it any other way, really. Hence my 'floating about'.
The points of disintegration are 1, 2 and 6, which is the entire super-ego group. Again, I have an incredible stubbornness in me that won't give way to anything but my own heart and desires. No compromise on this department.

No one has ever mistaken me for a woman, even with my long hair. Yet, I do have a certain feminine energy about me that I can never shake off. @Animal sees an elf in me even. But the bad-ass kind, she says. Ha! 
It's mainly because this tritype gives of a sprite-like energy. I can't deny that's how people perceive me, even if I don't always feel light like that.

Talking about lightness, my tritype is deceiving that way. It has the positive and relative carefree combination of the 7 and the 9, but then there's the 4 giving this archetype a darker, heavier energy. It may not always be as visible on the outside, but people who are close to me would never describe me as 'light'. Playful, yes. Positive, sure. Charismatic, of course. Light, never.

Even though this video is in Dutch (it's Belgian, like me), I think the performer is a great example of this tritype.


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## Lord Fenix Wulfheart (Aug 18, 2015)

Daemonion said:


> That's cool.
> 
> With that combination of tritypes I can see why you might vary between creativity, intellectualism and inanition. How do you find the SP-first energy affects the tritype? Do you find that you must be comfortable/emotionally secure before you can engage in creative or intellectual tasks? Do you feel that your first impression is of a sedated/reclusive personality that belies your inner intensity?
> 
> I appreciate the feedback on my uninspired ramblings!


My first impression varies depending on how I met someone. My default is the typical INFJ appearance. Somewhat of a faraway countenance and a little unapproachable at first, and as soon as the interactions starts I warm right up most of the time. Sometimes, I grudgingly warm up and wish they would leave me alone, which is pretty much only going to happen if i was reading when they approach. I come across as very laidback - almost extremely so - until I am comfortable enough with that person to express my real emotions rather than surface impressions.

The SP energy is a bit counter to the classic Four. It pulls it back a bit, internalizes some of that pessimism and changes the direction to the self in part. It becomes a virtue to be tough, and the focus becomes Envy of what you could be rather than what others have. It tends to make the SP 4 in this type driven and ambitious at times.

I definitely have to be comfortable to do any kind of intellectual or creative tasks. When I am overly upset, I become totally scattered like a 7 when I am upset, and have a hard time even recognizing what's me and what's not like the 9, and wind up turning my attention to others and looking for recognition like the disintegrating two-fix of the 4. All of these factors make it really hard to do much of anything if I let stress get to me. Also, I start overanalyzing things if I end up alone and in this state; it is the presence of others that keeps me out of the Ni-Ti loop. The only way I know of to overcome it is to find my equilibrium - or "find flow" - and put myself there. Interestingly, that is exactly what INFJs need in order to get out of the Ni-Ti loop. I found my Enneatype independently of MBTI, without knowing that this tritype has that sort of behavior patterns. Indeed, at first I rejected this behavior type because it didn't jive with my upbeat and positive self image (thanks to that 7 XD), which made me start to question if am even INFJ. Then I gathered all the info I could on this type, and I realized it *fits*....good and bad. Honestly....I am not sure I like this tritype....but it fits me. ><

Here, have the Riso-Hudson interpretation and the Helen Palmer Interpretation and the Claudio Naranjo Interpretations of Four. I wish I had the Seven and Nine versions of this, it is quite insightful.

Riso-Hudson Interpretation

Self-Preservation Fours: The Sensualist (Ichazo's "Reckless/Dauntless")
Self-Preservation Fours focus their envy and hypersensitivity on their concerns about their immediate environment and on their quest for physical comfort. They attempt to deal with emotional issues by surrounding themselves with as much luxury and beauty as they can afford, by indulging in their favorite foods, and by giving themselves "consolation prizes" for their suffering. They might be disappointed about a job situation or a failing relationship, and so stay up late at night drinking expensive cognac and watching a favorite movie. Self-Pres Fours are particularly sensitive to comfort issues—the temperature of a room, the quality of the lighting, the humidity or lack of it, the weather—all produce powerful emotional responses. Self-Pres Fours become frustrated that the environment is insufficiently attuned to their personal needs. Attempts to control the environment and self-indulgence in rich foods, drink, drugs, or other sensual distractions can exhaust Self-Pres Fours, leaving them unable to function well outside of their own narrowing world. 

Sexual Fours: Infatuation (Ichazo's "Competition")
Sexual Fours focus their envy and hypersensitivity in their intimate relationships. They are perhaps the most emotionally intense type of the Enneagram, which is both their gift and their potential downfall. They possess both a capacity and a desire for profound intimacy, and they derive tremendous insight into human nature through the ups and downs of their romantic lives. They have a sultry, sullen quality that can be attractive and mysterious, or at times, off-putting to others. Sexual Fours pour their energy and attention into the object of their affection, often becoming infatuated or even obsessed, sometimes after only one meeting. Sexual chemistry triggers their powerful imaginations, leading them to create enormous expectations of potential partners. Sexual Fours tend to be drawn to people who possess qualities and talents that they believe they lack. They want to complete themselves by associating or merging with the valued other. But this almost never works, so they may also end up envying and resenting their romantic partner for unintentionally reminding them of what they feel they are missing. In any case, Sexual Fours go through tremendous shifts of feeling about their loved ones—everything from idolization to unbridled hatred. Generally speaking, this type is aware of these feelings, including the dark ones, and finds ways to express them, sometimes in self-destructive ways. 

Social Fours: The Outsider (Ichazo's "Social Shame")
Social Fours focus their envy and hypersensitivity in the social realm; thus, they are people who deeply want to belong, to be a part of an "in crowd" with a glamorous lifestyle, but who often fear that they are not up to it. Social Fours tend to be more extroverted than Fours of the other two instincts and can resemble Twos or Sevens. Social Fours can be quite funny, using droll, ironic humor to make a point or simply to stimulate conversation. They enjoy expressing their individuality and sense of style in a more public way, although they also attempt to conceal the extent of their feelings of social inadequacy or shame. Social Fours may work hard to develop a public persona through which they can communicate the depths of their feelings, but this persona is usually more glamorous and free than they actually feel. Social Fours are acutely aware of the artifice of their persona, but they use it nonetheless as a way of finding some sense of belonging and involvement in the world. When they are more troubled, Social Fours fear social humiliation to such a degree that they may retreat from much social contact, becoming isolated and reclusive. They may also develop a personal style cultivated to show the world how wounded and different they feel.

Helen Palmer Interpretation

Competition in One-to-One Relationships
Fours often compete because of a need to be worthy in the eyes of a desirable mate. In a heterosexual one-to-one relationship, this often gets played out as a woman competing against another woman for a man; or man against a man for a woman. In a nonsexual relationship, competition gets played out as "wanting the respect of the best people."

Shame in Social Relationships
Shame at not measuring up to group standards. It's that all eyes are upon you when you walk into a room. They are not adoring eyes. It's never that you do anything improper, it's that they can see you're wrong inside.

Dauntlessness (Recklessness) Regarding Personal Survival
Recreate the possibility of loss through reckless actions. The excitement of playing on the edge of disaster.

(Source: Palmer, Helen. The Enneagram: Understanding Yourself and the Others in Your Life.)

Claudio Naranjo Interpretation

Naranjo explains that the three Fours represent three different approaches to the neurotic need to suffer. SO Fours suffer, SP Fours are long-suffering, and SX Fours make others suffer.

The SP Four is someone who does not suffer out loud, does not complain, is relatively autonomous, and who makes a virtue out of enduring pain without wincing. These Fours are tougher Fours, more masochistic than melodramatic. These are also Oneish Fours – stoic, austere, and self-disciplined individuals who challenge themselves to achieve rather than engage in longing. This is the countertype.

The SO Four is emotionally sensitive and feels things deeply. They lament frequently and tend to take on the victim role. In contrast to the SX Four, the SO Four is not competitive, though they often compare themselves to others and find themselves lacking. For the SO Four, there is a need for self-abasement and self-recrimination. It’s as if you want to ask them, “What’s wrong with you that you think there’s something wrong with you?”

The SX Four is more assertive than the SO Four. Whereas the SO Four feels a great deal of shame, the SX Four is shameless. These Fours can be very outspoken with their anger, and they are very competitive. They express envious anger, an envy that manifests as competition. In addition, the SX Four tends to be more vocal about expressing needs, and they rebel against any shame they may feel is related to their desires.

Claudio Naranjo Interpretation 2

Self-Preservation: Tenacious. Different from other Fours (who are very oral in their drive to get something good from the outside). More self-sacrificing, more self-contained. A denial of envy, trouble finding envy in themselves, partly because of the descriptions in vogue when the Enneagram first became known. So afraid of dependency, of being hurt, they become counterdependent, autonomous. Self-demanding ("No matter what it may cost..."). Instead of demanding from the outside world, they demand from themselves. Self-devouring; they can turn on themselves with cruelty—"I'll make myself do it!" Van Gogh is an example. His painting became a kind of religion and he chose a life of great poverty "for his art." He sold one painting in his lifetime, yet recently the Sunflower sold for $54 million. (Gaugin was an Eight.) This subtype doesn't play the victim; volunteers as martyr without exhibiting it, more of a nobleness.

Sexual: Competition (Hate). Competitive anger ("I want that, too!"). Where the Social Four makes
comparisons and feels "little," the Sexual Four experiences envy in the sense of denying their inferiority ("I should have it. It's unfair that I don't!") An arrogant position, a covering up a little bit like the Two covering up their Four connection; e.g., Baudelaire's mother remarried when he was eight years old and he made such a fuss about being replaced by a stepfather that he ended up being put out on the streets. His position was always demanding and arrogant. He transformed the feeling of misunderstood genius into art in his poetry. Angry envy. The word "envy" in Latin has to do with vision, with seeing, with the "evil eye," wanting something bad to happen to the enemy. "Borderline 3 Personality" describes the sense of what we'd call a Sexual Four. Very intensely desiring. You want something so much you push until you are rejected. You have so much desire to be accepted you act invasively. The fantasy that you would be rejected leads to the very behavior that gets you rejected.

Social: Shame. Social Fours develop mechanisms for calling negative attention to themselves. The shyest of the Four subtypes. There's a shame about desiring, about "loving." Proust is filled with the Social envy of the person dazzled by the "aristocracy," who has a passion for being "in", who wants to be included, to receive their favors. A feeling of "I'm nothing," "I'm ugly," "I'm silly." Fours in general want to absorb through their gaze, but this is especially true for the Social Four.


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## moonmilk (Mar 25, 2019)

I wanted to bring this up as a 479 who is curious about tritype



_Blackstar_ said:


> the 4-7-9 archetype is prone to "magical thinking"


and 



_Blackstar_ said:


> I imagine, unless one has a pronounced 4 influence, that the 7's impulse to quash fear with positivity and activity coupled with the 9's desire to repress anger and maintain peace (which can prompt hermetic behaviour) pulls this type's focus all over the place


These are quite relatable as someone who indulges in romanticism, dreams and magic of all sorts. I've always been drawn to the concept of "magical girls" in animation, as well as magical realism in film (Pan's Labyrinth, for example) and paganism

Also, being both morbid and quite playful, which can feel like being opposites at once. Indulging in melancholic poetry and art but also fanciful dreams for the future

I'd say that I'm more of a dreamer than a healer, however, as I'm a bit too detached from others to be a healer (unless they are my close friends or family)


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