[TheCosmicCowgirl]

Hi everyone! I typed myself as a phobic 6w5, but I was reading an article the other day and now I'm confused again... Lol, I don't know what's wrong with me but I don't think I'm a very self-aware individual. Bear with me, this video is kind of long (you don't even have to watch it all) but if you could help me in any way, shape, or form I would greatly appreciate it. Any and all feedback is welcome!

Here is the video of me babbling about all the Enneagram types in relation to myself:



Thanks for watching!

[ShadowPrince]

Hi CosmicCowgirl,

Your video was very interesting and though it did not take me more than a few minutes to recognize that you were most likely a type 2, I watched all of it to see what a 2 would think of the other types.

What you identified with in regards to type 3 often applies to type 2 as well. What you were reading was rather mediocre source material that does not always describe the types well at all. Type 3 is much more energetic and happy-looking when they get in front of an audience, which you don't display at all in your video. 3s are also more efficient and hard-working than you describe yourself. If you are annoyed with type 4s "tragic" self-concept and don't identify with type 1 at all then you are certainly not a type 4. All image types are interested in beauty and specialness to some degree, so your assessment that you were not a 4 were good observation.

I found it interesting that you identified with type 5 that much, which is something I have suspected a long time about 2s (since a lot of them mistype as 6w5), that they have more in common with 5s (as well as the reverse) than most people realize. You are not dry enough to be a 5 however. The instincts really doesn't make that much difference here when it comes to 5s. 5s would also have more reserve about posting a video of themselves (as would 9s) than you have. You also don't seem to be tormented enough to be a phobic 6 (and you are certainly not a rigid SO 6). Type 6 is not just insecure, they are paranoid, and phobic 6s have a lot of worst-case disaster fantasies which you don't come across as having. And as per your own assessment, type 7 and 8 doesn't match well. As an aspect of the "power triad", 2s and 5s have a self-concept of being independent just like 8s have even though outside observers might disagree.

When it comes to the difference between 2 and 9 you might want to consider if you are more impractical and impatient (2) than practical and patient (9), more passionate (2) than disinterested (9).

You seemed to be struggling to find the right words to explain the motivation for your own need for "support," and I wonder if you at all feel a need to be important and make an impact on the people in your life, and that perhaps this stems from a feeling of emptiness if you don't get noticed that you reinterprete as a lack of support? The difference between 2, 6 and 9 here is that phobic 6s need support as a form of protection from enemies and catastrophe by willingly being submissive to a family group, 9s wants to avoid being aware of themselves by disinterestedly doing for others (doing for others without passion) and 2s want support so people reflect the 2s importance and will support their passionate ideas in life.

[enneathusiast]

so/sx 2w3 is what jumps out for me.

It's the 2 playing the social arena - in service to others to gain status and/or support within the social realm. Type 2 isn't simply about love but some form of appreciation, acknowledgement, etc. They're also not as altruistic as implied by the giver and helper labels but can sometimes be more about people pleasing (or manipulating) in order to make or maintain connections with others deemed important.

[TheCosmicCowgirl]

Hi CosmicCowgirl,

Your video was very interesting and though it did not take me more than a few minutes to recognize that you were most likely a type 2, I watched all of it to see what a 2 would think of the other types.

What you identified with in regards to type 3 often applies to type 2 as well. What you were reading was rather mediocre source material that does not always describe the types well at all. Type 3 is much more energetic and happy-looking when they get in front of an audience, which you don't display at all in your video. 3s are also more efficient and hard-working than you describe yourself. If you are annoyed with type 4s "tragic" self-concept and don't identify with type 1 at all then you are certainly not a type 4. All image types are interested in beauty and specialness to some degree, so your assessment that you were not a 4 were good observation.

I found it interesting that you identified with type 5 that much, which is something I have suspected a long time about 2s (since a lot of them mistype as 6w5), that they have more in common with 5s (as well as the reverse) than most people realize. You are not dry enough to be a 5 however. The instincts really doesn't make that much difference here when it comes to 5s. 5s would also have more reserve about posting a video of themselves (as would 9s) than you have. You also don't seem to be tormented enough to be a phobic 6 (and you are certainly not a rigid SO 6). Type 6 is not just insecure, they are paranoid, and phobic 6s have a lot of worst-case disaster fantasies which you don't come across as having. And as per your own assessment, type 7 and 8 doesn't match well. As an aspect of the "power triad", 2s and 5s have a self-concept of being independent just like 8s have even though outside observers might disagree.

When it comes to the difference between 2 and 9 you might want to consider if you are more impractical and impatient (2) than practical and patient (9), more passionate (2) than disinterested (9).

You seemed to be struggling to find the right words to explain the motivation for your own need for "support," and I wonder if you at all feel a need to be important and make an impact on the people in your life, and that perhaps this stems from a feeling of emptiness if you don't get noticed that you reinterprete as a lack of support? The difference between 2, 6 and 9 here is that phobic 6s need support as a form of protection from enemies and catastrophe by willingly being submissive to a family group, 9s wants to avoid being aware of themselves by disinterestedly doing for others (doing for others without passion) and 2s want support so people reflect the 2s importance and will support their passionate ideas in life.

Thanks so much for your response. I did type as 2w3 in the beginning, but I always felt like it wasn't quite right. As I mentioned, my mom is a 2. I typed her as a 2 before I made her take the test and she got 2w1 so I know she is definitely a 2. I feel like she is alot more demanding than I am when it comes to love/support. She wants and expects it and almost tries to force it, where as I would never do that. If somebody doesn't want to love me there is nothing I can do about it. She also gets hurt by people way more than I do when she feels like they aren't there for her. I see her as trying to force people to love her which is what I notice alot of 2s do, but something I would never ever try to do. I more or less try to test the waters by kind of opening up to them and seeing their reaction. Alot of the times I find that people only want my help and our relationship is built around that. But I should have explained that I will still help them or "scratch their back" regardless of what they do for me... Like I said, I have been unsuccessful in obtaining a support group. I would like to have one but I don't get bent out of shape about it in the way my mom does.

As I mentioned in the video, I tend to become like whoever I'm around (I think this is mostly an extroverted feeling thing) and maybe it's possible that you're seeing a reflection of her in me. I really don't believe I'm a 2, but I'm not going to rule it out... just need more information.

Also you said something about me not seeming tormented enough to be a phobic 6... I'm not sure exactly what you mean by that but I am insecure alot. I know I have dependent tendencies even though I said in my video that I like to be independent. I think it's mostly that I wish I was independent but I feel like I have to rely on other people to do things that they are better at than I am. Like for instance, I was not your typical teenager that was excited to start driving. I was afraid of everything that could go wrong (could literally picture them happening), I didn't trust myself, and I was afraid to let my parents down if anything did go wrong. I think I do cover it up really well because I don't want people to see that negative side of me. I want to come across as someone who is calm, cool, and collected. Someone that people can rely on. And I play that part extremely well. But inside I am always thinking about what could go wrong. For instance, just the other day my mom and I were walking to our car and a bum approached us. My mom told him that she would come back after she got some change from the car and I tried to talk her out of it on the way back. I told her that he needs to learn to be independent (which I do believe) but I imagined what would happen if he tried to jump us and take off with the car when we came back with it. In that moment I tried to figure out any way I could possibly turn a simple object into a weapon if I had to, all the while still feeling sorry for the guy and wanting to help him. This is just one example, but this is pretty much my brain at any given moment. After the ordeal was said and done (obviously, he didn't jump us) I started thinking about how what the guy really needs is information, not money. He was obviously a drunk. I have compassion, but not in the same way as my 2 mother does. She gives without thinking.

[ShadowPrince]

People of the same type can be rather different, so I wouldn't rule out type 2 just because of that. This difference is due to the so called "subtypes." There are different takes on what causes a subtype, such as wingtype, instinctual variant, or co-fixations (Tri-Fix), and so on. Personally I cannot vouch for wingtypes, and do not recommend using them.

As for instinctual variant, again there are two divergent takes on instincts in the E-community. There's the Naranjo/Chestnut teaching that describe specific traits of instinctual subtypes which I find more potent, then there is the Riso/Hudson approach to instincts that isolate the instincts into its own subsystem, which makes people far more prone to confuse type traits with instinct traits and sometimes ends up "prefering" the stackings system over the actual core types system. Thus I will type you using the former, in which you correlate to Self-Preservation 2. What you describe as 6ish traits, insecurity and such, is easily explained by the fact that Self-Preservation types are the most guarded and less trusting of the subtypes. SP 2 is thus the "countertype" among Twos. This is how Chestnut describes them:

SP Twos seduce like a child in the presence of grown-ups. Having the strongest love need of the three Twos, they strive to be charming and giving in the service of unconsciously maneuvering other people into liking them and taking care of them. More childlike than the other Twos, SP Twos are more fearful of and ambivalent about relationships, so can look like Sixes. (This is the countertype)

As you can see she describes them as "more fearful of and ambivalent about relationships, so can look like Sixes."

Phobic 6s (really SP 6s) would usually identify more with type 4 than you did in your video. It is difficult to explain the difference since it is mostly something I see in you which can't be put into words. I can see why you feel tempted to type yourself as a phobic 6, but I can't agree with that typing.

As for the Tri-Fix version, in which one has a fixation in each center, you appear to easily have 2 in the heart center, 9 in the gut center, and 5 or 6 in the head center. The question is which is your main fixation (I would suggest the order of 2-5-9 or 2-6-9).

[TheCosmicCowgirl]

People of the same type can be rather different, so I wouldn't rule out type 2 just because of that. This difference is due to the so called "subtypes." There are different takes on what causes a subtype, such as wingtype, instinctual variant, or co-fixations (Tri-Fix), and so on. Personally I cannot vouch for wingtypes, and do not recommend using them.

As for instinctual variant, again there are two divergent takes on instincts in the E-community. There's the Naranjo/Chestnut teaching that describe specific traits of instinctual subtypes which I find more potent, then there is the Riso/Hudson approach to instincts that isolate the instincts into its own subsystem, which makes people far more prone to confuse type traits with instinct traits and sometimes ends up "prefering" the stackings system over the actual core types system. Thus I will type you using the former, in which you correlate to Self-Preservation 2. What you describe as 6ish traits, insecurity and such, is easily explained by the fact that Self-Preservation types are the most guarded and less trusting of the subtypes. SP 2 is thus the "countertype" among Twos. This is how Chestnut describes them:



As you can see she describes them as "more fearful of and ambivalent about relationships, so can look like Sixes."

Phobic 6s (really SP 6s) would usually identify more with type 4 than you did in your video. It is difficult to explain the difference since it is mostly something I see in you which can't be put into words. I can see why you feel tempted to type yourself as a phobic 6, but I can't agree with that typing.

As for the Tri-Fix version, in which one has a fixation in each center, you appear to easily have 2 in the heart center, 9 in the gut center, and 5 or 6 in the head center. The question is which is your main fixation (I would suggest the order of 2-5-9 or 2-6-9).

I just got this result on a tri-type test so maybe you're right:
Your trifix is 2w3, 6w5, 9w8

I've actually had this result several times before but sometimes it's 6w5, 9w8, 2w3 or 6w5, 2w3, 9w8. I'm having no doubt now about these types, just the order of them. Btw, my mom is 2w1, 9w1, 5w6 so it's almost the same trifix. Makes me wonder if I'm not just doing the sponge thing I was talking about, attributing myself to her because I have no real identity of my own.

Just fyi, I've also typed 6w5, 9w8, 4w3 before so idk.

[Swordsman of Mana]

@ShadowPrince
she seemed a bit laconic to be a 2 imo, but if she is a 2, then I agree with Self Preservation 2 (female Social 2 is more bossy, "Queen Bee" and Sexual 2 is evocative, "dangerous temptation". both tend to have a much more prominent energy than what I saw in the video)

also

You are not dry enough to be a 5 however. The instincts really doesn't make that much difference here when it comes to 5s..

I would disagree with this (namely the last part). Self Preservation 5 and Social 5 are very dry, but Sexual 5 has a bit more personality and, for lack of a better word, soul (as in depth of feeling. not soul as in type 8 diva black woman ). also, this is just my observations, but they seem the most connected to their instincts/bodies of the 5s, are often intensely sexual and have a certain dark allure about them (some things that come to mind immediately as Sexual 5-ish would be the band Evanescence, the Victorian Goth style and most Tim Burton/Johnny Depp collaborations ).

[ShadowPrince]

I think laconic can be a perfect fit for a lot of type 2s, some of them are surprisingly poor at using words since their thinking style is very impressionistic and tends to be lacking in facts. The SP2 can seem downright shy when you don't know them well. I also disagree that they tend to have a much more prominent energy than what we see here. Except for certain periods when the 2 can be caught in their madness, the 2 is noticeably slower than type 3 and 7 regardless of subtype.

My comment regarding the 5s was mainly in contrast to what CosmicCowgirl was saying about the possibility of being a Social 5. If she was a 5 I'd only suggest Sexual 5 as a possibility, but in my experience the Sexual 5 is also the most quiet 5.

[RedRedo]

I'm no expert, and the other posts are full of really good points, but I don't see you as a 2. I see phobic 6w5, or maybe 5w6 or 9. If you do tritypes (I don't), you could throw a 2 into that.

Someone who "resonates with 5 a lot" is not a 2. Your video about ESFJs is just you criticizing and failing to understand a list of typical 2 behaviors. (And I totally agree with you!) All the 2ish things you said sounded more like other types, that could be compared to 2 in that small way. Like being helpful? So do 5s and 6s. The difference is 2 wants people to rely on that help, 5 likes having been competent enough to help, and 6 has something to prove. Feel shame for not doing enough? Could be 2/3 always believing they should do more...or could be 4/5/9 actually not doing much. 2 doesn't doubt that you should expect people to support you, or imagine having a self-sufficient homestead. (Homesteading is so very 6.) At most, a 2 would say they're having trouble getting the support they were expecting, or imagine a family homestead as a romantic fantasy.

Your replies in this thread read like a 5 or a 6. You've thought this out the way a 5 or 6 would. 5 (perhaps along with 4) is most drawn to typology in general, unless your main focus really is just giving advice (2). And just being online skews the odds to 5 and 6, or 4 if you have a blog. But you're not a 4, and ShadowPrince is quite right that a 5 would be unlikely to make the video in the first place. Based on this discussion itself, I again lean to 6w5 for your type.

[Swordsman of Mana]

I think laconic can be a perfect fit for a lot of type 2s, some of them are surprisingly poor at using words since their thinking style is very impressionistic and tends to be lacking in facts. The SP2 can seem downright shy when you don't know them well. I also disagree that they tend to have a much more prominent energy than what we see here. Except for certain periods when the 2 can be caught in their madness, the 2 is noticeably slower than type 3 and 7 regardless of subtype.

slower, yes, but bigger. for example:
Social 2: Oprah Winfrey


Sexual 2: Madonna (Sexual 2 is a bit quieter energy, but it still screams "pay attention to me!". I'm not getting that from OP)


for Self Preservation 2 I agree. their energy is more "cute, shy child" (imo, Sp 2 and Sx 3 can be confused a lot because Sx 3 is the "cute teenager" which can look similar)

My comment regarding the 5s was mainly in contrast to what CosmicCowgirl was saying about the possibility of being a Social 5. If she was a 5 I'd only suggest Sexual 5 as a possibility, but in my experience the Sexual 5 is also the most quiet 5.

imo, Sp 5 is the quietest 5