The traits of the Eight and those of the Nine are in some degree of conflict with each other. The Eight tends toward assertiveness and taking on challenges and conflicts, whereas the Nine tends toward the suppression of aggression and the avoidance of conflicts and upset. Eights with a Nine-wing enjoy their comfort and peace, and tend to be much more domestic than Eights with a Seven-wing, but still make it clear to all in their sphere that they are in control. Depending on the Nine-wing's strength, individuals of this subtype are somewhat more oriented to people more easily and with less confrontational or aggressive undertones. They still get things done their way, but more likely with a soft, firm voice and more casual demeanor. They are also less self-assertive, exuding an aura of quiet strength and of power held in reserve. In general, this is a less openly aggressive overall personality pattern, although since Eight is the basic type, persons of this subtype can still be quite aggressive, especially when they need to be. They tend to maintain a “poker face” with others, somewhat stolid and impassive, although when aroused they can suddenly become passionate and angry. Like Nines, Eights with a Nine-wing are often unaware of their own strength or the force of their anger. Noteworthy examples of this subtype include Martin Luther King, Jr., Golda Meir, Janet Reno, Charles de Gaulle, Indira Gandhi, Pablo Picasso, Marlon Brando, Paul Newman, John Huston, Robert Altman, Barbara Stanwyck, John Wayne, Charlton Heston, Johnny Cash, Fidel Castro, Leonid Brezhnev, “Darth Vader,” “King Lear,” and “Don Vito Corleone.”
Healthy persons of this subtype possess a quiet power and an understated wisdom. They are strategic planners like the other subtype, but tend to be more steady and inexorable in the execution of their goals. They are not easily perturbed, and are noticeably more at ease with themselves and with other people, not feeling that they must assert themselves at every moment or in every situation. There is less of a wheeler-dealer quality than in the Eight with a Seven-wing, although Eights with a Nine-wing also prefer to run their own enterprises. They are, at times, more open to concerns beyond their immediate self-interest, particularly those involving members of their own family. They are the kinder, more benign patresfamilias or matriarchs, strong-willed but mild-mannered, who tend to assert leadership more through support and protectiveness. Eights with a Nine-wing are able to forge a personal, almost mystical bond between themselves and others. They may be involved with the arts, nature, animals, and children.
Average people of this subtype begin to show a definite split between the two sides of themselves – the aggressive side (which they show in public and in competitive situations) and the passive, more accommodating side (which they reveal to very few, principally their families). The discrepancies in their attitudes toward people can be striking – warm and affectionate at home, hard-nosed and aggressive at work. People of this subtype usually do not seek publicity actively, and like to live quietly, privately, and unobtrusively, preferring to control their affairs from behind the scenes. Their expansive forcefulness is grounded on some inner fortress of imperturbable strength which others are not allowed to breach. This inner sanctum is undisturbed and at peace, although it is doubtful that people of this subtype benefit from that inner part of themselves as much as they might. Others often experience this quality in them as a form of stubbornness and an ability to turn out anxieties. Since Eight is the basic personality type, people of this subtype dominate others, although with a velvet glove over an iron fist. There is a sly, watchful quality in average Eights with a Nine-wing – as if they are daring others to underestimate them. They tend to speak more slowly, but are attuned to the nonverbal cues and body language of the people around them. They can seem friendly and agreeable while secretly sizing people up and assessing their character. In the lower levels, Eights with a Nine-wing more from stubbornness to a quietly menacing quality. However, their moods and reactions tend to be unpredictable. They can be intimidating and belligerent, and then accommodating and kindhearted, especially to those who are close to them.. Those around them are never quite sure when their explosive tempers are going to erupt.
Unhealthy Eights with a Nine-wing become reclusive, depressed, and dissociated, but if they have access to power, they can also be extremely vengeful. Since this subtype is almost immune from anxiety, unhealthy Eights with a Nine-wing can be destructive without remorse, combining ruthlessness with indifference. They can get into a strangely dissociated frame of mind, acting in a depersonalized way, as if they were some sort of cosmic force which swatted people aside, crushing them without personal feelings entering the picture. People in this subtype tend, in general, to be less violent and destructive than those in the other subtype. However, if necessary they may be violent toward others, personally regretting the suffering they cause but not feeling any empathy or having any real understanding of what they do. They may make up for the lesser degree of violence they wreak on the environment by generally living longer, thus possibly doing more damage in the long run to those who have the misfortune to live with them.
Riso, Don Richard., and Russ Hudson. Personality Types: Using the Enneagram for Self-discovery. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1996. Print.
Healthy persons of this subtype possess a quiet power and an understated wisdom. They are strategic planners like the other subtype, but tend to be more steady and inexorable in the execution of their goals. They are not easily perturbed, and are noticeably more at ease with themselves and with other people, not feeling that they must assert themselves at every moment or in every situation. There is less of a wheeler-dealer quality than in the Eight with a Seven-wing, although Eights with a Nine-wing also prefer to run their own enterprises. They are, at times, more open to concerns beyond their immediate self-interest, particularly those involving members of their own family. They are the kinder, more benign patresfamilias or matriarchs, strong-willed but mild-mannered, who tend to assert leadership more through support and protectiveness. Eights with a Nine-wing are able to forge a personal, almost mystical bond between themselves and others. They may be involved with the arts, nature, animals, and children.
Average people of this subtype begin to show a definite split between the two sides of themselves – the aggressive side (which they show in public and in competitive situations) and the passive, more accommodating side (which they reveal to very few, principally their families). The discrepancies in their attitudes toward people can be striking – warm and affectionate at home, hard-nosed and aggressive at work. People of this subtype usually do not seek publicity actively, and like to live quietly, privately, and unobtrusively, preferring to control their affairs from behind the scenes. Their expansive forcefulness is grounded on some inner fortress of imperturbable strength which others are not allowed to breach. This inner sanctum is undisturbed and at peace, although it is doubtful that people of this subtype benefit from that inner part of themselves as much as they might. Others often experience this quality in them as a form of stubbornness and an ability to turn out anxieties. Since Eight is the basic personality type, people of this subtype dominate others, although with a velvet glove over an iron fist. There is a sly, watchful quality in average Eights with a Nine-wing – as if they are daring others to underestimate them. They tend to speak more slowly, but are attuned to the nonverbal cues and body language of the people around them. They can seem friendly and agreeable while secretly sizing people up and assessing their character. In the lower levels, Eights with a Nine-wing more from stubbornness to a quietly menacing quality. However, their moods and reactions tend to be unpredictable. They can be intimidating and belligerent, and then accommodating and kindhearted, especially to those who are close to them.. Those around them are never quite sure when their explosive tempers are going to erupt.
Unhealthy Eights with a Nine-wing become reclusive, depressed, and dissociated, but if they have access to power, they can also be extremely vengeful. Since this subtype is almost immune from anxiety, unhealthy Eights with a Nine-wing can be destructive without remorse, combining ruthlessness with indifference. They can get into a strangely dissociated frame of mind, acting in a depersonalized way, as if they were some sort of cosmic force which swatted people aside, crushing them without personal feelings entering the picture. People in this subtype tend, in general, to be less violent and destructive than those in the other subtype. However, if necessary they may be violent toward others, personally regretting the suffering they cause but not feeling any empathy or having any real understanding of what they do. They may make up for the lesser degree of violence they wreak on the environment by generally living longer, thus possibly doing more damage in the long run to those who have the misfortune to live with them.
Riso, Don Richard., and Russ Hudson. Personality Types: Using the Enneagram for Self-discovery. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1996. Print.
