Why Enneagram 6 is nonsense:

36833 Views 272 Replies 63 Participants Last post by shotgunfingers, Jul 28, 2020

Aluminum Frost

Discussion Starter · Oct 1, 2017

1. You can relate to the description completely or not at all and still be a 6, or you can fall anywhere in the middle of two extremes. Since E6 has aspects of phobic and counter-phobic.

2. It's really just the fight or flight response, something everyone has.

3. You may not be anxious, anxiety may not run your life. But apparently some 6s are unaware that they're anxious. No way to prove or disprove this. It's as baseless as "internalized misogyny".

4. I've met sixes who don't relate to it much, it just seems to be an all encompassing type. A safety net if no type really fits you.

5. They're supposed to be oriented to authority and groups, support and guidance. But many so called sixes outright reject these things or it's not something they care about or think about.

6. It has a negative connotation. They're viewed as inferior or posers when they're just being themselves. What I mean is people are typed as 6 if they're a pseudo-intellectual (fake 5) or a wannabe tough guy (fake 8). They can't be the real deal, if they are then they're not 6s.

7. They're treated and talked about basically like they're the enneagram 8s b*tch. It's like, don't stand up to an 8, cause even if you're right you're wrong. Cause they're an 8, you're a 6 and you will rightfully be owned. It seems this way with every type challenging an 8 but especially with 6s.

I believe if you look for support and guidance and the like then you are a 6, if that's your motivation in life. But being opposed to it or outright indifferent to it shouldn't mean you're a 6. Apply the logic used on 6 to any other type. A 5 that rejects knowledge and isn't afraid to engage with the outside world. Would they be a 5? Same with other types. So why is 6 all-encompassing when other types aren't?

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smallhead

· #2 · Oct 1, 2017

I feel it. When I finally started reading about 6s I began to believe nearly everyone was a 6, including my artistic heroes, incredible writers, friends, MYSELF, etc. What you say is totally true that the 6 is kind of characterized as the "human" who has either totally normal or very exceptional struggles in life. In fact, I believe the 6 is a catch-all. It's incredibly frustrating.

And yet, there are people in my life who fit the description of the 6 remarkably well. It is a type that is rife with internal challenges, but it also has an enormous potential to realize their inner courage.

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VagrantFarce

· #3 · Oct 2, 2017

When you meet one, you get it.

Fundamentally, they're a fear / mind type, so their compulsion is to overinflate their thinking - not just their sense of danger, but their sense of powerlessness over the world around them. Mind types lose touch with the physical core of their own being, becoming reactive & fearful rather than powerful & in control.

What distinguishes this type from the other mind types is that they can't help but embody their overinflated thinking - they just put it all out there. It can create all sorts of characters on the surface, but it's all coming from the same lack of grounded being.

I worked with a prototypical 6 once - it was like watching someone drown in their own thinking. He had no ability to make his own decisions, and would essentially vomit up every thought that passed through his head, compulsively agreeing and then disagreeing with everyone he came across. He had absolutely no sense of grounded self-guidance.

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Aluminum Frost

Discussion Starter · #4 · Oct 2, 2017

Yes, ik what it is. But that doesn't address any of what I said. I'm referring to the fact that you can somehow be a 6 without being anxious and what not according to many people, which makes no sense.

L P

· #5 · Oct 2, 2017

Aluminum Frost said:
Yes, ik what it is. But that doesn't address any of what I said. I'm referring to the fact that you can somehow be a 6 without being anxious and what not according to many people, which makes no sense.

I don't think so, I think the whole ting about 6 is the fact that they are anxious, whether phobic or cp.

They are probably another type, or have 6 in the tritype but not as their core type. Either way, 6 is anxiety.

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d e c a d e n t

· #6 · Oct 2, 2017

Why is this in the socionics forum

...Anyway, I believe the idea of someone being a 6 even if they don't feel anxiety comes about because it's your core issues are so pervasive, it's not always easy to see it for what it is, and if you live with these kind of fears all your life you start to build defenses against it that will overshadow the actual issue. This is not just the case with type 6, however.

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tanstaafl28

· #7 · Oct 3, 2017

I met Tom twice. He's a total sixes's six.

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tanstaafl28

· #8 · Oct 3, 2017

@Aluminum Frost

Did you mean to post this in the Socionics forum?

Fumetsu

· #9 · Oct 3, 2017

Lord Pixel said:
I don't think so, I think the whole ting about 6 is the fact that they are anxious, whether phobic or cp.

They are probably another type, or have 6 in the tritype but not as their core type. Either way, 6 is anxiety.

....and the most common type! So people who constantly talk about how no one understands what it's like to have anxiety can STFU now. I want a special dog to help me deal with everyone whinning about thier anxieties.

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tanstaafl28

· #10 · Oct 3, 2017

Aluminum Frost said:
Yes, ik what it is. But that doesn't address any of what I said. I'm referring to the fact that you can somehow be a 6 without being anxious and what not according to many people, which makes no sense.

I'm telling you, when you REALLY meet a solid six. You'll know it. Not all sixes show their anxiety, but they probably have some.

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star tripper

· #11 · Oct 3, 2017

lol no there is a very pronounced difference between 6 and the other types. Yes, everyone can relate to 6 to an extent, but 6s take those aspects that you once related to to a whole other level. That's true of all the types -- all of them are superficially relatable to an extent, but, for example, you goddamn know a 7 when you see one.

I say this because I know quite a lot of 6s and although I relate strongly enough to 6 to have it as a wing, there is still a fundamental difference between me and the other 6s. There's a reactivity, an attachment to the outside world, constant awareness of the social system in which you reside, an undercurrent of anxiety that causes you to look to the outside to find that which unnerves you. It's different. It's active. It's fiery.

Compare Geddy Lee to Eminem. Compare Carrie Underwood to Axl Rose. Compare Katy Perry to Amy Lee. Can you really say these people could all be sixes?

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Aluminum Frost

Discussion Starter · #12 · Oct 3, 2017

tanstaafl28 said:
@Aluminum Frost

Did you mean to post this in the Socionics forum?

nope, could've sworn I posted it in enneagram

Aluminum Frost

Discussion Starter · #13 · Oct 3, 2017

tanstaafl28 said:
I'm telling you, when you REALLY meet a solid six. You'll know it. Not all sixes show their anxiety, but they probably have some.

My point though is it seems you don't really have to have any traits of 6 and people will still somehow try to argue that you're a 6. Whereas you literally have to jump through hoops if you say you're a 5 or 8 for example.

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smallhead

· #14 · Oct 3, 2017

Aluminum Frost said:
My point though is it seems you don't really have to have any traits of 6 and people will still somehow try to argue that you're a 6. Whereas you literally have to jump through hoops if you say you're a 5 or 8 for example.

I don't think this is that complicated to understand. An 8 is someone with immense amounts of self-confidence that often stands against reason, decency, everything most people take into account before acting. A 5 is also rather particular because they often relate to and feel more comfortable among arcane thought-systems than among people, including family. On top of that, the idea of an 8 and a 5 is rather cool because they both go against the grain of basic social organization to an extent. The social component of the 6 makes them much easier for people to understand and therefore there's not a lot of questions to ask there. Contrasted with an 8, a 6's response to some threat is much more understandable than an 8's response because most everyone only has a fraction of the bravado of an 8. It makes pretty basic sense that more people would be 6s than would be 5s or 8s. I also find 7s to be quite eccentric and rare.

To look at some other types, I don't know a lot of people who question you to death if you say you're a 2, 3, or a 9.

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Malandro

· #15 · Oct 3, 2017

That's like saying enneagram 7 is nonsense because everyone likes to have fun.

The anxiety is supposed to be your core, not flight or fight.

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L P

· #16 · Oct 3, 2017

Fumetsu said:
....and the most common type! So people who constantly talk about how no one understands what it's like to have anxiety can STFU now. I want a special dog to help me deal with everyone whinning about thier anxieties.

Lol, the irony here is priceless lol.

Malandro

· #17 · Oct 3, 2017

Aluminum Frost said:
My point though is it seems you don't really have to have any traits of 6 and people will still somehow try to argue that you're a 6. Whereas you literally have to jump through hoops if you say you're a 5 or 8 for example.

I still remember the time someone tried to type me as a so 6 lol

Tbf, people can only go off what you say because they don't know you face to face.

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Tamehagane

· #18 · Oct 3, 2017

This would be a lot more convincing coming from, y'know, an actual type 6.

Amateur typing is already known for being mostly bs. I think what you really mean is that most people's understanding of type 6 is lacking, including your own.

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Catwalk

· #19 · Oct 3, 2017

I also thought, "Type 5" was nothing but an untreated case of (psychosis) - and Type 8 was simply dealing with "anger mangement," issues.

It appears you have listed "symptoms," (re: side-effects), via susceptibility (vulnerabilities) or a predisposition to said malfunctions based off Enneagram type: "Type 6 is nothing but 'flight/fight' response," - is only a subset of Type 6 - expanding on what "Type 6" actually is. It seem(s) you are only referring to the Temptation-side effects and conflicts of the basic Enneagram fear and the basic Enneagram desires (re: Type 6), which would understandably will cause a great deal of "anxiety".

Numbers: (4, 6, 7) in (Post #1) are simply rants, although I am confused as to why than anything presented is an overall demonstration [or at least calls into question 'The enneagram type 6'] - and places it on the spotlight for intellectual scrunity, so we can investigate why "Type 6" is nonsense.

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tanstaafl28

· #20 · Oct 3, 2017

@star tripper

Is it true? You're an ENTP 5w6 like me?

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