Who I Am! vs. Who Am I?
I think I know who I am, but I am often asking myself “Who Am I really?” I don’t know all of the reasons I do the things I do. I look at my past and see how it molded me to who I am today, but sometimes I just wonder if I am yet the person I am meant to be. I decided to take some “tests” and do lots of research about my personality.
Have any of you taken your Enneagram test? It’s a personality test that, for me, is spot on. You can take a version of the test here. I am 6 w 5. The w means Wing (I am still researching what all that means).
Type Six in Brief
The committed, security-oriented type. Sixes are reliable, hard-working, responsible, and trustworthy. Excellent "troubleshooters," they foresee problems and foster cooperation, but can also become defensive, evasive, and anxious—running on stress while complaining about it. They can be cautious and indecisive, but also reactive, defiant and rebellious. They typically have problems with self-doubt and suspicion. At their Best: internally stable and self-reliant, courageously championing themselves and others.
Basic Fear: Of being without support and guidance
Basic Desire: To have security and support
Enneagram Six with a Five-Wing: "The Defender"
Enneagram Six with a Seven-Wing: "The Buddy"
Key Motivations: Want to have security, to feel supported by others, to have certitude and reassurance, to test the attitudes of others toward them, to fight against anxiety and insecurity.
Examples: Krishnamurti, Johannes Brahms, Mark Twain, Sigmund Freud, J. Edgar Hoover, Richard Nixon, Robert F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, George H.W. Bush, Diana, Princess of Wales, Prince Harry, J.R.R. Tolkien, John Grisham, Mike Tyson, Bruce Springsteen, U2’s Bono, Melissa Etheridge, Eminem, Oliver Stone, Michael Moore, Spike Lee, Marilyn Monroe, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Mark Wahlberg, Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Mel Gibson, Sally Field, Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Elliot Page, Paul Rudd, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ben Affleck, Hugh Laurie, Katie Holmes, David Letterman, Jay Leno, Ellen Degeneres, Andy Rooney, Katie Couric, Newt Gingrich, Alex Jones (Infowars), Rush Limbaugh, Chris Rock, Lewis Black, Larry David, Seinfeld’s “George Costanza,” Lord of the Rings’ “Frodo Baggins”
Pretty much sums me up in a nutshell. It goes into more details that also are spot on. The Type 6 is known as “The Loyalist.” “The reason Sixes are so loyal to others is that they do not want to be abandoned and left without support—their Basic Fear. Thus, the central issue for type Six is a failure of self-confidence. Sixes come to believe that they do not possess the internal resources to handle life’s challenges and vagaries alone, and so increasingly rely on structures, allies, beliefs, and supports outside themselves for guidance to survive. If suitable structures do not exist, they will help create and maintain them.”
Additionally, Type 6’s have a higher susceptibility to alcoholism than many types.
At my healthy level, I “become self-affirming, trusting of self and others, independent yet symbiotically interdependent and cooperative as an equal. Belief in self leads to true courage, positive thinking, leadership, and rich self-expression.”
However, at my least healthy, I am “hysterical, and seeking to escape punishment, become self-destructive and suicidal. Alcoholism, drug overdoses, self-abasing behavior. Generally corresponds to the Passive-Aggressive and Paranoid personality disorders.”
Personal Growth Recommendations for Enneagram Type Sixes
Remember that there is nothing unusual about being anxious since everyone is anxious and much more often than you might think. Learn to be more present to your anxiety, to explore it, and to come to terms with it. Work creatively with your tensions without turning to excessive amounts of alcohol (or other drugs) to allay them. In fact, if you are present and breathing fully, anxiety can be energizing, a kind of tonic that can help make you more productive and aware of what you are doing.
You tend to get edgy and testy when you are upset or angry, and can even turn on others and blame them for things you have done or brought on yourself. Be aware of your pessimism: it causes you dark moods and negative thought patterns that you tend to project on reality. When you succumb to this self-doubt, you can become your own worst enemy and may harm yourself more than anyone else does.
Sixes tend to overreact when they are under stress and feeling anxious. Learn to identify what makes you overreact. Also realize that almost none of the things you have feared so much has actually come true. Even if things are as bad as you think, your fearful thoughts weaken you and your ability to change things for the better. You cannot always manage external events, but you can manage your own thoughts.
Work on becoming more trusting. There are doubtless several people in your life you can turn to who care about you and who are trustworthy. If not, go out of your way to find someone trustworthy, and allow yourself to get close to that person. This will mean risking rejection and stirring up some of your deepest fears, but the risk is worth taking. You have a gift for getting people to like you, but you are unsure of yourself and may be afraid of making a commitment to them. Therefore, come down clearly on one side or the other of the fence in your relationships. Let people know how you feel about them.
Others probably think better of you than you realize, and few people are really out to get you. In fact, your fears tell you more about your attitudes toward others than they indicate about others' attitudes toward you.
Information taken from here.
This is similar to Meyers Briggs (INFJ if anyone is wondering- the rarest of all personalities!)
Being an INFJ means:
• We tend towards being introverts and stay in our own heads a lot, rather than focusing on the outer world like an extrovert.
• The “N” means we’re intuitive, taking in information in patterns and focusing on the future instead of the present like a “sensory” type.
• Because we are “feeling” vs. “thinking,” we make decisions based on values rather than objective measures.
• We are “J” for “judging,” meaning we have a plan and stick to it, instead of being “Ps” for perceiving, who may be better at winging things than us.
In other words, this salad of personality traits supposedly makes us natural-born protectors, empaths, counselors, confidantes, advocates and all-around “do-ers,” not navel-gazers, according to the Internet and its 18.3 million Google results devoted to the INFJ type.
Many INFJs are often mistaken for extroverts
That’s because INFJs are “very warm, interested in the people that they are with, especially on a one-on-one basis,” Ives says. ”Actually, being a reporter is kind of a dream job for an INFJ since so much interaction is one-on-one.”
Ives stresses that although you fall into a category, you are an individual, and the assessment doesn’t measure character or abilities. Plus, it isn’t a diagnostic tool. “There is no bad type or better type, there are just preferences that are shown,” says Ives. “INFJs are really interesting, and you find them everywhere.”
This info was taken from here.
Strengths
Sensitive to the needs of others
Reserved
Highly creative and artistic
Focused on the future
Values close, deep relationships
Enjoys thinking about the meaning of life
Idealistic
Weaknesses
Can be overly sensitive
Sometimes difficult to get to know
Can have overly high expectations
Stubborn
Dislikes confrontation
Key INFJ Characteristics
Compassionate: With their strong sense of intuition and emotional understanding, INFJs can be soft-spoken and empathetic. This does not mean that they are pushovers, however. They have deeply held beliefs and an ability to act decisively to get what they want.
Helper: While they are introverted by nature, people with this personality type can form strong, meaningful connections with other people. They enjoy helping others, but they also need time and space to recharge.
Idealist: What sets the INFJ apart is their ability to translate their idealism into action. They don't just dream about changing the world—they make it happen.
Organized: People with this personality type like to exert control by planning, organizing, and making decisions as early as possible.
Both emotional and logical: When making decisions, INFJs place a greater emphasis on their emotions than objective facts. But this doesn't mean they see the world through rose-colored glasses. INFJs understand the world, both the good and the bad, and hope to be able to make it better.
Personal Relationships
INFJs also have a talent for language and are usually quite good at expressing themselves. They have a vivid inner life, but they are often hesitant to share this with others except for perhaps those closest to them. While they are quiet and sensitive, they can also be good leaders. Even when they don't take on overt leadership roles, they often act as quiet influencers behind the scenes.
INFJs are driven by their strong values and seek out meaning in all areas of their lives including relationships and work. People with this type of personality are often described as deep and complex. They may not have a huge circle of acquaintances, but their close friendships tend to be very close and long-lasting.
INFJs are interested in helping others and making the world a better place. They tend to be excellent listeners and are good at interacting with people which whom they are emotionally close and connected. While they care deeply about others, INFJs tend to be very introverted and are only willing to share their "true selves" with a select few. After being in social situations, INFJs need time to themselves to "recharge."
Career Paths
INFJs do well in careers where they can express their creativity. Because people with INFJ personalities have such deeply held convictions and values, they do particularly well in jobs that support these principles. INFJs often do best in careers that mix their need for creativity with their desire to make meaningful changes in the world.
INFJs are usually high achievers and excel in academics and the workplace. They can be perfectionists at times and tend to put a great deal of effort into their work. Co-workers tend to feel that INFJs are hardworking, positive, and easy to get along with. Because they are introverted, however, they may find that they need to retreat at times to recharge.
In managerial roles, INFJs can sometimes struggle to exert authority. They tend to lead with sensitivity and are good at helping subordinates feel appreciated in the workplace. Jobs that require a great deal of routine or adherence to strict rules can be difficult for INFJs.
Popular INFJ Careers
Artist
Actor
Entrepreneur
Religious worker
Musician
Librarian
Counselor
Psychologist
Writer
Teacher
Photographer
This information was taken from here.
Now that you know all this really personal information about me, I would love for you to post either your Enneagram or your Meyer’s Briggs in the comments! I am excited to learn more about you all!
