What do you mean by “observable patterns”?
One of the difficulties of the Enneagram is that it focuses on internal motivations rather than external behaviors. Additionally, determining one’s type does require a certain level of self-knowledge. For instance, do you go around thinking, “Hmm…what I really fear here is that I’m unworthy of being loved,” or “I suppose that I’m just falling prey to the deadly sin of avarice here”? As a result, it can be hard to tell what another person’s Enneagram type might be, and it might even be tough to tell what your own type is (I’ve personally spent time bouncing back-and-forth among types). So, in order to combat this problem, I’ve put together some short profiles of what might be more observable about each type from the outside looking in and/or what each of us might actually say our surface motivations and defense mechanisms are. I’ve designed these patterns, so that you can watch your behavior for these signs to try and verify what type you are from the outside-working-in. Now, you may not need this progression. Many people can go from the inside-working-out, but I can’t. If you are like me, then I hope this helps you.
Also, if you read through the patterns of a type and say to yourself, “Well, yeah, but isn’t everyone like that?” You may have just found your type. 😉
[If you want to investigate the full traditional descriptions, the best place to go is the Enneagram Institute here: https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/type-descriptions]
Type Four
How do you pay attention? – As a Four, you will naturally pay attention to what is missing. This focus can manifest in a variety of ways. You might be able to walk into a room and know what design accent is needed to draw the whole room together. Perhaps, you might know just the right word or metaphor to make a poem or song “click.” No matter how “perfect” a situation may be, you will pay attention to how you could put your personal touch on it.
What do you know intuitively? (i.e., the “superpower” that others notice) – Like every type, your intuition grows out of how you focus your attention. That attention to what is missing gives you, as a Four, intuitive sensitivity to the inner emotional moods of others. Now, that’s a bit different than the Two. They sense the emotional needs of others, and they often go about trying to meet those needs. As a Four, you seem preternaturally aware of the moods of others, and how those moods are different from your own moods.
Defense Mechanisms:
Introjection – This term may be a new one for you. Many will be familiar with the term projection (and, don’t worry, we’ll deal with that defense mechanism for another type). In projection, a person assigns motives and, often, blame to others that actually originate from within. Introjection is the opposite process. Fours favor the defense mechanism of internalizing the criticisms, motivations, and judgments of others toward the self. Perhaps, that might not seem like an effective defense mechanism, but it follows along this line of reasoning: “You can’t hurt me when you reject me if I reject myself first.”
Note: While a Four can use a variety of other defense mechanisms, introjection is uniquely Four territory. While anyone might use this defense in a single situation, only Fours use it often. If introjection resonates with you as a major pattern, then – bingo! – you’ve found your type.
Secondary Motivations:
If you have a high degree of self-knowledge, then you might see how your motivations spring from a core desire to be authentic or unique (I’m only good if I am true to myself.) but – for the rest of us – you might see these motivations instead…
On a good day – I want to express myself. I want to create something beautiful that will communicate who I really am to others.
On a bad day – I want to withdraw from people, so I can sort out and protect my feelings. I have to cope with my emotions before dealing with anything else.
Warning signs – You may be getting unhealthy when you begin to indulge yourself to “make up” for what you are missing in the real world.
Recurring Temptation:
Each type has a recurring temptation (remember, these are the seven deadly sins, just under a different name) that starts the “snowball” rolling down the hill to being unhealthy. As a Four, the lie that seems so, so, SO “true” is that you have to overuse your imagination in your search for self. While the imagination is a good thing – and you use it beautifully – you won’t find your authentic self any place other than the real world.
Reminder:
Just like the seven deadly sins, we all have the energies of all of the Enneagram types. Even if you identified a lot with what is written above, stay tuned for the other types. You might just identify with another type more closely.
Credit: These observations chiefly come from The Enneagram: Understanding Yourself and the Others in Your Life by Helen Palmer and Understanding the Enneagram: The Practical Guide to Personality Types by Don Richard Riso