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 Five
How do you pay attention? – It might seem like Fives pay attention by…paying attention. As a Five, you naturally approach most situations and people with the intent to observe. This strong proclivity toward the sidelines – to watch and not participate – is one of the most easily recognizable Five patterns. If you’re looking for a Five, don’t look at the dance floor. Look at the walls.
What do you know intuitively? (i.e., the “superpower” that others notice) – Remember that your style of intuition may not stand out to you. It seems normal to you, but others will often comment on your natural ability here. For Fives, you intuitively know how to be objective in almost any situation. You instinctively take a step back, look at the big picture, and see the logical way to proceed or the most reasonable choice to make.
Defense Mechanisms:
Isolation – This defense mechanism is the number one strategy for a Five. After all, you can’t be “attacked” if you aren’t there. As a Five, if you start feeling endangered, then you have a strong inclination to leave, withdraw, and go spend time by yourself. Typically, Fives also know how to be in solitude well – being alone is not a place to be feared (as it may be for some other types). Being alone is a Five’s natural state.
Projection – A second defense mechanism that Fives favor is projection. While you may not use projection as often or comprehensively as a Six, Fives do tend to see any danger, fear, or problem as being out there. So, Fives can be defensive in this way: “I don’t have a problem; you have a problem. I’m not wrong; you’re stupid.”
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 capable or competent (I’m only good if I master a body of knowledge or area of expertise.) but – for the rest of us – you might see these motivations instead…
On a good day – I want to understand everything. I want to observe everything. I love learning just for the sheer fun of learning. I love sharing what I know with others.
On a bad day – I must have intellectual certainty. I need to interpret everything according to a unifying idea. I’m not wrong; everyone else is just too stupid to understand my thoughts.
Warning signs – You may be getting unhealthy when you begin to reject anything (or anyone) that doesn’t agree with your ideas. You are getting very unhealthy when someone disagreeing with you becomes a “threat,” and you find yourself isolating more and more from any contact with the outside 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 Five, the lie that seems so, so, SO “true” is that you can’t act without analyzing everything first. It is a rare situation that anyone can analyze everything before acting, and you naturally analyze more than most anyway. Don’t get caught in the trap of “analysis paralysis.”
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