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 Nine
How do you pay attention? – The Nine style of attention is very subtle. It is a form of unconscious attention. As a Nine, you may feel your attention is a little bit like “going on automatic.” You start puttering around with little tasks or go about some comfortable routines, but you are working on an issue in the back of your mind. Then, seemingly all of a sudden, the answer is just there! For those around Nines, you may think your Nine is distracted or tuned out (like a quieter version of a Seven), but they may still be paying attention just below that placid surface.
What do you know intuitively? (i.e., the “superpower” that others notice) – Nines intuitively know how to identify with others. As a Nine, this form of intuition manifests as an ease with “putting yourself in another’s shoes.” Seemingly, you can always understand the basic motivations and reasoning of others. You can always see their point of view. This type of intuition leads to the Nine nickname of “the Peacemaker,” because who is better to mediate than someone who can sympathize with every point of view?
Defense Mechanisms:
Repression/Denial – It may seem that denial is showing up all over the place, Sevens deny and avoid, Eights deny and confront, but Nines deny and ignore. As a Nine, you may have a strong tendency to ignore problems, perhaps as an extension of that style of paying attention through the “back burner” of your mind. If you can just wait it out, then most problems will resolve themselves. Sound familiar?
Dissociation – As a more extreme defense mechanism, perhaps if problems just won’t go away, Nines may employ dissociation. In simple terms, dissociation occurs when you disconnect from a troubling situation, as if it were happening to someone else. As you may suspect, if used often enough, this defense mechanism leads to more severe forms of depersonalization.
Secondary Motivations:
If you have a high degree of self-knowledge, then you might see how your motivations spring from a core desire to not ever be in conflict and, therefore, risk separation from others (I’m only good if the people around me are okay.) but – for the rest of us – you might see these motivations instead…
On a good day – I want to be in harmony with others and be at peace with myself. I just want to bring people together.
On a bad day – I don’t want anything to change. I don’t want to be upset by anything. Problems and conflicts aren’t all that important anyway (minimizing).
Warning signs – As a Nine, you are getting unhealthy when you begin to deny the existence of difficulties and interpersonal conflicts. When you start ignoring reality in favor of what you “wish” were true, beware.
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 Nine, the lie that seems so, so, SO “true” is that you need always to accommodate to others. It may “feel” like other people’s needs are more important or more urgent than yours, but you are a valuable human being too. Don’t sell yourself short; that’s the trap!
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, check out 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