Ones seek a perfect world and work diligently to improve both themselves and everyone and everything around them.

Strengths | strive for quality | organized | perceptive | honest
Development areas | reactive | critical | opinionated | impatient

Ones ­search for perfection and avoid making mistakes. Symbolized by this simple and elegant tree, Ones are rooted and grounded, upright in a variety of ways, and they are also prudent a self-contained, and more structured than flexible.

Discerning and judging, quality-focused and responsible, organized and resentful, Enneagram Ones structure their worlds and exert self-control in order to ensure that they, others around them, and their environments align as closely as possible to their refined and precise ideals and standards of excellence. Ones don’t really believe that true perfection is possible, but they do believe what matters most is that people are constantly working on improvement toward these ideals.

The One’s interpersonal style is normally clear, precise, direct, and exacting, using carefully chosen words and phrases expressed in a seemingly polite manner. They are both self-controlled and spontaneously reactive, amused and skeptical, playful yet decidedly serious, and gracious, yet prone to flares of irritation or outbursts of anger.

Now go to Step 2 (Sort the types) and put type One in your YES, MAYBE, or NO area.

Twos want to be liked by those they want to like them, try to meet the needs of others, and attempt to orchestrate the people and events in their lives.

Strengths | empathic | supportive | motivating | warm
Development areas | accommodating | indirect | angry when unappreciated | overextending

Twos search for appreciation and avoid feeling unworthy. Symbolized by this gift they continuously want to offer others, the gifts that Twos give contain something they believe the other person wants or needs: attention, resources, time, an object the other admired, a poem or a kind word, advice, or even a surprise.

Optimistic, generous, and emphatic, Enneagram Twos focus on the needs and behavior of others far more than on their own needs and desires; they develop an intuitive ability to know how to best support others in achieving their dreams or in minimizing their suffering. It can be misleading to think that all Twos want everyone with whom they come in contact to like them. A more accurate understanding is that Twos want, and even expect, the people they want to like them to respond favorably, but care far less – if at all – whether people they dislike find them appealing. What is true of almost all Twos is that they can become extremely distressed when someone whose opinion or affection they care about perceives them in a negative way.

Most Twos appear warm, are good listeners, and offer advice that they hope and expect others will take. Twos tend to engage with others in a consistently warm way, usually asking questions of others more often than talking about themselves. While most Twos have well-developed interpersonal skills, they can also become self-effacing and uncomfortable when the focus is primarily on them.

Now go to Step 2 (Sort the types) and put type Two in your YES, MAYBE, or NO area.

Threes organize their lives to achieve specific goals and to appear successful in order to gain the respect and admiration of others.

Strengths | energetic | entrepreneurial | confident | results oriented
Development areas | competitive | abrupt |overly focused | selectively disclosing

Threes search for success and avoid failure at all costs. Symbolized by the target, Threes take steady aim at their goals, develop a plan for hitting the bull’s eye, and then do everything they can to hit their mark.

High energy, confident, and achievement oriented, Enneagram Threes focus on results they believe will bring them the respect of others and on efficient and effective plans for accomplishing these goals. As a result, they create a persona of confidence and success, but often at the expense of being completely genuine. They lose touch with their deeper feelings and sense of who they really are, confusing their “public” image with their real selves. In addition, all Threes share a success orientation and constant need to have goals and plans.

The Three’s interpersonal style is one of having a convincing, deliberate, and confident stage presence. They convey their ideas in a well-conceived and highly self-assured way, have strong social skills except when they are stressed – at which times they can be cold and abrupt – and often appear as if they were born to give public presentations.

Now go to Step 2 (Sort the types) and put type Three in your YES, MAYBE, or NO area.

Fours desire deep connections with their own inner worlds and with others and feel most alive when they authentically express their feelings and experiences.

Strengths | inspiring | creative | introspective | expressive
Development areas | intense | self-conscious | moody | guilt-ridden

Fours search for deep experiences and emotional connection and avoid rejection and feeling not-good-enough. Symbolized by the jigsaw puzzle piece, Fours perceive themselves as a puzzle, trying to figure out why they feel so different from others and what makes them unique.

Individualistic, emotionally sensitive, and creative, Fours seek deep meaning, authentic connections, and they tend to idealize that which seems unavailable, being especially attuned to what is missing in their complex worlds. Focusing on their internal experiences as a way of understanding and finding meaning, Fours seek to be deeply understood and want to be perceived as unique, special, or different.

All Fours have a special connection to suffering and have robust, complex inner lives full of nuance and symbolism. Their interpersonal style combines an abundance of self-referencing speech – that is, the extensive use of words such as I, me, my, and mine as well as personal stories – and they often use emotion-laden and metaphoric language. It is as if their own inner worlds are the center of the universe, or at least, the center of their universe.

Now go to Step 2 (Sort the types) and put type Four in your YES, MAYBE, or NO area.

Fives thirst for information and knowledge and use emotional detachment as a way of keeping involvement with others to a minimum.

Strengths | analytic | objective | systematic | expert
Development areas | secretive | detached | autonomous | under-emphasize relationships

Fives search for knowledge and wisdom and avoid intrusion and loss of energy. Symbolized by the light bulb of mental knowledge, Fives try to accumulate information from which they can gain insight.

Emotionally detached, private, self-controlled, and highly independent – autonomous may be a more accurate description – Fives have an insatiable need to know, particularly about areas that interest or concern them. Fully understanding how everything works and fits together helps Fives believe that they are on the path to wisdom, but just as important, accumulating knowledge helps them feel prepared for the inevitable surprises they would prefer to not experience. The quest for privacy is a constant among Fives, although the areas they consider private vary widely. Some Fives like to share their knowledge, while others consider this proprietary. Some Fives are highly private about what they do in their spare time, while others consider their age, marital status, and other such personal information to be in the confidential realm.

All Fives automatically detach from their feelings in the actual moment of an emotional experience, reactivating some of these feelings later, at a more convenient and private time. Fives also compartmentalize or isolate aspects of their lives from other parts. However, the content of what Fives compartmentalize can differ widely. Some Fives compartmentalize their work life from their home life; others keep their friends separated from one another; and other Fives keep themselves isolated from other people.

In addition, most Fives are extremely wary of intrusions on their physical space, their time and energy, and demands for intense interpersonal interactions. The Five’s interpersonal style is highly self-contained, with little animation in either their voice tone or body language. They may appear forthcoming about giving information and others less so, but all Fives appear remote to some degree. Some Fives may be engaging in a way that attracts others and others less so, but all Fives make it obvious that there are clear boundaries about what they will discuss and how they will discuss it.

Now go to Step 2 (Sort the types) and put type Five in your YES, MAYBE, or NO area.

Sixes are insightful, prone to worry, and create anticipatory scenarios in order to feel prepared if something goes wrong; some engage in risk to prove their fearlessness.

Strengths | loyal | collaborative | persevering | problem solving
Development areas | worrying | tolerance of ambiguity | analysis paralysis | martyring

Sixes search for meaning, certainty, and trust and avoid negative scenarios from occurring. Symbolized by the question mark inside the mind, Sixes question everything as a way to feel prepared for every contingency.

Sharp-minded, insightful, and loyal, Sixes are issue identifiers and problem solvers, with a mental-emotional antenna that is finely attuned to anticipate problems before they occur so that alternative paths and contingency plans can be created. This is done to ensure the best possible outcome and prevent the worst from happening. Although the above description applies to all Sixes, Sixes are complex individuals who run the gamut from phobic Sixes, who are overtly and palpably fearful, to counter-phobic. Sixes, who often mask their fear by taking dramatic risks – often, but not always, physical ones – that adrenalize them and prove to themselves and others, at least for the moment, that they are not fearful. Many Sixes display characteristics of the phobic and the counter-phobic Six.

All Sixes worry as a habit of mind, although some Sixes call it instantaneous anticipatory planning or problem solving, and other Sixes do this so naturally that they no longer notice it. Sixes have a variety of interpersonal styles, but most are warm, loyal, appear genuine, displaying a relative lack of pretentiousness, candid, agile in expressing concerns, and willing to talk truthfully about themselves.

Now go to Step 2 (Sort the types) and put type Six in your YES, MAYBE, or NO area.

 Sevens crave stimulation from new ideas, people, and experiences, avoid pain, and engage in positive possibility planning in order to keep all of their options open.

Strengths | imaginative | enthusiastic | engaging | quick thinking
Development areas | impulsive | unfocused | rebellious | pain avoidant

Sevens search for pleasure and stimulation and avoid pain and discomfort. Symbolized by the glass of champagne, Sevens are bubbly and effervescent, trying to enjoy life’s pleasures and positive possibilities.

Spontaneous, engaging, and multitasking to an extreme, Sevens are upbeat, energetic, and need to feel that they have all options possible open to them. Elaborate future planners, dreamers and visionaries, Sevens generate enthusiasm, push boundaries, and avoid painful experiences by conjuring up new ideas, engaging with people or activities that excite them, and by rationalizing negative experiences through a positive reframing of events. Almost all Sevens have difficulty focusing on one thing at a time, as their attention shifts from one idea, activity, or person to the next thing that grabs their interest, and they also have a contagious sense of optimism that comes from a sense that everything is possible. 

Their interpersonal style can be described as fast-talking and even faster thinking, with a mental process that moves 1000 miles per hour and jumps from topic to topic. While some Sevens are quiet, most Sevens say what’s on their minds as soon as they think it. And although their ideas may seem loosely connected to the rest of us, Sevens make these associative connections instantly and share them in rapid fire, using voices filled with enthusiasm and energy.

Now go to Step 2 (Sort the types) and put type Seven in your YES, MAYBE, or NO area.

Eights pursue the truth and justice, like to keep situations under control, want to make important things happen, and try to hide their vulnerability.

Strengths | direct | strategic | protective | big action oriented
Development areas | controlling | demanding | disdain weakness | intimidating

Eights search for control and justice and avoid feeling vulnerable or weak. Symbolized by the mountain, Eights are solid and often immovable, strong, and difficult to penetrate.

Assertive, bold, and confident, Eights are highly independent, with a tendency to both protect and control people and events around them and a deep commitment to truth, justice, and equity or fairness. Most Eights are excessive in some way, particularly when they feel anxious or vulnerable. Because they strongly prefer to not show this side of themselves to others, perceiving such feelings as signaling weakness, Eights mask their tender side by engaging in excessiveness in a variety of forms: over-work, too much or too little exercise, erratic or unhealthy eating, and other forms of over-consumption, such as incessant shopping or the purchasing of items – often expensive ones – that they don’t really need.

Eights want to get their needs and desires met, want to make big things happen quickly, much akin to moving mountains, and most have a big presence even when they are saying little. The Eight’s interpersonal style is assertive, and they use voice modulation and non-verbal behavior for effect and impact. For example, they may use a strident voice, direct eye contact, and move closer to others as a way to take charge or make their point, or they may use a softer voice tone, warm eye contact, and a smile to appear gracious, hospitable, or non-threatening.

Now go to Step 2 (Sort the types) and put type Eight in your YES, MAYBE, or NO area.

Nines seek peace, harmony, and positive mutual regard and dislike conflict, tension, demands, and ill will.

Strengths | diplomatic | easygoing | accepting | affable
Development areas | conflict avoidant | unassertive | procrastinating | indecisive

Nines search for harmony and comfort and avoid tension and conflict. Symbolized by yin and yang, Nines try to reconcile oppositional ideas, forces, and perspectives as a way to have all perspectives considered.

Relaxed, easy to relate to, and accepting, Nines perceive and honor multiple viewpoints and are usually excellent facilitators, drawing out the ideas of others so everyone gets heard. While they value harmony, seek comfortable ways of relating, and are often adept mediators of conflict between and among others, most Nines are extremely uncomfortable with conflict in which they are directly involved. As a result, Nines keep themselves from doing anything that might generate conflict;  keep themselves from being aware that they are upset; don’t express opinions or preferences that could cause discord; and diffuse their attention by engaging in activities that comfort them. Nines may watch television for hours; cut the grass or work in the garden when they have projects they should be doing; go shopping or walk the dog for extended periods of time.

While Nines appear easygoing on the outside, many experience some degree of internal tension, and they are not always as non-judgmental as they appear. The Nine’s interpersonal style is agreeable, relatively unassertive, and non-invasive, and they are often able to talk with others about a variety of topics in an easy-going manner. For example, Nines often nod their heads in affirmation or say “Uh, huh,” which doesn’t mean they agree with the other person, just that they heard what was said. Affable and humorous, they express themselves indirectly rather than boldly or directly as a way to create and maintain positive relationships and reduce potential discord between themselves and others.

Now go to Step 2 (Sort the types) and put type Nine in your YES, MAYBE, or NO area.