Type 6 Initial Self-Belief: “I am uncertain as I am.”

Type 6 Compensation: "I must search for someone or something that I can depend on that provides the assurance to move forward."

Type 6 Core Focus: Assurance comes from determining what can be trusted so that internal doubts can be resolved. This requires that I find something outside myself that provides support and can be relied upon by questioning the intentions and thoughts of authorities, systems, other people, and even myself.

Personality characteristics that might arise from the type 6 core focus include:

• Plays the devil's advocate through contrarian thinking
• Tends to notice what could go wrong in situations
• Mentally prepares for worst-case scenarios
• Becomes suspicious when people behave inconsistently
• Projects imagined thoughts and feelings onto others
• Can be very loyal once someone has earned their trust
• Scans the environment and people for possible threats and danger
• Disarms others through warmth and self-deprecation
• Seeks advice and reassurance when making decisions

SP 6 - Warmth, Affection/Rejection: is warm and friendly as a way to show one is not a threat; cultivates protective and trusting alliances with others; resolves doubt through constant assurance and cautious around potential dangers and risks.

SX 6 - Strength/Beauty (counter-type): uses strength or beauty to be empowered within the world; stands against fear but more “bark” than “bite”; runs toward fear or danger with attitude of the best defense is a good offense.

SO 6 - Duty, Fellowship: knows and follows the rules to relieve anxiety; relies on ideologies or other systems of reference; can be precise, intolerant, and adhere to guidelines of authority to avoid ambiguity.

In the average range, Self-Preservation Sixes attempt to allay their survival anxieties by working hard to build up security through mutual responsibility.¹

In the average range, Sexual Sixes develop physical strength, power, and/or physical attractiveness to feel safe.¹

In the average range, Social Sixes handle anxiety by looking to friends and allies for reassurance and support.¹

Warmth in the Area of Self-preservation: Maintaining other people’s affection is a way to disarm potential hostility. If people like you, there is no need to be afraid of them.²

Strength/Beauty in the One-to-One Relationship: The preoccupation with strength stems from the need to develop personal power as a compensation for feeling afraid.²

Duty in the Social Area: Adhering to rules and obligations for social behavior is a way to ensure loyalty.²

Self-Preservation Sixes: Often display a personal warmth that is meant to defang the potential hostility of others. Use humor, charm, self-depreciation to make friends out of possible enemies.³

Intimate Sixes: Tend to act strong or seductive when insecure. Act powerful and in control at the times when they feel most frightened.³

Social Sixes: Tend to be dutiful and especially dependent upon authority. Often align with a group or a cause and will follow the rules loyally, trying to please the boss.³

Self-Preservation Six: "Warmth"
Expresses the passion of fear through a need for protection, for friendship, and for banding together with others. In seeking protective alliances, they endeavor to be warm, friendly, and trustworthy, which is why they bear the name "Warmth."⁴

Sexual Six: "Strength/Beauty"
Expresses fear by going against fear--by becoming strong and intimidating. Trusting themselves more than others, these Sixes have the inner programming that when you are afraid, the best defense is a good offense.⁴

Social Six: "Duty"
Expresses fear through a need to deal with anxiety by relying on abstract reason or ideologies as a frame of reference. Obeying authority through knowing what the rules are helps them to feel safe in the world.⁴

¹Book: The Wisdom of the Enneagram; Website: The Enneagram Institute

²Book: The Enneagram; Website: The Narrative Enneagram

³Book: The Enneagram Movie & Video Guide

⁴Book: The Complete Enneagram; Website: Chestnut Paes Enneagram Academy

Instinctual Subtype Test
This test compares the three instinctual subtypes for a given type.
Use when you know your type and want to find your instinctual subtype for that type.

Instinctual Variant Stacking Test
This test ranks the three instincts to determine your preferential order of the instincts.
Use when you want to know your instinctual variant stacking independent of type.