MBTI Type: ESFP

Vanessa has a hands-on approach to life; she pickets in the street, she shaves her head, she works as a barista, she takes over a loft, she starts a business, she has a threesome, she takes photos and uses them to blackmail a woman into releasing Nate from an entanglement, she hops in and out of bed with various men, she lives a bohemian lifestyle, she focuses on the here and now and only dares to ‘think’ about the future when Dan urges her to put herself forward more. Her blind spot is her low Ni, which doesn’t always interpret things right; she trusts some people when she shouldn’t, but also has a solid mistrust of others whose behaviors she finds untrustworthy (Blair). She is a fiercely moral person, who doesn’t care what others think of her and who often stands up for what she believes is right. Her main beef with Blair is the underhanded things she does to get back at, or to control, people, which Vanessa finds reprehensible. Whenever she does do anything against her own moral conscience (such as blackmail), she feels tremendous guilt about it, and sometimes will call it off. She also deals with her feelings for Dan mainly in secret, and can be over-tolerant of his callous behavior toward her and others. Vanessa isn’t so emotionally driven that she’s above creating alliances for the greater good; however. She and Serena eventually become friends, after they were sort-of enemies (she envied Serena’s relationship with Dan). She moralizes at Nate for his immoral relationships, but also helps him free himself from bad entanglements. She is an effective businessperson when she needs to be.

Enneagram: 2w1 so/sp

Vanessa always winds up helping even the people she hates—as if she feels ‘obligated’ to do the right thing and be useful to others. She helps Dan do his homework and study for college; she helps Serena through a rough time; she helps an arrogant filmmaker with his movies (going above and beyond the call of ‘duty’ and receiving no credit for it); she babysits, she volunteers, she takes an avid interest in social causes. Half the time, she does this without complaint, at other times she seems resentful of always being ‘the reliable one.’ Her 1 wing is hard-working and moralistic, highly disapproving of bad behavior and hesitant to engage in it, herself. But as the series goes on, Vanessa becomes less moral and more ruthless, going after what she wants without guilt, having had enough, and even using people to get there (falling into unhealthy 8 behaviors).