Am an I an Enneagram 6 What does it mean to be a Head type? What’s a good contrast between 6w5 and 6w7? How are self-preservation 6s, social 6s, and sexual 6s different from each other? This in-depth analysis answers all of your questions!
INSIDE THIS POST:
THE 6 AS A HEAD TYPE
French philosopher René Descartes said, “I think, therefore I am.” This is the motto of the Head type, which navigates reality not with their body or through their identity, but the mind, in their attempt to predict reality. Life isn’t happening to them in real time; it’s being processed with their thoughts while it unfolds. Head types ponder what is going on, what may happen next, and what could result from it. It is such an instant process, they’re unaware of the degree which they “think” harder than the other centers, except by comparison (aren’t you going to think about this first? What’s your reason for doing it?). At all times, Head types process life with their intellect. It’s fun to think, and it does not feel optional when decisions need made. They enjoy thinking about everything in an attempt to understand it, and analyze their feelings and experiences.
6s are the best friend you’ve ever had. They will stand up for you, and call you out on your crap. Fight by your side, and show up when you need them the most, to do the dirty jobs. Warn you when you’re about to do something stupid, then go with you to make sure you stay safe. They are lively, fast-thinking, and funny, with selfless love and concern for your well-being. They care about everyone, so they think about how their decisions will affect their family, friends, or their community before they take action.
6s are intellectually open and curious, and want to make sense of everything, so they ask questions and dig for the truth. They prefer hard facts to a pretty lie in their quest for honesty. 6s trust nothing until it proves its worth. This gives them a knack for sensing ulterior motives or people too big for their britches (6s loathe arrogance and want to “take that person down a peg”). They will help or protect anyone who needs them, since they hate abuse of power or injustice and see intervention as moral.
They are an interesting blend of intense emotions, easily touched by hardships and pain and driven to do what they can to help others, and analysis. 6s analyze things in a desire to undercover the truth of them, to expose a “lie,” or to question what others take for granted. They want to think their way toward solutions that benefit each party involved and avoid unnecessary pain or suffering. 6s think if you think smart, you can avoid trouble.
If something goes wrong, it takes over all their thoughts, even if it doesn’t directly involve them. It’s enough that this is evil/bad, and happening where they can see it. 6s will stand up for someone they dislike, just because they hate bullies. If something happens around them, it is their business, or their problem to solve. Even if it isn’t happening to them, 6s internalize it and start thinking about if it were happening to me, how would I react or cope with it? What would I do? They try to learn from everyone’s struggles, experiences, and mistakes, to make their life easier and to feel prepared for future events that may befall them. 6s want to foresee and head off problems before they arrive. Since they think before they act, a 6 does nothing without anticipating what might happen as a result (good or bad). If fear of the consequences of taking a stand causes them to hesitate or not speak their mind where they feel like they should, they feel guilt for doing nothing, and shame for not being a better person.
6s have an inner critic that tells them that to be “good,” they must avoid mistakes, be selfless, responsible for their loved ones, be there for them, and be loyal to them. If they don’t live up to this standard, they feel bad. 6s move toward others, compromise to find what they have in common, try to meet them halfway, keep them happy, and need others to like them to feel at ease in their environment. They want their friends to have their back, so they offer the same to others by standing up for them, defending them, etc.
They spend a lot of time explaining their thinking, hoping others will agree with their conclusion. If you get upset at them, a 6 hopes telling you why they did it will make amends, because you will “get” the reasons behind their actions. That validates it in their mind and erases any doubt. If you disagree, a 6 tries to figure out why you think that way, where you got your information from, or to make sense of it. What is your reasoning? What made you conclude this?
Rather than accept or go along with things, 6s resist, ask questions, look for the flaws, point out how it may go wrong, correct facts, or invite others to defend their reasoning. 6s test out ideas by arguing both sides, without having an emotional investment in the outcome if it doesn’t touch on something they see as sacred. They won’t get on board with anything until they think about it first.
They can’t and won’t ignore things that are bad, wrong, or amoral, but want others to like them. Their finest talent is their amiable, self-deprecating ability to put you at ease with a playful sense of humor. 6s are often laughing—at themselves, at you, at how absurd and silly life is. They are quick-witted and sarcastic, and use drawing attention to their humanness to make others feel safe around them. Being the butt of their own joke tells you there’s nothing pretentious in them. To avoid awkward silences, blame, criticism, or hurt feelings, 6s use humor, wit, and teasing to diffuse tension or to change the subject.
6s don’t trust their intuition alone to help them make wise decisions, so they try to construct a library of guidance by collecting wisdom, knowledge, and information from reliable sources to support their thinking. They don’t want to reinvent the wheel, even though it’s fun for them to think all the time, but to base their intellect on solid ground. They collect information and make sense of it by finding what seems to be the truth and operating out of that framework.
They don’t want to be wrong. Being wrong puts them at risk and they seek to feel secure in a dangerous world. To avoid going at life alone, they find people, ideas and beliefs that help them feel secure or self-assured in their opinions. This need not be physical support, but 6s carry the voices of others in their heads for consultation, and want those voices to be reliable, so they screen their sources of data or inspiration, and judge them from a moral framework first (if this person is bad, I can’t trust their conclusions or advice). If a 6 is on the fence about believing someone or something and others have criticisms of it, it gives them “permission” to discard it without any further consideration, which is a great relief to them. 6s can’t stop thinking about it without knowing it’s unnecessary to consider this.
6s look at others and wonder how they can seem so sure of their abilities and opinions and base their actions or deeds on nothing but “feelings” or “intuition.” They don’t feel as if that piece of them is present. 6s look inward to find it and only find inner confusion, so they try to locate something outside of self to trust. The problems start when they reach a mental conclusion only to have someone or something disagree with it. They have a choice—double down and insist they’re right and their source is infallible (while harboring doubt) or to reconsider the whole thing in the light of figuring out how this person reached this conclusion, where it came from, what it means, and how it changes things, which is mentally exhausting. But a 6 doesn’t feel as if they have a choice. They need to find the truth, and that means re-examining things scrupulously.
The 6w5
6w5s struggle to trust themselves enough to actualize their thoughts in the world. They do what’s necessary to maintain their priorities and responsibilities, but rarely feel prepared enough to take action for themselves or to embrace risk. It is important for them to find an external sense of guidance in a reliable source, or to create it for themselves, since they don’t want to be led astray by anyone’s wrong thinking. They do lots of research and preparation, trying to find a niche that stimulates their intellect, but aren’t sure whether to horde their findings or share them hoping to solicit new perspectives or hear that they are on the right track. A 6w5 wants their content to be original, but not to feel disconnected from others; having them think what they found is interesting, cool, unique, etc., validates their find and lets them feel connected.
They strategize against risk to feel prepared, like to know as much as possible in advance, and are either risk-adverse or dive into what they fear to prove their insights are solid. 6w5s are argumentative, and want others to agree with their conclusions; because they do so much research and preparation, they bring tons of evidence to the table. This gives them a sense of sure footing since it proves to them that they covered all their bases. 6w5s don’t want to show up and share a finding only to be humiliated that they were wrong, because they didn’t check their sources. Until they exhaust all the arguments that could prove them wrong, they won’t share what they think. They’ll lurk on the outside of the discussion, listening, then take these ideas, beliefs, etc., to their cave to tear it apart and compare it to everything else to try to get at the truth. If a 6w5 does enough research and eliminates everything else that is factually incorrect, comes from a corrupt source, etc., they hold firm on their beliefs and assume they know best, because they thought about this more than anyone else. Others arguing with them, trying to disprove their findings, or insinuating they don’t know what they think they do irritate them, because they do know, they did all their homework, and they don’t want to reconsider, but they also need to be right. A 6w5 may hold firm against opposition, then go home and re-check their detailed scrutiny. Because they reject what others contribute easier than a 6w7, thanks to their greater self-trust, they may write off a detractor as stupid, ignorant, or blind to the truth.
They want a circle of friends from whom to share their thoughts, but also seek time alone to analyze, pick apart, and dive into what they find. They share their opinions to stir debate from which they can find new perspectives. Their thinking, compared to the 5w6, is more linear, logical, less fantastic, and based in reality. They may or may not be as realistic or rational as they think, but they move from A to B and want things (and people) to make sense.
The 6w7
6s use feelings to support and motivate them into action, but 7s use thinking and action to avoid their feelings. A 6w7 feels and acts, but is out of touch with their inner guidance. It feels safer to expand to include others in their thinking, but it puts them out of touch with their heart. It’s hard for 6w7s to trust their conclusions or stay with them if others call them into question or share an opposing view.
It feels like compared to others who assume they are right all the time, they have no inner compass, which makes them expansive in how they search for data, rather than discriminating in what gets pulled into their head. 6w7s are open-minded, eager to collect and share what they learn with others, excited to receive feedback, and need mental stimulation. They look for ways to put others at ease, make them laugh, and with whom they can point out the absurdities of life. Being a double Head type gives them an ability to bombard their opposition with rapid thoughts, ideas, explanations, and points in a debate. They generate ideas on the spot, and have a busy mind, which makes them pranksters and easily argumentative. 6w7s may not be invested in what they’re fighting for or against, just feel joy at a mental exercise. They may argue one side for a while, then take the other side later for fun, and not land on either one, since it’s not important to find “the only truth,” so much as it is vital to explore.
They fulfill obligations to others but want to get out of boring tasks. 6w7s decide how involved to get based on whether they may feel trapped down the road; they like nothing that gets them stuck. Yet they get themselves stuck with their own loyalty and sense of obligation to others. Guilt may force them to do what they don’t want to, because they made a promise or feel obligated.
6w7s are a bundle of contradictions. 6 likes to call attention to and fixate on what is wrong, but 7 wants to re-frame it and escape it. This makes 6w7s cycle between the good and the bad. They may be upset about something one minute, and not care about it the next. They mentally wheel-spin about how they really think or feel about people, situations, or ideas, postponing doing anything about it or quit or break up, then worry they made the wrong choice. Since they dislike their anxiety, they run away from it with activity and keep busy learning, creating, and doing. A 6w7 may feel unqualified, but leap forward anyway hoping to learn as they go (to the horror of a 6w5). They see themselves as more positive than they are in reality.
They crave and seek excitement and newness, but in ways that let them feel safe and don’t threaten their stability. 6w7s spin their mental wheels and don’t know what direction to go in, because all of it seems fun and they don’t want to miss out on the “best” option. Their tendency to get bored easily pushes them to experiment or to keep moving to prevent unease, but they are responsible first. At times, the excitement of a situation causes them to say “Screw it, let’s do it!” and then rush their way through it in their eagerness to move on to something else.
Read the full profile, almost 9,000 words including self-work, about the Enneagram 6 in my book, 9 Kinds of Quirky.
Social Variants:
Since my book does not include social variant types, I recommend you purchase John Lucovich’s excellent and ground-breaking work on the topic. You can read more of his content here.
Social variants determine how we respond to the world and where our major priorities in life lie. Attentiveness to bonding, social responsibilities, and how we ‘appear’ to others is in the realm of social (soc). Survival, fulfilling all of one’s needs, and a focus on ensuring one always has enough resources for a comfortable life is self-preservation (sp). Sexual displays, competing for attention, being like a moth to a flame in your pursuit of another person, or competing for a mate falls under the realm of sexual (sx). Read through each to determine which resonates the most with you.
The Self Preservation 6
Self-Preservation Sixes long to experience Essential Truth in their lifestyle, path of personal growth, and resources. The devotedness and reliability of the Six meets the perseverance of the Self-Preservation Drive, lending itself to a deep awareness of how the things they value grow and are sustained. Much like their neighbor, Type Five, Sixes are extremely observant, but in contrast to Five’s narrow focus, Sixes’ have a broader quality awareness that is attentive to how parts relate to the whole, as in how a tree can only grow relative to the integrity of its roots. Awake Self-Preservation Sixes bring together this awareness with an inherent inner resourcefulness that lends to confident self-possession and meeting challenges with acceptance and fortitude.
This type is often adept at discerning patterns and keeping things “on track” toward their intended results. They are the most practical Sixes and tend to be exceptionally mindful, giving care and attention to the details that others overlook. While some Self-Preservation Sixes have a great deal of anxiety around their safety and well-being, it is typically balanced with having an intrepid or adventurous side.
Self-Preservation Sixes are acutely aware of chaos and the absurdities of life. To manage anxiety, they create or turn to systems that help keep all bases covered. Without ongoing attention to life’s necessities, they fear things may collapse into entropy. Often, they rely on complex means of organizing their attention, like keeping to well-structured schedules. This can lend itself to a need for routine, predictability, and an over-emphasis on procedures and a lack of ambiguity.
When they feel unsupported, Sixes will look for something reliable on which to model their path through life on, but in doing so, they may fail to tap into all their creativity or potential. This may lead them to keep their world small and anxiety-ridden. They can become attached to a job, a situation, or a life path that isn’t personally rewarding but provides some direction and clarity, and they will end up sticking with something even after it’s no longer to their benefit. As they become more imbalanced, they begin to feel that keeping things together is left solely up to them. They can live life from their minds, trying to regulate and create structure to the flow of life, which can lead to an attachment to ideas over directly entering into the unpredictability of life. They are prone to spending a great deal of their energy living in anticipation of imagined disasters that may never arrive.
The Social 6
Social Sixes want to experience Essential Truth in their relationships, contributions, and causes. They seek meaningful connections with others and are as interested in individuals as they are with the underlying reasons, values, and commonalities that keep bonds enduring and sustainable. This type has a deep longing to feel a solid sense of belonging with others. As friendly as Social Sixes can be on the surface, on the inside they may harbor a deep cynicism about other people’s reliability, integrity, and dependability. Many Social Sixes are charming, funny, and kind, but they also have a sharp, critical side with which they use to probe others’ authenticity and character. This type has strong expectations of friendships and relational dynamics that aren’t always explicitly communicated, so they can feel betrayed or let down by people who can’t meet these expectations.
People of this type tend to get caught up in beliefs and ideologies that serve as umbrellas for people coming together, but they can let their devotion to these ideological tentpoles run away to the point of actually undermining the very interpersonal connections they wish to foster—for instance, in the case where adherence to a political cause ends up alienating the people it’s supposed to benefit. Social Sixes can begin to believe their belonging is contingent on maintaining specific relational structures, of which they see themselves as a guardian, so this can escalate to larger social structures, like a political ideology, familial loyalty, or religion, taking precedence over the interpersonal connections it was there to support in the first place. In other words, the idea overtakes reality.
As they become more imbalanced, they can struggle in distinguishing their own independent agenda and identity, resulting in a vacillation between adherence to an authority or compulsive rebellion; alternatively, they may hold a black or white view of other people’s moral character. They may often replace one authority for another as if choosing a new inner authority figure represented a self-directed choice. As Social Sixes become more imbalanced, they can pick fights in trying to test interpersonal loyalty and get at loved ones’ “true feelings” for them. Their bright minds can become co-opted by the impulse to justify their ideological frameworks at the expense of open inquiry, complete with supplying effective arguments, “evidence,” and seemingly coherent justifications. Deeply unhealthy Social Sixes can be bent on punishing real or imagined wrong-doing and can act obsessively to purge “bad” beliefs or people from their social group
The Sexual 6
Sexual Sixes seek to experience Essential Truth through chemistry and in their romantic relationships. The contradictory nature of Six is expressed in this type as a bold and provocative attitude paired with vulnerability and uncertainty about their desirability. They tend to be unpredictable and edgy, and yet very charming and endearing. Freedom of expression is often paired with the Sexual Six’s need to check in on whether their actions undermine or enhance their appeal. A need for certainty in the fluctuating arena of attraction and chemistry speaks to the basic conflict within this type. Sexual Sixes are looking for chemistry they can rely on to be sustainable and energizing. They tend to project swagger with a tough or dramatic “hard to handle” attitude, yet they often display a great deal of unexpected vulnerability, sensitivity, and sentimentality, needing a great deal of assurance that their partnership is secure and that they’re still enticing and beautiful.
Despite bouts of confidence, insecurity arises on whether or not their partner will remain faithful and interested in them when potential rivals are around. They may start fights with perceived sexual rivals who, in reality, may have zero interest in their partner. It may be difficult for Sexual Sixes to fully relax around their partner, which can mean being “on” too much, needing to impress or seduce in order to capture attention.
It’s not that all Sexual Sixes are interested in long-term monogamy, but when they do find a partner they wish to be exclusive with, they can become possessive and competitive in trying to keep them because of a basic lack of trust in the elements of attraction that they may not see or have control over. Some Sexual Sixes can test their partners to see if they will leave them. Sexual Sixes may also use one relationship after another to prove to themselves they can still attract whomever they please, or they may become attached to a partner who is a “sure thing” in desiring them.
As Sexual Sixes become imbalanced, they may lash out at their loved ones and entertain paranoid fantasies about abandonment or betrayal. They may even gravitate toward partners who they have a sense will betray them, so when it does happen, it reinforces an identity structure of not being able to trust or believe in anyone. Deeply unhealthy Sexual Sixes can be aggressive and controlling toward their partner, using them as an emotional punching bag to discharge their anxiety and frustrations. Unhealthy Sexual Sixes who are single might not respect boundaries in pursuing potential partners and sexual interests.
This reveals itself differently in the male and female sexual 6.
The Masculine Sexual 6
If he is on the strength side, he will appear tough and intimidating to others. This is the way the overcompensation shows itself. Their macho-ness and staunch bravado covers their fear and anxiety. This is so unconscious to them, they may be oblivious to it. For this reason, this 6 will probably see himself as an 8 because he appears to have the tough guy attitude who is ready to confront anyone. From the outside looking in, their anger seems to come from a more reactive place than an 8. Their intimidation tactics are to deter you from messing with them. It serves as an unconscious means of testing whether people are friendly or hostile towards them. This is counter-intuitive because being hostile towards others breeds hostility from others. However, in provoking people to respond to them, they gain certainty in who they can trust and who they need to be wary of, and also what the power dynamics are between everyone.
Hidden beneath the bravado exists the other side of the dichotomy which reveals a more feminine energy. They may switch from being strong and edgy, to kind, soft-spoken, and gentle. They may feel sympathy for those who are frightened or need support, such as children or animals. They may rescue a kitten stuck in a tree, come to someone’s aid who is being bullied, or adopt an abandoned child. All of this being symbolic of their own desire for support and their fear of abandonment. The strength 6 is working to improve their desirability by becoming a strong, dependable partner capable of protecting and providing for his nest. Once he has selected a partner and commits to them, he devotes his efforts to maintaining the relationship by continually proving himself to be capable and caring.
If he is on the beauty side, his focus may be more towards cultivating a sensitive, romantic demeanor to attract a partner. The male beauty-six is a more feminine six with masochistic tendencies hidden in the background. They typically have a caring, sentimental nature, and they long for an intense romantic connection. They are kind, affirming, and encouraging towards others. They reveal their vulnerabilities to make them seem sensitive to the needs of others. They seek the ideal lover; someone as equally romantic and faithful as they are. This is the male peacock. They place more weight on being physically attractive but are more insecure about how they look. More than this, they create the appearance of being a sensitive, kind, idealistic, romantic partner who sees his role as being the selfless and tender lover, always catering to his partner’s needs. When speaking to women, he seems to be especially kind, as if he were saying “look what a pleasant guy I am.” While looking for a partner, he may become competitive with other males who might steal away her attention. While he is probably not aggressive, jealousy may enter the picture. For the male beauty-six, competition becomes a performance where he must strut his brightest feathers to prove he is the more attractive mate.
The Feminine Sexual 6
If she is on the beauty side, she also has the inclination towards beautifying herself to attract a mate, perhaps more so than the male. This may be a beauty queen who adorns herself with makeup and pretty accessories. She has the warm, lush aura of a sweet but diffident angel. Gorgeous, but modest. Perfect, yet normal. She’s glamorous but not beyond reach like the sx 3. This makes them appealing because they are attractive yet approachable and kind. There is a sense of them being a prize doll. They use beauty to cover over the fear of being undesirable or unattractive. They may seem to lack confidence, but this is only to give the appearance of being someone who needs protection. By combining beauty with modesty, they create an appealing charm which elicits the opposite sex to chase after them.
If she is on the strength side, she may have a tomboyish demeanor; being more masculine than the average female. She may get along with males easily as she identifies with them. Similar to the male strength-6, there is an impulsive risk-taking bravado. Both males and females may be accident prone because of this tendency, especially with a 7 wing. The female strength-6 can appear diffident and disarming to others, similar to the female beauty-6 but with a rougher exterior. Their charm is because you can you can be real with them, as if they are just one of your pals. They give off a playful, mischievous vibe which makes them interesting to be with.
Average sexual 6s develop physical strength, power, or their physical attractiveness to feel safe. The more aggressive ones rely on strength and displays of toughness that can resemble 8s (“don’t mess with me!”) while phobic sexual 6s use their coquettish behavior to disarm others and attract support in ways that resemble 4s. They mask their insecurity through open assertion and defiance of authority or through flirtation and seduction.
These 6s are highly aware of their physical attributes and use them to attract a powerful mate. They frequently test their significant other, to see if the person will stick around, and give them time to assess their character and fortitude. They are openly defiant of authority, especially when anxious. They are the most doubting of others and themselves version of the 6. They explode when others expose their insecurities or they feel threatened. When anxious, they may assert themselves against their own supporters or third parties rather than at the true source of their anxiety. Attempts at sabotaging others, undermining their reputation, or spreading rumors about them, are typical.
Unhealthy sexual 6s can be depressive and erratic, especially if they feel being impulsive and reactive has undermined or ruined their intimate connections. They alternate self-destructive and impulsive behavior with irrational lashing out at people. Paranoia toward particular, personal enemies may become part of the picture.
Influences on MBTI Types:
ISTJ: relies on extensive knowledge and research to prepare oneself for the worst, motivated through inferior Ne fears of “the great unknown”; unlikely to take risks, semi-aggressive in pointing out logical flaws; may become rigid in their belief system and traditionalist in their views.
ESTJ: a safety-first decision-maker and reluctant leader, who prepares for all possible negative outcomes and does not move forward until certain of success; may distrust and push away from their emotions, fearing they might be a source of “weakness,” leading to poor inferior Fi development (and insecurity in their relationships, which causes additional anxiety); prone to traditionalist or nationalist thinking (their ‘safe’ zone).
ISFJ: relies on extensive knowledge and research to prepare oneself for the worst, motivated through inferior Ne fears of “the great unknown”; unlikely to take risks, desperate to form emotional connections but hesitant to reveal too much personal information; extremely loyal and care giving toward those who win their trust, often uses self-depreciating humor to amuse others, but semi-detached from their feelings (over-reliant on analyzing and problem-solving with Ti).
ESFJ: takes on a mothering role in protecting and shepherding their loved ones / trying to anticipate and problem-solve any potential issues, eager to avoid risk, feels safest in familiar territory and/or with others who share their values; low Ne issues of paranoid suspicions, indecisive and second-guessing of their decisions (low Ne issues + 6 fearfulness); strong reliance on inferior Ti, but insecurity about its blind spots.
INTJ: distrustful and secretive, prone to negative idealization and/or may face high Ni conflict with 6 in trying to identify and eliminate problem areas as they go; may have trouble identifying a safe zone, and involve themselves in a rigid ideology to feel safe; pushes away from inferior Se / risk taking, overestimates how much they can accomplish at once; due to indecisiveness, may mistype as a Ne or Si type.
ENTJ: often builds their own system which enables them to feel safe, or distrusts authority other than their own; uses Se to deal with problems as they happen, but has a negative outlook on life and always prepares for the worst; may be indecisive and self-doubting, has inferior Fi issues of feeling anxious in their relationships, which combines with Ni ‘reading’ between the lines / into things overmuch.
INFJ: distrustful and secretive, prone to negative idealization and/or may face high Ni conflict with 6 in trying to identify and eliminate problem areas as they go; may have trouble identifying a safe zone, and involve themselves in a rigid ideology to feel safe; pushes away from inferior Se / risk taking, desperate to form emotional connections but hesitant to reveal too much personal information; extremely loyal and care giving toward those who win their trust, often uses self-depreciating humor to amuse others, but semi-detached from their feelings (over-reliant on analyzing and problem-solving with Ti).
ENFJ: takes on a mothering role in protecting and shepherding their loved ones / trying to anticipate and problem-solve any potential issues, eager to avoid risk, feels safest with others who share their values; uses Se to deal with problems as they happen, but has a negative outlook and always prepares for the worst; strong reliance on inferior Ti, but insecure about their relationships; may fall into a narrow ideology (Ni) to feel safe.
ESTP: far more risk-adverse and more analytical than other ESTPs, may mistype as an ISTP due to reliance on Ti, with inferior Ni struggling to identify future negative outcomes; prone to a lot of negativity about the future (and singular conclusions about it); less self-assured about their ability to wing things, prone to low-level anxiety over tert-Fe (the desire to connect to others, but uncertainty and suspicion causing detachment issues).
ISTP: intensely analytical, with frequent Ti/Ni loops (predicting the worst and preparing for it), not inclined to risk-taking, low NiFe desire to connect to a larger ideology or group who can provide security in being “right”; especially good at pointing out logical fallacies, and trusting of their ability to ‘read into’ authority figures’ motives.
ESFP: more covetous of traditionalism and rigid ideology than other ESFPs, prone to knee-jerk reactive (and often competent) impulses; less emotional and more driven to arm oneself with Te facts / logic / strong decision making, but struggles with continual self doubt, waffles on decisions once made, and feels insecure about going out on a limb alone; may cling to an ideology of the future that makes them feel safe (Ni).
ISFP: less emotional and more reliant on logic than other ISFPs, prone to Ni-looping (fear of singular negative outcomes, and then uses Te to try and effectively head them off); hard-working and responsible, but does not like additional responsibilities; may distrust their logic center, and feel safer when others agree with them. Prone to negativity and becoming secretive and withdrawn when anxious.
ENTP: quick to read beneath the surface and assign motives to authority figures, or point out flaws in proposed ideas; often indecisive, self-doubting, craves external affirmation and reassurances about their logic (tert-Fe needs); may be safety-conscious and reluctant to abandon old belief systems that root them into ‘feeling’ safe about the unknown (inferior Si); less risk-taking than other ENTPs, and more traditional / covetous of finding something, anything to cling to that seems “true.”
INTP: super-analytical and detached, wants to connect to a community through shared values (low Fe) but suspicious, distrustful, quick to read beneath the surface and assign motives to others or second-guess their relationships, often loyal to former ideologies or belief systems (faith, science, nationalism, family, etc) as their security checkpoint; will read up on many different things in order to “arm themselves for the worst.”
ENFP: quick to read beneath the surface and assign motives to authority figures, or point out flaws in proposed ideas; often indecisive, self-doubting, and distrustful of their Ne (they may not feel it is ‘practical’ in the real world) – which means over-reliance on tert-Te to problem solve, point out rational flaws in proposed ideas, and come up with worst-case scenarios instead of the usual Ne-dom optimism; may be detached from their emotions as a result of continual Ne/Te looping; may be safety-conscious and reluctant to abandon old belief systems that root them into ‘feeling’ safe about the unknown (inferior Si); less risk-taking than other ENFPs, and more traditional / covetous of finding something, anything to cling to that seems “true.”
INFP: less emotional and more reliant on logic than other INFPs, quick to read beneath the surface and assign motives to authority figures, or point out flaws in proposed ideas; often indecisive, self-doubting, and distrustful of their Ne (they may not feel it is ‘practical’ in the real world); strong Si-roots (areas in their thought process they refuse to question, challenge, or second-guess); may distrust their logic center, and feel safer when others agree with them. Prone to disappearing when anxious.
