Enneagram Wings: Descriptions For Each of The 18

Knowing your dominant Enneagram personality type will help you to understand yourself better. Furthermore, learning more about the enneagram wings will enhance your understanding to a much greater degree. You can start to explore the 18 Enneagram wings and better understand your motivations, actions, and decision-making. Each Enneagram basic personality type has two possible wing types, giving you a total of 18 Enneagram wings. You can find your dominant enneagram wing type by taking our Free Enneagram Test (Enneagram Test page) if you don't already know it. Continue reading to learn more about Enneagram wings, what they are, and how Enneagram wings function. Also, discover the descriptions of each Enneagram wing type and their characteristics.

The Meaning Of The Enneagram Wings

An Enneagram Wing(s) is the pair of types next to your dominant personality type. Two numbers are located directly next to each type of Enneagram. These numbers represent the wings of dominant personality types.

Every person has their own, unique personality. These descriptions of each Enneagram personality type provide helpful summaries.

Even with that said, every person interacts and reacts differently, even while sharing the same Enneagram number.

The Enneagram uses wings to help understand and explain the complexity of personality.

The Enneagram wings can influence thinking and behavior because people will still identify closely with certain core motivations.

Each person has a dominant personality type, but each can relate to the others in some way.

Importance Of Understanding Enneagram Wings

It is crucial to understand Enneagram wings. Each personality type’s wings have a significant impact on each other and understanding them will help you understand your motivations.

The comprehension of each enneagram wing’s influence can help you avoid weaknesses and lean into your strengths when necessary.

Each type’s wings can seem to contradict the dominant Enneagram personality type they are associated with. These attributes can be used to help you grow and develop more helpful traits.

Learning and understanding the enneagram wings will:

  • help you discover yourself
  • enhance, and improve your journey of self-discovery
  • help you better understand others
  • strengthen your relationships

Understanding your Enneagram type will help you recognize your behavior and make better decisions.

This can help you develop positive qualities that will assist you in avoiding hurting others and/or yourself.

Enneagram Wings: How Do They Work?

Enneagram wings influence your dominant Enneagram personality to make decisions.

They complement or contradict your dominant type’s characteristics and enhance your personality.

Ian Cron explains how enneagram wings can be used to season our core type. As spices can be added to food to enhance or alter its flavor, enneagram wings can “season” the dominant type by drawing from the unique qualities of each wing.

This adds variety to the individual’s personality.

How Do Wings Influence Your Enneagram Type?

Your personality type can be affected by the wings of each type of Enneagram positively or negatively.

How self-aware an individual is will determine their ability to track how motivations affect them.

It is worth engaging in exploratory work to evaluate one’s emotional intelligence and health.

How Enneagram Wings Can Make The Same Enneagram Appear Different

Your thought and behavioral patterns can be affected by your enneagram wings.

This occurs because the dominant Enneagram type you have and your enneagram wings have different motivations.

Therefore, it is vital to know the motivations of the enneagram types and to which you most identify with in order to manage how to maximize or limit the influence of the wings.

Because Enneagram wings are dynamic, they can have a series of different impacts on the dominant personality type.

This is why people with the same dominant Enneagram type may have different personalities.

Drawing From Both Wings Of Your Dominant Type

Although you only have one dominant Enneagram type-wing, you can still tune in to both your wings and use the attributes of both types in daily life.

You can draw on the strengths of both your wings by working to improve self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and other aspects.

A healthy Enneagram 4 can, for example, use both the third and fifth wing attributes if needed.

They can display the outgoing, entertaining characteristics of the third wing when they are in public, or they can also use the fifth wing’s thoughtfulness, focusing, and focus qualities on accomplishing their chores in their own space.

As one grows in self-awareness and intention, you can draw on the unique strengths that their enneagram wings offer.

4 Practical Tips On How To Draw from Both Wings of Your Dominant Style

  1. Understanding Your Enneagram Type: By understanding what type you are, you can identify your personality traits and behavior patterns.
  2. Develop & Increase Self-Awareness: You can become more aware of your strengths and weaknesses, recognize your actions, and improve yourself.
  3. Be Kind To Yourself & Work Through Limitations: Sometimes being harsh on yourself can lead to more harm than good. Accepting your unique, healthy traits and loving yourself as you are is the best thing. It’s okay to work through your limitations over time as you grow as a person.
  4. Use & Apply What You Know: Once you clearly understand how your dominant type and wings affect you, you can start to use what you know in your thinking, relationships, and daily life.

How To Identify My Enneagram Wing

Your enneagram number wing(s), or enneagram wing(s), are the numbers that are directly adjacent to your dominant type.

If you are new to the Enneagram of Personality, you might wonder if your wing could include any of the nine numbers. In fact, this is not possible.

If your dominant type is 5, then your wing can’t be a 2. An Enneagram Five’s wings can only be between 4 and 6. Only your dominant personality type can be located adjacent to your Enneagram wings.

Sometimes your dominant wing can be so strong that you might be unsure if it’s your personality type. In order to be sure, you should absolutely take Enneagram Tests.

You can go to our Free Enneagram Test here (Enneagram Test page).

How Do I Determine My Enneagram Wings?

Similar to determining your Enneagram, you need to consider the motivations and leanings of each wing to determine which one is your dominant.

It can be hard to determine which Enneagram wing is your dominant because some people are consciously in tune with both their Enneagram wings.

Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each wing is the best way for you to identify which wing you rely on most.

The Wings Of Each Enneagram Type

  • Type 1 (The Reformer): 1w9 – 1w2
  • Type 2 (The Helper): 2w1 – 2w3
  • Type 3 (The Achiever): 3w2 – 3w4
  • Type 4 (The Individualist): 4w3 – 4w5
  • Type 5 (The Observer): 5w4 – 5w6
  • Type 6 (The Loyalist): 6w5 – 6w7
  • Type 7 (The Enthusiast): 7w6 – 7w8
  • Type 8 (The Challenger): 8w7 – 8w9
  • Type 9 (The Peacemaker): 9w8 – 9w1

Descriptions Of Enneagram Wings

Two people may share the same dominant Enneagram personality types, but depending on how much their wing type influences them, it can make them seem quite different.

Your Enneagram wing type is like a seasoning for your personality. Your traits can complement or counter the expected behaviors of your personality types.

Enneagram Type 1 Wings

1w9

An enneagram 1w9 is more introverted than an enneagram 1w2. Because you think before speaking, it is easier to avoid saying things that are not in your best interest. Sometimes it takes you so long to think that you procrastinate. This type of wing is more adept at maintaining relationships.

1w2

An enneagram 1w2 is more extroverted. They are warm-natured and outgoing. A 1w2 is more compassionate and understanding, and will be more inclined to help others. Although you are an excellent problem-solver, you can also be a bit more critical and controlling.

Enneagram Type 2 Wings

2w1

An enneagram 2w1 tends to help others but is more focused on providing the right help that is compatible with your morals. Your goal is to be viewed as someone people can trust and as responsible. This wing can make you more critical of yourself, making it difficult to express your needs.

2w3

Enneagram 2w3s tend to be more image-conscious and ambitious than the 2w1. You are more outgoing and inclined to make connections with people around you. Because you are competitive, you make a great leader. You enjoy being viewed as an expert.

Enneagram Type 3 Wings

3w2

Enneagram 3w2’s can be charming and persistent. They make great entertainers or salespeople. You want attention from others, and you can become angry or aggressive if it isn’t given. Even though you desire to be acknowledged for your accomplishments, you are willing to help others.

3w4

An enneagram 3w4 is more concerned with being authentic to oneself than a 3w2. The difference between your dominant and wing types may cause confusion because your dominant type tends to be more social chameleon while your wing style values being unique. So while you may pretend to be someone in a crowd, you know that you are not who they think.

Enneagram Type 4 Wings

4w3

You always want to be the best because you have that competitive heart and energy as 4w3. The third wing is more image-conscious than the fifth, so you are better at controlling your emotions. You desire to be different but still accepted by society.

4w5

4w5’s tend to be more introverted, and both these influences don’t really mind being by themselves. Because you are drawn to the avant-garde or eccentric, you have artistic interests that are unique. So you value being unique and different without the need to be seen or noticed compared to the 4w3.

Enneagram Type 5 Wings

5w4

An enneagram 5w4 possesses more empathy and sensitiveness than a 5w6. Sometimes, you may appear more self-absorbed than a 5w6. Type fours and fives are more independent because they both enjoy their own company. Your creative personality is eccentric, and you are attracted to the unexpected.

5w6

The 5w6 Enneagram tends to be more cautious and anxious when influenced by both types. You are more social than the 5w4, but you’re loyal to your family and loved ones. You are conscious of your fears, so you surround yourself with familiar people. Sometimes you can come across as awkward socially.

Enneagram Type 6 Wings

6w5

A 6w5 is more introverted and self-controlled than a 6w7, therefore, more intellectual. People you surround yourself with are leaders and people who share your values. You can enjoy your privacy but be seen as distant because the fifth wing affects and influences you.

6w7

An enneagram 6w7 is playful, fun, and entertaining. You tend to be more adventurous and outgoing for a type 6 but not as risky as a dominant seven. Sixes tend to be anxious but always have a backup plan if things go wrong.

Enneagram Type 7 Wings

7w6

An enneagram 7w6 tends to be more calm than rambunctious. Your pace is slower than a typical seven; thus, you take longer to complete tasks or projects. A 7w6 commits to more relationships than those with 7w8.

7w8

Because of their fast pace and competitive attitude, 7w8s can seem reckless. You can be assertive when expressing your opinions and even become aggressive when other people disagree with you. You’re more interested in having fun than you are in gaining power.

Enneagram Type 9 Wings

9w8

An enneagram 9w8 can feel conflicted, as type nines avoid anger while the eight-wing influences anger. While you are more confident, you have stubborn and passive-aggressive tendencies.

When there is conflict, you have greater access to your anger and express your feelings more freely.

9w1

An enneagram 9w1 is more able to distinguish right from wrong and can focus their efforts on achieving their goals.

You tend to be more critical and introverted than type nine with an eight wing. You are more likely than others to be involved in social justice because of the influence of wing 1.

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