Countertypes Flashcards
Type 1 Countertype
Enneagram 1: the Sexual One
The passion of One is anger and repressing anger as a means to perfection and virtue. However, the Sexual One is the only One type who is explicitly angry, and expressing their anger as a way of improving others and get what they want. The Sexual One focuses more on perfecting others than perfecting or being perfect themselves, as the Self-pres and Social Ones do. The Sexual One may look like Eights.
Type 9 Countertype
Enneagram 9: the Social Nine
The passion of Nine is sloth or laziness, meaning falling asleep to (or being unaware of) own feelings, needs and desires, and a refusal to change. However, while the Self-pres and Sexual Nines passively fall asleep to these aspects of themselves, the Social Nines actively fall asleep. Social Nines will often fill their lives with everything but themselves, working very hard to meet the needs of others, and merging with a group. There is an unconscious belief that others have a “free pass” to a group, while the Social Nine needs to work twice as hard to get group admission. Thus, they may look like Twos or Threes.
Type 8 Countertype
Enneagram 8: the Social Eight
The passion of Eight is lust, a drive to fill up an inner emptiness through physical gratification. Lust means a need for intensity in all manner of stimulation. The Social Eight is the countertype, not because they express lust and aggression in service of self, but in the service of others. These are the helpful Eights who appear less aggressive and very loyal. They have a need to protect others who are vulnerable, instead of protecting their own vulnerability, and thus they may seem like Twos or Nines.
Type 7 Countertype
Enneagram 7: the Social Seven
The passion of Seven is gluttony, meaning the passion of pleasure and a desire for more, excessive consumption of whatever brings pleasure. With the Social Seven, however, there is a kind of anti-gluttony, a belief that gluttony means selfishness, and the Social Seven cannot be selfish. Therefore, they will sacrifice their own gluttony - letting others have the final piece of the cake, refusing to exploit others for personal gain, etc. They want to be seen as good for sacrificing their needs and are often mistyped as Twos, Eights or Nines.
Type 6 Countertype
Enneagram 6: the Sexual Six
Probably the most famous of the countertypes, the Sexual Six goes against the Sixes’ passion of fear by facing fear directly. This type is more commonly referred to as Counterphobic Six. There is a need to be brave within this countertype, by becoming strong and intimidating. They trust themselves more than others, and they see the best defense like a good offense. Often, they can be somewhat anti-authority. This type may look like Eights.
Type 5 Countertype
Enneagram 5: the Sexual Five
The passion of Five is avarice, meaning holding back and holding in - a hoard of time, space and resources out of fear of impending impoverishment. On the outside, the Sexual Five may not look very different from the other types, but on the inside, this Five has a need for expressing or sharing their vibrant inner life with an ideal partner. They have a need to find a partner who fulfills an ideal of trust, yet they are still cut off from people in some ways. This is a romantic and emotional Five, often in some artistic field, like photographing, painting, or music, and they may seem like Fours.
Type 4 Countertype
Enneagram 4: the Self-pres Four
The passion of Four is envy, which manifests as a way of suffering, a craving towards something which is lacking in them, that others have. But while the Sexual and Social Fours expresses their suffering, the Self-pres Fours choose to suffer in silence. This is the person who was taught at an early age that negative emotions are unacceptable, and therefore they are quiet about their pain as a way of being good and earning love. Self-pres Fours can be stoic, work hard and be hard on themselves as a way of coping with envy, and they may look like Ones, Threes, or even Fives or Sevens.
Type 3 Countertype
Enneagram 3: the Self-pres Three
The passion for Three is vanity, concerning self-image or “living in the eyes of others.” In the Self-pres Three, however, there is a sense of vanity for having no vanity. This Three will not seek admiration from others, and may even frown upon others who openly seek admiration. There may be a sense of “if I don’t need to brag, you don’t need to brag.” Instead of striving to look good, the Self-pres Three wants to be good. They work hard and effectively and as a result, Self-pres Threes can look like Ones or Sixes.
Type 2 Countertype
Enneagram 2: the Self-pres Two
The passion of Two is pride, and in the language of the Enneagram, this is seen as a need for self-inflation and gets expressed as false generosity in service of seduction and self-evaluation. In the Self-pres Two pride is harder to see, as they are more fearful of connecting with others. Self-pres Twos focus on “seducing” others by being like a child - cute and innocent, someone others would want to take care of. Thus, they focus more on getting their own needs met than meeting others’ needs as a means of receiving love. Self-pres Twos can look like Fours or Sixes.
