If type Seven is a pleasure-seeking type, Sevens with an Eight-Wing don’t live exclusively for pleasure and are more goal-oriented and ambitious. To them, work is another excellent way to distract themselves from unhappy thoughts. If you are unsure about your Enneagram type, you can take this test before you continue reading.
More than any other type, Sevens use the manic defense to deal with unpleasantness and anxiety.
The essence of the manic defense is to prevent uncomfortable feelings from entering the conscious mind by keeping yourself busy or entertained.
7w8 lifestyle is intense — 7w8 people spend their time rushing around from one activity to the next. They feel like they need to be doing something all the time, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be leisure activities.
Keeping up with 7w8 is not easy. And 7w8 tendency to be somewhat neglectful when it comes to relationships with their significant others, family and even friends makes it even more complicated.
When it comes to relationships, people who belong to Enneagram 7 Wing 8 personality type are very clear about their needs and expectations. However, they aren’t very considerate of other people’s needs.
To make things worse, they don’t make their wishes known to make others comfortable to share theirs. It’s more like, “Here’s what I am about to do… Take it or leave it!”
It’s important to mention that these negative characteristics will be more evident in unhealthy types. Healthy 7w8 are typically more self-aware. They know their blind spots and make an intentional effort to slow down and evaluate their life.
7w8 (also known as the Realist) is an interesting combination. Type Seven is all about experiencing the best of this world and avoiding the unpleasantness of life while the Eight-Wing makes 7w8 very self-confident, assertive, and driven.
In addition, the core type Seven is excellent at producing new ideas but doesn’t necessarily have what it takes to follow through. Having an Eight-Wing, however, helps 7w8 reach their goals so that financial limitations do not stand in the way of having more exclusive experiences they crave.
In this sense, the 7w8 is similar to the 8w7 — both are looking for freedom, control, and experiences. The difference between the 7w8 and the 8w7 is their core personality types.
The core personality type is like a filter through which we see the world.
In the Enneagram model, the reason why we do things we do — our motivation — is defined by our core personality type. Our wings are just an extra flavor.
For the 8w7 being invulnerable and desire to control their environment come first and experiences second. For the 7w8, however, this order is reversed.
And still, it’s easy for a 7w8 with a strong Eight-Wing to mistype as an 8w7. In some cases, finding the correct Enneagram type involves quite a bit of self-examination, which isn’t for everybody.
Understanding one’s inner world cannot be accomplished by only looking at outward expressions of one’s behavior.
Some personality types may look similar; however, they do the same things for very different reasons. And sometimes we aren’t ready to acknowledge the truth about ourselves.
In this example, some 7w8 may prefer to think they are 8w7 because our society judges escapists and respects workaholics.
And in all honesty, these two subtypes look very similar, and finding out the correct type can be only accomplished by examining the underlying need that drives their behavior.
Because 7w8 are fundamentally Sevens, they appear more cheerful and enthusiastic than 8w7.
A typical 7w8 is less rebellious and confrontational than 8w7. 7w8 people prefer diplomacy over confrontation, and unlike 8w7, are less likely to attack their opponents first.
8w7 are more protective of their loved ones than 7w8. 7w8 put themselves first and generally believe that others should be able to take care of themselves just like they do.
To sum up the difference between the two types, 8w7 focuses on power and control, while 7w8 focuses on planning and play.
You may want to read type 7 and type 8 profiles, as well as 8w7 profile.
Enneagram Test Type 7: 100 Signs You Are a Seven