The stereotype that Nines can’t express their opinions and are generally lazy isn’t usually true.
And one of the reasons why this isn’t true is because each personality type is affected by other types that are located near it on the Enneagram wheel.
In the Enneagram model, they are called wings.
Type 9 can have either an Eight-wing or a One-wing. Because every Nine is affected by one of the wings and to a different degree, all Nines are different and have different ‘flavors’.
9w1s, for example, are more intellectual than their 9w8 counterparts. They are also much less emotional.
Because both type 9 and type 1 tend to repress their feelings, 9w1s seem very controlled.
Because type 1 is a somewhat idealistic type that lives by its values, there is more sense of purpose in 9w1s.
Also, like Ones, 9w1s can become very critical of those who don’t share their values. They also use much higher standards to judge other people’s work.
Yet, Nines will be Nines. They never become as rigid as some unhealthy Ones. Their core desire is still to live in peace and not to be disturbed by anyone or anything.
Although 9w1s may have their principles, they are more moderate than some Ones.
9w1s enjoy reading because reading helps them escape life problems. They particularly like abstract ideas and concepts. It doesn’t have to be actionable to appeal to 9w1s.
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9w1s can have many original ideas; however, they don’t always make them become a reality.
Less than healthy 9w1s may be somewhat lazy, and even though they enjoy thinking about what they could potentially do, they don’t always follow through.
Besides, attempting to do something new and original would expose 9w1s to potential discomfort.
They could fail.
Things could not work out.
Other people could reject them.
Maintaining the status quo seems more important to 9w1s.
Thanks to their core type, 9w1s are friendly, understanding, and generally pleasant to be around.
They are also very objective and able to understand different points of view.
Calm and supportive 9w1s make great friends and partners.
Some of the most suitable jobs for 9w1s are
- teacher
- therapist
- psychologist
9w1s respect traditional values as long as they don’t interfere with their desire for peace.
They want to have an orderly and respectable life. They want to look and behave in a manner that is appropriate to their culture.
To sum up, 9w1s are
- friendly
- objective
- appropriate
- easygoing
- calm
- respectable
Are you a 9w1 or a 1w9?
Usually, it’s easy to tell them apart, but things can become confusing for those whose other wing is strong.
1w9s have strong opinions, and they can argue their position quite aggressively. They tend to think in black and white terms.
9w1s are more easygoing and pleasant to be around. They have their opinions, but most of the time, they can see why other people feel about certain subjects the way they do.
If you aren’t sure about your type, you can take all nine in-depth Enneagram tests for each personality type and compare results.