Core motivation: to preserve the status quo, live in harmony with others
Coping strategies: avoiding conflicts and avoiding acknowledging problems
Fundamental needs: peace and harmony
Other names: The Peacemaker, The Mediator
Healthy: likable, humble, calm, optimistic, supportive, non-confrontational
Average: passive, complacent, imaginative, adaptable
Unhealthy: lazy, passive-aggressive, stubborn, unmotivated, depressed
If you don’t know your Enneagram type, try this test.
To understand type 9, it’s essential to understand their core desire: to live in peace and harmony.
Nines have found their balance, and they don’t want anyone or anything to disturb it.
They want to continue living in their happy world, with no significant ups or downs.
Any attempt to drag them out of this world is likely to be met with passive resistance.
It isn’t because Nines have no opinions of their own.
It isn’t because Nines are lazy sloths.
In fact, Nines can be and often are very wise.
First, they can understand many different perspectives.
Second, they don’t rush to conclusions.
Third, they realize that most problems aren’t worth worrying about.
And yes, they definitely have their own opinions, but they don’t believe they have to express them every time.
Productive
Nines aren’t necessarily lazy couch potatoes. Some Nines can be very active and productive. Once they choose their objective, they aren’t easily distracted by rabbit tracks like some other Enneagram types.
Considerate
Nines don’t gossip, and it’s not because they don’t want to express their opinions. The reason why they don’t gossip is
First, they find gossiping extremely distasteful.
Second, they genuinely don’t want to hurt other people’s feelings.
Calm
Nines rarely experience strong emotions — positive or negative.
Objective
Nines don’t usually express strong opinions because, most of the time, they can see the same problem from different perspectives.
On top of that, they are expert mediators. Calm and objective Nines are excellent at diffusing tension and resolving disputes.
Passive-aggressive
Nines have their own passive-aggressive ways of dealing with disagreements.
Instead of yelling and arguing, they will tune the opponent out and sit passively doing nothing. They know very well that this strategy can drive some other types insane and make them look bad. That’s precisely what they are trying to achieve!
When Nines are asked to do something they don’t want to do, they may appear agreeable and do nothing.
Escapist
When Nines don’t want to face reality, they may use different forms of distraction, such as reading, watching television, playing games, etc.
And it doesn’t have to be traditional entertainment. Some Nines may be into reading about history or science or simply accumulating useful information.
Tired
Because Nines avoid dealing with their problems and suppress their emotions, they often feel exhausted. They may sleep a lot or take lots of naps.
Momentum
Nines have a strong tendency to go with the flow. Once the momentum picks up, they keep going in that direction.
It could be something positive or negative, such as being super active or lazy, but once they started, they tend to do what they are doing.
As a consequence, you can often see Nines stuck in dead-end jobs or bad relationships or both!
Changing the direction is very hard for Nines.
Denial
Nines want to live in peace in their own happy world they have built for themselves with no significant ups and downs.
When a problem arises, unhealthy Nines are likely to ignore it. When someone demands them to do something about it, they may downplay the importance of the issue.
“Don’t worry. It’s going to be fine.”
“There is nothing we can do about it anyway.”
If they are still forced to do something about it, they will only do the absolute minimum to satisfy the demand.
Very unhealthy Nines can ignore medical problems of their own or their family members.
Unhealthy Nines spouses and children realize that they are entirely unreliable, while Nines do not understand how much suffering their negligence causes to their family.
Selfish or Selfless?
There is a stereotype about Nines that they hesitate to express their needs and prioritize everyone else. While it’s certainly true about some Nines, this isn’t a rule. Some Nines prioritize their peace and comfort, even at the expense of others.
Selfish or Selfless: Egoism and Altruism Test
Hesitant
One of the reasons why Nines don’t usually assert their needs is that many a time, Nines themselves don’t know what they want.
Because since their early years, Nines are trained to ignore themselves and please others, many adult Nines have no idea what would make them happy.
However, it’s important to remember that every Nine has either an Eight-wing or a One-wing. Those with a strong Eight-wing can be very assertive. Those with a strong One-wing can be very principled.
They don’t necessarily always go along to get along and can assert their need for peace quite aggressively.
For example, they may sometimes not pick up their phone or not answer texts because they want to relax. They might become angry because you had woken them up.
In moments like these, they aren’t particularly concerned about what other people think about them.
Likable
Nines’ emotional steadiness and gentleness make them good friends.
However, Nines may sometimes struggle to establish deep connections because that requires sharing real opinions and feelings, which doesn’t come naturally to Nines.
Wings
The Nine with a One-Wing (9w1)
The Nine with an Eight-Wing (9w8)
Famous Nines
- Keanu Reeves
- Carl Jung
Enneagram Type 9 and MBTI
Nines are likely to test as ISTPs and INFPs.