#ahs enneagram

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American Horror Story Murder House: Tate Langdon - Type 4w3

Tate is sensitive, protective and reactive. Tate had a very dysfunctional childhood with Constance as his mother, and often rebelled against her ideals and desires. He hated being treated as her golden child.

Tate was extremely hard to type because I think there is little information about his motivations. In my interpretation of the show, it seems like there really is no ‘why’ for Tate’s actions (specifically the school shooting), instead it seems like it is a mixture of being influenced by the evil in the house and being predisposed to this behaviour. I also think Apocalypse changes a bit of his character, as it seems like he is not as ‘bad’ as he was in Murder House. I think he shows a lot of traits of different traits such as Type 4, Type 8 or even Type 2. I settled on Type 4, because I think a lot of his character is built around him feeling like an outsider and being sensitive to his emotions. 

At his best, Tate can be very protective of his family and is very emotional when they are hurt. Tate cares deeply about Violet and puts her feelings above his own, as we see when he tells Nora she can’t have the baby because it will hurt the Harmons. 

At his worst, Tate can be self-destructive and extremely overreactive. For example, he sets Larry on fire because he is so angry about him killing his brother Beauregard. He is also seen self-medicating and numbing his feelings with drugs. He can also be very needy and manipulative, which we can see with his relationship with Violet.

Tate becomes very attached to Violet because he feels like she is a source of light for him and is the only person he felt understood him. He tries to protect Violet from anything bad. For example, when she overdoses with sleeping pills, he hides her death from her and tries to help her come to terms with it. However, he can also be very obsessive and needy with Violet, and seems to want to isolate her from her family.

Tate has a very cynical and negative worldview. At times, he can come across like he is very depressive and moody. He often focuses on the negative aspects of society and believes the world to be a horror show. He appears to believe that he is doing a good thing by killing the students as he believes that the world is filthy and that death would be kind for them. 

I think Tate has balanced wings as he seems to be influenced by both 3 and 5 a bit. I lean towards wing 3 because he seems to be quite deceitful, and I think he is slightly different to Violet.

Tri-type: 4w3 - 8w7 - 7w8

Some quotes to describe Tate’s motivations

"Something has changed in you. Towards me. You're distant, cold. I don't know what I've done, but I'll leave you alone from now on if that's what you want. Is that what you want? You know why I'd leave you alone? Because I care about your feelings more than mine. I love you. There, I said it, not just on some chalkboard. I would never let anybody or anything hurt you. I've never felt that way about anyone."

"Hi I'm Tate, I'm dead, wanna hook up?"

"If you love someone, you should never hurt them."

"I prepare for the noble war. I'm calm, I know the secret. I know what's coming and I know no one can stop me, including myself. I kill people I like. Some of them beg for their life. I don't feel sad. I don't feel anything. It's a filthy world we live in. It's a filthy goddamn helpless world, and honestly, I feel like I'm helping to take them away from the shit, and the piss, and the vomit that run in the streets. I'm helping to take them to somewhere clean, and kind. There's something about all that blood, man. I drown in it. The Indians believed that blood holds all the bad spirits, and once a month in ceremonies they would cut themselves to let the spirits go free. Now, there is something smart about that, very smart. I like that. You think I'm crazy?"

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American Horror Story 1984: Donna Chambers - Type 5w4

Donna is intelligent, inquisitive and introspective. Donna has a strong desire to understand why people act the way they do and why people become ‘evil.’

At her best, Donna is seeking knowledge for the right reasons as she wants to make the world a better place. Donna is also very helpful towards Brooke because she wants to make it right with her. 

At her worst, Donna becomes singularly focused on her quest for knowledge, leading to her acting erratically. Donna doesn’t care about the consequences of her actions, or if her experiment is unethical.

Donna’s main motivation is to understand why people become serial killers. This stems from her past as Donna found out her father was a serial killer, and she couldn’t understand what would drive someone to this. Prior to the beginning of the series, Donna was completing a PhD in serial killers and had talked to many prolific serial killers. She decides to take her experiment to the next level and observe a serial killer in their natural environment. So, she decides to break Jingles out of prison and bring him back to Camp Redwood.

Donna has no problem compromising her personal ethics and morals for the sake of knowledge. For example, Donna kidnaps Nurse Rita and assumes her identity so she can better examine Jingles in the environment of Camp Redwood. Donna also drugs and ties up Brooke, so her experiment can continue. This can occur in unhealthy 5s as they become obsessed with the pursuit of knowledge and stop caring about others.

Donna shows her wing 4 as she is more abstract and creative than a wing 6 would be. She is also less people-oriented and more introverted than a 5w6 would be.

Tri-type: 5w4 - 4w5 - 1w9 

Some quotes to describe Donna’s motivations

“Sometimes sacrifices need to be made in the name of science."

"Anybody that knows anything about Camp Redwood doesn't want to be in Camp Redwood."

"Athletes are skanks”

"Victims of serial killers are overwhelmingly female. Thank you for your sacrifice. I promise you'll be remembered as a feminist hero.

"Don't worry. Nurse Rita's gonna make it all better!"

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American Horror Story Cult: Kai Anderson - Type 8w9

Kai is power hungry, unhinged and aggressive. Kai revels in the fact that Trump is elected because he feels like he has finally gained power. In a warped way, Kai sees himself as the oppressed party, and Trump empowers him. 

At his best, Kai does show remorse for killing Winter as he was very close to his sister. He also wants to have a relationship with Oz when he is under the belief that Oz is his son. 

At his worst, Kai is able to use his charisma and intelligence to entice people into joining his cult. He wants to destroy the world, believing that destruction is the only way it can be rebuilt in his image. Kai is singularly obsessed with his ‘cause’ and his cult (disintegrating to 5). 

Kai believes strength, power and chaos are really important. He is constantly telling his followers that they need to be strong and powerful, especially if they want to survive in the world. Kai wants to bring about chaos and destroy the current system of government. He makes people feel like they would not be safe without him as a means of gaining power over others. 

Kai is obsessed with fear and wants to use people’s weaknesses and fears against them. He makes his followers reveal their deepest fears, so that he can understand how to control him. Kai uses his followers vulnerabilities as a means of controlling them and plays to them when enticing people to join the cult. For example, he tries to make Meadow feel special, noticed and loved, as she is worried nobody cares about her. When she is going to leave the cult, he berates her and confirms her worst fears are true as a last ditch attempt to make sure she doesn’t leave.

However, Kai rejects the concept of being controlled and rarely tells his followers his fears or his secrets. He tells Beverly about his tragic backstory, but he hides the same thing from others. In my view, Kai is using his backstory as a way of gaining sympathy from Beverly, and only confided in her for his own personal interests.

Kai is openly misogynistic as he believes women are weaker than men. He prioritises men over women, and thinks that women could never lead effectively, because they lack strength and power. He also expresses homophobic and racist views, but this seems to be a bit of a front to gaining support from extremists. 

Kai shows his wing 9 as he is very calculating, strategic and introverted. He is very aggressive at times, but a lot of the time he tries to keep his feelings and emotions in check. 

Tri-type: 8w9 - cp6w7 - 3w4

Some quotes to describe Kai’s motivations

“The crown is heavy, Winter. I'm making hard choices everyday. Even harder ones going forward. This thing we're putting together, it's real. And it's gonna change the world. But I can't do it alone. Followers are followers, I tell them what they want to here and they will obey me. You and me are family, though. That matters. I need to know I can count on you, Winter. Can I count on you?”

“Are you with us, or are you against us and all we stand for?”

"Pain is a call to action. Pain is essential, just like anger is. Take pain in one hand and anger in the other. Use them."

"Believe me, Beverly Hope. If you get the world scared enough, they will set the world on fire for us."

"Women can't lead! Women can't win! They will always be outsmarted and outmuscled! They need to finally understand that what they can and should do is shut up, know their place and make me a goddamn sandwich!"

"Vote Kai Anderson! Vote for the man who can take your fear away! They're out there!"

"Slashing tires? You should be pulling out a knife and slashing their f*****g throats."

Kai: “They're at their best when they're angry. Don't you think?” Bebe: “Aren't we all?”

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American Horror Story Coven: Misty Day - Type 9w1

Misty is kind, caring and introverted. Misty has extraordinary abilities and she wants to use them to help others. She doesn’t need much to be happy in her life, all she needs is some Stevie Nicks and her nature.

At her best, Misty is one of the sweetest people in the Coven. Misty just wants to make everyone feel like they belong and wants everyone to get along. Misty uses her powers for good and often helped resurrect the members of the Coven like Myrtle and Madison.

At her worst, Misty can seem to be a bit inactive and passive. Compared to sone of the other witches, she is quite passive and can sometimes freeze in conflicts.

9s can often be quite in touch with nature and we see this with Misty. For example, she loves animals and when she sees animal poachers and kills them. Misty is also content living in the wild surrounded by nature and animals. I think she finds peace and quiet in nature which she wants.

9s are generally quite easygoing and like the simple things in life. Misty finds happiness in the little things in life. Her favourite thing is Stevie Nicks and will be happy if she's able to listen to her music. She is very easygoing and goes with the flow. I think she really looks up to Cordelia because she sees that Cordelia is a great leader but is also a nice person.

Misty really wants to find her place in the world and wants to belong. She knows that she is different from others as she has powers, but she still wants to be treated the same as everyone else. I think Misty’s ‘personal hell’ shows this as she is stuck in a place where people know she is different and treat her badly because of it. Misty also goes out of her way to be nice to others and make sure they feel like they are accepted.

Misty shows her wing 1 as she is more calm and introverted than a 9w8 would be. Her wings are quite balanced though and she does have a bit of an influence from 8 in her connection to nature.

Tri-type: 9w1 - 2w1 - 7w6

Some quotes to describe Misty's motivations

"I've surrounded myself with the white spirit light to protect me. And even if you do put me down, I've already made plans on how to bring myself back."

"Why would you kill God's innocent creatures?"

"You can't be your best self until you find your tribe. I'm still looking for mine."

"Can I say something? I don't wanna be the Supreme"

"No, I know what you're trying to do. Mess me up, make me doubt myself. You think I'm stupid because of where I came from. Well, I'm not so easily bought, and I ain't that easily fooled."

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American Horror Story Apocalypse: Michael Langdon - Type 8w9

Michael is powerful, sinister and complex. Michael is the embodiment of evil, and wants to have power over the entire world, however he wasn’t always like this. 

At his best, Michael just wanted the approval of the people he loved. In his relationship with Ben Harmon, as he does try to repress his impulses due to Ben’s influence. However, this is very short-lived and Michael gives into his dark desires after being shunned by Tate. He also seems to really love Mead and tries to help her and make sure she is ok. 

At his worst, Michael is power hungry and malevolent to the people around him and especially the Coven. He wants to destroy all the witches, so he cannot be stopped in his plans for the Apocalypse. Michael also becomes singularly focused on bringing about his plans and neglects all over things in his life.

Michael loves to find people’s weaknesses and use their weaknesses against them. When he first comes to Outpost 3, he interviews the survivors one by one and zeroes in on their fears and weaknesses. Michael then uses these fears to achieve his goals and to gain power over others. He also uses his charms and attractiveness as a way of getting people to do what he wants and making them give into their own impulses. For example, he seduces Mr. Gallant and then gaslights him, resulting in Mr. Gallant killing his grandmother. Michael also uses the warlocks so that he can gain more influence over the witches and fully enact his plans for the Apocalypse.

Michael’s fate was predetermined and impossible for him to escape. At times in his childhood, he didn’t seem to want to kill, instead it seems like he just wanted to gain acceptance from Constance and others he loved. After he meets the satanists, he feels like he is finally accepted and fully embraces his evil tendencies. Michael also had trouble controlling his actions and emotions. For example, after being rejected by Tate he murders innocents in the Murder House. 

Michael fears nothing and views fear as weakness. As a child he seemed to be less confident in himself and seemed to exhibit fear and remorse over his murderous tendencies. However, as he grew up he became fearless and stopped caring about the consequences of his actions. This makes Michael incredibly threatening to the people around him. For example, Venable is very afraid of Michael when he comes to the Outpost, as are the other survivors. 

He shows his wing 9 as he is more calculating and strategic than an 8w7 would be. Michael is also less likely to show his emotions and anger due to his 9 influence.

Tri-type: 8w9 - 4w3 - 6w5

Some quotes to describe Michael’s motivations

"I've been assigned to evaluate the people here and select the ones most worthy of survival. I could take all of you, or none of you. Those who make it live. Those who don't, end up like my horses."

"No need for rules anymore; Chaos has won."

"You see I have a talent, call it a kind of night vision of the soul. I can see into the dark places that people desperately try to keep hidden."

"When I'm done, you'll all wish you were still dead."

"True darkness requires a certain depth of character. You're much too shallow for any kind of meaningful negativity."

"She was the closest thing I had to a mother, and I was glad to have finally found a real home."

"I don't have any friends...I have no one..."

"I'm sorry. I don't wanna keep doing what I'm doing. I need help."

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American Horror Story Coven: Cordelia Foxx - Type 1w9

Cordelia is caring, gentle and intelligent. She is the polar opposite to Fiona and wants to use her power for good, rather than her own self-interests.

At her best, Cordelia becomes more confident in herself and her abilities, as we see when she becomes the Supreme. Cordelia is always very protective of the witches in the Coven and does whatever is necessary to protect them. 

At her worst, Cordelia is not above going to the dark side for the greater good. Cordelia also has a tendency to be passive-aggressive to Fiona as we see when she often makes sardonic comments towards her. She also resents Fiona for her neglecting her, and even tries to get Zoe to kill her which goes against her moral code.

A lot of Cordelia’s personality stems from her childhood with Fiona. Fiona was very critical of Cordelia and constantly criticised her for not being powerful enough. As a result, Cordelia’s powers were subdued due to her self-doubt and fear. After Cordelia loses her eye-sight she gains the ability of ‘second sight’ which makes her more confident in her powers. Cordelia’s full powers are finally realised with help from Myrtle and she becomes a much better Supreme than Fiona ever was.

1s have a great quality in that they can do what is necessary for the greater good, even if it means going against their own interests. We see this as Cordelia is extremely self-sacrificing and often puts the feelings of others above her own. For example, she purposely blinds herself after regaining her sight so that she can regain the ability of ‘second sight’ to help the Coven. In Apocalypse, she also kills herself so Mallory can become Supreme and stop Michael Langdon.

1s are often very idealistic and steadfast in their principles. Cordelia always wants to do what’s right for the Coven and according to her own moral code. I think she is portrayed as the opposite of Fiona (someone who cares mainly about her own self-interests), as she cares more about doing the right thing than gaining power.

Cordelia is constantly blaming herself for any failures of the Coven. She is very critical of herself and feels like she should be better. In Apocalypse, she believes that letting Queenie go to the Hotel and die was her greatest failure. 1s are generally very self-critical and guilty if they feel they have done the wrong thing, as we see with Cordelia.

Cordelia shows her wing 9 as she is more detached and reserved than a 1w2 would be. She also is more timid and conflict-averse due to her 9 wing.

Tri-type: 1w9 - 2w1 - 6w7

Some quotes to describe Cordelia’s motivations

"I'm high all right, but it's not the drugs. And rest assured, you will be accountable for every single betrayal, no matter how deep you think your secrets are buried. Now get out of here. Get out!"

"My effort to rescue Queenie is by far my greatest failure as Supreme."

"Because I'm the f*****g Supreme!"

“You think there’s only winning and losing, success and failure. But failure is when you’ve lost any semblance of hope.”

"When are you gonna die and stop ruining my life?"

Ariel: “What I think, Cordelia, is that you are your mother's daughter, who I knew fairly well. You may come with a kinder facade, but deep down, you're nothing more than a weak, frightened woman, just like Fiona.” Cordelia: “With a flick of my finger, I could crush your larynx and tear it from your throat. Do not for one second think I am weak. I have humored you men, and coddled your fragile egos, but in no way does that mean you actually have a say. I outrank you. I can destroy you. So I suggest you fall in line, because I am still your Supreme.”

Myrtle Snow: “I'm trying to give you une demi tasse de realite, darling. Let's be honest. Living in Fiona's shadow is a challenge. What are your options when your mother's Hillary Clinton? Between us chickens, no matter how hard I worked at it, I never felt special, either. But with my reemergence from the flames - look at me, I'm fabulous, reinvigorated, one never knows what the universe has in store for us!” Cordelia: “Oh, stop, stop talking, you are insane, my god, I am an absolute failure! Everything that Fiona says is true! I don't belong here anymore, I don't belong anywhere”

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American Horror Story Hotel: John Lowe - 1w9

John is hardworking, meticulous and principled. John is searching for the Ten Commandments killer because he values justice very much and wants to expose the truth.

At his best, John cares deeply for his family and wants to do right by them. He also becomes less hard on himself for his mistakes. 

At his worst, John becomes increasingly unhinged as the Ten Commandments killer. He believes he is always right and that he is the only one who can ‘fix’ the world. John also has a tendency to be very hypocritical, as he does ‘bad’ things while preaching about principles. For example, as the Ten Commandments he kills a ‘cheater’ while being a cheater himself. 

1s are usually very meticulous and perfectionistic, which we see with John. As a detective, John is very attentive to details and often sees things that others miss. He also portrays a very well put-together image to the world, and takes pride in his appearance. 

John represses most of his desires, as he wants to stay in control of his life, which is very common among type 1s. For example, John feels like he shouldn’t drink because he has convinced himself that he is an alcoholic and that makes him feel out of control. 

John suffers from periods of unconsciousness, and spends much of the season not knowing that he is the Ten Commandments Killer. So, when John realises that he is the Ten Commandments Killer, he feels intense remorse and tries to confess his crimes to his partner Andrew. However, Andrew tells him that it’s impossible, leading him to return to the Hotel and fully embrace being the killer.

His main motivations for being the Ten Commandments Killer is that he feels like he is the only one that can ‘correct’ the world. John has disdain for the legal system and sometimes feels like vigilantism would be a better way of achieving justice. He has completely convinced himself that his killings are a righteous act, as an excuse for his murderous urges.

John shows his wing 9 as he is more repressed and introverted than a 1w2 would be. He is also generally more conflict averse and calm due to his 9 wing influence.

Tri-type: 1w9 - 6w5 - 4w5

Some quotes to describe John’s motivations

“There’s no such thing as justice anymore.”

“I once walked in on a 273D, domestic dispute in progress. It took everything I had not to.. pound this guy's face, make him swallow his own teeth and blood. If it was up to me? I don't need a judge to tell me whether someone's guilty or not, I know. If they took the leash of me, crime would truly drop in this city.“

“Real criminals never pay”

“People do enough damage without help from the afterlife.”

“I pay for my own drinks. It’s cheaper than whatever it is you want from me.”

“This is my breakdown. I’m gonna have it”

Liz: “Control...is an illusion.” John: “Tonight I surrender to the illusion.”

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American Horror Story Coven: Madison Montgomery - Type 3w2

Madison is charismatic, sharp-tongued and confident. She loves talking about being a famous movie star, and loves to be recognised as such. She also has a need for the approval and validation of others.

At her best, Madison does seem to have a genuine friendship with Zoe at the beginning of Coven, although it quickly deteriorates. In Apocalypse, she tries to do the right thing by helping the Coven defeat Michael and is more selfless (integrating to 6). Madison realised that there was more to life than she originally thought, and treated her resurrection by Michael as a second chance to be a better person.

At her worst, Madison can be cruel and shows some sociopathic tendencies. For example, she feels like she needs to kill Misty because she is afraid she is the next Supreme and shows no remorse. After being resurrected, she becomes power-hungry and wants to ‘win’ being the Supreme at any cost. At the same time, she becomes very detached and depressed (disintegrating to 9).

She puts up a facade of being tough and uses cruelty as a coping mechanism. Madison wanted to be a part of the Coven and she felt like being the Supreme would show that she is worthy. When Fiona offers to teach her, Madison is happy because she sees Fiona as a mother figure and wants validation from her, until Fiona kills her and she wants revenge.

Madison projects an aura of superiority towards the other members of the Coven. She is constantly teasing them and putting them down, presumably to make herself feel better. Madison feels like no one is ‘cool’ enough to hang out with her, until she decides Zoe is her new best friend.

Madison came from a poor background and was somewhat forced into the spotlight by her parents. Since she achieved success at an early age, she did have a bit of an inflated ego. She also felt like she had to be famous and successful for her family and also for her own self-worth. 

Unhealthy 3s can be less connected to their emotions, as we see with Madison. Even before her death, I think Madison was not in touch with her emotions and instead tried to numb them with drugs. After her death, she feels even more lost as she cannot feel any physical sensations. 

Madison shows her wing 2 as she is more concerned with the way other people view her than achievements than a 3w4 would be. 

Tri-type: 3w2 - 7w8 - 8w7

Some quotes to describe Madison’s motivations

"Poor Fifi, as my powers grow, yours fade away."

“Either crown me or kiss my ass.”

"Who are you? Huh? You're not even the star of your own hell. You're a nameless day player in my eternal suffering."

"I don't really have the disposition for motherhood. If my child wasn't cool or good looking, there's no way I'd love it."

"Welcome to the revolution carrot-top. As the next Supreme, I'm going to drag this coven out of the dark ages. Crotchless panties for everyone."

"Well, I've always had the curse of being right and knowing more than everyone else, so I guess me knowing I'm in hell is ironic or something."

"I am a Millennial. Generation Y. Born between the birth of AIDS and 9/11, give or take. They call us "the Global Generation". We are known for our entitlement and narcissism. Some say it’s because we’re the first generation where every kid gets a trophy just for showing up. Others think it’s because social media allows us to post every time we fart or have a sandwich for all the world to see. But it seems that our one defining trait is a numbness to the world, an indifference to suffering." 

“If you asked me a few years ago, I'd be hitting up my coke dealer right now. But I got a second chance at life. A third one, actually. I can't f**k it up.“