#hornevian

[enneagramphilosophy]

Rational Emotions

Types 1, 2 and 6 of the Compliant Types all the psychological mechanism of rationalising in order to deal with the emotions of their respective dominant centres. Emotions as innately irrational experiences may not lend themselves to this process well and this thus forms the problem point for these types.  Type 1 looks to rationalise their anger and manifests this into righteousness. Anger is seen as response to injustice and disorder and so this motivates Type 1 to work within their means to restore order as a means of quelling the source of their anger. Whilst rage or raw anger is seen as disorderly, the justification allows Type 1 to tap into the physical energy of the centre within their belief system. Type 2 observes their shame and inadequacy as a failure of their goodness. Guilt as an emotion is without reason or cause but with rationalisation, the emotion is linked to needs and attending to the needs in others. In being of use and helping others needs, the emotion is alleviated. This then reinforces to connection of an internal emotion being intrinsically linked to an external source. Type 6 works on rationalising their fear and anxiety. In a heightened fight or flight state, there must be a cause. Everything in their external or internal environment is a potential cause of the fear and thus needs to be doubted or examined before being accepted. This leads to the uncertainty and ambivalence of the type as each subject is moved between acceptance and rejection. 

Although social compliance is a key link in this Hornevian triad, it would seem that each also seems to comply with the energy of the dominant centre. By working within a rational framework, the irrationality of the emotions can be addressed so as not to overwhelm the psyche. 

[intj-a]

The Hornevian Triads

The Hornevian triads are the types’ social styles. They signify the way your type approaches the world, and they’re organized by the direction the types move among others.  

The Compliant Stance: 1, 2, 6 

This triad is superego-sensitive and has balancing energy. They move with other people and live life through their ideals and instincts.  They’re focused more on society and the people around them rather than themselves, and they act accordingly to what’s happening around them. This triad is focused on ideas of how things should be and what is right. They are both active and receptive.  

1 action: type 1s direct their focus to societal standards. They act to maintain truth in their community and are preoccupied with “the right way.” Type 1s are motivated to acting just and often feel a strong sense of responsibility. 

2 action: type 2s are focused on people and knowing what everyone else needs. They’re attracted to activities that help them care for others. 

6 action: type 6s focus on their current situation and remain consistently aware of any danger or harm. They strongly assert acting in a dutiful manner. 

The Assertive Stance: 3, 7, 8

This triad is ego-sensitive and has innate active energy. They move against others and focus on impulses of action to achieve their desires. These types can be very direct and forthright about their goals.  They analyze what they want and act to gain it.. These types want to make things happen and are centered around practicality. They sometimes have trouble forming deep relationships.

3 assertion: type 3s are subtly assertive and focus on their own goals. They can easily adapt to change. They are attracted to channeling their activity and energy through work and make an effort to serve their needs.

7 assertion: type 7 assertion is brought out into new possibilities and they’re opportunity focused. 7s are deeply motivated to planning and experience impulses that refrain them from feeling boredom. 

8 assertion: type 8s are assertive often, might become aggressive, and are focused on their own will. They carry their energy in their movement and will fight back if restrained. 

The Withdrawn Stance: 4, 5, 9

This triad is subconscious-sensitive and has deep-seated receptive energy. These types move away from the outside and are focused on either thinking or feeling, which makes them very imaginative. This triad gets frequently caught up with what’s going on inside, so they often feel disconnected from their environment. They lose touch with the outside world because of the inner fantasies they create, and can be stuck in their own imagination. 

4 withdrawal: type 4s withdraw socially and channel their imagination and sensitivity into an aesthetic approach. They can be inwardly preoccupied with their feelings and relating everything to themselves. 

5 withdrawal: type 5s withdraw the most physically and try to ground their imaginative energy with intellectual pursuits, which edges them away from feelings and their relationships with others. 

9 withdrawal: type 9s mentally withdraw and retreat to cultivate their imagination through creative activities. They numb their deeper feelings often and usually seem zoned out or not quite there. 

[enneagramphilosophy]

How do I know if I'm a 469 or a 649? I'm an ISFJ if that helps.

Given your MBTI type I’d say 649 is more likely as Type 6 as it’s got a stronger correlation with sensing that Type 4. You could also look at your social style with strangers. You could be withdrawn and waiting for another person to initiate conversation like 4s. Or you could be more proactive in focused on the other person like 6s. Knowing your social style might give a clearer indication.

Thank you for your question

[enneagramphilosophy]

I've taken the enneagram test online and it said if is not clear which enneagram type and wing I am is this normal?

Certainly. The online tests are not very accurate or precise in determining the typings of some people. Consider it your starting point for where you can begin your own typing journey. Alternatively you might want to look at the major Enneagram triads (Hornevian and Harmonic) to narrow it down because you can look at the types intersecting the triads without having to go through each type description individually. Thank you for your question.

[enneagramphilosophy]

Channeling Assertion

By the Hornevian definition, the Assertive Types (Types 3, 7 and 8) are outgoing, aggressive, expansive and self-directed. By definition, we find the general trend is towards extroversion. So then how does this relate to their shared psychological mechanism of energy channeling?

The channeling mechanism is seen to be a redirection of the dominant emotion towards an external focus. Regulation of the primary centre occurs by transferring it outwardly and according to the emotional state of the person. The different centres, being related to different aspects of the human mind, can be seen to have different effects on the external environment, as well as the relationship between the person and the channeling process.

Most obvious is the Type 8s channeling of anger. The body centre is associated with the relationship between the person and the environment. By focusing this externally, the energy of action can be directed externally and this leads to the energetic boost Type 8s feel when they are in control of their surroundings. Since Type 8s enjoy the boost, this accounts for their dominant behaviours especially around the people they love or the activities they enjoy.

In Type 3s we see the channeling of emotional energy or shame. When this channeling occurs what results is the charisma of the type. They can project upon another person their own emotional agenda, make you feel what they want you to feel. It's this that makes Type 3s very good sales and business people, because they know how to be persuasive and charming, how to channel people into the right feeling.

Finally we have Type 7s and the channeling of anxiety. Since they feel uncomfortable with the build up of this emotion, the primary objective is to expend the mental energy as quickly as possible. This leads to the hyper-active aspect of Type 7, as they tend to continually switch from new interest to new interest very quickly doing as much as possible to keep themselves occupied from not having to look within. The main aspect of energy channeling is that each of the types will have an effect on their surroundings when they use their respective psychological mechanism, leading to the behavioural observation of them being the social style that 'moves against' people. Understanding this can help to prevent this effect from being detrimental or to be more in control of it's use.