Avatar: the Last Airbender Personality Types: Sokka
I really love Sokka's journey in AtLA. I love his arc in the Kyoshi Island episode. I love watching him come into his own in S3, and figure out how to be a warrior in the way that works best for him. He doesn't have to be a warrior the way his father is, or the way Zuko is, or even the ways Katara or Aang or Suki are. Sokka's version of a warrior announces birthday parties in the middle of battle and makes swords out of space metal.
Sokka's Enneagram
Wound: Sokka's father went off to fight in the war, leaving him behind with the responsibility of protecting his sister.
Wounding message: You must protect your family.
Core desire: to be a warrior and defend his family
Core fear: that he won't be able to contribute meaningfully to his community
Defense mechanism: Sokka is highly suspicious of others, prioritizing the safety of himself and those closest to him.
Strengths: Sokka is clever, cautious, courageous, pragmatic, able to think outside the box, skeptical, and willing to grow and admit when he's been wrong
Challenges: Sokka can be judgmental, sensitive, cranky, sometimes sees things in black-and-white terms, and can speak without thinking
When healthy: Sokka is hard-working, empathetic, flexible, and more open to whimsy and fun.
When unhealthy: Sokka holds grudges, is uncritical of his own bias, and oscillates between being angry and dejected.
Looking at all of this, here's what connects when I go back to the Enneagram post:
Wound: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9
Wounding message: 2, 3, 6, or 7
Core desire: 6 or 9
Core fear: 3 or 6
Defense mechanism: 6
Strengths: 6
Challenges: 1 or 6
When healthy: 1, 6, or 8
When unhealthy: 1, 6, 7, or 9
Sokka is an Enneagram 6.
Sixes live in the Head center and tend to overexpress fear.
From Personality Path:
Fear is overexpressed by Type 6 as they constantly scan for threats in their environment. Most Type 6s feel fear and anxiety intensely and frequently. Anger may be triggered by frustration that others are not taking their concerns seriously enough or by a perceived lack of loyalty. Shame or Sadness can enter the picture when they overreact or project into a situation. They may realize their version of reality is wrong and feel a deep sense of shame about it. Fear about an uncertain future is often at the bottom of the three core emotions for Type 6s.
The only other main character I've analyzed who's also a Type 6 is Kyo Sohma, from Fruits Basket.
Wing
The Enneagram Institute describes 6w5 as "The Defender," and 6w7 as "The Buddy." I'm currently leaning toward 6w7 for Sokka.
Here's the description of 6w7 from Truity:
Six wing Sevens are Sixes that resemble a Seven in some ways. These Sixes are more social and relaxed than other Sixes. They are good at responding to people’s needs and often enjoy being part of groups and organizations.
Subtype
I think Sokka is probably a SO 6, since he is focused on protecting his community. From Enneagram Explained:
Focuses On: The need to be secure/supported with their groups and communities. SO 6s focus on being responsible and logical to feel secure and supported. These 6s handle their fear by following authorities and rules. They love accuracy and knowing what is expected of them. Structure and guidelines bring security to these 6s. Relationship to Their Vice (fear): SO 6s may show fear. Potential Mistypes: SO 6s can often look like type 1s.
Tritype
With 6 as Sokka's Head type, I go back and forth between 2 and 3 as his most likely Heart type, and I think 1 is his most likely Gut type.
However, when reading the descriptions of tritypes that include both 1 and 6, none of them really seem like a good fit for Sokka.
After looking at the other tritypes including 6, I think his Gut type might actually be 8! Both 2-6-8 and 3-6-8 resonated, but after reading them, I think 3-6-8, "The Justice Fighter", is the best description.
Here's the description of 3-6-8, from Katherine Fauvre's website:
If you are a 368, you are ambitious, inquisitive, and protective. You want to be accomplished, loyal, and straightforward. Verbally adept and a good reader of people and situations, you have the ability to identify unjust authority, rebel against tyranny, and verbally spar against it. You seek people and situations that share your values and work hard to achieve your goals. You want to get along with others but can struggle with being too direct and outspoken.
The bit about being "verbally adept" and "a good reader of people and situations" is what solidified this as Sokka's tritype for me!
He shares this tritype with Kyo Sohma, as well as with Arisa Uotani, also from Fruits Basket!
Sokka's MBTI:
I liked the format I used for MBTI in my Aang post, so I'm going to stick with that here.
Information-Gathering:
Everyone uses both iNtuition and Sensing, but one will be more natural to rely on. Everyone will also introvert one of these processes, and extrovert the other.
Someone who introverts iNtuition and extroverts Sensing will be able to cut to the core of understanding something in a state of deep, solitary focus. They will gather sensory information through their experience in the present, preferably with others.
Someone who extroverts iNtuition and introverts Sensing will tend to brainstorm aloud, connecting many possibilities at once, and will rely on comparisons to past sense-memories in order to understand the present.
I think the second paragraph describes Sokka much better than the first, and I think he uses Ne more than Si. He brainstorms aloud all the time! This makes him an -N-P type. In fact, I'd go so far as to say he's probably an EN_P type, since his use of Ne is such a core aspect of his personality.
Decision-Making:
Just like with the two information-gathering processes, everyone uses both Thinking and Feeling to some degree, but will use one more naturally. And again, they will introvert one, and extrovert the other.
Someone who introverts Thinking and extroverts Feeling will use their own internal logical framework to come to decisions, and will base their decisions on outcomes for the people around them.
On the other hand, someone who extroverts Thinking and introverts Feeling will use external logic in decision-making, such as rules, laws, procedures, checklists, etc... and will base their decisions on the kind of person they want to be, or the kind of person they see themselves to be.
This is trickier, but I think the first paragraph is a slightly better fit than the second, and he uses Ti more than Fe, making him an -NTP type, most likely ENTP.
ENTPs use Ne Ti Fe Si.
Let's see how the Myers and Briggs Foundation describes Ne as Dominant and Si as Inferior:
Ne as dominant:
Sees possibilities in the external world. Enthusiastic and enjoys networking. Trusts the big picture, forms patterns and connections, which can then be shared with others. Keyword: Brainstorming.
When exaggerated:
over the top, swamped with options, change for the sake of change
Si as inferior:
obsess over internal unrelated facts or details (tunnel vision), uncomfortable with turning inward so may withdraw and become depressed, focus on imagined physical ailments
I think the first excerpt clearly sounds like Sokka. The second two, I have to squint a little.
But if he is indeed ENTP, The Debater, then here's a description:
Quick, ingenious, stimulating, alert, and outspoken. Resourceful in solving new and challenging problems. Adept at generating conceptual possibilities and then analyzing them strategically. Good at reading other people. Bored by routine, will seldom do the same thing the same way, apt to turn to one new interest after another.
I mean, that's just a description of Sokka!
He shares this type with Kakeru Manabe, from Fruits Basket.
Sokka's Personality Summary:
Enneagram: SO 6w7 (The Loyalist/The Buddy)
Tritype: 3-6-8 (The Justice-Fighter)
MBTI: ENTP (The Debater)
Sokka is known for his clever, out-of-the-box strategic problem-solving, his loyalty, his bravery, and his humor.
What do you think? Did I get it right or wrong? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
