Type 8 - The Challenger
The Powerful, Dominating Type
- Self-Confident
- Decisive
- Willful
- Confrontational
Fear of being harmed or controlled by others
- They strive to become firm, independent, and self-directed.
- Their pervasive, underlying fear is being violated, betrayed, or arrested while at the mercy of others.
- They feel secure and okay if they maintain their circumstances.
- They constantly aim to move away from external limitations and toward self-sufficiency and power.
Basic Desire
- To protect themselves (to manage their own life and destiny).
Key Motivation
- To be self-reliant and stay in control.
Core Wounds
- You perceived the world as hostile.
- You believe you must be strong and not show vulnerability.
- You must protect yourself from being controlled or dominated.
- You project power and strength to cover up feelings of vulnerability.
- You believe you need to fight for survival.
Center of Intelligence
The Gut / Body / Instinctive - Anger / Rage
- Externalizes, or expresses, anger as the primary strategy for getting what they want and dealing with stresses/challenges.
- There's a tendency to bulldoze through life and let you feel their anger if they don't get it.
- They are self-confident, decisive, willful, and aggressive.
Personality Type Cross-reference
MBTI / Keirsey - Rational (NT - Intuition / Thinking)
Temperaments
- Temperament Type - Choleric
- Animal Type - Lion
- DISC Type - Dominant
- Socio-Communicative Type - Driver
- True Colors - Green
- Color Code - Red
- Personality Compass - North
MBTI / Keirsey - Guardian (SJ - Sensing / Judging)
Temperaments
Core Wounds
- You perceived the world as hostile
- You believe you must be strong and not show vulnerability
- You feel you must protect yourself from being controlled or dominate
- You project power and strength to cover up feelings of vulnerability
- You believe you need to fight for survival
Center of Intelligence
The Gut / Body / Instinctive - Anger / Rage- Externalizes, or expresses, anger as the primary strategy for getting what they want and for dealing with stresses/challenges.
- There’s a tendency to bulldoze through life and let you feel their anger if they don’t get it.
- They tend to be self-confident, decisive, willful, and aggressive.
Traits
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Focus of Attention
- Eights naturally focus on power and control—who has it and who doesn’t, and how it’s wielded.
- They think about the big picture and (mostly) dislike dealing with details.
- They see the world as being divided into “the strong” and “the weak,” and they identify with “the strong” to avoid feeling weak.
Patterns of Thinking and Feeling
- Emotionally, Eights usually have easy access to anger and (unconsciously) avoid registering vulnerable feelings.
- They typically appear fearless and can be intimidating to others, often without meaning to be.
- They like to be in control, engage in black-and-white thinking, think they know what’s best or accurate, and do not like to be told what to do.
Behavior Patterns
- Eights have a lot of energy, can accomplish big things, can confront others when necessary, and will protect people they care about.
- They can be workaholics, taking on more and more without acknowledging their physical limits and refusing to experience vulnerable feelings that might slow them down.
- They can sometimes overwork themselves, even to the point of physical illness.
Passion—Lust
- Lust is a passion for excess and intensity in all stimulation.
- It is a drive to fill an inner emptiness through physical gratification.
- Lust, in Enneagram terms, is “a passion for excess or an excessive passionateness to which sexual gratification is only one possible source of gratification.”
Arrows
When secure moves towards positive side of Type 2 - The Helper
- Open up to others
- reveal their vulnerability
- concerned for the welfare of others
- become more loving and loveable
- express their soft side
When stressed moves towards negative side of Type 5 - The Investigator
- Withdraw, take less action in the world
- less in touch with their feelings
- fear that others will turn on them
- feel defeated and depressed
- feel guilty
- turn aggression against themselves
Wings
| Type 7 – The Enthusiast | |
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| Type 9 – The Peacemaker | |
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Relationships
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Addictions
- Ignore physical needs and problems: avoid medical visits and check-ups.
- Indulging in rich foods, alcohol, and tobacco while pushing yourself too hard leads to high stress, strokes, and heart conditions.
- Control issues central, although alcoholism and narcotic addictions are possible.
Red Flags
- Mistrust of others
- Social isolation
- Growing cynicism
- Feeling the need to be secretive
- Brooding
- Fear of betrayal
- Lack of empathy
Interpersonal Coping Style
- Reactive - Try to power through problems through impulsive and confrontational reactions/explosions.
Conflict Style
- Assertive - Take action on gut instincts about people and situations while hardening feelings.
Self-Preservation Subtype
Survival / Satisfaction
- The Self-Preservation Eight is strong, direct, and productive and appears powerful and effective.
- Confident in even the most challenging situations, they are survivors and are pillars of strength for many as they take the role of guardian, father, or mother figure.
- When their needs are not satisfied, they become frustrated and intolerant and tend to take a direct, no-nonsense approach to get what they want without guilt or apology.
- They express the passion of lust through a focus on getting what they need for survival.
- They have a strong desire for the timely satisfaction of material needs and an intolerance for frustration.
- They know how to survive difficult situations and feel omnipotent when getting what they need.
- They are the least expressive and the most armed of the three Eight subtypes.
Social Subtype
Solidarity (countertype)
- The Social Eight uses their power and influence to serve others, making them appear Two-ish in their drive to support others rather than asserting their needs.
- Sensitive to injustice and unfair social norms, they are loyal and protective and shield ‘their people from harm, unjust authority, or abuse of power.
- Even though they prefer not to be too vulnerable, they invite and appreciate harsh feedback from close allies.
- They express lust and aggression in the service of others.
- an antisocial social person, this is the countertype of the Eights, a helpful Eight who appears less aggressive and more loyal than the other two Eight subtypes.
- “Solidarity” emphasizes their tendency to offer help when people need protection.
One-to-One Subtype
Possession
- This Eight is the most rebellious, provocatively breaking the rules and standing out as a rebel, iconoclast, or trailblazer.
- Their impulsiveness and desire for intensity may seem like Four characteristics. Still, these are rooted in an unapologetic drive to create change, willing to provoke and disrupt others to accumulate power and influence.
- They desire to serve a worthy cause but prefer to do so from a central or leadership position.
- They express lust through rebellion and the need to possess everyone’s attention.
- They are intense, charismatic characters who want control and influence.
- Instead of seeking material security, they seek power over things and people.
- The name “Possession” refers to an energetic takeover of the whole scene—a need to feel powerful through dominating the whole environment.
Dilemma
- The struggle for justice is their strength and the temptation of eights.
- This can lead them to appoint themselves as avengers and retaliators to balance injustices.
- The pitfall of eights is revenge and retaliation to get the scales of justice back in life.
- The defense mechanism of eights is denial.
- Under certain circumstances, eights can deny anything that doesn’t fit into their concept of truth and justice.
- Above all, they can deny and repress their weaknesses and limits of their power.
- The root sin of eights is shamelessness.
- An immature eight has no respect for the vulnerability or dignity of another person.
- Unredeemed eights can make high moral demands on others without holding themselves to them.
- Eights can enjoy the power and need to stake their claim to it and expand it where possible.
- The fruit of the spirit eights is innocence.
- It characterizes the little child in the eighth, which is unprotected and can trust.
- The colors of eight are black and white. Eights want clarity.
- They reject intermediate tones and compromises because they look weak.
Personal Growth
- You can be merciless toward yourself and others.
- Only an encounter with the truth can set you free and enable you to see and accept your weakness.
- Because you are afraid of the “softcore,” you are seldom ready to do therapy, work on your inner life, or meditate regularly.
- Eights typically overvalue power.
- Power is not in itself bad; it can become a blessing or a curse.
- Having power, whether through wealth, position, or simple brute force, allows them to do whatever they want, feel important, and be feared and obeyed.
- You can protect others with your power and vitality instead of dominating them.
- You show true power when you avoid asserting your will with others, even when you could.
- Your real power lies in your ability to inspire and uplift people.
- Those attracted to you because of your power do not love you for yourself, nor do you love or respect them. While this may be the Faustian bargain you have made, you will nevertheless have to pay the price that whatever power you accumulated will inevitably be at a cost to you, physically and emotionally.
- Female eights have it especially hard. Women eights sometimes have problems accepting their femaleness or anything “maternal” or “soft” about them.
- It goes against the grain, but act with self-restraint.
- You are at your best when you take charge and help everyone through a crisis.
- Few will take advantage of you when you are caring. You will do more to secure the loyalty and devotion of others by showing the greatness of your heart than you ever could by displays of raw power.
- It is difficult for you, but learn to yield to others occasionally. Often, little is at stake, and you can allow others to have their way without fear of sacrificing your power or your real needs.
- The desire to dominate everyone all the time is a sign that your ego is beginning to inflate—a danger signal that more serious conflicts with others are inevitable.
- Remember that the world is not against you.
- Many people in your life care about you and look up to you, but you do not make this easy for them when you are in your fixation. Let in the available affection. Doing this will not make you weak but will confirm the strength and support in yourself and your life.
- Take stock of the people who indeed are on your side and let them know how important they are to you.
- Eights typically want to be self-reliant and depend on no one. But, ironically, they depend on many people. For example, you may think you are not dependent on your employees because they depend on you for their jobs. You depend on others to do their jobs, especially if your business concerns grow beyond what you can manage alone.
- If you alienate everyone associated with you, you will eventually be forced to employ the most obsequious and untrustworthy operatives.
- The fact is that whether in your business world or your domestic life, your self-sufficiency is largely an illusion.
- Also, remember that by believing that others are against you and reacting against them, you tend to alienate them and confirm your fears.
Eights and Ones
- Ones and Eights look similar in some respects.
- Both are high-energy, hardworking and like establishing control and order.
- Both types tend to get angry but experience and express anger in distinct ways.
- Believing that showing anger is wrong, Ones tend to hold back their anger. Still, because it is hard for the One to shut it off completely, it tends to leak out as resentment, irritation, annoyance, or passive-aggressive behavior.
- Eights, on the other hand, feel and express anger more readily and don’t believe it is wrong to be angry.
- Ones usually get angry when people break the rules or engage in bad behavior, while Eights become angry for various reasons.
- Both Ones and Eights engage in “black and white” or “all or nothing” ways of thinking.
- Both Ones and Eights like to be in control but may assert control differently, with Ones relying on rules, structure, and standards and Eights exercising power more directly.
- Ones and Eights are both concerned about justice and fairness and can work hard in support of a cause they believe in.
- Both styles can overwork and neglect their own needs.
- There are also some critical differences between Ones and Eights.
- Eights think about the big picture, like high-level work, and dislike dealing with details.
- Ones, on the other hand, excel at and may enjoy detail work.
- When engaged in a task, Ones focus a lot on achieving perfection, taking pains to make something as good as it can be, while Eights can be satisfied with “good enough.” Eights tend to go with their impulses, can be excessive, and dislike being inhibited. In contrast, Ones tend to over-control their impulses and delay pleasurable activities, as they are typically more focused on correct behavior than indulging themselves.
- Eights are “under-social” in that they don’t mind—or can like—going against convention, while Ones are “over-social” and almost always observe social conventions.
- Internally, Ones are highly self-critical, while Eights do not criticize themselves as much.
- On the contrary, Eights often move into action quickly, feeling freer than Ones to exercise their power and will without overanalyzing things or entertaining critical thoughts about their intentions or behaviors.
- Ones will usually apologize if they believe they’ve made a mistake (and they value apologies), while Eights are much less likely to feel apologetic for the things they do.
- Ones typically observe and obey authority figures, while Eights don’t like to be told what to do and may rebel against authority if they want or need to.
- When communicating with others, Ones tend to be polite and restrained, using words like “should,” “ought,” and “must,” while Eights can be direct, abrupt, intimidating, and even profane.
Eights and Twos
- Although they are very different, Twos and Eights have some commonalities and can appear similar.
- In particular, Social Twos can look like Eights, and (predominantly female) Social Eights can look like Twos.
- Twos and Eights both tend to be protective of others, significant others in the case of Twos, and weaker or more vulnerable others in the case of Eights.
- Both Twos and Eights can be impulsive, self-indulgent, and hedonistic, Twos because they may overcompensate for not knowing what they need (and thus may often feel deprived), and Eights because they move quickly into action, often without thinking, and don’t like to have inhibitions put on their desires.
- People of both styles can be excessive in the things they do, like eating, working, and giving; Eights because they have great energy and appetites and don’t like to feel limited, and Twos because they often don’t know exactly what they need, and so can overdo it at times.
- Also, Twos tend to abandon themselves when they focus on others’ needs at the expense of their own, and Eights tend to forget their own needs and limits when they, for instance, habitually take on more and more and work without being able to recognize their limitations.
- Both Twos and Eights like to be in control, Eights because they see the big picture and want to make an order and move things forward and meet their needs, and Twos because they want to appear competent and do things in a specific way that they think, will impress others.
- There are also several contrasts between Twos and Eights.
- Twos focus a great deal of attention on their image and how people perceive them, while Eights may express an attitude of “not caring what others think of them.” Most Eights can relatively quickly feel and express anger and confront conflictual situations, even if they don’t “like” conflict.
- While Twos can occasionally confront people and engage in conflict, most often Twos repress their anger and avoid conflict because they fear it may alienate people they want to maintain a connection with.
- Eights’ attention typically focuses on power and control, who has it, and how they use it.
- Twos may sense this at times, but they primarily pay attention to what people need and how they feel, not how much power they have.
- Although they do not always have to be the boss or the leader, Eights can easily step into a leadership role, especially if there is a void in that area.
- Although Twos can be good leaders, they usually feel more comfortable in a secondary support position: the leader’s right-hand or the power behind the throne.
- And while Eights can dominate and impose their will rather easily, Twos tend to read a situation in terms of what is required of them and then alter their behavior to be what others need them to be rather than asserting their own will all the time (though sometimes they do so in a prideful “I know best” kind of way).
- Finally, Eights avoid expressing vulnerability and usually deny any sense of vulnerability.
- Twos, on the other hand, can more easily express vulnerability. They often feel vulnerable feelings, such as hurt or sadness, and may even use their vulnerability unconsciously to manipulate others.
Eights and Threes
- Threes and Eights can look very similar, with several common characteristics.
- Threes and Eights are hardworking and energetic for work tasks.
- Both can also overwork, with Threes being driven to finish tasks and reach goals no matter how much effort and time it takes and Eights wanting to accomplish big things and being prone to forgetting their physical needs and limits.
- People of both types can feel and express anger when necessary, but they usually get angry for different reasons.
- Threes often express anger and impatience when others create obstacles between them and their goals, while Eights tend to express anger more frequently and about a more comprehensive array of issues, including when someone hurts someone they feel protective toward when someone impedes their forward progress generally when someone tells them what to do when someone is unfair or unjust, and when others injure them.
- Both Threes and Eights can be direct and assertive in moving tasks and projects forward, and both can be goal- or results-oriented.
- Both types can enjoy leadership positions, with Threes liking to have a say over how things go and appreciating the image-enhancing effects of achieving a high-status position within an authority structure. Eights want to be in control and have the power to set the agenda and move work forward.
- Both Threes and Eights can also have difficulty expressing vulnerable emotions.
- Threes habitually avoid their feelings because they can interfere with doing and progressing toward a goal. Eights deny vulnerable feelings to maintain a sense of strength, power, and control.
- People of both types may also see the expression of vulnerable feelings as a sign of weakness.
- Threes and Eights also differ in particular ways. Threes focus attention on cultivating an image of success to gain the admiration of others, while Eights do not pay much attention to their appearance and how people perceive them.
- Regarding motivation, Threes work to achieve goals and tasks in the service of achieving success and looking good to others. In contrast, Eights are motivated by a desire for power and control and the satisfaction of their physical needs.
- Regarding achieving goals, Threes excels at finding the most efficient way to reach their goals, while Eights can have difficulty knowing how much force to apply in a given situation to move closer to their goal.
- Related to this, Threes are skilled at ascertaining how they will impact others, while Eights have a blind spot concerning how they impact others.
- Threes can work within existing organizational structures if those do not impede their progress toward goals. In contrast, Eights can be rebellious toward authorities and want to break the rules if it suits their purposes.
- Eights value the truth but can have difficulty distinguishing between their truth and the objective truth.
- Threes are good at designing their “truth” according to an image they want to create to match the values of a specific audience.
- In other words, for Eights, truth is what they say it is, and for Threes, whose fixation is “deceit” or “self-deceit,” truth is relative and can be adapted to suit the circumstances.
- Finally, Eights usually know who they are—especially in terms of a general sense of their identity and power and strength—but Threes can be confused about their identity.
- Threes can believe they are their image and not realize that who they are—their true self—is different from the image they create.
Eights and Fours
- Fours and Eights can appear similar.
- People of both types are willing to engage in conflict and can confront people if necessary, though Eights tend to do this more regularly than Fours.
- Fours and Eights can both feel and express big emotions. However, Eights tend to express anger more frequently than other emotions. Fours can more readily feel a range of emotions, especially experiencing melancholy more regularly than people of different types.
- Both Eights and Fours are drawn to intensity, and both types also feel things passionately, though Fours are much more likely than Eights to feel their vulnerable feelings.
- Both Fours and Eights can be impulsive, and both can feel justified in breaking the rules—Eights because they are bigger than the rules, and Fours because they prioritize their internal experience and their needs and wants over the rules.
- In the work setting, both Fours and Eights can work hard and be deeply involved in their work, with Fours viewing work as an opportunity for self-expression and collaborative artistry and Eights wanting to make a significant impact, achieve and maintain power, and mentor and protect the people they work with.
- Significant differences also exist between Fours and Eights.
- Fours typically experience a more comprehensive range of emotions than Eights, with Eights feeling more anger and impatience than Fours and Fours feeling more melancholy and sadness than Eights.
- Importantly, Eights dislike being vulnerable and expressing any vulnerable feelings—and regularly deny the existence of such feelings.
- In contrast, Fours regularly feel vulnerable emotions and can even feel some comfort in an authentic and deep experience of their vulnerability.
- Eights have difficulty recognizing their physical limits, dependency needs, and softer emotions. At the same time (with the possible exception of some Sexual Fours), Fours are much more familiar with their limitations, sense of dependency, and softer emotions.
- In addition, Fours usually put much more effort than Eights into getting their own physical and emotional needs met.
- And when in relationships, Eights typically express love through protection and power, while Fours express love through an expression of feelings and their desire for connection.
- While people of both types may challenge established authorities, Eights are usually more regularly rebellious than Fours.
- Generally, Eights focuses on the big picture and strategizes how to move things forward. At the same time, Fours pay more attention to the creative process, attracting attention and being appreciated for their unique contributions.
- Fours and Eights can have significant energy when working with others.
- Eights tend to be very assertive, aggressive, and dominating. Fours are more oriented to achieving emotional connections with others (though Sexual Fours may also be assertive or aggressive).
- Related to this, Eights tend to misperceive their impact on others. At the same time, Fours are emotionally intuitive and can be highly sensitive to how they affect the people around them.
- In communicating, Eights tend to be direct, while Fours express themselves more descriptively in terms of how they are experiencing something emotionally.
- Eights do not pay much attention to their internal processes, while Fours can be very reflective.
Eights and Fives
- Some clear similarities exist between Fives and Eights.
- Fives and Eights can feel and express anger if someone challenges their boundaries. Still, while this is one of the only situations in which Fives will openly express anger, Eights tend to become angry more frequently over a wider range of issues.
- Both Fives and Eights have difficulty experiencing (and, especially, expressing) vulnerable emotions.
- Fives detach from emotions and withdraw from situations that might inspire vulnerable feelings. At the same time, Eights deny their vulnerability and overcompensate by focusing on and finding ways to communicate their strength and power.
- Fives differ from Eights in many respects.
- Socially, Eights tend to be extraverted and have a great deal of “big” energy, while Fives are usually more introverted and withdrawn, with a much more reserved and low-key energetic presence.
- While both Eights and Fives like to be in control, Eights will take control in a more overt, active, aggressive way, while Fives tend to control things more quietly and less obviously, with less energy expenditure.
- Eights tend to be excessive in their actions, while Fives are minimalistic, conservationist, and economical.
- When analyzing a situation, Eights can have trouble distinguishing between the objective truth and their version of the truth, and Fives have the particular talent of being objective analysts.
- Eights are impulsive; Fives are more thoughtful.
- For example, Eights tend to move into action before they think things through, while Fives think a great deal about a particular move before going into action.
- Fives suffer more from the possibility that they will think too much and not take action.
- When in relationships, Eights usually make it clear where they stand, while Fives can be difficult to read and may withhold information about what they are thinking and feeling, even with close others.
- Lastly, Eights rebel against any inhibition of their enormous capacity for pleasure or power. In contrast, Fives tend to minimize and inhibit their needs and desires and can feel depleted by life and relationships.
- Fives may even forgo the possible pleasure that a relationship may bring because the cost seems too high in terms of time, space, or emotional energy.
- In contrast, most Eights feel energized by relationships and especially physical intimacy (or the promise of it).
Eights and Sixes
- While Sixes and Eights are alike in some general ways, phobic Sixes can look quite different from Eights, and counterphobic Sixes can look a lot like Eights.
- Both Eights and counterphobic Sixes can appear strong and intimidating to others. Both styles tend toward threatening or difficult situations “fearlessly” to deal with the problem head-on.
- However, Eights genuinely have little or no fear, while counterphobic Sixes act against threats to quell a more profound and ongoing sense of dread that is not always experienced consciously at the moment (but represents the “fight” part of “fight or flight”).
- Eights and all Sixes tend to rebel against authority.
- And Sixes and Eights can both be protective of others they care about.
- Eights tend to protect the weak and vulnerable, and Sixes are frequently drawn to supporting underdogs or underdog causes.
- In addition, Sixes and Eights can both be very hardworking and practical, though Eights are more prone to over-working, wanting to move big things forward quickly, and Sixes can be more cautious and can get slowed down by overanalysis and endless questioning of what they are doing.
- Eights also differ from Sixes in some precise ways, with Eights’ style contrasting even more obviously with the kind of phobic Sixes.
- Eights feels relatively little fear and vulnerability, as the Eights’ approach to life is based on a denial of vulnerability and overcompensatory confidence in their power and strength.
- Phobic Sixes, on the other hand, feeling fearful and thus vulnerable much of the time, and so they anxiously stay vigilant for threats and other dangers.
- Eights do not often engage in self-doubt, while Sixes continually doubt themselves.
- Sixes tend to overthink and can become paralyzed by overanalysis and thus fail to act.
- Eights tend to act quickly without thinking.
- Because Eights like to move things forward quickly, they get impatient if others slow their forward progress, while Sixes tend to procrastinate and slow themselves down based on fears that there will be some lousy outcome or another.
- Sixes are slow to trust others, and they scrutinize people to look for hidden agendas and ulterior motives, while Eights generally rely on people who appear competent until their trust is broken.
- Eights can directly confront a conflictual situation, as can counterphobic Sixes, while the phobic Six would rather avoid conflict but can engage in it if necessary or provoked.
Eights and Sevens
- Sevens and Eights can look alike.
- Both types tend to be visionary thinkers, able to see the big picture and future possibilities.
- Both can engage in conflict if necessary, though some Sevens feel more comfortable with confrontation than others.
- Sevens and Eights can be uninhibited, indulgent, and excessive when seeking pleasure.
- Both styles appreciate intense and stimulating experiences.
- In interpersonal interactions, Sevens and Eights dislike being limited or controlled by others.
- Individuals of both styles can be rebellious, though Eights will rebel more openly in a straightforward fashion, and Sevens prefer a charm-based, diplomatic approach.
- Eights believes the best defense is a good offense. Sevens oppose potential limitation through soft power and the maintenance of multiple options, with charm as a first line of defense.
- Both Sevens and Eights will break the rules if it suits their purposes, and both types can take on a great deal of work and overbook themselves.
- For Sevens, overbooking represents a difficulty with saying no to exciting possibilities and engaging activities. For Eights, overworking can reflect a tendency to want to do everything and forget their physical needs and vulnerability.
- Both Eights and Sevens avoid or deny softer, more vulnerable emotions, with Eights regularly denying their vulnerability and Sevens avoiding pain and discomfort.
- Significant differences also exist between Sevens and Eights.
- While Eights can be rebellious when someone has authority over them, they can also work with a good authority they respect and even enjoy being the leader.
- In contrast, Sevens equalize authority, making friends with bosses and subordinates as a way of denying a vertical power structure that might constrain them.
- Regarding where their attention goes, Eights focuses on power and control, while Sevens focus on planning and play.
- While both types have access to their anger, Eights are more likely than Sevens to express anger.
- Eights are direct and like to move things forward strongly and forcefully. Sevens can have difficulty focusing on work tasks and get distracted, especially when the work is tedious or routine.
- Eights like to make an order and push projects forward quickly and effectively to their conclusion, while Sevens prefer the idea stage to the implementation stage and can have problems following through.
- Sevens intellectualize to escape from feeling into thinking, finding difficult feelings uncomfortable, while Eights move into action without thinking things through.
- Eights also deny softer feelings or project them onto those they perceive as weaker and then seek to protect.
- Finally, when analyzing or evaluating a situation, Sevens reframe negatives into positives. At the same time, Eights aren’t afraid of seeing and dealing with the “negatives” and tend to see issues in terms of “all or nothing” or “black and white” polarities.
Eights and Nines
- Eights and Nines have some similar characteristics.
- Both dislike being controlled by others but differ in how they respond to attempts at control from the outside.
- Eights openly rebel, fight against, and potentially actively overpower the other person.
- Nines take a much more passive approach to assert control, often seeming to agree or go along while passively resisting—saying “yes,” but acting out “no.” Both styles are part of the “self-forgetting” triad of types, so both can forget their needs and wants.
- Eights do this through excess and overwork, denying their physical vulnerabilities and taking on too many responsibilities.
- Nines do this by focusing on others and losing conscious contact with their emotions and priorities.
- And both Eights and Nines can readily enjoy and seek out worldly comforts and pleasures.
- Eights and Nines also differ in crucial ways.
- Eights primarily focuses on power and control, while Nines focuses on creating harmony and avoiding conflict.
- Disliking conflict and interpersonal tension, Nines often unconsciously avoid any internal sense of their anger that might cause them to be at odds with someone else. At the same time, Eights have easier access to their anger, may feel angry frequently, and have a much easier time engaging in conflict.
- Eights are highly opinionated and are direct in asserting their opinions, while Nines often do not know their position because they pay so much attention to understanding others’ perspectives.
- For Nines, having an opinion means risking conflict, motivating them to avoid their positions, desires, and strong feelings.
- Nines can easily see everyone’s point of view and are open to seeing many sides of an issue, while Eights see their view most clearly and tend to see issues in terms of black and white.
- Indentifying with multiple perspectives makes Nines an excellent mediator who can see all sides of an issue and is motivated to help create harmony and consensus.
- In contrast, Eights want to assert their opinions and have their way.
- Nines have difficulty making boundaries and saying no, while Eights have an easy time asserting their will and rejecting requests.
- Interpersonally, others often perceive Eights as intimidating, while most see Nines as likable, approachable, and friendly.
- Eights tend to have a significant impact on others, while Nines can have a difficult time making an impact and can also be harder to contact interpersonally.
- Eights like to break the rules, make their own rules, and frequently rebel against authority, while Nines like structure and can more easily work with authority figures.
- And while people of both styles avoid a certain realm of internal experience—Eights deny their vulnerable, softer emotions, and Nines avoid or forget their anger and preferences—Eights are much more open about expressing themselves in the world and acting in forceful ways to get what they need and want.
Career Advice
- They can be excellent Generals, Leaders, Chief Executives, Entrepreneurs, and Athletes.
- They excel in occupations that require strength, determination, and force.
- They are good at taking the initiative to move ahead.
- They want to be in charge.
- Since they want the freedom to make their own choices, they are often self-employed.