Understanding the "Challenger" Enneagram 8 Personality Type

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Enneagram Type Eight People are Powerful and Dominating

Basic Desire – To protect themselves (to manage their own life and destiny).

Key Motivation – To be self-reliant and stay in control.

Virtue – Innocence

Ego fixation – Vengeance

Color – Red

Key Characteristics

Self-Confident
Decisive
Willful
Confrontational

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.
Eights see the world as being divided into “the strong” and “the weak,” and they identify with “the strong” to avoid feeling weak.

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.
In Enneagram terms, Lust is “a passion for excess or an excessive passionateness to which sexual gratification is only one possible source.”

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.

Red Flags

Mistrust of others.
Social isolation.
Growing cynicism.
They feel the need to be secretive.
Brooding.
Fear of betrayal.
Lack of empathy.

Addictions

Ignore physical needs and problems: avoid medical visits and check-ups.
I am indulging in rich foods, alcohol, and tobacco while pushing myself too hard, which leads to high stress, strokes, and heart conditions.
Control issues are central, although alcoholism and narcotic addictions are possible.

Center of Intelligence

Anger / Rage – The Gut / Body / Instinctive Triad

Externalizes, or expresses, anger as the primary strategy for getting what they want and dealing with stresses/challenges.
Eights tend to bulldoze through life and let you feel their anger if they don’t get it.
They are self-confident, decisive, willful, and aggressive.

Fear – of being harmed or controlled by others.

Eights strive to become firm, independent, and self-directed.
Their pervasive, underlying Fear is being violated, betrayed, or arrested while at the mercy of others.
Eights feel secure and okay if they maintain their circumstances.
They constantly aim to move away from external limitations and toward self-sufficiency and power.

Traits

Eights are self-confident, strong, assertive, protective, resourceful, straight-talking, and decisive, but can also be selfish and unjust.

They don’t want to be controlled or allow others to have power over them, whether psychological, sexual, social, or financial.

Eights must control their environment, especially people, sometimes becoming confrontational and intimidating.

Much of their behavior is involved with making sure that they retain and increase whatever power they have for as long as possible.

Eights enjoy taking on challenges and giving others opportunities to challenge them to succeed.

More than any other type, they stand alone and resist being indebted to anyone.

Eights often refuse to “give in” to social conventions and can disregard Fear, shame, and concern about the consequences of their actions. Although they are usually aware of what people think of them, they do not let the opinions of others sway them.

They are often highly dynamic but at the price of losing emotional contact with many people.

Because they fear rejection (divorce, humiliation, criticism, firing, or harm somehow), they attempt to defend themselves by rejecting others first.

The result is that they become blocked in their ability to connect with people or to love since love gives the other power over them.

The more they build their ego to protect themselves, the more sensitive they become to any actual or imaginary slight to their self-respect, authority, or preeminence.

The more they attempt to make themselves impervious to hurt or pain (physical or emotional), the more they “shut down” emotionally to become hardened and rock-like.

When emotionally healthy, however, they are resourceful, with a “can-do” attitude and a steady inner drive. They will take the initiative and make things happen with a great passion for life.

Eights are honorable and authoritative—natural leaders with a solid, commanding presence.

Their groundedness gives them abundant “common sense” and the ability to be decisive.

They are willing to “take the heat,” knowing that no decision can please everyone.

But they want to look after the interests of the people in their charge as much as possible without playing favorites.

When Healthy	When Unhealthy
Direct Authoritative Loyal Energetic Earthy Protective Self-confident	Controlling Rebellious Insensitive Domineering Self-centered Skeptical Aggressive

Patterns

Thinking and Feeling Patterns

Emotionally, Eights usually have easy access to anger and (unconsciously) avoid registering vulnerable feelings.
Eights 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.
Eights can sometimes overwork themselves, even to the point of physical illness.

Arrows

When secure, Eights move towards the positive side of Type 2 – The Helper.

Open up to others.
Reveal their vulnerability.
They are concerned for the welfare of others.
Become more loving and loveable.
Express their soft side.

When stressed, Eights moves toward the negative side of Type 5 – The Investigator.

Withdraw means taking less action in the world.
Less in touch with their feelings.
Fear that others will turn on them.
They feel defeated and depressed.
They feel guilty.
Turn aggression against themselves.

Wings

Wings add flavor to your personality. Every Enneagram personality type can have either of the two types next to them as their wing.

Eights can have a wing Seven (Enneagram 8w7) or a wing Nine (Enneagram 8w9).

Enneagram 8w7

The main thing you notice about Eights with a Type 7 – The Enthusiast wing is that they are much more extroverted than their counterparts with a Nine wing.

When you combine the energy and assertiveness associated with Eights with the outgoing, fun, and impulsive personality of the Seven, you get quite the supernova of power that leaves behind lots of its guarded wariness to enjoy life to the fullest.

The key motivation of Eights is acquiring, maintaining, and projecting power, while the main interest of Sevens is incorporating new experiences into their life.

So I guess that makes for – pardon the pun – pretty powerful experiences Eights with a Seven wing are going for.

With a kind of double dose of independence and the Sevens’ joy in risk-taking, these Eights often thrive in entrepreneurial settings where they can combine their natural leadership skills with their strong visions.

When Healthy	When Unhealthy
They are the most openly assertive of all the sub-types. They are consistent in self-presentation [work, home, friends, etc.] They are action-oriented, energetic, and confident. They take the initiative and are highly independent.	They can become impulsive and impatient. They can become aggressive and belligerent. They can pressure or bully others into getting their way. They can lash out in frustration. They can become violent with explosive tempers.

Enneagram 8w9

Suppose you put Eights and Type 9 – The Peacemaker next to each other. In that case, they look almost like complete opposites: the assertive, strong-willed, aggressive Eights on the one side, the quiet, peace-loving, conflict-avoiding Nines on the other.

However, as a wing to the Eight types, the Nine types mostly have a soothing effect on Eights’ aggressive and intense appearance. Instead, they become more measured, cooperative, and often more family-oriented.

Like a big bear: Snuggly towards their kind, but still equipped with claws that they are more than willing to use when necessary.

Depending on how strong their Nine wing is, these Eights are more oriented toward people than towards experience, as happens with a Seven wing.

They become more accommodating of other people’s opinions while still very capable of defending and asserting their own.

There is generally less of an iron fist and more of a velvet-glove dynamic.

As good as they are at projecting power, they also have a gentler way of calm and reassuring leadership.

When Healthy	When Unhealthy
They have an aura of quiet strength. They are strategic planners. They prefer having control behind the scenes. Assert leadership through support and protectiveness.	They can become menacing and unpredictable. They can become ruthless. They can become indifferent. They can act in depersonalized ways lack empathy.

Relationships

When Healthy	When Unhealthy
Loyal Caring Positive Playful Truthful Straightforward Committed Generous Supportive	They can become demanding. They can become arrogant and combative. They can become possessive. They can become uncompromising. They can become quick to find fault.

Styles

Interpersonal Coping Style

Reactive – Try to power through problems through impulsive and confrontational reactions/explosions.

Conflict Style

Assertive – Focus on gut instincts about people and situations while hardening feelings.

Sub-types

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.
Survival Eights expresses 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.
Survival Eights 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.

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.
Solidarity Eights express Lust and aggression in the service of others.
The countertype of the Eights is an antisocial social person, 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.
Possession Eights 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.
Possession Eights are intense, charismatic characters who want control and influence.
Instead of seeking material security, they seek power over things and people.
“Possession” refers to an energetic takeover of the scene—a need to feel powerful by dominating the environment.

Personal Growth

Eights can be merciless toward themselves and others. Only an encounter with the truth can free you and enable you to see and accept your weakness.

Because Eights fear the “softcore,” they are seldom ready to do therapy, work on their inner life, or meditate regularly.

Eights typically overvalue power. Power is not destructive; it can become a blessing or a curse.

Power, whether through wealth, position, or simple brute force, allows them to do whatever they want, feel important, and be feared and obeyed.

They can protect others with their power and vitality instead of dominating them.

Eights show true power when they avoid asserting their will with others, even when they can. Instead, their real strength lies in their ability to inspire and uplift people.

Women eights sometimes have problems accepting their femaleness or anything “maternal” or “soft” about them.

Eights are at their best when they help others through a crisis. 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 actual 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 care about you and look up to you, but when you are in your fixation, you do not make this easy for them, so let in the affection that is available.

Doing this will not make you weak but will confirm the strength and support in yourself and your life.

Take stock of the people on your side, and tell them how important they are to you.

Eights typically want to be self-reliant and depend on no one, but ironically, they rely on many people.

For example, you may think you are not dependent on your employees because they depend on you for their jobs.

They depend on others to do their jobs, significantly if their business concerns grow beyond what they can manage alone.

If you alienate everyone associated with you, you will eventually be forced to employ the most obsequious and untrustworthy operatives.

Self-sufficiency is essentially an illusion, whether in the business world or in one’s domestic life.

Also, remember that believing that others are against you and reacting against them tends to alienate them and confirm your fears.

Type Comparisons

Type 8 and Type 1

Ones and Eights look similar in some respects.
Both are high-energy and hardworking, and both 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, People tend to hold back their anger. Still, because it is hard for them to shut it off completely, it tends to leak out as resentment, irritation, annoyance, or passive-aggressive behavior.
On the other hand, Eights feels and expresses anger more readily and doesn’t believe it is wrong to be angry.
One usually gets angry when people break the rules or engage in destructive behavior, while eight become angry for various reasons.
Ones and Eights engage in “black and white” or “all or nothing” thinking.
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 concerned about justice and fairness and can work hard to support 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 focuses on achieving perfection, taking pains to make something as good as possible, while Eights can be satisfied with “good enough.”
Eights tend to go with their impulses, which can be excessive, and they 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 traditions.
Internally, Ones are highly self-critical, while Eights do not criticize themselves as much.
On the contrary, Eights often move into action quickly, feeling more accessible than Ones to exercise their power and will without overanalyzing things or entertaining critical thoughts about their intentions or behaviors.
Ones usually apologize if they believe they’ve made a mistake (and they value apologies), while Eights are much less likely to feel apologetic for their actions.
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.

Type 8 and Type 2

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 tend to be protective of others, significant others in the case of Twos, and weaker or more vulnerable others.
Both Twos and Eights can be impulsive, self-indulgent, and hedonistic. Twos may overcompensate for not knowing what they need (and thus often feel deprived), and Eights 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 precisely what they need, and so can overdo it at times.
Also, Twos tend to abandon themselves when they focus on others’ needs at their own expense, and Eights tend to forget their own needs and limits when they habitually take on more and more work without recognizing their limitations.
Twos and Eights like to be in control 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 something in a specific way 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, they often 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 sometimes, 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 relatively quickly, 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 avoids expressing vulnerability and usually denies any sense of openness.
On the other hand, Twos can more easily express vulnerability, as they often feel vulnerable feelings, such as hurt or sadness.
They may even unconsciously use their vulnerability to manipulate others.

Type 8 and Type 3

Threes and Eights can look very similar, with several common characteristics.
Both Threes and Eights are hardworking and have great energy 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.
At the same time, 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.
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 status 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 focuses on cultivating an image of success to gain the admiration of others, while Eights does not pay much attention to their appearance or how people perceive them.
Regarding motivation, Threes works to achieve goals and tasks to succeed and look good to others.
In contrast, Eights are motivated by a desire for power and control and the satisfaction of their physical needs.
When achieving goals, Threes excel at finding the most efficient way to reach them, while Eights can have difficulty knowing how much force to apply in a given situation to move closer to their destination.
Related to this, Threes are skilled at ascertaining how they will impact others, while Eights have a blind spot concerning how they affect 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 reality and 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 picture they create.

Type 8 and Type 4

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 feel justified in breaking the rules—Eights because they are more significant than the rules, and Fours because they prioritize their internal experience and their own needs and wants over the rules.
In the work setting, both Fours and Eights can work hard and be deeply involved. Fours views work as an opportunity for self-expression and collaborative art, while Eights wants 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 Eights and Fours feeling more melancholy and sadness.
Importantly, Eights dislikes being vulnerable and expressing any vulnerable feelings—and regularly denies the existence of such surfaces.
In contrast, Fours regularly experience vulnerable emotions and can even handle some degree of 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 meeting their physical and emotional needs.
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 pays 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 and can even be aggressive and dominating.
At the same time, 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 when experiencing something emotionally.
Eights do not pay much attention to internal processes, while Fours can be very reflective.

Type 8 and Type 5

Some apparent 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 broader 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.
At the same time, 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, and 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 believe 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.
In relationships, Eights usually make it clear where they stand, while Fives can be challenging 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.
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, especially physical intimacy (or the promise of it).

Type 8 and Type 6

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 solid and intimidating to others.
Both styles tend toward threatening or challenging situations “fearlessly” to deal with the problem head-on.
However, Eights genuinely have little or no Fear.
At the same time, 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.
However, eights are more prone to overworking and wanting to move big things forward quickly, and sixes can be more cautious and 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 feel relatively little Fear and vulnerability, as their approach to life is based on a denial of vulnerability and overcompensatory confidence in their power and strength.
On the other hand, Phobic Sixes often feel fearful and thus vulnerable, so they anxiously await 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, thus failing 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 scrutinize people for hidden agendas and ulterior motives.
At the same time, 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.

Type 8 and Type 7

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 the Eight can be rebellious when someone has authority over them, they can also work with a good source they respect and enjoy being the leader.
In contrast, Sevens equalize authority, make friends with bosses and subordinates, and deny a vertical power structure that might constrain them.
Regarding where their attention goes, Eights focuses on power and control, while Sevens concentrates 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.
At the same time, Sevens prefer the idea stage to the implementation stage and can have problems following through.
Sevens intellectualize to escape from feeling into thinking, finding complicated 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.
And finally, when analyzing or evaluating a situation, Sevens reframe negatives into positives.
But, 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.

Type 8 and Type 9

Eights and Nines have some similar characteristics.
Both dislike being controlled by others, but they 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 asserting 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 focus 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 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 the Nines, having an opinion means risking conflict and motivating them to avoid their positions, desires, and strong feelings.
Nines 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 the problems in black and white.
Identifying 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.
Others often perceive Eights as intimidating interpersonally, while most see Nines as likable, approachable, and friendly.
Eights tend to significantly impact others, while nines can have difficulty making an impact and can 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.
While people of both styles avoid a specific 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.

Enneagram Type 8 Careers

Eights can be excellent Generals, Leaders, Chief Executives, Entrepreneurs, and Athletes.
They excel in occupations that require strength, determination, and force.
Eights are good at taking the initiative to move ahead and want to be in charge.
Eights are often self-employed since they want the freedom to choose.

Enneagram Type 8 Personality Type Cross-reference

Enneagram Type 8 is the most common Enneagram type for ENTJs, representing 32% – 46% of the population.

58%—71% of Enneagram Type 8 fell into one of three types: ESTJ, ESTP, or ENTJ.

Between 31% and 45% of Enneagram Type 8 are ESTJs, mainly because the ESTJ type is expected.