Enneagram Type 6s are those individuals who focus on safety and security in their lives. They want to bring everyone together to work as a team. There is more to this personality than what meets the eye. There are Enneagram Type 6 Wings and SubTypes that offer deeper insight into this personality archetype.

People with Enneagram 6 personalities are responsible and trustworthy and give great importance to their beliefs and friends who form integral parts of their life. They are ready to challenge or question any system and fight for their values. When we try to connect Enneagram 6s with the Myers Briggs personalities, they are a combination of ISTJ, ISFJ, and ISFP types.

The wings and subtypes of an enneagram six talk about different dimensions that exist inside this personality but remain in hidden form. They offer additional information regarding their various ways of dealing with life’s challenges.

Enneagram 6 Wings and Subtypes

Enneagram 6 wings and subtypes add a whole new set of dimensions to the personality. They remain hidden under the traits of the core enneagram type. These dimensions have equal responsibility toward making up various dynamics of these individuals.

Wings in a personality help offer some flavor and let people get different perspectives for understanding society better. These refer to the two adjacent personality types. They lie on either side of the core Enneagram Type.

These wings can positively influence the core Enneagram 6 personality and the challenges that this combination brings with it. Hence, these wings help them make the most of the opportunities that come their way. They even assist an individual in overcoming obstacles to fulfill their goals in life.

Enneagram 6 Subtypes talk of the impulsive tendencies that form this personality type. It points toward the combined effect of a person’s primary enneagram number and their instincts. Those instincts happen to be the primal forces based on one’s body. These instinctive tendencies are unconscious forces. They play a part in determining a person’s specific way of feeling, thinking, and acting.

Apart from these, there are also three centers of intelligence that exist within Enneagram 6. They include the body center, the head center, and the heart center.

Enneagram Type 6 Wings

The wings of an enneagram six personality type individual are two adjacent personality types that lie on either side of the core type. One calls it so because people carry various complications that inject different shades into their lives. Therefore, considering only the features of Enneagram 6’s core type will not give the exact picture of this personality. Hence, wings come to the rescue and explain different aspects.

The wings offer people with this Enneagram 6 type to know various dimensions that exist in their personality. Unfortunately, they do not pay sufficient attention. When one places all the nine Enneagram types inside a circle, their wings will be the two numbers that lie on either side of the primary type. Thus, for the enneagram type 6, their wings are 6w5 and 6w7. They complement, contradict and develop a versatile side of the core enneagram type.

Some state that wings are the alternate side of an individual’s core personality type. Individuals will possess various traits of the adjacent types within their personality.

Enneagram 6w5 characteristics

An individual with a 6w5 enneagram wing identifies themselves mostly with type six. They even possess some subtle qualities of type five.

All those belonging to Enneagram 6 personality types can foresee problems that might arise in the future. These individuals make sure to troubleshoot them before they adversely affect their lives. They focus on protecting their values and friends against all odds. Another critical feature of these individuals is their need for support from others. These Sixes concentrate on working together as a team while undertaking responsibilities in life.

This enneagram type always lives under suspicion that a section of society might try to harm them in some way or the other. It unnecessarily makes Sixes suffer from nameless anxiety. Hence, even when they try to form a network of trustworthy relationships, they suffer from fear. Imbalances rule the roost in their background.

  • 6w5s always remain on the lookout for guidance and support from those individuals who are an integral part of their lives.
  • They use their logic to make concrete decisions.
  • These individuals never take up any task without having backup plans. This approach enables them to feel good and remain at ease in their course of life.
  • People having 6w5 personality types invest sufficient time to make decisions. They never decide abruptly without putting any thought over it.
  • These people pay attention to specifications and analyze the bigger picture.
  • 6w5s have the habit of isolating themselves from social scenarios that seem threatening and have every chance of destroying their internal peace.
  • Their logical approach does not allow them to express their emotions.
  • Negative thoughts keep circulating inside their minds. They enable them to foresee even the worst-case scenarios. Those thoughts mostly emerge out of their imaginations and tend to disturb their peace of mind.

Enneagram 6w7 characteristics

A person with a 6w7 enneagram wing has a combination of the attention toward commitment, preparedness, and safety of Enneagram Sixes with the easy-going nature of Enneagram Sevens.

These individuals connect with people, help them in times of distress, and can become their close confidants. The primary desire of this type is to feel safe and secure. Hence, they manage to form close ties with people around them.

6w7s always remain committed to their responsibilities. Every individual develops trust and faith in them. They protect themselves against pain and suffering by expressing their feelings to others. Sometimes, it might result in toxic social relationships. Doing so can make people feel humiliated.

  • 6w7s portray their compassionate and friendly nature toward others while leading lives. Hence, people always feel free to seek assistance during trying times.
  • They love social interactions. These individuals do not leave any chance to stay connected with others.
  • Their primary motive is to feel safe and secure. Hence, they keep themselves away from emotional damage.
  • An individual with a 6w7 personality type fears losing their safety in life. Thus, they try to do everything possible to avoid exposure to any threat.
  • They need constant reassurance from others to confirm that they are worthy. It also makes them realize that they are sufficiently good to lead an enriching life.
  • 6w7s believe that long-term and trustworthy relationships with others form the basis of a good life.
  • If these people make commitments, they prefer honoring them no matter what.
  • They always work hard. These individuals show complete dedication to undertaking any social cause.
  • Enneagram 6s with wing 7 fail to reconcile all their sufferings.
  • These individuals bother a lot about fulfilling the material pleasures of life.
  • Tends to doubt themselves and blame others whenever things go wrong.

Enneagram 6 Subtypes

We are aware of the fact that nine personality types make up the enneagram system. Now, each of them contains three instinctual subtypes. Hence, they make for a total of 27 subtypes. One can find more information about the same in the book, ‘The Complete Enneagram: 27 Paths to Greater Self-Knowledge’ by Beatrice Chestnut. These subtypes are the basic tendencies that exist within one’s body. They stay inside them, assist in connecting to the primary type and act cohesively.

It determines how they build their personality. Subtypes allow individuals to connect with their core enneagram personality type. They emerge from a combination of a person’s core enneagram type along with their instinct.

The instincts of Enneagram 6s are as follows –

1. Self-Preservation (SP) – Warmth

2. Social (SO) – Duty

3. Sexual (SX) – Strength/Beauty

The time has now come for us to discuss how Enneagram 6s are connected and focus on these inherent tendencies.

Self-Preservation (SP)

This self-preservation subtype of enneagram 6s always remains extremely conscious of leading their life in fear and suffering from insecurity. Hence, they look for protection and security within various connections and friendships they make during the course of life. These people suppress their anger to build trustworthy links. Sixes with this subtype are friendly, supportive, and those whom people can trust.

They even investigate the world as a place where one cannot get support from others. Hence, these Sixes remain on the lookout for experiencing warmth and security within the family. It is easy for them to depend on others and fear not meeting up to their level of expectations. The same is especially applicable to those who are the closest to their hearts.

These Sixes have the habit of asking a lot of questions about themselves. They even do the same for their partners. The Self-Preservation subtype of Sixes even does so for their personal life. All these help them satisfy their curiosity about knowing the truth. They find it difficult to answer questions because they look at the world with confusion.

Social (SO)

The Social Subtype of Enneagram 6 is a character who stays firm in their ideologies. They adopt a strange view of looking deeper into all those things that make them feel safe. These individuals always take advantage of every opportunity to harp on the importance of some rules and values. Sixes with Social Subtypes strongly focus on following guidelines of the external world. They treat them as a substitute for developing their confidence level.

These individuals adopt a rational approach and focus on fulfilling their responsibilities. They tackle their obsession with fear by depending on an unusual reason or a definite ideology as a frame of reference in an impersonal manner. A Social Six will always consult and follow the guidelines associated with its principles, authority, and social group. They must differentiate between the good and bad guys in society.

Whether consciously or unconsciously, these Social Sixes suffer from the basic fear of disapproval. This Enneagram 6 Subtype believes in doing things right by adhering to rules and regulations. They have a sense of duty. It becomes a way for them to structure their lives. These people are idealistic. This subtype of the enneagram personality acts legally and demands compliance with the whole collection of rules and systems.

Sexual or One-to-One

The One to One or Sexual Subtype of Enneagram Six is the most counter-phobic among all other types. They make sure to adopt a stance of intimidation and strength. Rather than feeling fearful, people with this sexual wing of Enneagram Six possess a strong inner belief. It states that when someone is afraid, an ideal defense is a good offense. These individuals carry a strong desire to make themselves strong.

This Sexual Subtype of Six carries internal strength that develops within them for not having the willingness to feel weak. They are passionate about endurance. Therefore, they manage to push their vulnerabilities away. These Sixes have the cynical nature of not trusting others. Hence, Sexual Sixes believe they will manage to scare others away. It is common for others to find them quite contrary in nature. They do not think twice before raising their voice against all those powers and authorities which are not sufficiently trustworthy.

These individuals never refrain from getting into arguments. It allows them to reject all those points they do agree with and put forward their contradictory opinion. They always look for solid and practical ideologies as Sexual Sixes feel far more truthful and down-to-earth.

Final Words

In this post, we have discussed in detail how wings and subtypes play critical roles in building the complete personality of an Enneagram 6 individual. These wings give something extra to this personality type. Hence, they allow individuals with this personality type to go deeper inside their unchartered territories. Thus, they make them develop different perspectives on life. The wings of Enneagram 6 are 6w5 and 6w7.

Subtypes refer to the instinctive tendencies that exist inside one’s body. They connect themselves to the core personality type and cohesively undertake their activities. There are three subtypes of Enneagram 6. Those include Self-Preservation Subtype (Warmth), Social Subtype (Duty), and Sexual or One-to-One Subtype (Strength/Beauty).