I had originally listed Steve Jobs as an ENTJ after seeing that TypeLogic and PersonalityCafe listed him as an ENTJ (though neither explained why).

To determine personality types of famous people, I typically surf the major Myers Briggs personality type sites and see where the most agreement is, and then combine that with my own MBTI knowledge (I’m self-taught on personality types but by no means an expert).

I did speak with Steve Jobs a couple of times (please see About Rob Kelly for my background) and I’ll give my amateur analysis of his personality type.

I now believe ENTJ may be wrong, or at least it’s only part of the story.

In short, I think an argument can be made that Steve Jobs was either an

• INTP “The Inventor”)
• INTJ (“The Mastermind”)
• ENTP (“The Innovator”)
• ENTJ (“The Leader”)

Let me go through my thinking on each part:

Introvert (I) versus Extrovert (E)

I think Steve is possibly right on the border of introvert versus extrovert. While he of course is famous for his presentations/speeches, any MBTI expert knows that an introvert can be great on stage but then off-stage could get most their energy from within themselves (the definition of an introvert).

My view here is that Steve was happiest with a small group of people and even just one or two people (remember all the hikes he took with confidantes). So I’m going to call him an I/E (right in the middle).

Sensing (S) versus Intuitive (N)

I think most folks agree Steve Jobs was highly abstract/conceptual; those are qualities of a clear Intuitive (N).

While some could argue that he was detail-oriented (i.e. in his attention to details on his products) and might have been a Sensor (S), that is clearly outweighed by his his ability to think big-picture (“1,000 songs in your pocket,” “the Apple computer being a “bicycle for the mind,” etc).

Thinker (T) versus Feeler (F)

The “jerk” reputation Steve Jobs got in my readings of him stemmed from his highly logical nature with little regard to how those around him felt.

He clearly prioritized how he believed something should be done versus how anyone he worked with felt about it.

That’s s a clear sign of him being a thinker versus feeler — feelers rarely get the “jerk” reputation (us Thinkers typically do!).

Perceiver (P) versus Judger (J)

This is tougher. Jobs was known to like options (classic Perceiver) yet he was able to get stuff done (obviously).

I’m going to call him a split on this one and if I had to give the edge, I would say he was slightly more Perceiver than Judger because of his idealistic nature of having things just perfect. I think that he was so evolved, though, that he sharpened his Judger skills immensely in later years (likely by surrounding himself with numerous strong Judgers).

So, I realize that I am now backing off of my original ENTJ and instead breaking down Steve Jobs’s Myers Briggs type as:

• I/E
• N
• T
• P/J.

In other words, he’s an INTP, INTJ, ENTP or ENTJ.

Not a perfect answer, I know, but that’s my best guess.

Other notes about Steve Jobs/MBTI stuff:

• TypeCentral argues that he’s an ENTP (the classic inventor).
• There’s a good debate about whether Steve Jobs was an ENTJ or I/ENTP on Quora.

What do you think Steve Jobs’s personality type is?

Ichazo claimed that there were 9 different ways (let’s call them “types”) in which a person’s ego becomes fixated within the psyche during childhood (though when you’re a baby, you have qualities of tendencies from all these 9 types!).

One of the 9 psychological personality types emerges as the core of your self-image — it’s your dominant type — based on childhood events. .

While numbers 1 through 9 are used to delineate each of the 9 Enneagram Types, nicknames for the types have emerged such as those in the awesome figure from LivingDesign above.

Even though one dominant Enneagram personality type (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9) emerges for you, it is common to hold on to a bit of the other 8 Enneagram type tendencies.

For example, an Enneagram 4 (the “Individualist” (aka the “Romantic”) goes to a 1 (the “Reformer” or “Perfectionist”) at its best yet when stressed, a Type 4 goes to a 2 (the “Helper” or “Giver”).

A 4 also has “wings” on each side of the Enneagram circumfrance, meaning an Enneagram 4 person may sometimes lean towards the traits of a 5 “Investigator”) or a 3 (the “Achiever” or “Peforrmer”).

Find Out Your Enneagram Type Here!

If you don’t know your Enneagram type yet, go check out one of these 2 free Enneagram tests.

You can find out what Enneagram Personality Type you are by taking one of the free tests out there.

Here are two free Enneagram Personality Tests I’ve personally taken (each took about 10 to 15 minutes):

1) A Five-Choice Question Enneagram Testfrom 9types (this test allows you to give answers along a scale (including a “non-answer”)

2) A Two-Choice Question Enneagram Test from the Enneagram Institute (this test is more rigid in that you have to answer one of two choices…you have to scroll down the page on this site to see the test

I took both so I could confirm my type.

Enneagram 1 Nicknames:“The Perfectionist” or “The Reformer” (also called “The Crusader”, “The Activist”, “The Moralist”, “The Organizer”)

Type 1 is the rational, idealistic sort who feel like their mission in life is to do things the right way and to make right all that is wrong with the world! They strive for higher values and hold themselves and others to extremely high standards. They seek perfection and are critical if their high expectations are not met. 1s like to follow rules and are people of practical action who wish to be useful and reduce the disorder around them. They are often crusaders for change and causes in the world. They are attracted to institutions/jobs with structure, rules and a clear hierarchy. They have a tendency to turn people in if they break the rules.

Enneagram 1 Strengths

• Moral
• Values getting it right
• Likes and creates structure
• Competent
• Good at following rules
• Purposeful
• Great attention to detail
• Disciplined
• Consistent
• Analytical
• Reliable
• Will finish the job (and do it well)

Enneagram 1 Challenges or Weaknesses

• Anger-Management issues
• Overly perfectionistic
• Holds the world to extremely high standards
• Rigid
• Need to be right
• Punitive
• Obsessive
• Self-Critical
• Critical of Others

Enneagram 1 Careers:

• Strategic Planner
• Informer
• Enforcer
• Urban planner
• Technical director
• Broker
• Financial planner
• Lawyer/paralegal
• Computer programmer
• Carpenter
• Teacher
• Accountant
• Researcher
• Preacher

Enneagram 1 with a 9 wing: “The Idealist”
Enneagram 1 with a 2 wing: “The Advocate”

Biggest fear: Of being defective, evil and corrupt.

Basic desire: To have integrity and be virtuous and balanced.

When 1s evolve they take on characteristics of type 7
When 1s are under stress they take on characteristics of type 4

Vice: Anger

Unconscious childhood message: It is not ok to make mistakes.
Lost childhood message: You are good.

Famous & Fictional Enneagram 1s:

Al Gore is the perfect example of a type 1 because of his crusade to raise awareness about the environment and global warming. Many type 1s are dedicated to causes because they are trying to right what’s wrong with the world. Gore is also a ENTJ, which is known as “The Leader”.

• Albert Schweitzer
• Alistair Cooke
• Anderson Cooper
• Anita Bryant
• Angela Davis
• Anne Frank
• Arthur Miller
• Ayn Rand
• Bill Moyers
• Bernard Shaw
• Brian Williams
• C.S. Lewis
• Carl Sagan
• Charles Dickens
• Colin Powell
• Condoleezza Rice
• Confucius
• Cotton Mather
• Debby Boone
• Donald Rumsfeld
• Dr. Joyce Brothers
• Eleanor Roosevelt
• Emily Post
• Emma Thompson
• Eric Severeid
• Gene Siskel
• George Bernard Shaw
• George F. Will
• George Harrison
• George McGovern
• Gregory Peck
• Harrison Ford
• Harry Belafonte
• Harry Truman
• Henry Fonda
• Hillary Clinton
• Immanuel Kant
• Jane Fonda
• Jeane J. Kirkpatrick
• Jerry Brown
• Jerry Falwell
• Joan Baez
• Joan of Arc
• Joanne Woodward.
• Jodie Foster
• John Bradshaw
• John Cleese
• John Wooden
• Julie Andrews
• Katherine Hepburn
• Laura Linney
• Leslie Stahl
• Lloyd Bridges
• Margaret Thatcher
• Mario Cuomo
• Martha Stewart
• Martin Luther
• Mary Poppins
• Melinda Gates
• Meryl Streep
• Michael Dukakis
• Mohandas Gandhi
• Mr. Spock
• Nelson Mandela
• Noam Chomsky
• Peter Graves
• Peter Strauss
• Pope John Paul II
• Ralph Nader
• Robert Novak
• Samuel Johnson
• Sandra Day O’Conner
• Sidney Poitier
• St. Ignatius
• St. Thomas More
• Susan Brownmiller
• Thomas Jefferson
• Tom Brokaw
• Tony Randall
• Vanessa Redgrave
• William F. Buckley
• Yitzak Rabin

If you like Personality Types, you can also check out the Myers Briggs Personality Types at these two links:

Free Myers-Briggs Jung Personality Test and

The 16 Myers-Briggs Personality Types

Enneagram 2 Nickname: “The Helper” or “The Giver” (also called “The Lover”, “The Caretaker”, “The Pleaser” and “The Enabler”)

Type 2s feel best when they are being helpful to others. They are typically generous and go out of their way for people. Not only does helping others make them feel more worthwhile, but also helps create and strengthen their priority in life: having close relationships. Type 2s think the most important thing in life is love and get value from being loved and needed. Type 2s have an affinity for giving compliments and support. There is a nurturing, almost parental quality to this type, but unhealthy 2s tend to get overly involved in people’s lives. They can be possessive of people and manipulative if they don’t get their needs for love, attention and closeness met. They believe they have to put others first to be worthy of love. Type 2s take great pride in their relationships and ability to take care of others.

Enneagram 2 Strengths

• People pleasing
• Extremely giving
• Empathetic
• Loving
• Demonstrative
• Nurturing
• Supportive
• Caring
• Fun
• Generous
• Friendly
• Thoughtful

Enneagram 2 Challenges or Weaknesses

• Resentful
• Self important
• Possessive
• Needy
• Prideful
• Intrusive
• Overbearing
• Possessive
• Fear of not being loved
• Manipulative/coercive

Basic fear: Of being unloved and unwanted
Basic desire: To feel loved

Type 2 with a 1 wing is called “The Servant”
Type 2 with a 3 wing is called “The Host/Hostess”

When 2s evolve they take on characteristics of type 4
When 2s are under stress they take on characteristics of type 8

Vice: Pride

Unconscious childhood message: It is not ok to have needs.
Lost childhood message: You are wanted.

Enneagram 2 Careers: (Because of their helping nature 2s love working for non profits or volunteers)

• Chief of Staff (i.e. “A #2 Person)
• Teacher (usually grade school)
• Executive Assistant
• Paramedic/fire fighter
• Retail sales person
• waiter, waitress, bartender
• Caterer
• Museum guide
• Author of children’s books
• Nurses
• Nannies
• Dental assistants
• School principal
• Stay at home parent
• Wedding planner
• Social Worker

Famous & Fictional Enneagram 2s

Princess Diana of Wales demonstrated  theType 2 desire to give by dedicating her life and free time to tough humanitarian work and visiting sick children in the hospital. She was also an INFP, known as “the healer”.

Alan Alda
Anita Bryant
Ann Landers
Anne Jackson
Archibishop Desmond Tutu
Barbara Bush
Barry Manilow
Betty Friedan
Bill Cosby
Brigitte Bardot
Catherine Hicks
Celine Dion,
Christina Onassis
Courtney Cox
Danielle Steel
Danny Glover
Danny Thomas
Debbie Reynolds
Desmond Tutu
Diana-Princess of Wales
Dolly Parton
Doug Henning
Eleanor Roosevelt
Elizabeth Taylor
Ellen Burstyn
Elvis Presley
Emma Thompson
Eva Peron
Farrah Fawcett
Faye Dunaway
Florence Nightengale
Glenn Close
Ivana Trump
Jane Birkin
Jean Brodie
Jennifer Tilly
Jerry Lewis
Jessica Lange
Jesus Christ
John Denver
Kathy Bates
Kim Cattrall
Laura Huxley
Lesley Ann Warren
Lewis Carroll
Lillian Carter
Liv Ullmann
Luciano Pavarotti
Lynne Cheney
Madonna
Mary Magdalene
Melanie Griffith
Melanie Hamilton Wilkes
Mia Farrow
Monica Lewinsky
Mother Teresa
Nancy Reagan
Naomi Cambell
Pat Boone
Patsy Ramsay
Petula Clark
Priscilla Presley
Richard Simmons
Richard Thomas
Sally Jessy Raphael
Sammy Davis, Jr.
Tommy Tune
Whitney Houston
Yoko Ono

Enneagram Two with a One-Wing: “Servant”

Enneagram Two with a Three-Wing: “The Host/Hostess”

If you like Personality Types, you can also check out the Myers Briggs Personality Types at these two links:

Free Myers-Briggs Jung Personality Test and

The 16 Myers-Briggs Personality Types

Enneagram 3 Nickname: “The Performer” or “The Motivator” (also called “The Achiever”, “The Status Seeker”) 3s like to think of themselves as “The Best”

Whatever 3s choose to do, they do it well or die trying! They show their love by doing things for people. 3s are all about looking good and getting things done! They like to be busy and don’t like to deal with their emotions. They feel the most comfortable when they are working towards their goals. When there is nothing to do, 3s tend to feel uncomfortable and antsy. They pride themselves for their achievements.

Enneagram 3 Strengths

• Success oriented
• Charming
• Pragmatic
• Strives to excel and get recognition for it
• Driven/relentless
• Image Conscious
• Adaptable
• Charismatic
• High-Energy
• Competitive
  

Enneagram 3 Challenges or Weaknesses

• Workaholic
• Inauthentic (lies to get ahead of preserve image)
• Self-promoting
• Not in touch with their emotions
• Distracted
• Vain
• Needs validation
• Likes to show off
• Fear of intimacy

Enneagram 3 Careers

• Sales
• Agent (sports, insurance, literary)
• Public relations director/consultant
• Inspirational speaker or writer
• Politician
• Gossip columnist
• Business coach
• Actor/entertainer/performer
• Marketing
• Managers
• Media
• Advertisers
• Image-Consultants

Basic fear: Of being worthless, and having no value apart from their achievements.
Basic desire: To feel valuable,  accepted, desirable.

Type 3 with a 2 wing is called “The Charmer”
Type 3 with a 4 wing is called “The Professional”

When 3s evolve they take on characteristics of type 6
When 3s are under stress they take on characteristics of type 9

Vice: Deceit

Unconscious childhood message: It is not ok to have your own feelings and identity
Lost childhood message: You are loved for yourself.

Famous & Fictional Enneagram 3s

Bill Clinton is a classic example of a 3 because of his over achieving ways. A Rhode Scholar and a U.S. President, Clinton also knows how to put on the charm, and have the create the right image for success! Clinton is also an ESFP, which is known as “The Performer”.

Alain Delon
Ali McGraw
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andy Warhol
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Barbra Streisand
Benjamin Netanyahu
Bill Clinton
Bob Packwood
Brooke Shields
Bryant Gumbel
Burt Reynolds
Carl Lewis
Christopher Plummer
Christopher Reeve
Cindy Crawford
Courntey Cox
Cybill Shepherd
David Bowie
David Copperfield
Demi Moore
Denzel Washington
Dick Cavett
Dick Clark
Elle MacPherson
Elvis Presley
F. Scott Fitzgerald
George Stephanopoulos
Halle Berry
Jack Kemp
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
James Baker
Jamie Lee Curtis
Jane Pauley
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jimmy Carter
Joe Montana
Julio Iglesias
Kathie Lee Gifford
Kathleen Turner
Lady MacBeth
Lance Armstrong
Madonna
Meryl Streep
Michael Dell
Michael Jordan
Michael Tilson Thomas
Mick Jagger
Muhammad Ali
Natalie Wood
O.J. Simpson
Oprah Winfrey
Paul McCartney
Prince Andrew
Reba McEntire
Richard Gere
Rob Lowe
Robert Wagner
Sharon Stone
Shirley MacLaine
Sting
Sylvester Stallone
Tiger Woods
Tom Cruise
Tom Jones
Tony Blair
Tony Robbins
Truman Capote
Vanessa Williams
Vanna White
Vince Lombardi
W. Somerset Maugham
Wesley Snipes
Whitney Houston
Will Smith
William Shatner

If you like Personality Types, you can also check out the Myers Briggs Personality Types at these two links:

Free Myers-Briggs Jung Personality Test and

The 16 Myers-Briggs Personality Types

Enneagram 4 Nickname: “The Romantic or the Individualist” (also called “The Melancholic”, “The Aesthete”, “The Tragic Victim”, “The Artist”) 4s like to think of themselves as “the special one”.

Type 4s have the ability to go to experience a wide range of deep emotions. They often feel like their emotions define them and look to them to find their identity. Because 4s are not afraid the plumb the depths of painful emotion and sadness, they have a compassion and sensitivity that makes people feel seen and understood. They are well suited for creative and helping professions. The sensitivity of 4s also makes them highly intuitive. 4s can also be moody, self absorbed and stand offish. They fundamentally view themselves as special and different and think that rules don’t apply to them. 4s have highly developed imaginations and are concerned with physical aesthetics. To a 4, the thought of being ordinary or generic  and living a mundane life is unbearable.

Enneagram 4 Strengths

• Sensitive
• Imaginitive
• Introspective
• Stylish
• Dramatic/Expressive
• Original
• Creative
• Intuitive
• Compassionate
• Artistic
  

Enneagram 4 Challenges or Weaknesses

• Self-Absorbed
• Hyper sensitive
• Passive aggressive demand for attention
• Escapes into fantasy
• Tend to get infatuated
• Self-indulgent
• Over dramatic
• Over analyzer
• Self conscious
• Temperamental
• Withdrawn
• Elitist
• Easily Lost
• Moody
• Depressed
  

Enneagram 4 with a 3 wing: “The Aristocrat”
Enneagram 4 with a 5 wing: “The Bohemian”

Biggest fear: Of having no identity or personal significance.
Basic desire: To find themselves and their significance, to create identity out of their inner experience.

When 4s evolve they take on characteristics of type 1
When 4s are under stress they take on characteristics of type 2

Vice: Envy

Unconscious childhood message: It is not ok to be too functional and happy.
Lost childhood message: You are seen for who you are.

Enneagram 4 Careers: Need for careers with flexibility, variety and opportunity for self expression.

• Interior Designer
• Actor/entertainer/musician
• Web/graphic designer
• Artist
• Massage therapist
• Couples counselor
• Crisis-line operator
• Writer
• Life coach
• Holistic health practitioner/healer
• Psychologist/therapist
• Grief Counselor
• Dancer/ yoga instructor
• Model
• Antique Collector

Famous & Fictional Enneagram 4s

Morrissey is the perfect example of a type 4 because of his originality, creativity, melancholic lyrics and moodiness. Morrissey is also a INFJ, which is also called “the Change Agent”.

Alan Watts
Alan Rickman
Alanis Morrisette
Albert Camus
Allen Ginsberg
Ally Sheedy
Anais Nin
Angelina Jolie
Anne Rice
Arthur Rimbaud
August Strindberg
Bette Davis
Billie Holiday
Bjork
Blanche DuBois
Bob Dylan
Cate Blanchette
Charles Baudelaire
Cheryl Crow
Claude Monet
D.H. Lawrence
Diane Arbus
Dusty Springfield
E.M. Forster
Edgar Allan Poe
Edith Piaf
Eric Clapton
Frederick Chopin
Francis Bacon
Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Gary Oldman
Gene Wilder
Gustav Mahler
Harvey Keitel
Hermann Hesse
Ingmar Bergman
J.D. Salinger
Jack Kerouac
Jackie Onassis
James Dean
Janis Joplin
Jeremy Irons
Jewel
Jim Morrison
John Malkovich
Johnny Depp
Joni Mitchell
Judy Garland
Julio Iglesias
Kate Bush
Kurt Cobain
Kate Winslet
Laurence Olivier
Liam Neeson,
Marcel Proust
Maria Callas
Marilyn Manson
Martha Graham
Michael Jackson
Michaelangelo
Michael Jackson
Morrissey
Neil Diamond
Nick Nolte
Nicolas Cage
Orson Welles
Oscar Wilde
Paul Simon
Peter Bogdanovich
Peter Tchaikovsky
Prince (or The Artist Formerly Known as Prince)
Prince Charles
Rudolf Nureyev
Sarah MacLachlan
Sylvia Plath
Saul Steinberg
Soren Kierkegaard
Stevie Nicks
Tennessee Williams
Vincent Van Gogh
Vivien Leigh
Virginia Woolf
Walt Whitman
William Blake
William Faulkner
Winona Ryder
Yukio Mishima

If you like Personality Types, you can also check out the Myers Briggs Personality Types at these two links:

Free Myers-Briggs Jung Personality Test and

The 16 Myers-Briggs Personality Types

Enneagram 5 Nickname: “The Thinker” or “The Observer” (also known as “The Innovator”, “The Expert”, “The Specialist”).

5s are very cerebral and want to figure out why things are the way they are. They are always searching, asking questions and delving deeply into things. There is a tendency to hang back and observe the situation instead of participating in it. They spend a lot of time in their own heads and imaginations and are often uncomfortable or quiet in social settings. 5s are usually extremely intelligent and analytical.

Enneagram 5 Strengths

• Objective
• Driven to know things
• Great problem solver
• Perceptive
• Innovative
• Enjoy tinkering
• Observant
• Rich inner life
• Calm in a crisis
• Careful thinkers
• Knowledgeable
• Analytical

Enneagram 5 Challenges or Weaknesses

• Emotionally Detached
• Feel small and defenseless in the world
• Spends too much time in their head
• Isolated
• Get lost in speculation
• Secretive
• Withdrawn
• Preoccupied
• Deep insecurity about being able to successfully function in the world

Enneagram 5 Careers

• Computer Programmer/Software designer
• Architect
• Physicist/Scientist
• Medical researcher
• Risk management advisor
• Engineer
• Environmental planner
• College professor
• Game designer
• Technical support
• Astronomer
• Researcher
• Lawyer
• Scholar

Basic fear: Of being worthless, and having no value apart from their achievements.
Basic desire: To feel valuable,  accepted, desirable.

Type 5 with a 6 wing is called “The Charmer”
Type 5 with a 7 wing is called “The Professional”

When 5s evolve they take on characteristics of type 8 (they become more bold)
When 5s are under stress they take on characteristics of type 7 (become scattered)

Vice: Avarice

Unconscious childhood message: It is not ok to be comfortable in the world.
Lost childhood message: Your needs are not a problem.

Famous & Fictional Enneagram 5s

Isaac Asimov exemplifies a type 5’s brilliant mind perfectly.  He was a professor of biochemistry and a best selling science fiction writer. Many 5s are drawn to scientific pursuits because the professions uses their well honed natural talents of observation. Isaac Asimov is also an INTJ, also known as “The Mastermind.”

Agatha Christie
Al Pacino
Albert Camus
Albert Einstein
Alfred Hitchcock
Amelia Earhart
Annie Leibowitz
Anthony Hopkins
B.F. Skinner
Bill Gates
Bobby Fischer
Buster Keaton
Charles Darwin
Charles Lindbergh
Clive Barker
Cynthia Ozick
Daniel Day-Lewis
David Byrne
David Cronenberg
David Lynch
Doris Lessing
Ebenezer Scrooge
Edward O. Wilson
Emily Dickinson
Ezra Pound
Franz Kafka
Freidrich Nietzsche
Gary Larson
George Lucas
Georgia O’Keefe
Glenn Gould
Greta Garbo
Hannah Arendt
Howard Hughes
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Newton
Jacob Brownowski
J. Paul Getty
Jean-Paul Sartre
Jeremy Irons
Joe DiMaggio
John Cage
John D. Rockefeller
John la Carré
John Lennon
Joyce Carol Oates
Jules Verne
k.d. lang
Karl Marx
Keanu Reeves,
Kurt Cobain
Lars Von Trier
Laurie Anderson
Madeleine Stowe
Marie Curie
Max Von Sydow
Nick Cave
Nikola Tesla
Oliver Sacks
Paul Gauguin,
Peter Serkin
Ralph Fiennes
René Descartes
Richard Chamberlain
Robert DeNiro
Sam Neill
Sigmund Freud
Simone Weil
Stanley Kubrick
Stephen Hawking
Stephen King
T. S. Eliot
Theodore Kaczynski (aka The “Unabomber”
Thomas Harris
Tim Burton
Umberto Eco
Ursula K. Le Guin
Vincent Van Gogh
Vladimir Nabokov
Werner Heisenburg
William Butler Yeats

If you like Personality Types, you can also check out the Myers Briggs Personality Types at these two links:

Free Myers-Briggs Jung Personality Test and

The 16 Myers-Briggs Personality Types

Enneagram 6 Nickname: “The Skeptic” or  “The Devil’s Advocate” (also called “The Guardian”, The Troubleshooter”, “The Traditionalist”, “The Loyalist”)

Type 6s are always looking for guidance and support. They don’t trust themselves to make good decisions and either look to others or do tons of research before moving forward. They are cautious folks full of doubts, anxiety and a tendency to catastrophize.  The attention of a 6 is on safety, which makes them good protectors. 6s are always scanning the horizon for danger and have a tendency towards being suspicious of the world. Type 6 people are team players, and are incredibly loyal. While fear and phobias are classic type 6 attributes, some 6s can display counter phobic tendencies. This means that some 6s react to their fear with apparent fearlessness but its because they are overcompensating for how afraid they really are.

Enneagram 6 Strengths

• Analytical
• Protective
• Seek structure
• Engaging
• Responsible
• Great researcher
• Likes to be prepared
• Intuitive
• Committed
• Reliable
• Cooperative
• Group oriented
• Loyal
• Perceptive

Enneagram 6 Challenges or Weaknesses

• Self-Doubting
• Tendency to catastrophize
• Not self reliant
• Doubting
• Ambivalent
• Blaming
• Authoritarian
• Defensive
• Panicky
• Anxious
• Suspicious
• Paranoid

Enneagram 6 Careers

• Business Owner
• Soldier
• Teacher
• Scientist
• Analyst
• Engineer (good problem solver)
• Bodyguard
• Social worker
• Child care worker
• Health and safety inspector
• Public notary
• Loan officer
• Paralegal
• Banker
• Actuarial scientist/insurance underwriter
• Forecaster (financial, political)
• Tactician
• Security
• Psychic
• Police

Basic fear: Of being having no support or guidance, and being unable to survive alone.
Basic desire: To find security and support.

Type 6 with a 5 wing is called “The Defender”
Type 6 with a 7 wing is called “The Buddy”

When 6s evolve they take on characteristics of type 9
When 6s are under stress they take on characteristics of type 3

Vice: Fear

Unconscious childhood message: It is not ok to trust yourself.
Lost childhood message: You are safe.

Famous & Fictional Enneagram 6s

Woody Allen is an example of an type 6 because of his trademark qualities of anxiety and paranoia.  Allen is also an INFJ, which is also known as “The Change Agent”.

Adolf Hitler (an example of a counter phobic 6)
Alexander Haig
Alan Arkin
Albert Brooks
Andy Rooney
Anthony Perkins
Archie Bunker
Ben Stiller
Billy Graham
Bob Dole
Bob Newhart
Brian Wilson
Bruce Springsteen
Candice Bergen
Carly Simon
Charles Manson
Che Guevara
Chris Rock
Chuck Norris
Cowardly Lion (Wizard of Oz)
David Letterman
Diane Keaton
Dustin Hoffman
Ed Harris
Ellen Barkin
Ellen DeGeneres
Gene Hackman
George H. W. Bush
Gilda Radner
Hugh Grant
Ian Hart
J. Edgar Hoover
Jack Lemmon
Jane Fonda
Jay Leno
Jessica Lange
John Cusack
John Hinckley, Jr.
John Turturro
Johnny Carson
Jon Stewart
Joseph McCarthy
Judi Dench
Julia Roberts
Kristin Scott-Thomas
Malcolm X
Marilyn Monroe
Meg Ryan
Meir Kahane
Mel Gibson
Michael Moore
Michelle Pfeiffer
Mikhail Baryshnikov
Neil Young
Oliver North
Patrick Swayze
Paul Newman
Phil Donahue
Princess Diana
Reggie Jackson
Rene Russo
Richard Nixon
Robert Blake
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Redford
Robin Wright Penn
Rock Hudson
Rosie Perez
Rush Limbaugh
Sally Field
Seymour Hersh
Steven Seagal
Sydney Pollack
Ted Kennedy
Teri Garr
Tom Clancy
Tom Hanks
Tom Selleck
Tommy Lee Jones
Walter Mondale
Woody Allen

If you like Personality Types, you can also check out the Myers Briggs Personality Types at these two links:

Free Myers-Briggs Jung Personality Test and

The 16 Myers-Briggs Personality Types