Eight (Enneagram)
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Eight is one of the nine personality types of the Enneagram, and is sometimes called the Protector, the Boss, or the Challenger.
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[edit] Basic Description
Protectors feel the need to protect themselves and be in control of their own life and destiny. They will often act willfully, feeling a need to dominating their environments for this reason. They are generally self-confident, decisive and confrontational (as they like to know where they stand with people).
[edit] Childhood
As children, Protectors are independent, and will often have an inner strength and fighting spirit. They may have grown up in difficult or abusive surroundings, and so seize control so they will not be controlled. They are acute at being able to figure out others' weaknesses. They will often attack physically or verbally when provoked, and are sometimes loners.
[edit] Wings
[edit] Eight With A Seven Wing: The Maverick
[edit] Healthy
When 8w7s are healthy, they have a quick mind and a vision for practical possibilities. They are action-orientated, and want to have an impact on the world. They are often entrepreneurial, interested in creating opportunities that will ensure their independence.
[edit] Average
When 8w7s are average, they are adventurous and risk-taking. They are socialable, talkative and outgoing. Pragmatic, practical, and competitive, they are not overly concerned with what they perceive as weakness or inefficiency. They can become impatient, impulsive, and are more likely to be led by their feelings than the other subtype. More openly aggressive and confrontational, they are less likely to back down from a fight.
[edit] Unhealthy
When more entranced, aggression combines with gluttony to form an almost virulent tendency to addiction. Many entranced 8w7s have had drug and alcohol problems or tensions around addiction. Prone to temperamental ups and downs - can be moody, egocentric, quick to anger. Tendency to court chaos, inflate themselves narcissistically. Some are ruthlessly materialistic. Can use people up, suck them dry. Maybe be explosive or violent, prone to distorted overreaction.
[edit] Examples of 8w7s
Examples of 8w7s are Leslie Abramson, F. Lee Bailey, Lucille Ball, Sean Connery, Jimmy Connors, Robert Conrad, Brian Dennehy, Lawyer Alan Dershowitz, Danny DeVito, Kirk Douglas, Rush Limbaugh, Fritz Perls, Ann Richards, Geraldo Rivera, Telly Savalas, Frank Sinatra, Grace Slick, Donald Trump, Zorba the Greek.
[edit] Eight With A Nine Wing: The Bear
[edit] Healthy
When healthy, 8w9s often have an aura of preternatural calm, seeming highly self-confident. May be gentle, kind-hearted, quieter. Often nurturing, protective parents; steady, supportive friends. Informal and unpretentious, patient, laconic, generally somewhat introverted. Sometimes a dry or ironic sense of humour.
[edit] Average
8w9s when average have an aura of implicit, simmering anger rather like a sleeping volcano. Slow to erupt but when they do it's sudden and explosive. When entranced, the 9 wing brings an Eight a kind of callous numbness. They can be oblivious to the force of their anger until after they've hurt someone. Calmly dominating, colder; may have an indifference to softer emotions.
[edit] Unhealthy
Unhealthy 8w9s can be mean without remorse or aggressive in the service of stupid ends. Paranoid plotting, muddled thinking, moral laziness are common. They can be vengeful in ill-conceived ways, abuse those they love, don't know when to quit.
[edit] Examples of 8w9s
Examples of 8w9s are Edward Asner,Muhammed, Johnny Cash, Fidel Castro, Dick Cheney, Ty Cobb, Michael Douglas, Milton Erickson, Linda Fiorentino, Geronimo, John Huston, Evel Knievel, Lee Marvin, Golda Meir, Robert Mitchum, Dixy Lee Ray, Mickey Rourke, and Marge Schott.
[edit] Instincts
[edit] Self-Preservational Instinct
[edit] Average
In the average range, these type of Eights the most no-nonsense kind. They focus intently on practical matters, and are the most domestic kind of Eights. They are more materialistic than the other two Instinctual Variants. They are prone to workaholism.
[edit] Unhealthy
Bullying, thievery, and justifying their own destructive behaviour by the belief that they are "toughening up others" is common. They may be inconsiderate and feel justified in acting selfishly.
[edit] Social Instinct
[edit] Average
Social Protectors wish to express their intensity through powerful bonds with others. Honour and trust are big issues for them, and they will test the people they care about so that friendships are solid and safe. They will do anything for the few they care about, and enjoy debating and hosting social events.
[edit] Unhealthy
When unhealthy, they can feel rejected and betrayed, and become extremely antisocial loners. They often indulge mindlessly in self-destructiveness through intoxication.
[edit] Sexual Instinct
[edit] Average
They are the most quietly intense and charismatic kind of Eights. They are passionate and rebellious, and have a sly sense of humour. They can be deeply loving and devoted.
[edit] Unhealthy
Unhealthy sexual Eights can attempt to completely control and dominate their partner. They are extremely jealous, seeing the other as a possession. In the worst case, spouse abuse, impulsive acts of revenge and crimes of passion are possible.
[edit] Levels of Development
| Healthy | |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Become self-restrained and magnanimous, merciful and forbearing, mastering self through their self-surrender to a higher authority. Courageous, willing to put self in serious jeopardy to achieve their vision and have a lasting influence. May achieve true heroism and historical greatness. |
| Level 2 | Self-assertive, self-confident, and strong: have learned to stand up for what they need and want. A resourceful, "can do" attitude and passionate inner drive. |
| Level 3 | Decisive, authoritative, and commanding: the natural leader others look up to. Take initiative, make things happen: champion people, provider, protective, and honorable, carrying others with their strength. |
| Average | |
| Level 4 | Self-sufficiency, financial independence, and having enough resources are important concerns: become enterprising, pragmatic, "rugged individualists," wheeler-dealers. Risk-taking, hardworking, denying own emotional needs. |
| Level 5 | Begin to dominate their environment, including others: want to feel that others are behind them, supporting their efforts. Swaggering, boastful, forceful, and expansive: the "boss" whose word is law. Proud, egocentric, want to impose their will and vision on everything, not seeing others as equals or treating them with respect. |
| Level 6 | Become highly combative and intimidating to get their way: confrontational, belligerent, creating adversarial relationships. Everything a test of wills, and they will not back down. Use threats and reprisals to get obedience from others, to keep others off balance and insecure. However, unjust treatment makes others fear and resent them, possibly also band together against them. |
| Unhealthy | |
| Level 7 | Defying any attempt to control them, become completely ruthless, dictatorial, "might makes right." The criminal and outlaw, renegade, and con-artist. Hard-hearted, immoral and potentially violent. |
| Level 8 | Develop delusional ideas about their power, invincibility, and ability to prevail: megalomania, feeling omnipotent, invulnerable. Recklessly over-extending self. |
| Level 9 | If they get in danger, they may brutally destroy everything that has not conformed to their will rather than surrender to anyone else. Vengeful, barbaric, murderous. Sociopathic tendencies. Generally corresponds to the Antisocial Personality Disorder. |
[edit] Other Information
Basic Fear: Of being harmed or controlled by others, of violation
Basic Desire: To protect themselves, to determine their own course in life
Temptation: To be too self-sufficient
Vice: Lust
Virtue: Magnanimity
[edit] External links
| One: The Reformer | Two: The Helper | Three: The Achiever | Four: The Romantic | Five: The Observer |
| Six: The Loyalist | Seven: The Enthusiast | Eight: The Leader | Nine: The Mediator |
