ENNEAGRAM
The
Ancient symbol. Modern psychology.
POINT FIVE: THE INVESTIGATOR
Perceptive, Innovative, Secretive, and Isolated
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5
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9
BASIC DESIRE
To be capable and competent, to have knowledge and wisdom
PASSION / BLINDSPOT
Avarice:
manifests as a relentless search for more resources and more knowledge in order to calm their fears of being useless and incapable
BASIC FEAR
to feel useless, helpless, incable, and incompetemnt, to be depleted of resources
FIXATION / TRAP
Stinginess:
an unquenchable need to hoard resources, gathering time, knowledge, energy, and material possessions to feel secure
CORE MOTIVATION
to possess knowledge, to understand the environment, to have everything figured out as a way of defending the self from threats from the environment, to be able to retreat inward and collect more resources (wisdom, knowledge, time, answers, information, etc..)
VIRTUE / GIFT
Non-attachment:
detach from the need to think everything through in order to protect self and resources, find security in fair and objective perspective of acquiring, transforming, and sharing wisdom and resources
CENTER OF INTELLIGENCE
Head / Thinking
concerned with resisting aspects of the present the internal chatter of their minds is always scanning for threats to their security and stability
retreat inward to manage fear and anxiety they are not as connected with action or emotion
Pain and suffering often transforms into internalized and redirected anxiety and fear
WINGS
FOUR
negative — deeply withdrawn, overly sensitive, egotistical, self-centered, becoming detached from compassion and connection to others
positive — creative problem solving, balanced perspective, deep focus, attentiveness, ability to find the connections when others cannot
SIX
negative — Deeply insecure and anxious, cold, aloof, struggle to relate or connect with others
positive — focused and calm during conflict, passion for learning and finding solutions to collective issues, ability to connect the dots
ARROWS / LINES
SEVEN
negative — scattered and distractible, detached from others, disconnected from finding common ground, harsh and condescending
positive — open-minded, optimistic, able to see value in others and connect to share wisdom, ability to remain present instead of withdrawing
EIGHT
negative — incredibly stubborn and harsh, intellectually arrogant and outwardly dismissive of others, cold and unfeeling
positive — Find power and assertiveness to speak up and assert themselves with confidence and clarity, ability to take action
OVERVIEW
Fives are alert, insightful, and curious. They are able to concentrate and focus on developing complex ideas and skills. Independent, innovative, and inventive, they can also become preoccupied with their thoughts and imaginary constructs. They become detached, yet high-strung and intense. They typically have problems with eccentricity, nihilism, and isolation.
Fives exemplify the human desire to understand, to look beneath the surface of things, and to arrive at deeper insights about reality. They prefer the life of the mind, both as a way of understanding the world and as a way of escaping from certain aspects of reality. The inner world of the mind and the imagination is more real and vivid than the external world. Fives tend to have an experience and then spend many hours/days/years understanding it and the broader context. They are highly innovative and inventive; they love "tinkering around," playing with concepts and overturning the accepted ways of doing things. They are intensely determined to pursue the questions and ideas that fascinate them. They are keen on engaging with strikingly different people to broaden their perspectives and learn to become more open-minded.
LEVELS OF DEVELOPMENT
Healthy Levels of Development: Fives are secure in their ability to connect with others without the fear of feeling overwhelmed or depleted. These are the people willing to connect to others in the hopes of finding subject matter experts in whatever space they find themselves in. They become the leaders who establish credibility and sustainability for whatever cause or movement they are fighting for, oftentimes “behind the scenes” or in fundamental positions of power. They are true experts and keepers of truth when it comes to advocacy and social justice work; they can cut through the falsities of any argument with precision and strength. Fives are the keepers of the historical path that allows us to put the pieces of history back together. They are often the historical and institutional sources of wisdom and narratives of their communities.
Average Levels of Development: Fives are emotionally stunted, internally motivated without external motion, stuck in their heads trying to make sense of things, apathy is generally caused by hopelessness. They seek out ways to avoid connection and believe they must hold on to their resources to survive, whether it is time, knowledge, groups, books, or anything that they may have acquired. In this space, Five’s are unwilling to connect, stubborn and intellectually arrogant, cold and angry, fearful and apathetic. The thought of the connection to others is exhausting so they stay isolated in fear of becoming depleted and thus rendered incapacitated or underprepared. They may have flickers of connectedness and see the value in sharing their wisdom but the fear of becoming depleted or incapacitated quickly shifts them into self-isolation. These Fives may offer bullet points to a solution, but they withhold the full picture, just in case.
Unhealthy Levels of Development: Fives become highly unstable, obsessive, isolated, arrogant, detached, and egotistical individuals who justify their actions and beliefs from the unhealthy energy of Point Five. These are the people who can use their vast knowledge for ill gain sometimes out of spite or misdirected fear. Fear, greed, and insecurity are the primary motivators that distort reality resulting in disdain for anyone or anything that may compromise their existence. They become deeply detached and extremist individuals who isolate and submerge themselves in whatever resources they have collected to sustain their biased perspectives. They are incredibly arrogant and narcissistic in their behaviors aimed at other belittling people; deep down they are trying to cover the reality that they are a bundle of fear and anxiety
IDEA CONNECTIONS: TRIGGERS • BIASES • DISCONNECTS
Triggers / Biases: challenges to their competency, devaluing diversity as an asset, small mindedness, lack of education, anything that looks like ignorance, lack of vision, people who interfere with knowledge & truth, anger towards small talk, brainstorming, group sessions leading to isolation from others, misunderstanding of others they generalize as less than intelligent, isolation from anyone who questions them, their decisions, or their competence, expressing eccentric behaviors as a defense mechanism creates conscious boundaries
IDEA Challenge: The deep fear of being incapable or underprepared, often aligned with the anxiety around being depleted of resources, can cause Fives to hoard their knowledge and resources and retreat inward. While radiating an energy that manifests the appearance of a knowledgeable and proficient human being who can take on anything, the fear at Point Five is equally as powerful as the strength. When they let their guard down and allow people to share in their gifts, there is a loveable, kind, and generous human sometimes hidden under a cold and callous exterior. The strength and wisdom at Five are not sustainable if they disconnect from their humanity and the humanity of others. It is a counterproductive way of moving through the world and can be considered insensitive and apathetic to some, which can amplify disconnects across differences.
Disconnects: They often experience a blindspot for rejection of true problems and destructive self isolation. The intensity that Five energy brings into everything matters and fuels the fear around losing what resources they have collected which may render them incapable of functioning. This conscripted stance is the default to justify the thirst to acquire more and retreat inward. They may avoid acting and addressing the problem in the moment, redirecting their energy inwards or onto another subject entirely, resulting in inaction and the perception of being indifferent and emotionless. The withdrawal into self, while necessary for some Fives, can manifest a deeper rift for others. As a result, many Fives find themselves falling into the pattern of retreating even further in order to create the safe space they need to process through the basic fear of feeling incapable or helpless
RESPONSES TO CONFLICTS ACROSS DIFFERENCES
Unhealthy Reaction: isolation, feeling depleted, detachment, egotistical antagonism, denial, inability to access compassion, withdrawal, seclusion, overcompensation, antagonistic approach to opposing views, extreme/radical stance, argumentative and cynical, challenging accepted ways of behaving “just because they can”, being seen as only “valuable for what they know” and then lashing out at others for being undervalued, unwillingness to share knowledge and resources or to connect with other humans
Healthy Reaction: connection to others, insight into creating systematic connection, gifting of knowledge, objective reasoning and ability to find multi-perspective approach, reflection on the big picture in order to connect the dots and find solutions for connecting across differences, instinct and decision making free from emotional distortions, the clear ability to gather information and create organized systems for change and progress, value diversity as a tool for acquiring more knowledge and perspective