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[Type 6] Ask a CP6...

ChocolateMoose123

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Based on another thread, I thought this might be a good idea to explain the often contradictory nature and thought patterns of counter-phobic 6's.

Having to delve deep into finding out about my type (after repeated test results of e8, e5 and e7 - neither being consistent) and learning the driving force behind a lot of my actions has helped me get passed a lot of the negative behavior and focus more on using my energy toward important matters.

I'm no expert. I can only give my perspective for my own experiences. Ask away!
 

CatBalou

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I'm new to the enneagram. I've just worked out I'm a 6 and I haven't fully got the instinctual variants worked out yet. I know I can be counter-phobic under a lot of stress, but mainly I'm pretty phobic. So, CP6, just how counter-phobic are you? :)
 

ChocolateMoose123

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Hi. [MENTION=19644]CatBalou[/MENTION].

If you aren't sure if you are a CP6 or phobic ask yourself, "what are you afraid of?" If you have to think about it and can't connect that feeling to an action, then you might be CP6. CP6's are generally unaware that fear is their driving force and often would be in denial of this if confronted. (I had a difficult time accepting it. Even when testimonials online hit me like a ton of bricks).

Being counter-phobic is the mindset you have for your decisions. It's how you approach life. It's a default. However, it can be exacerbated with increased anxiety. Sixes can show both phobic and CP impulses. Generally, they reside on one side of the other. Fight or flight.

I once read (and I don't remember the link or page unfortunately) that CP6's when asked to introspect and describe "fear" will have difficultly coming up with an answer. For me, that was spot on. Even in my worst memories, when I most assuredly felt fear - I couldn't connect to it. I never remembered feeling fear.

I'm not an enneagram expert, so I can't answer for whether there is a predominance of counter phobia in sx verses sp or so and please, any other readers, interject freely! [MENTION=10496]skylights[/MENTION] [MENTION=7842]Z Buck McFate[/MENTION]

As for how CP I am? I also have a blog. There is probably a wealth of info there. :/
 

Julius_Van_Der_Beak

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As a possible counterphobic 5w6... this thread interest me a great deal.

CP6s, do you prefer someone to talk about you in front of you, or behind your back?
 

skylights

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Good thread idea. This will be excellent to read. :popc1:

I'm not an enneagram expert, so I can't answer for whether there is a predominance of counter phobia in sx verses sp or so and please, any other readers, interject freely! @skylights @Z Buck McFate

My guess, based on what I have read both from personal experiences of others and theories thus far, is that the relative order from most to least likely to be CP would be something like sx/sp; sx/so; sp/sx; so/sx; sp/so; so/sp.

It would make sense that sx-first would correlate with a higher likelihood of CP, because counterphobia and conflict/intensity do tend to go hand-in-hand. I feel like so will probably lessen the likelihood of being CP, because it increases the tendency to perceive and work within systems. And of course sx-last typically deprioritizes "raw" exchange. The ones in the middle I think would be the most likely to flip-flop between the two. As so/sx I am mostly phobic but I thought I was more CP at first because I do have my moments, lol.
 

highlander

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CP6's are generally unaware that fear is their driving force and often would be in denial of this if confronted. (I had a difficult time accepting it. Even when testimonials online hit me like a ton of bricks).

When I first learned that fear was a driving force, I was pretty disbelieving. It seemed ludicrous even. However, on further analysis and consideration, I realized it was correct. So yes, what you are saying absolutely resonates with me.

CP6s, do you prefer someone to talk about you in front of you, or behind your back?

Neither. If you're going to do it though, do it to my face and do it privately.

It would make sense that sx-first would correlate with a higher likelihood of CP, because counterphobia and conflict/intensity do tend to go hand-in-hand.

That's correct. Sx first absolutely relates to counter-phobic. I think it's a spectrum though. Nobody is completely phobic or counter-phobic. You shift from one to another.
 

ChocolateMoose123

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As a possible counterphobic 5w6... this thread interest me a great deal.

CP6s, do you prefer someone to talk about you in front of you, or behind your back?

As [MENTION=8936]highlander[/MENTION] said. In private (very important) and be honest but not angry. We will, if mature, take your opinions very seriously.

If you talk behind backs then your message will likely get falsified and when the CP6 hears it, it most likely will be given by someone trying to start shit and therefore will sound accusatory/argumentative. This brings out defensiveness ( that = reactive which = CP6 gearing up for a fight ) and that isn't good for problem solving.
 

Z Buck McFate

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Firstly, I’m wondering- I remember reading that counterphobic basically means sx variant dominant. Does this sit right with y’all? There are people who are sx dominant who don’t especially come across as counterphobic to me (it’s not that I’m disagreeing, I’m really just wondering if the more steadfast sx dominants feel counterphobic, even if they don’t outwardly come across that way). eta: I see that skylights and highlander already answered this- but I'd still be interested in hearing other e6's opinions.


Secondly, now there’s a place where this won’t be a derail, here’s what I wrote in the other thread:

I don't know if I agree with this. It seems to me- at least where counterphobic 6 is concerned- that e6s block information they don't like about themselves by seeing the characteristics they don't want to own in other people instead. All people do this, but counterphobic 6s do this with an unparalleled panache. It's very unnerving to deal with an e6 who is on some self-righteous witch-hunt to call people out on things left and right; it's like they're trying to exorcise demons in other people- but the more they do it, the more they keep seeing even more demons all over the place (which will continue to be the case until they get rid of the demons in their own head). I very strongly associate this way of blocking information about oneself- paired with some compulsion to 'point it out' about others- as being e6.

And I’ll respond to the response again over here (a little differently, since I won’t be derailing in doing so):

Somewhere along their "crusade" it turns personal. This is where the CP6 goes off the rails. Best intentions turn awry and so forth. CP6 isn't normally going after someone because of self-righteousness. Quite the opposite. CP6's rarely feel better than anyone else. Which is why we are extremely egalitarian.

How it can look like self-righteousness (which it can) is in us "sticking up" for what we see as a breakdown of fairness. Meaning someone is cheating the system or inversely taking advantage of others. It doesn't matter to the CP6 whether this is purposeful or incidental fallout - until the CP6 investigates further. Then, if the CP6 realizes said person is doing this purposefully - they will zero in and try to oust that person of their credibility.

As I said in the other thread- I’m not trying to say this is always the case, this is more extreme/under stress behavior- but there is something that looks like self-righteousness to me. That convo started because someone said that e6 doesn’t ‘block information about themselves to protect their ego’, and I was questioning that.

It *seems* to me like ultimately it’s some kind of fear that the ‘bad guy’ is going to get away with something (help a sister out here, is that even kinda what’s going on?), and on the ‘more stressed’ end of things it’s as if a person starts to feel like some kind of self-contained judge and jury. That seems like self-righteousness to me, because I don’t understand how someone could feel confident impulsively casting stones at the ‘bad guys’ unless they feel morally superior- isn’t there some kind of ‘bad guy’ designation going on in their head and they’re automatically coming from a place of assuming ‘good guy’ for themselves? This is on the far stressed end, to be sure- but that’s true of all the e-types, egos only ever really turn to coping mechanisms (to ‘block information from themselves’) under duress. Under truly egalitarian views though, I would think people wouldn’t feel such a need to cast stones (“let he who has not sinned cast the first stone…”).

As the Jung saying goes: “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” I personally agree with this, and I think the more people get worked up about someone else’s behavior- the more likely it is an indication that we are somehow ‘blocking information from ourselves to protect our ego’. My whole point here is that I do see a certain tendency in e6 to ‘block information’ (no more or less ultimately than any other type)- and that is to grab a torch and chase after “someone else’s” demon. That’s how it looks from the outside, anyway: the bigger one’s own shadow (and the less willing one is to look directly at that), the more demons they'll see and chase after in other people.

Skylights mentioned something about there not being a sense of self- which sounds vaguely familiar, like I think I read that before and it might explain some things. There’s so many things that could mean though.

I'm not even sure there's a question in this, I'm just trying to clarify my comments in that other thread.


In any case, for myself, I've been accused of not seeing myself as the cause before, and it's always because I see problems as being very systemic. I don't typically think in terms of fault, just in terms of poor systems and the underlying reasons systems aren't working as they should. In line with thinking systemically, I tend to explain why I did things in a situation, which apparently can come off as "making excuses". I'm also very aware of and upfront about admitting my flaws, I feel like, so I tend to get frustrated when someone who rarely admits their own flaws blames me for something, even for something that is my fault. It seems like an abuse of fair play.

I think the example at work I was talking about was an instance of reaction formation on the part of the cp 6. She spent hours at work yelling about how she would never cheat on her husband with another man, which was the rumor that was going around. Months later, we found out that she was essentially emotionally cheating, at least at first, and later physically. As theory goes, she would therefore be attempting to placate her own feelings of anxiety about cheating with her husband by "drowning it out" in her own mind, at least for as long as she could keep crusading against it. It would be in line with the cp 6 desire to quash anxiety, but in this case it's not from an imagined problem, but from a real one.

I think specifically what I was trying to describe is a little bit different. It sounds like you’re describing someone not willing to take responsibility for themselves being the source of some external conflict- “making excuses” to deflect blame off oneself in others’ eyes. And what I’m getting at is the condition of not being able to see oneself as the source of internal conflict. [I don’t know if that makes sense, but I’m sorta too hurried right now to explain.]
 

skylights

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I think specifically what I was trying to describe is a little bit different. It sounds like you’re describing someone not willing to take responsibility for themselves being the source of some external conflict- “making excuses” to deflect blame off oneself in others’ eyes. And what I’m getting at is the condition of not being able to see oneself as the source of internal conflict. [I don’t know if that makes sense, but I’m sorta too hurried right now to explain.

Ah, okay. I do think you are misunderstanding the internal world of 6s, though. We don't really think in terms of personal morality, save perhaps 6s with a strong 1 fix. The right to cast stones is a situational empowerment and dissipates with restoration of equality. It is not personal and has nothing to do with seeing oneself as the "good guy". It's just about wanting to level the playing field.

I have to admit I do not see projection as more of a cp 6 sin than any other type's - especially not after listening to my 3w4 friend harp on about people who make themselves look good earlier today - though perhaps it takes on a certain quality in counterphobic 6s that is particularly unappealing to you personally... the "witch hunt" of it, I think. It is just my perception that I feel like I do far more post-processing than pre-processing. But every post-process feeds into the next narrative, so of course ego blocking could result. I just think it tends to happen at a different place for 6s than some other types. Less construction of "this is who I am" and more construction of "this is how I act".
 

highlander

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I don't know if CP6s are any more likely to engage in projection than anyone else. I can say that most certainly this is an issue that I've had in the past. I learned about the shadow and projection in a management development class a long time ago and after that realized just how much I engaged in it. It was a process over many years to catch myself when I was doing it. So, I try to be very conscious of it. I am also quick to pick up when other people are engaging in this kind of behavior, which I guess is also projection in a way :). The person that comes to my mind that is the worst at this - criticizes others for the very things they do themselves and seems oblivious to their own personal engaging in that behavior claims to be an Enneagram 5. I wonder if that 5 is really a 6? Hmmm....

So, I'm not sure if CP6s do this more than others or not. It seems like I've read this somewhere but I can't recall where or whether or not it was anything authoritiative.
 

ChocolateMoose123

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Z Buck McFate said:
As I said in the other thread- I’m not trying to say this is always the case, this is more extreme/under stress behavior- but there is something that looks like self-righteousness to me. That convo started because someone said that e6 doesn’t ‘block information about themselves to protect their ego’, and I was questioning that.

It *seems* to me like ultimately it’s some kind of fear that the ‘bad guy’ is going to get away with something (help a sister out here, is that even kinda what’s going on?),

Yes. Very true.

...and on the ‘more stressed’ end of things it’s as if a person starts to feel like some kind of self-contained judge and jury. That seems like self-righteousness to me, because I don’t understand how someone could feel confident impulsively casting stones at the ‘bad guys’ unless they feel morally superior- isn’t there some kind of ‘bad guy’ designation going on in their head and they’re automatically coming from a place of assuming ‘good guy’ for themselves?

So this is where I think you are misunderstanding the interpretation of CP6 behavior. First, I'm going to say this phenomenon you are describing with CP6's, if not reigned in, can be damaging to people - even to the CP6. We often get hung with our own noose when we lose the "big picture" of what we are "crusading" for. In turn, we can look petty and vindictive. It's a CP6 off the rails, not a CP6 in control and effective.

Okay. So things rarely start that way for the CP6. You mention self-righteousness as a factor in motivation of behavior. I'm not saying it can't look that way but from the CP6 perspective - it is completely not. CP6's generally fight a LOT of self doubt. Like, tremendous. What we have is "group-righteousness". We are usually a strong proponent of the underdog. We don't like unfairness - at all. A CP6 guards that very strongly.

In fact, as a child, I once stood up to an entire class who was bullying a fellow classmate. She was just crying at her desk while people were throwing insults. I thought, enough is enough. That is a good side of a CP6's crusading. Was that self-righteous to assume she needed help and that I could be that person? Maybe not in that case but this is the thought process of a CP6. "What jimmy is doing is not fair. I've seen jimmy do this x number of times before. Now it's time to speak up and stop jimmy from -------." So the problem is irrelevant to the CP6. The thought pattern is the same.

What looks like impulsive judgement is really observation of action over time. CP6's are keen on this but unfortunately rarely verbally express these "proofs". So it can look like arrogance/self-righteous crusading with no merit. Personally, when asked why I "treat so and so that way" and I have explained "next time you are around said person watch what they do in this circumstance, they will do x, and y (selfish or fucked up behavior)". People have come back to me and said "I really wish you didn't tell me that. Now I see what you are saying".


This is on the far stressed end, to be sure- but that’s true of all the e-types, egos only ever really turn to coping mechanisms (to ‘block information from themselves’) under duress. Under truly egalitarian views though, I would think people wouldn’t feel such a need to cast stones (“let he who has not sinned cast the first stone…”).

Totally. But the CP6 is not the one casting the first stone. They are inherently reactive. Can they make mistakes on their observational conclusions? Yes. Can they over-react? Yes! This is probably what you are seeing - a CP6 reacting and possibly not having critical information. Or a less mature CP6 who hasn't learned which battles to forget and which to fight. The more mature and balanced a CP6 is, the more patience and time they have before reacting.

They will often be seen acting aggressively because once they decide to go after a cause or person (after that period of personally silently gathering observations, etc) They take action against said threat. This looks super aggressive and often is. CP6's think it's obvious what the other party is doing and explaining their thought process is not a high priority. However, CP6's, if you sincerely and privately ask them about why they do or think certain ways. They might explain and in turn be open to another opinion they didn't see. That self-doubt keeps us open.

FYI. I really think Brandi Glanville from RHOBH is a great example of a CP6.
 

Forever_Jung

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Ah, okay. I do think you are misunderstanding the internal world of 6s, though. We don't really think in terms of personal morality, save perhaps 6s with a strong 1 fix. The right to cast stones is a situational empowerment and dissipates with restoration of equality. It is not personal and has nothing to do with seeing oneself as the "good guy". It's just about wanting to level the playing field.

This is true. In my counterphobic moods, I'm more about taking people down a peg, when they get a little to high and mighty.

For example, in University, there was this one girl who dominated class discussions, pompously ranting about her philosophical theories. On the rare occasions she did shut up, she would often snicker/smirk while other people expressed their ideas. After about a week of that shit, I decided that I would dedicate the rest of the semester to debating her/backing up her opponents. I seriously wore her down, because I am never more energetic and "on" then when I am facing someone I perceive to be a bully. Eventually, she backed off a little bit, and I immediately eased up. Order had been restored. I eventually became friends with her.

It wasn't so much a moral crusade, as it was cutting down the tallest blade of grass.
 

highlander

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First, I think your analysis in that post is excellent. Comments below.

Okay. So things rarely start that way for the CP6. You mention self-righteousness as a factor in motivation of behavior. I'm not saying it can't look that way but from the CP6 perspective - it is completely not. CP6's generally fight a LOT of self doubt. Like, tremendous. What we have is "group-righteousness". We are usually a strong proponent of the underdog. We don't like unfairness - at all. A CP6 guards that very strongly.

I don't think I'm a self-righteous person at all. It's not in the DNA. I have always been a strong proponent of the underdog. I actually like being the underdog myself. It's thrilling to be completely underestimated by people and shock them with things you accomplish. The self-doubt thing is a problem because it can erode your confidence. I believe one of the most important things an Enneagram 6 can do is to criticize themselves less. We are extremely self critical.

In fact, as a child, I once stood up to an entire class who was bullying a fellow classmate. She was just crying at her desk while people were throwing insults. I thought, enough is enough. That is a good side of a CP6's crusading. Was that self-righteous to assume she needed help and that I could be that person? Maybe not in that case but this is the thought process of a CP6. "What jimmy is doing is not fair. I've seen jimmy do this x number of times before. Now it's time to speak up and stop jimmy from -------." So the problem is irrelevant to the CP6. The thought pattern is the same.

So are you saying my crusade against bullying on the forum as of late has it's origins in being a CP6??? That would be fascinating. Of course I'm not the only one who thought it was a problem :).

What looks like impulsive judgement is really observation of action over time. CP6's are keen on this but unfortunately rarely verbally express these "proofs". So it can look like arrogance/self-righteous crusading with no merit. Personally, when asked why I "treat so and so that way" and I have explained "next time you are around said person watch what they do in this circumstance, they will do x, and y (selfish or fucked up behavior)". People have come back to me and said "I really wish you didn't tell me that. Now I see what you are saying".

Totally. But the CP6 is not the one casting the first stone. They are inherently reactive. Can they make mistakes on their observational conclusions? Yes. Can they over-react? Yes! This is probably what you are seeing - a CP6 reacting and possibly not having critical information. Or a less mature CP6 who hasn't learned which battles to forget and which to fight. The more mature and balanced a CP6 is, the more patience and time they have before reacting.

They will often be seen acting aggressively because once they decide to go after a cause or person (after that period of personally silently gathering observations, etc) They take action against said threat. This looks super aggressive and often is. CP6's think it's obvious what the other party is doing and explaining their thought process is not a high priority. However, CP6's, if you sincerely and privately ask them about why they do or think certain ways. They might explain and in turn be open to another opinion they didn't see. That self-doubt keeps us open.

The careful observation part - yes absolutely. That is dead on. The inherent reactive part - yes. I'm never the one to cast the first stone as you said. It's also never an impulsive judgment. Maybe it's like there can be an inflection point. I have a tendency to go too far in defending others to the point of it being detrimental to my personal credibility. I've done that too many times to count. It is rare for me to go on the offensive against someone. That takes a lot and it won't be what they did to me but what they have done to others that will be the trigger. It's probably not a good place to be for someone who manages to get to there.
 

OrangeAppled

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I don't know if CP6s are any more likely to engage in projection than anyone else.

I don't think this is true either. I've heard this said of 6s, and I think it's more that every type will project their fixation onto others. So I see 6s projecting their fears, what threatens them, and how they might react onto others. I also see projection of the integration points - projecting people seeking achievement or attractiveness for security (3) and projecting a fear of their own relaxing (ie letting guard down) as lazy onto others who are not as hyper-vigilant.

But a 5, for example, projects their own emptiness onto others, finding them needy and demanding, fearing that others are going to overtake them in their lust (as they fear their own desires overtaking them), etc. That's just a brief description of how projection takes place in any type.
 

ChocolateMoose123

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I don't think this is true either. I've heard this said of 6s, and I think it's more that every type will project their fixation onto others. So I see 6s projecting their fears, what threatens them, and how they might react onto others. I also see projection of the integration points - projecting people seeking achievement or attractiveness for security (3) and projecting a fear of their own relaxing (ie letting guard down) as lazy onto others who are not as hyper-vigilant.

But a 5, for example, projects their own emptiness onto others, finding them needy and demanding, fearing that others are going to overtake them in their lust (as they fear their own desires overtaking them), etc. That's just a brief description of how projection takes place in any type.

That's a good observation. I agree.
 

ChocolateMoose123

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This is true. In my counterphobic moods, I'm more about taking people down a peg, when they get a little to high and mighty.

For example, in University, there was this one girl who dominated class discussions, pompously ranting about her philosophical theories. On the rare occasions she did shut up, she would often snicker/smirk while other people expressed their ideas. After about a week of that shit, I decided that I would dedicate the rest of the semester to debating her/backing up her opponents. I seriously wore her down, because I am never more energetic and "on" then when I am facing someone I perceive to be a bully. Eventually, she backed off a little bit, and I immediately eased up. Order had been restored. I eventually became friends with her.

It wasn't so much a moral crusade, as it was cutting down the tallest blade of grass.

This a perfect example of a typical "CP6" gesture. Question: If you did not succeed in taking her down a peg, what would happen to your mood/actions? Would they worsen?

Personally, I think this is where CP6's can go off the deep end and lose credibility like [MENTION=8936]highlander[/MENTION] said. If they aren't successful in standing up for others, hampered by others, or receive criticism by the very people we are helping - then the "crusade" can go south. Then it can become personal and self-defeating and this is when the CP6 would do well to back off and bide time until the odds are in his/her favor.

I had this happen myself and I learned from it. I won't react unless I see an excellent chance of success. This has also caused me to plan ahead and strategize better about the "problem" and how best to accomplish a viable solution.
 

highlander

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This is true. In my counterphobic moods, I'm more about taking people down a peg, when they get a little to high and mighty.

For example, in University, there was this one girl who dominated class discussions, pompously ranting about her philosophical theories. On the rare occasions she did shut up, she would often snicker/smirk while other people expressed their ideas. After about a week of that shit, I decided that I would dedicate the rest of the semester to debating her/backing up her opponents. I seriously wore her down, because I am never more energetic and "on" then when I am facing someone I perceive to be a bully. Eventually, she backed off a little bit, and I immediately eased up. Order had been restored. I eventually became friends with her.

I like the part about becoming friends afterwards. I would absolutely do that.

This a perfect example of a typical "CP6" gesture. Question: If you did not succeed in taking her down a peg, what would happen to your mood/actions? Would they worsen?

Personally, I think this is where CP6's can go off the deep end and lose credibility like [MENTION=8936]highlander[/MENTION] said. If they aren't successful in standing up for others, hampered by others, or receive criticism by the very people we are helping - then the "crusade" can go south. Then it can become personal and self-defeating and this is when the CP6 would do well to back off and bide time until the odds are in his/her favor.

I had this happen myself and I learned from it. I won't react unless I see an excellent chance of success. This has also caused me to plan ahead and strategize better about the "problem" and how best to accomplish a viable solution.

Good points there. I honestly don't mind taking some bullets for something or someone I strongly believe in when I think will make a difference in the long term. The worst thing of all is when the person you've been taking the bullets for intentionally and consciously betrays you. They may not know of course that you've been taking those bullets for them because it's not something you talk about.
 

Z Buck McFate

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The right to cast stones is a situational empowerment and dissipates with restoration of equality. It is not personal and has nothing to do with seeing oneself as the "good guy". It's just about wanting to level the playing field.

The thing about ‘restoration of equality’ though- the point I was trying to make is that when some CP6s act like self-contained judge and jury on their own, they actually end up unleveling the playing field. They’ll knock people off of imagined pedestals- which is to say they take people already on a level playing field and take them down a couple notches because of a perceived slight. At that point, I ‘get’ that they aren’t consciously doing this for the image of being the ‘good guy’ (to themselves or anyone else) BUT they must feel like the ‘good guy’ to feel like they are capable of being judge and jury on their own?

As I explain in the next response to MDP, I think a problem here is that I keep referring to ‘extreme end’ behavior while responding and I’m not making that clear. I do not think most e6s walk around with a stone in their hand just waiting for the next opportunity to project something for a “warranted” character assault <- I might accidentally be coming across like that’s what I think though.



So this is where I think you are misunderstanding the interpretation of CP6 behavior. First, I'm going to say this phenomenon you are describing with CP6's, if not reigned in, can be damaging to people - even to the CP6. We often get hung with our own noose when we lose the "big picture" of what we are "crusading" for. In turn, we can look petty and vindictive. It's a CP6 off the rails, not a CP6 in control and effective.


I think a problem in communication here is that I’m not trying to say I think all CP6s are self-righteous. I’m only describing the extreme end that I see sometimes, it's something that really bothers me- when I see people on a level playing field being stampeded because of projected pedestals. This is something that seems (to me) specific to CP6, to stampede people in the name of Justice. But you are absolutely right, this is not even close to the average everyday experience of e6 or CP e6.

This all started because I wanted to point out that it seems to me like e6s ‘block information to protect their ego’ like everyone else- and tried describing the extreme example that comes to mind when I think “counterphobic 6”. But maybe the average everyday experience of CP 6 is so far from that extreme end that it wasn’t productive.

And actually, I’m not sure I even know what ‘healthy’ CP 6 looks like- so I’m not trying to describe (or make any guesses about) that motivation at all. I’m going to guess that wouldn’t come across as impulsive self-righteous reactivity to me though.

And now I’m curious- are there any other famous characters that seem to resonate with y’all as healthy versions of CP6? (I had to google “RHOBH”- I’ve never watched it and really can’t stand shows like that, so I’m hoping other examples come to mind.)


I don't know if CP6s are any more likely to engage in projection than anyone else. I can say that most certainly this is an issue that I've had in the past. I learned about the shadow and projection in a management development class a long time ago and after that realized just how much I engaged in it. It was a process over many years to catch myself when I was doing it. So, I try to be very conscious of it. I am also quick to pick up when other people are engaging in this kind of behavior, which I guess is also projection in a way :). The person that comes to my mind that is the worst at this - criticizes others for the very things they do themselves and seems oblivious to their own personal engaging in that behavior claims to be an Enneagram 5. I wonder if that 5 is really a 6? Hmmm....

I would guess e6 doesn’t actually engage in projection more than other types- but they might get more irritated by it? Like, I suspect assumptions about others’ motivations don’t occur more often in e6 heads, but e6s get more worked up about these assumptions than most people?

And honestly- about the last statement- I’ve seen some people who identify as e5 behave this way, and it makes me suspect they’re actually CP6 (if not just having a very strong 6 wing). It’s not that I think e5 is without faults- but reactivity with the outside world generally isn’t one of them. 5s err more in the direction of apathy and inactivity, imo.
 

highlander

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I think there are a lot of 6s that are listed as other types because they don't like the 6 description (plus it's the most complicated type to understand).

I talked to someone at work that's really into Enneagram and she seemed surprised I'm CP or SX because I come across as being so calm and not exhibiting some of those things you mention [MENTION=7842]Z Buck McFate[/MENTION].
 

Z Buck McFate

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I talked to someone at work that's really into Enneagram and she seemed surprised I'm CP or SX because I come across as being so calm and not exhibiting some of those things you mention [MENTION=7842]Z Buck McFate[/MENTION].

Yep. Something tells me that I don't register normal CP6 behavior in my association with "CP6" because that association is wrapped up in the extreme end stuff.

I'd really like to hear more about this 'normal CP6'. Lol.


eta: Those extreme end-ers....they're why CP6 normies can't have nice things. They totally ruin it for the rest of you, and it's why people don't even want to identify as e6.


eta 2: Hey, is Peter from Fringe an example of stable CP6, you think? (directed at anyone, not just highlander- if highlander even watches that show) Or Wilson from the show House? Or Forever_Jung from Typo C?
 
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