[Traditional Enneagram] Questions for 2s

[cacaia]

Hey, all!
So, I have been wondering....what kind of caregivers are type 2s attributed to?
I have gotten type 2 often, but i feel I may differ in 'taking care", and, thus, i am curious.
Let me explain:
I like to take care of people by ensuring that they feel happy, safe, comfortable- but not PHYSICALLY. Mainly MENTALLY. Like, at ease. I am not of the sort who likes taking physical care of people...I want to help them psychologically, to empower them to pick themselves up by the bootstraps and help them help themselves. Is this a 2 attribute, or one more closely associated with 9???
Thanks in advance!

 

[Zhaylin]

Heh, I'd like to know this as too.
I type as 2 much of the time as well.
I'm too stingy with my time and freedoms to be an actual caregiver. People often seek me out, though, for up-building and advice. I don't turn them away but I don't seek them out either.

Could anyone help better define the 2?

"Type Two in Brief
Twos are empathetic, sincere, and warm-hearted. They are friendly, generous, and self-sacrificing, but can also be sentimental, flattering, and people-pleasing. They are well-meaning and driven to be close to others, but can slip into doing things for others in order to be needed. They typically have problems with possessiveness and with acknowledging their own needs. At their Best: unselfish and altruistic, they have unconditional love for others.

Basic Fear: Of being unwanted, unworthy of being loved
Basic Desire: To feel loved
Enneagram Two with a One-Wing: "Servant"
Enneagram Two with a Three-Wing: "The Host/Hostess"
Key Motivations: Want to be loved, to express their feelings for others, to be needed and appreciated, to get others to respond to them, to vindicate their claims about themselves."

(Taken from Type Two — The Enneagram Institute )

Does that help you, cacaia? (It didn't help me much lol)

**EDIT**
I should add, though, that I never type as 2 for my main- just as a part of a tritype.

Also: as a 9, the emotional well-being of other people are important to me (for selfish reasons). I wouldn't call it a 'picking up by the bootstrap' type thing, though. I'm cast more in the role of counselor and supporter. They rant and cry and pour out their heart, then I offer insight and make suggestions. I'm not a champion or active motivator... more like a sounding board.

Oh! Here's another site I just found which might help you: Type Two

 

[TorquoiseEnneagram]

I totally understand this. I like being generous and giving things to people, but this doesn't seem to tap into my prime drivers. I am definitely driven to provide emotional aid and support though.

 

[Earl Grey]

Adding in, though I'm not Enneagram 2- since helping and loving to be of aid isn't exclusive to E2 (I even mistyped as E2 core due to that once), it has to do more with the personal biases enneagram 2s have. Enneagram 2 is a superego type right next to Enneagram 1, and the E2 is very visibly working off "I have to" beliefs and being self-denying.


Ime they seem to make it some personal vision (and are very self-obligating (to a degree I personally find maddening, but I'm just me)) to be helpful and to dispense love and help as much as they can- that is their fixation and when unhealthy warps into its negative forms, controlling tendencies, possessiveness, passive-aggressiveness or martryrdom, an unhealthy view of reciprocity and an unhealthy expectancy or ideation of intimacy in their realms- be it in a personal or in a wider social sphere.

Being in the Positive Outlook triad, they also are generally prone to wanting or believing things will go their way if they are just good enough. E1 being in the Frustration triad, especially if they are 2w1 they can very idealistic and more prone to dispensing those ideals to others. These ideals can seem similar to E1's self-restraint and self-temperance on the surface, but they are of an image-orientation instead of a gut-competency one, and usually feeds back to the E2 themselves and their idea of what makes a 'good person' in order to build upon their self-esteem and garner the attention or affection they want. They also tend to be more action-oriented and since their action is in the realm of people, they may be viewed as intrusive. They tend to feel they have to be compliant to their ideals and beliefs the same way E1 is and can dispense them onto others; sentiments like 'the world is not kind enough' seem to commonly exist because E2 is a very people-oriented, relational type. 2w3 would be more oriented towards deceit (an image of goodness) and 2w1 to a rigid idealism, and both operate accordingly.

Being too self-neglecting, they share the their supergo cousin E1's tendencies for emotional repression (yes, despite being in the heart triad and being a famously an emotional / MBTI-Feeler type), specifically of their own needs and feelings. Working off obligations and obligating themselves to others, they are also (especially when unhealthy) likely to attempt to obligate others to them by first providing them some sort of affection or service instead of speaking out about their needs, believing they have to be a 'good person' (or at least appear like one). They are biased to thinking that they have to be giving in order to being able to obtain what they want (or at least maintaining an image of one, being in the image triad)- that is why they integrate to 4, that is when they realize and vocalize their unmet needs and be more true to themselves instead of losing themselves for others by trying to adapt or please them in a positive manner.