4 vs 6 wing

[BlueGray]

I'm certain I'm a 5 but can't figure out 4 or 6 wing. I was wondering if anyone had any insight into how to differentiate between them.

I'll start by just doing a line by line reflection on a description of each.

Five With a 4 Wing
The difference between the 4 wing and the 6 wing in Fives is like the difference between Art and Science. 4 wing brings an abstract, intuitive cast of thought, as though the Five were thinking in geometric shapes instead of words or realistic images. May be talented artistically and inhabit moods like Fours do. Combine intellectual and emotional imagination. Enjoy the realm of philosophy and beautiful constructs of thought. The marriage of mental perspective and aesthetics is the best of life for them. When more defensive may seem a little ghostly, have a whisper in their voice. Fluctuate between impersonal withdrawal and bursts of friendly caring. Can get floaty and abstract. Act like they're inside a bubble, sometimes with an air of implicit superiority. Cliché of the "absentminded professor" applies especially to Fives with this wing. Environmentally sensitive and subject at times to total overwhelm. Touchy about criticism. Can be slow to recover from traumatic events. Melancholy isolation and bleak existential depression are possible pitfalls.

4 wing brings an abstract, intuitive cast of thought,
Don't quite get this means.

as though the Five were thinking in geometric shapes instead of words or realistic images
This fits perfectly, although the "geometric shapes" seems a little too concrete.

May be talented artistically and inhabit moods like Fours do.
Does not fit at all.

Combine intellectual and emotional imagination.
Don't get what this is saying.

Enjoy the realm of philosophy and beautiful constructs of thought.
This fits but I would think this is something all 5s would share.

The marriage of mental perspective and aesthetics is the best of life for them.
Vague language strikes again, although I'm thinking maybe, if I understand this correctly.

When more defensive may seem a little ghostly, have a whisper in their voice.
I've been told I speak softly/mutter quite a bit.

Fluctuate between impersonal withdrawal and bursts of friendly caring.
No, unless by "friendly caring" it means "slight interest".

Can get floaty and abstract.
Does grounded and abstract work as a description?

Act like they're inside a bubble, sometimes with an air of implicit superiority.
I wouldn't doubt that I've been viewed this way.

Cliché of the "absentminded professor" applies especially to Fives with this wing.
No comment.

Environmentally sensitive and subject at times to total overwhelm.
Fits fairly well.

Touchy about criticism.
My issue with most criticism is how vague most people are with it. I wish people would actually say what was wrong rather than "It wasn't good".

Can be slow to recover from traumatic events.
Unable to comment.

Melancholy isolation and bleak existential depression are possible pitfalls.
Fit well when I was younger. Stopped in middle school though.

Five With a 6 Wing
The 6 wing brings an orientation to detail and technical knowledge, along with the tendency to think in logical sequence. Especially intellectual, far more analytical than Fives with a 4 wing. Can be loyal friends, offering strong behind-the-scenes support. Kind, patient teachers, skillful experts. May have a sense of mission and work hard. Sometimes project an aura of sensitive nerdiness and have clumsy social skills. When defensive, they can be unnerved by the expectations of others. May like people more but avoid them more. Especially sensitive to social indebtedness. Could have trouble saying "thank you." Fear of taking action, develop "information addiction" instead. Ask lots of questions but don't get around to the decision at hand. When more entranced, they develop a suspicious scrutiny of other people's motives but can also be blind followers. Misanthropic and Scrooge-like when defensive. More able to keep their feelings cut off in a constant way. Can be cold, skeptical, ironic, and disassociated. A Five's 6 wing can be phobic or counterphobic. Counterphobic 6 wing brings courage and antiauthoritarian attitudes. When defensive they may mock authority, or angrily tell others off. Tend to "push the envelope," experiment, find what the limits are.

The 6 wing brings an orientation to detail and technical knowledge,
Fits fairly well. Although, spending time with Comp Sci kids has showed me how much I can get bored by useless technical details.

Especially intellectual, far more analytical than Fives with a 4 wing.
Another instance where i don't quite know what it is saying.

Can be loyal friends, offering strong behind-the-scenes support.
Well if you take "can" into account this fits everyone, but I would think my friends would say that I am far too evil to offer support.

Kind, patient teachers, skillful experts.
Take kind out and it fits.

May have a sense of mission and work hard.
I have no mission, far too wishy washy for one.

Sometimes project an aura of sensitive nerdiness and have clumsy social skills.
I have clumsy social skills but don't know what aura I project. Haven't heard sensitive used to describe me, though.

May like people more but avoid them more.
This goes beyond vagueness to just awkward. Unable to comment.

Especially sensitive to social indebtedness.
Very true.

Could have trouble saying "thank you."
I have trouble asking for help, giving thanks after the help is easy.

Fear of taking action, develop "information addiction" instead.
Perfect.

Ask lots of questions but don't get around to the decision at hand.
First part is perfect, I do sometimes get angsty about making a decision though.

When more entranced, they develop a suspicious scrutiny of other people's motives but can also be blind followers.
I'm too naive. I'm not a blind follower but I notice other people seem to be more likely to be suspicious of people's motives. I could care less about other people's motives. It is the results that impact me not what motives there were.

Misanthropic and Scrooge-like when defensive.
Not misanthropic, but yes to Scrooge-like.

More able to keep their feelings cut off in a constant way.
Didn't realize that cutting off feelings was not constant.

Can be cold, skeptical, ironic, and disassociated.
Yes, if cold means not-emotional, more neutral than cold though, yes to skeptical, not ironic, yes to disassociated.

Counterphobic 6 wing brings courage and antiauthoritarian attitudes.
I'm not fond of authority but I see no reason to be anti-authoritarian. My dislike of authority is due to people abusing it, I like authority when it isn't abused.

When defensive they may mock authority, or angrily tell others off.
Nope.

Tend to "push the envelope," experiment, find what the limits are.
I tend to ignore limits. I don't see a need to "push the envelope" or find what limits are.

 

[Such Irony]

Not sure what wing you are. I'm leaning ever slightly towards 6 but I think that's because I noticed you have so/sp listed as your stacking and most so/sp 5's are 6 wings.

I'm struggling with figuring out my wing as well. When I was younger, I was more 6 wing but lately I've gotten more in touch with my 4 side. Maybe I just have balanced wings?

 

[VagrantFarce]

I don't think those descriptions are very good - they're filled with very specific character traits that could point to anything.

It's just a case of deciding which type you're more like.

• 4s create unique identities by allowing themselves to be overwhelmed with emotion and envy. They feel things deeply, but they can become prey to their own hyper-emotional states.
• 6s question their own judgement and sense of inner guidance, and so they look for and rely upon other sources of reassurance (a system of thought, a community, an individual etc.) to feel more at ease.

 

[BlueGray]

I don't think those descriptions are very good - they're filled with very specific character traits that could point to anything.

It's just a case of deciding which type you're more like.

• 4s create unique identities by allowing themselves to be overwhelmed with emotion and envy. They feel things deeply, but they can become prey to their own hyper-emotional states.
• 6s question their own judgement and sense of inner guidance, and so they look for and rely upon other sources of reassurance (a system of thought, a community, an individual etc.) to feel more at ease.

Hmm, I don't identify much with either of those. I see myself as between those two. I see no need to create a unique identity, nor do I see a need to depend upon others. I prefer to simply depend upon myself.

 

[Arclight]

Type 6 is also an individualist, not by choice but by virtue.. This is the difference. Type 4 cultivates an individuality. Type 6 is just weird because of the duality that exists within.
Type 6's are unpredictable and thus a bit of a mystery, mystery equals a sense of individuality.
Type 4 is different because they are different and notice it.
Type 6 is different because other people notice it.. As far as type 6 feels.. he/she is normal or trying to be normal.
Type 4 doesn't want to be normal and is happy they aren't.

IMO anyway.

 

[Thunderbringer]

Type 6 is also an individualist, not by choice but by virtue.. This is the difference. Type 4 cultivates an individuality. Type 6 is just weird because of the duality that exists within.
Type 6's are unpredictable and thus a bit of a mystery, mystery equals a sense of individuality.
Type 4 is different because they are different and notice it.
Type 6 is different because other people notice it.. As far as type 6 feels.. he/she is normal or trying to be normal.
Type 4 doesn't want to be normal and is happy they aren't.

IMO anyway.

Wholeheartedly agree with that. It pretty much describes my dilemma when I found out about the enneagram. After taking a test I was typed as a 4 because of how insecure and weird I felt. For the most part, I even resounded with what was said about 4's. But as I looked more into the core aspects of 4, I found out that I didn't relate to the desire to be unique. I knew that I acted odd in public, yet I never embraced that part of myself as others were wont to do. I always wanted to be normal. After more research, I found out that I was a neurotic 6, which explains why I felt like a 4.

 

[sleuthiness]

How sure are you of yourself? No alliances whatsoever?

Don't have any conspiracy theories?

 

[VagrantFarce]

Hmm, I don't identify much with either of those. I see myself as between those two. I see no need to create a unique identity, nor do I see a need to depend upon others. I prefer to simply depend upon myself.

Being a 6 isn't just about relying on others, it's about finding stable footing - some sort of reassurance, to assuage your own doubt.

 

[Speed Gavroche]

Type 6 is also an individualist, not by choice but by virtue.. This is the difference. Type 4 cultivates an individuality. Type 6 is just weird because of the duality that exists within.
Type 6's are unpredictable and thus a bit of a mystery, mystery equals a sense of individuality.
Type 4 is different because they are different and notice it.
Type 6 is different because other people notice it.. As far as type 6 feels.. he/she is normal or trying to be normal.
Type 4 doesn't want to be normal and is happy they aren't.

IMO anyway.

Agree 100%.

Being a 6 isn't just about relying on others, it's about finding stable footing - some sort of reassurance, to assuage your own doubt.

Or to realize that there's not such things like a stable footing. For me it's more this.


Actually, difference between 5w4 and 5w6 is not really about difference between Art and Science, there's tons of 5w6 artist and Albert Einstein was a 5w4. The clue is in you direction of integration ad disintegration. The wing 4 bring a connection to 8 under stress, making you more confrontational and iconoclast, and a connection to 7 under security, connecting you to an oniricand fantasist universe. Phobic 5w6 disintegrate to 7 under stress, try to be charming to disarm people but move to 8 under security, allowing themselves to be more assertive and powerful. Counterphobic 5w6 are like that, but also a little the contrary, because they choose more to be confrontational under stress, to not be controled and to not show failure, whil under security, they relaxed and become versatile, enthusiastic end project oriented, like 7. Example of phobic 5w6: Bill Gates. Example of counterphobic 5w6: Howard Hughes, Gregory House. Example of 5w4: Kurt Kobain, John Lennon, Albert Einstein, Daria Morgandorfer.

 

[BlueGray]

I'm leaning towards w6 now and I think I understand some of what has been giving me trouble. I was looking at 6 and 4 in terms of a primary type. I was looking at them and thinking that neither fit me anywhere near as well as 5 did. 9 and 8 both fit me better than 4 or 6 do. Thinking about it only in terms of comparison with each other was hard for me to do but i think 6 might fit better with that taken into account.