[Traditional Enneagram] How Can I differentiate if I am a 6w7 or a 6w5?

[RadicalDoubt]

For a while now I have been struggling to figure out whether 6w7 or 6w5 fits me and have indefinitely been going with "6 with balanced wings." Of course I've considered other types as possibilities as well, but I think 6 is likely the best fit overall. The problem is that I can relate pretty decently to both wings. Has anyone else faced a similar dilemma and have a good way to differentiate?

For me, I struggle because I can relate to both the core fears and defense mechanisms of 5 and 7 and both types have been suggested at one point or another to be a core type. For type 5, I can relate to the feeling of being incapable in the environment and needing to compile loads of information to feel comfortable. I know when I become stressed, one of my most common mechanisms is to withdraw into myself and research as much as I can on the topic in hand in order to understand and take control of it. I'm very slow in my dealings with the real world because at times the possibilities the world have to offer can be overwhelming and I hate to attach myself to other people, beliefs, or groups. While the unknown is exciting and I don't necessarily avoid the darker side of life and problems, I'm not sure my personality is dark or skeptical enough to fit 6w5. On the other hand, I have that "starry eyed niiativity" of a curious child at times that usually blends better with 7. Like 7s, I fear being closed in and trapped and, if I'm not researching the hell out of things, I'm likely falling into my workaholic tendencies and keeping myself active to avoid the problem at hand. I'm intensely curious and exploratory and I find I do work a bit better on my feet and with generalizations than with strict plans. I have a tendency to come across to some as very optimistic as well as flaky and unattached. I'm adventurous within reason, but I cannot fit the hedonistic aspects of 7 in the least and am not very id oriented.

Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[rav3n]

It's my understanding that it's possible to be an 'omni' type, in that an individual can exhibit equal wing traits.

[FONT=&quot]There is disagreement among the various traditions of the Enneagram about whether individuals have one or two wings. Strictly speaking, everyone has two wings—in the restricted sense that both of the types adjacent to your basic type are operative in your personality since each person possesses the potentials of all nine types. However, this is not what is usually meant by “having two wings,” and proponents of the so-called two-wing theory believe that both wings operate more or less equally in everyone’s personality. (For example, they believe that a Nine would have roughly equal amounts of his or her Eight and One wings.)[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Observation of people leads us to conclude that while the two-wing theory applies to some individuals, most people have a dominant wing. In the vast majority of people, while the so-called second wing always remains operative to some degree, the dominant wing is far more important. (For example, Twos with Three-wings are noticeably different from Twos with One-wings, and while Twos with Three-wings have a One-wing, it is not nearly as important as the Three-wing.) It is therefore clearer to refer simply to a type’s “wing” as opposed to its “dominant wing,” since the two terms represent the same concept.

https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/how-the-enneagram-system-works/[/FONT]

 

[misfortuneteller]

This helped a lot of 6s to figure out which wing they are. I made it, btw. View attachment 20041

 

[highlander]

For a while now I have been struggling to figure out whether 6w7 or 6w5 fits me and have indefinitely been going with "6 with balanced wings." Of course I've considered other types as possibilities as well, but I think 6 is likely the best fit overall. The problem is that I can relate pretty decently to both wings. Has anyone else faced a similar dilemma and have a good way to differentiate?

For me, I struggle because I can relate to both the core fears and defense mechanisms of 5 and 7 and both types have been suggested at one point or another to be a core type. For type 5, I can relate to the feeling of being incapable in the environment and needing to compile loads of information to feel comfortable. I know when I become stressed, one of my most common mechanisms is to withdraw into myself and research as much as I can on the topic in hand in order to understand and take control of it. I'm very slow in my dealings with the real world because at times the possibilities the world have to offer can be overwhelming and I hate to attach myself to other people, beliefs, or groups. While the unknown is exciting and I don't necessarily avoid the darker side of life and problems, I'm not sure my personality is dark or skeptical enough to fit 6w5. On the other hand, I have that "starry eyed niiativity" of a curious child at times that usually blends better with 7. Like 7s, I fear being closed in and trapped and, if I'm not researching the hell out of things, I'm likely falling into my workaholic tendencies and keeping myself active to avoid the problem at hand. I'm intensely curious and exploratory and I find I do work a bit better on my feet and with generalizations than with strict plans. I have a tendency to come across to some as very optimistic as well as flaky and unattached. I'm adventurous within reason, but I cannot fit the hedonistic aspects of 7 in the least and am not very id oriented.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Read the description of a 5 and then of a 7 and see which one resonates more with you. They are pretty different

 

[RadicalDoubt]

This helped a lot of 6s to figure out which wing they are. I made it, btw. View attachment 20041

Thank you much for the link. Would you be able to repost it though perhaps, it leads me to an empty page.

Read the description of a 5 and then of a 7 and see which one resonates more with you. They are pretty different

I've tried that in the past. I was pretty set on being a 6w5 for a while because I can relate so much to 5 descriptions, but as my mental health has improved (or declined? Who knows at this point), I can pretty much relate with both, even as different as the two types are. I've tried playing around with my tritype too to see if I could get both in there somehow (ie. 4w5 fix with 6w7 core or a 8w7 fix with 6w5 core), but that hasn't worked any better.

I swear I've been studying enneagram for like 5 years now and I still can't figure out my type D:

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

What do you do with a massive line of cocaine in front of you?

 

[RadicalDoubt]

What do you do with a massive line of cocaine in front of you?

... Sell it for profit? Or pretend I didn't see it, either reaction works.

 

[misfortuneteller]

Thank you much for the link. Would you be able to repost it though perhaps, it leads me to an empty page.

View attachment 20042