Often Known As: Epicurean, Enthusiast, Entertainer, Joker (note that names are as limiting as they are revealing.)
Sin/Passion: Gluttony
Focus: on options to experience pleasure
Fear: of suffering and being left without options
Energy Center: Head (energy is transformed)
Social Stance: Assertive
Key Positive Traits (embodied at their best): Positive, Fun, Friendly, Active, Good planner, Anticipating, Excited and exciting, Energetic, Colorful, Playful, Spontaneous, Casting a wide net, Smart (and often street-smart), Multifaceted, Practical, Quick-witted, An enjoyer of life, Entertaining, A magnet for people and for odd, whimsical adventures
Key Negative Traits (embodied at their worst): Shallow, Manic, Falling for every silly novelty, Excusing away own lack of restraint, Scattered, Wasteful, Materialistic, Impatient, Delusional in assessing own abilities, Hyperactive, Making rash decisions that come back to bite them, Sense that if they stop one second something “wrong” or “bad” may surface within them
Growth and Stress Directions: to Five and One respectively

Introduction

Everyone has someone in their life who always seems to be in the right place for something odd, fun or remarkable to happen to them. Even when they relate their experience as if it were a nuisance, these people manage to put a funny spin on it, turning it into the subject of a story that everyone can laugh at. These people may be Sevens on the Enneagram.

Sevens are always seemingly upbeat and positive. Possessing an endless reservoir of energy and as wide an array of interests toward which to funnel this energy, they appear to go through life in search of the next exciting thing.

Sevens don’t necessarily look for the spotlight, but still they often shine in group settings, where they grab people’s attention with their colorful personality and their ability to connect over their many interests. In fact, Sevens tend to cultivate a variety of hobbies and personal interests, often achieving more than other people in a shorter period of time.

A Seven is not someone who “one day” would like to go see that concert. A Seven is the person who’s already scouring the internet for tickets and accomodation solutions, even if they’ve promised themselves they would wait a couple of months before spending that much money again.

Sevens love making new experiences and hate feeling held back or limited in their options. They live for the thrill and they are often found planning the next one. When the experience is over, they may be a little sad, but low moods rarely last very long with Sevens. They always find a way to cheer up and move on to the next thing. This may sometimes cause trouble as it leaves negative feelings unelaborated and may end up in rash decisions.

Core Mechanism

On the Enneagram, Sevens belong to the Head triad. This may seem strange, as they do not give off intellectual vibes (note that ‘intellectual’ does not necessarily mean ‘intelligent’). Sevens appear very much to be doers. And yet, Sevens are also great planners. Just as Fives seek to anticipate the world as a whole and Sixes seek to anticipate what might cause them pain or fear, Sevens seek to anticipate pleasure. This is how they use their head.

In Sevens, the urge for safety that characterizes all Head types is transformed into an active quest for enjoyment. Sevens fear pain and sorrow. Thus, they fill their lives with what philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal called ‘divertissements’, that is, distractions. Although Sevens appear hardy and resilient, they actually have a low tolerance for inner pain or existential dread. Therefore, their lust for adventure is actually a flight from these conditions.

This is behind Sevens’ tendency to “skim” through life, fueled by their fear of missing out and being stuck with the present. Not that the present is inherently bad for them. They can appreciate it. But they appreciate it in so far as it is one of the many things they can and will enjoy. When it becomes the sole thing, then Sevens’ attention, being confined within the narrow space of existing conditions, turns toward the more negative side of their life, which is what they want to avoid.

And yet, the more they force variety and diversity into their life, the more this variety becomes shallow. Since Sevens are often anything but stupid, they perceive this, and they are prompted to flee even further into more meaningless variety.

Passion

Gluttony is the passion of Enneagram Type Seven. As with all types, we must read the term ‘gluttony’ figuratively. The gluttony of Type Seven manifests in their general tendency to seek variety and always new experiences to ‘consume’, and always being afraid of remaning stuck with the thing you have and missing out on the world out there.

Sevens want to fill their life with experiences. The idea of staying put is very much alien to them, because as soon as their life begins feeling stale or samey, a sense of wrongness begins to surface, and the negative feelings that they seek distraction from become loud.

Interestingly, Sevens usually fear being in a situation of lack, want or dearth. They tend to have a sensual, materialistic streak. However, their gluttony can jeopardize their sense of security if left unbridled, as the person may end up overspending, overeating, overdoing, developing addictions, etc.

Healthy Sevens are generally capable of exerting some self-restraint when needed, but unhealthy ones feel that lack of variety and change makes the world close in on them. This can cause them to drop the toy they are playing with as soon as they eye the next shiny trinket. It is not uncommon, for instance, for Sevens to try to initially compromise with themselves: “I’ll get the new thing I want when the paycheck comes” only to be unable to help themselves and just going in the red. This is just an example, of course, but it paints an accurate picture.

Misconceptions

A common misconception about Sevens is that they cannot make commitments and are unreliable friends. This is not true. Though Sevens may have a number of acquaintances and fair-weather friends with whom they do not care to take things very far, they are extremely loyal to the people they consider important in their life.

As with people, so with activities. It is true that Sevens may often be unwilling to persevere in things (some hobbies, for instance) once the rush wears off unless they have managed to organize their life around it, but there is almost always a handful of activities to which a Seven devotes themselves wholeheartedly.

Another typical misconception is that Sevens are always extroverted. Extroversion is not something that the Enneagram can measure. Although there may be a statistical correlation between introversion with certain types and extroversion with certain other types, there is never a causal connection.

Sevens move toward people not necessarily because they are extroverted (though they may be) but because their behavior leads to them interacting with people, even when it is not the main goal.

Finally, I’ve come across descriptions, especially on socials, that state that Sevens are never depressed. As depression is a mental condition, it can develop in anyone with a mind, and has no connection with one’s Enneagram type.

Wings

7w6: Sevens with a Six wing often have a more noticeable anxious note. Excellent planners, their quest for entertainment often ends up involving other people, as this subtype tends to be in high demand among potential friends and acquaintances. Friendly and upbeat, they often appear approachable. Compared to the other wing, 7w6 may sometimes be held back by fear from going after what they want, though often they end up going after it anyway and worry later.

7w8: Sevens with an Eight wing have a stronger presence, and can have the eightish air of someone you don’t want to mess with. Compared to the other wing, they are more likely to jump eagerly into situations without forethought, and will often quickly go get what they want. These Sevens often have a decidedly sensual bent, and want to surround themselves with all the means of satisfying their desires.

(note that wings can have some minor descriptive power in terms of superficial behavior, but they are irrelevant in terms of what motivates the person. Many people have no noticeable wing, while few show signs of both.)

MQS