We’ve seen so far that the Enneagram tracks the development of our personality based on the central issue it revolves around. If we imagine reality to be a solar system with planets naturally revolving around the Sun, personality is the equivalent of a bit of one planet breaking off and revolving around said planet instead of around the Sun, like the Moon with the Earth.

Our personality colors our perception and our priorities and needs, as well as the strategies we develop to meet them. It also colors our stance toward other people. As most things in the Enneagram come in threes, we recognize three stances: assertive, withdrawing and conciliating or compliant. Each triad (Body, Heart, Head) has one assertive type, one withdrawing type and one compliant type.

This distinction ought not to be confused with the one discussed in the previous article on how each type relates to the energy of the center it belongs to. For instance, Type Two asserts the Heart energy, but in terms of social stance it is a conciliating type, not an assertive one. The expression of a center’s energy is the inherent motor of one’s personality, while the resulting social stance is more of a consequence, though an important one.

Assertive Types: Seven, Eight, Three

In the Enneagram, assertive types tend to move toward the Other in a more or less bold fashion. They are usually daring and have a practical streak. They go get what they want or need, and do not let other people stand in the way. However, what they need is dictated by the center they belong to.

Type Three is a Heart type, meaning it is concerned with themes of recognition and attention. Three is definitely the show-off of the Enneagram. It asserts itself to emerge as worthy of validation within the system it finds itself in, whether it be school, work, family, etc.

Type Seven is a Head type, which means it desires security and safety, fearing pain and negative states of being. In fleeing from the inner potential for fear and pain, Seven asserts itself on the world around, looking for distractions and diversions, making plans for a thousand projects that keep it from the muted inner sense that all is not well.

Type Eight is a Body type, which means it wants autonomy. Eights are renowned for their ability to assert themselves on others and on reality in general. Even physically they have a certain presence (regardless of their body type) as they present themselves as the fixed point that can deviate the course of reality. Among the Enneagram types, Eight is the least reactive and most naturally active: an Eight doesn’t deal with you, you must deal with them.

In general, assertive types get into trouble with others by generating conflict (whether willingly or not) or by being excessive in their actions and sometimes deaf to other people’s reasons and perspectives.

Withdrawing Types: Nine, Four, Five

Withdrawing types do the opposite of assertive types: in order to get their needs met, they retreat from the Other. This is not to be confused with introversion, especially in a Jungian sense, as the Enneagram does not measure this. Any type can be introverted.

Type Nine is a withdrawing Body type. Its need for autonomy is met by not getting into situations of conflict or confrontation that might threaten its autonomous existence. The idea is, if I create a general mood of harmony, don’t demand anything and don’t go against the flow of other people, I will get what I want and won’t create problems for myself. This is the very opposite of what Eights do.

Type Four is a withdrawing Heart type. Fours withdraw into their fantasy, where they cultivate a rich world of images, moods and emotions, hoping that someone will notice them and whisk them away from a dreary, disappointing reality that doesn’t match their wishes. Instead of sucking the air out of a room like a Three, you’ll likely find Fours sulking in a corner, hoping to be asked what’s wrong.

Type Five is a withdrawing Head type. It retreats from the uncertain flow of the world into its mind, a universe filled with concepts, abstractions and logical reasoning. The idea is that, since the truth is the truth is the truth, the more a Five renounces its material and social existence to identify with impersonal, objectively valid thoughts, the less it will suffer from the uncertainty of reality. Dealing with concepts is easier than dealing with people. This is exactly what a Seven would never do.

In general, withdrawing types tend to get into trouble with other people by not being available to them or by being unclear and ungraspable, which can become a rather frustrating experience.

Compliant Types: Six, One, Two

Compliant types adopt rather complex strategies to fulfill their needs. They do not assert themselves like assertive types, nor do they retreat away from others like withdrawing types. Instead, they seek, as it were, to merit their needs being met, and as such their stance is markedly interpersonal (though not necessarily social.)

Type Six is a compliant Head type. Its core issues are related to security, and to the type’s inability to be the source of its own security. The solution is to find an authority to submit to by deserving their protection. This authority can be, but is not necessarily a person: it can also be an institution, an ideology, etc. Protection is deserved by being a good friend, partner, employee, believer, political activist, etc. As such, Six neither asserts itself like a Seven nor retreats like a Five.

Type One is a compliant Body type, whose need for autonomy is met by earning it. Ones don’t assert themselves unconditionally like Eights, nor do they shy away from conflict like Nines. Instead, they assert themselves on behalf of a higher goal or reason or idea. Being in the right gives Ones the credentials they need to demand other people’s obedience or respect.

Type Two is a compliant Heart type, concerned with recognition and attention. The way Twos seek to meet this need for recognition is by taking care of other people and meeting their (perceived) needs so as to gain a right to have their needs fulfilled. In this way, they neither withdraw for attention nor assert themselves, like Fours and Threes respectively, but instead seek to become indispensable for the other.

In general, compliant types tend to get into trouble with others by stipulating unspoken pacts with them and becoming angry, offended, hurt or scared when the other doesn’t meet their end of this unspoken bargain.

Energy Center	Energy Dynamic	Social Stance	Type
Body	Assertion	Assertive	8
Body	Suppression	Withdrawing	9
Body	Transformation	Compliant	1
Heart	Assertion	Compliant	2
Heart	Suppression	Assertive	3
Heart	Transformation	Withdrawing	4
Head	Assertion	Withdrawing	5
Head	Suppression	Compliant	6
Head	Transformation	Assertive	7