Subtype: Enneagram glossary definition
Short answer
An Enneagram subtype is the combination of a core type with its dominant instinct, such as self-preservation Six (sp 6) or sexual Four (sx 4). Nine types times three instincts gives 27 subtypes. Tradition says each subtype points the type's core passion at a different area of life, which can make it look quite unlike the standard type portrait. Subtypes are untested.
Type plus instinct
A subtype is built from two pieces. The type supplies the motive and the passion: for Type 4, a longing for a significant identity and a habit of envy. The dominant instinct supplies the arena: self-preservation, social or one-to-one. Put together, a subtype describes where a type's central pattern does most of its work. That is why the three Fours can look so different: one endures quietly, one compares itself with the group, and one competes and protests openly.
- Formula
- Core type plus dominant instinct
- How many
- 27 (9 types x 3 instincts)
- Notation
- sp 6, so 2, sx 8, or 6 sp and so on
- Key idea
- The passion is expressed in the arena of the leading instinct
- Special case
- One subtype per type is often called the countertype
- Evidence status
- Untested by research
Where subtypes come from
How subtypes are used
Subtypes are mostly a typing aid and a growth aid. As a typing aid, they explain why someone may not recognize themselves in a standard description: the classic portrait often matches one subtype better than the other two. As a growth aid, they help narrow advice. Telling a self-preservation Eight to "soften" is less useful than noticing that her strength goes mostly into securing resources, and that she rarely lets anyone see her worry about running short.
A concrete example
Three Ones work at the same school. The sp One frets privately over whether her lesson plans are good enough and rewrites them on Sunday nights. The so One sits on every committee and quietly becomes the person who knows the policy handbook best. The sx One argues passionately in staff meetings for a better way to teach reading and is frustrated that colleagues do not share his urgency. Same type, three subtypes.
Research status
Related terms: instinct, instinctual stacking, countertype and passion.
Frequently asked questions
How many Enneagram subtypes are there?
Twenty-seven. Each of the nine types has three subtypes, one for each instinct: self-preservation, social and sexual (one-to-one).
Is a subtype the same as a wing?
No. A wing is a neighboring type on the circle. A subtype combines your type with your dominant instinct. A person has both, for example a 6w5 who is also self-preservation dominant.
How do I find my subtype?
First settle on a likely type. Then read all three subtype descriptions for it and ask which arena of life, security, group belonging or intense connection, your type's main pattern keeps returning to.
Why does my type description not fit me?
One common reason is that you are a countertype or a less-described subtype. Reading all three subtypes of your top two types often resolves it.
Sources
- Naranjo, C. (1994). Character and neurosis: An integrative view. Gateways/IDHHB.
- Chestnut, B. (2013). The complete Enneagram: 27 paths to greater self-knowledge. She Writes Press.
- Hook, J. N., Hall, T. W., Davis, D. E., Van Tongeren, D. R., & Conner, M. (2021). The Enneagram: A systematic review of the literature and directions for future research. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 77(4), 865-883. doi:10.1002/jclp.23097