This blog post aims to answer the question, “How are Enneagram Wings determined?” by exploring the concepts of Enneagrams and Enneagram Wings, summarizing all the possible Enneagram Wings and providing 5 steps of determining Enneagram Wings.
How are Enneagram Wings determined?
Enneagram Wings can be determined by following these 5 steps –
- Understand your enneagram type.
- Develop self-awareness.
- Find the two numbers directly next to your dominant type.
- Think about each wing’s motivations and find the one you identify with the most.
- Take the help of Enneagram Tests.
What are these 5 steps of determining Enneagram Wings?
Understand your enneagram type.
Understanding your type can help you identify your personality traits and behavioural patterns, which will help in determining your enneagram wing.
Develop self-awareness.
You can recognize your enneagram wings and their significance in your life by increasing your self-awareness which will help you discover more about your strengths and shortcomings.
Find the two numbers directly next to your dominant type.
The two numbers exactly next to your dominant type are your enneagram wing(s). If you’re unfamiliar with the Enneagram of Personality, you might wonder if one of the nine numbers could be your wing but that is not feasible.
If your dominant type is 5, for instance, your wing cannot be a two. The only possible wings for an Enneagram Five are 4 and 6. Your Enneagram wings can only be next to your dominant personality type.
Think about each wing’s motivations and find the one you identify with the most.
Similar to figuring out your enneagram, you should think about each wing’s motives and which ones you tend to lean toward the most to identify your dominant enneagram wing.
It can occasionally be challenging to determine which of one’s Enneagram wings is prominent because some people can unintentionally be in tune with both of them.
The easiest method to determine which wing you depend on is to learn more about each one, including its advantages and disadvantages.
Take the help of Enneagram Tests.
Your dominant wing may occasionally be so prominent that you question if it accurately describes your personality type.
Check out the article How to Find Your Enneagram With 4 Helpful Tips if you are unclear about your type, or go to The 4 Best Free Enneagram Tests Online.
You can learn more about your dominant enneagram and wing types by taking an enneagram test.
What is Enneagram?
The Enneagram is a personality type system that describes patterns in people’s perceptions of the world and emotional management. The Enneagram divides people into nine personality types, each of which is represented by a nine-pointed graphic that shows how they interact.
The word Enneagram derives from the Greek words Ennea, which means “nine,” and Gramma, which means “drawn or written.” Each of the nine personality types is determined by a basic belief about how the world works, according to the Enneagram.
This basic belief underpins your innermost motives and concerns, as well as shaping a person’s worldview and perspective on the world and the people around them.
Our primary ideas aren’t always wrong, but they can be constrictive and act as “blinders” for people. Understanding our Enneagram type and how it influences our views might help us extend our horizons and more effectively handle circumstances.
Knowing a person’s Enneagram type might help us understand why they act the way they do. Each Enneagram type has a set of basic beliefs that will continuously inspire and guide them to conduct specific actions and make specific decisions.
When we understand a person’s Enneagram type, we can frequently explain behaviour that appears to be perplexing or contradictory.
The Enneagram also assists us in comprehending how people respond to stress. The Enneagram reveals chances for personal development and gives a basis for understanding others by outlining how each Enneatype adapts and responds to both stressful and supportive conditions.
Enneagram Types.
Here are all the names and basic traits of the 9 Enneagram types –
- Type 1: Idealist: Reformer, logical, moral, rigid.
- Type 2: Caregiver: affectionate, outgoing, caring, loving, people-oriented.
- Type 3: Achiever: driven, focused, ambitious, goal-oriented, optimistic, extroverted.
- Type 4: Individualist: Romantic, introverted, creative, thoughtful.
- Type 5: Investigator: Skeptic, curious, investigative, knowledgeable, open-minded
- Type 6: Loyalist: Loyal, friendly, dependable, keen, engaging, committed
- Type 7: Adventurer: Funny, outgoing, adventures, enthusiastic, novelty-seeking
- Type 8: Challenger: Intimidating, focused, strong-willed, opposing, rigid
- Type 9: Peacemaker: Calm, relaxed, conflict-avoiding, peaceful, friendly.
What are Enneagram Wings?
The two kinds in the triad adjacent to your dominant personality type are known as an Enneagram wing(s). There are two numbers next to each Enneagram type. These two numbers represent the dominant personality type’s wings.
Everyone has their own distinct personality. The descriptions you read for each Enneagram personality type are useful summaries; but, even if two people have the same Enneagram number, there will always be differences in how they interact.
Wings are one of the enneagram’s methods for explaining and comprehending the complexity of personality. Because people will still identify with some of the underlying motives of these nearby types, Enneagram wings can impact thought and behaviour.
Everyone has a dominant personality type, however, each type may be related in some way. Enneagram wings enhance your personality by influencing your dominant Enneagram personality type in decision-making, complementing or contradicting your dominant type’s qualities, and complementing or contradicting your dominant type’s attributes.
Ian Cron explains how enneagram wings may be used to season our basic personality type. Individuals draw from each wing’s distinct attributes to “season” the dominant type, bringing variation to their personality in the same way that different spices are added to dishes to improve or affect their flavour.
Each enneagram type’s wings can have a beneficial or negative impact on your personality type. How self-aware an individual determines their capacity to monitor how motivations impact them.
It’s absolutely useful to do some exploratory work to examine one’s health and emotional intelligence. Even if two persons have the same dominant Enneagram personality type, how much their wing type influences them may make them appear extremely different.
Because it provides flavour to your total personality, your Enneagram wing type is like spice for your personality type. Your personality type’s usual actions might be enhanced or contradicted by your attributes.
What are all the possible Enneagram Wings?
| Enneagram | Wing | Description |
| Type 1 | 1 w 9 | Realistic & Detail-Oriented Perfectionists |
| 1 w 2 | Social & Ethical | |
| Type 2 | 2 w 1 | Empathetic & Caring Individuals |
| 2 w 3 | Social & Work-Oriented Organisers | |
| Type 3 | 3 w 2 | Optimistic Go-Getters & Socially Popular |
| 3 w 4 | Motivated & Organised Leaders | |
| Type 4 | 4 w 3 | Artistic & Charismatic |
| 4 w 5 | Passionate Creators with a Mission | |
| Type 5 | 5 w 4 | Individualistic & Loners |
| 5 w 6 | Free Spirited & Curious | |
| Type 6 | 6 w 5 | Resourceful & Responsible |
| 6 w 7 | Fun-Loving & Cheerful | |
| Type 7 | 7 w 6 | Happy-Go-Lucky & Entertaining |
| 7 w 8 | Innovative & Curious | |
| Type 8 | 8 w 7 | Confident & Determined |
| 8 w 9 | Collectivistic Leader | |
| Type 9 | 9 w 8 | Independent & Wanderer |
| 9 w 1 | Pragmatic & Collected |
The highest-scoring personality likeness on each side of your basic type indicates the wing. If your dominant type is 2, for example, your dominant wing is the one with the highest score on either type 1 or type 3.
The sole aspect at play is that individual differences in terms of personal experiences, exposure, environment, and other factors might affect the amount and intensity of the effect.
It’s also conceivable for one wing to be more dominant than the other since you’ve had more opportunities to explore and develop the traits associated with that kind than with the other type.
Wings are complementary features that give our personalities additional depth. They aren’t what makes us who we are. It is not necessary for a wing to be present because the dominant type is what the personality is generally like.
Conclusion –
This blog post attempted to answer the question, “How are Enneagram Wings determined?” by reviewing the concepts of Enneagrams and Enneagram Wings, summarizing all the possible Enneagram Wings and providing the 5 steps of determining Enneagram Wings. Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions or comments you may have.
References –
Interpreting Your Enneagram Test Results. The Enneagram Institute®. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/interpreting-your-enneagram-test-results#:~:text=remain%20the%20same.-,Wings,necessarily%20that%20of%20the%20wing.
Nguyen, J. What Are Your Enneagram Wings? Understanding Your Type On A Deeper Level. (2020, July 26). Retrieved from https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/enneagram-wings
Yuan, L. A Guide to Enneagram Wings: What Are They All About? (2019, October 27). Retrieved from https://www.truity.com/blog/guide-enneagram-wings-what-are-they-all-about
What Are Enneagram Wings and How to Find Yours? Personality Path. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://personalitypath.com/enneagram/wings/
Enneagram: Wings. Clover Leaf. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://cloverleaf.me/blog/enneagram-wings
Doyle, E. All 18 Enneagram Wings | Helpful Descriptions for Every Type. (2021, March 6). Retrieved from https://enneagramgift.com/enneagram-wings/
Enneagram Theory: Enneagram Wings. The Enneagram in Business. (2010, October 28). Retrieved from https://theenneagraminbusiness.com/theory/enneagram-theory-enneagram-wings/
ENNEAGRAM – WINGS, LINES & INTEGRATION. Integrative9 Enneagram Solutions. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.integrative9.com/enneagram/wings-lines-integration/
