The Devil's Advocate Back to Enneagram
Type Six
The Committed, Conservative and Responsible Person
AKA: the Loyalist, The Trouble Shooter, The Doubter
Typically: Sixes are committed, conservative, dutiful and responsible. They are warm and endearing to those close to them, and have strong dedication to traditional values and beliefs. They are reliable team players and value authority, established customs, community, trust and security. Sixes are intuitive, natural troubleshooters, and excellent organizers.
When Stressed: Sixes are plagued by doubt and anxiety, and tend to be evasive, indecisive, and to make "mountains out of molehills." They become caught in paradox, and frequently change their minds. They lose self-confidence and become suspicious, negative, highly reactive and complaining. They may attack other groups and blindly defend their own group as the best.
Point of View: "It is important to me that I am dependable and feel like part of my group."
Examples: George Bush, Woody Allen, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Julia Roberts, Princess Diana, Katie Couric, Bob Dole, George Foreman.
Focus on: The possible dangers in their environment.
Important Issues: Duty, friendliness, the group, fear, suspicion, catastrophizing.
Approach to Problem Solving: "I need to find out what else can go wrong and who I can depend on."
What They Like in Others: Dependability, support/protectiveness, hard work.
What They Dislike Like in Others: Ambiguity, undependability, deviance (from norms of group).
How They Frustrate Others: Complaining, indecision, lack of trust.
Chief Asset to Team: Support. Sixes are steadfast, responsible and dependable. They are determined to perform their duty, to do what is best for the group, and provide for the needs of others.
Core Struggle: Sixes see the world as basically uncaring, unsupportive and dangerous. Their desire to be seen as supportive and fit into a group is a response to the dangers they see "out there."
Unconscious Contradiction: Sixes want to relax, kick up their heels, and be lazy and free from responsibility, but their anxiety makes them feel that the result would be a catastrophe.
Coping Strategy: Projection. Sixes maintain their sense of security within the group by projecting their unacceptable faults, thoughts and impulses (which would endanger their position) onto others.
Vice: Fear, which can manifest itself in either paralysis, neediness and clinging or inappropriate aggression.
The Lie Sixes Tell Themselves—"Someone else represents an idealized authority that I can either cling to or rebel against."
Counterproductive Trap—Security. Rather than take risks that will lead to growth and reward, Sixes seek a safe route that provides security.
Area of Avoidance—Deviance/Delinquency. Sixes avoid any behavior that will make them stand our and separate them from their support system.
Anti-Self Behavior—Self-Inhibiting. Sixes minimize the value of their own inner impulses, experience and guidance in favor of that of others, thus inhibiting their own growth and development.
Potential Strengths as Leaders: Protective of the group; nurturing; detail-oriented; engaging; focused; determined.
Potential Weaknesses as Leaders: Paranoid; overly cautious; indecisive; authoritarian; scattered.
