More Than Just Fear: Type 6 Subtypes
I’m fortunate to have taken a training on Instincts & Subtypes with Peter O’Hanrahan. He shared theories on how we develop a dominant instinct for either Self-preservation, Social belonging, or One-on-one relating. Said theories exceed the scope of this post, but Peter used a poignant metaphor I’d like to adopt—a 3 legged stool. He spoke of one’s dominant instinct as a “short leg” that throws the stool off balance. The key is to balance the stool by evening out these 3 legs—but how?
The first step is to know your Subtype, a.k.a your dominant instinct, so you can "check" the tendency to invest more energy in that instinctual arena. If you don't do this, you're pretty much sunk as far as working with these instincts (at least from my somewhat opinionated point of view).
Once you've learned to “check” the instinct you rely on most heavily/automatically, some energy starts getting “freed up.” Now you can redistribute that energy towards the other two instincts. I like to think of this as juicing up the secondary and tertiary instincts by “using them on purpose” - making conscious efforts to go forth and relate to the world through them.
With this in mind, let’s explore the subtype energies as they manifest for Enneagram Type 6s:
If you are an Enneagram 6, it can benefit you to understand how your loyalty, insightfulness, wit, questioning, vigilance, worst-case-scenario planning, suspicion of authority, and literally ALL components of your type structure get channeled primarily through a particular instinctual drive!
Where are your loyalty, vigilance, and questioning “aimed?”
Are they aimed at maintaining your connection to the “family unit” through personal warmth, looking out for physical danger, and “avoiding disaster” in the realm of material needs?
Are they aimed at earning social belonging by aligning with the standards of the group, protecting group welfare through methodical trouble-shooting, and striving towards consensus?
Or are they aimed at being bold/tough/desirable, addressing threats directly, and trying to intimidate or “charm and disarm” potential enemies?
These are three very different ways of “living out” the Type 6 passion of Fear. Your Subtype not only affects how others perceive/experience your “Six-ness,” but also the kind of self-work that will be most effective for you (and your specific expression of the type). Let’s dive a bit deeper:
Self Preservation 6: Warmth
These are the “friendly and disarming” 6s. They generally try to be warm, affectionate, and supportive towards others to achieve safety. It’s all about letting others know, “hey, I’m in your corner. You can count on me.” Their self-presentation is that of a loyal and trustworthy ally. There’s somewhat of a taboo on aggression for SP 6s; it seems safer to be meek and mild rather than bold or strong. For this reason, anger stays under the surface and may build up over time. When these 6s finally get mad, it can be explosive to the point of seeming “totally out of character.” Also related to the taboo on aggression, they tend to submit to authorities rather than rebel against them—or they may quietly rebel in private. These 6s are dedicated to "the family welfare,” whether it’s that of their literal family or their chosen family. They can show tireless loyalty for those who nurture their needs for safety and reassurance. It’s also common for SP 6s to display a philosophical “thinky” humor, riding the line between sarcastic pessimism and lighthearted silliness.
Social 6: Duty
These are the “logical and organized,” 6s. Beatrice Chesnut describes them as "legalistic," - or having the qualities of a lawgiver. They feel that it's critical to know their place within social structures, because of the inherent safety that group membership provides. By committing to the ideology or “party line“ of a given group or institution, they can ameliorate doubt and feelings of being unsupported. Adopting group values offers a script for certainty, creating a “black and white“ framework where there would otherwise be nothing but “gray.” They achieve belonging in communities/organizations by looking out for the safety of the group as a whole. These 6 act as the “Devil’s Advocate for the pack,” preventing others from going astray in their thinking and planning. They're the methodical troubleshooters and traditionalists who enjoy prescribed/reliable ways of doing things. Deferring to consistent rules and norms offers a feeling of predictability, while also averting negative attention from authority figures.
One-to-One 6: Strength/Beauty
These are the “fierce and bold,” 6s or the “seductively pleasing” 6s. "Strength” 6s become competent in using their body or mind in ways that promote defense. They see that “predators prey on easy targets,” and instinctively develop an imposing self-presentation to keep threats at arm’s length. The general message is, “taking me down would be more trouble than it’s worth, you might lose a limb in the process.” Fear may “lag behind” action impulses in these 6s. They move forward with seeming confidence, though it’s often a (subconscious) attempt to act before feelings of fear can arise. They beat their fear to the punch. “Beauty” 6s work a different angle altogether. They operate on the notion that people who are attractive/pleasing are generally less likely to be on the receiving end of aggression (inspiring amorous feelings instead, simply as a matter of course). It’s also possible that being desirable can attract a mate who offers protection. In some cases, there's a "blend" of strength and beauty. But most all One-on-one 6s take a forward-moving, high-charisma approach to achieving feelings of safety.
To explore more about Type 6, check out our monthly support groups on the first Sunday of each month or join us at our next monthly workshop! You can see all of our upcoming events here. You can also work one-on-one with us by emailing us here.
*Shoutout to the Enneagram masters: I owe my understanding of Instinctual Subtypes to a long list of authors and teachers, but extra special credit goes to Peter O’Hanrahan, Helen Palmer, Beatrice Chesnut, and Ginger Lapid-Bogda