From Sloth to Right Action: The Path of Type 9
Ask a Type 9 what brings them peace, and they’ll likely tell you: stillness, quiet, comfort, harmony. But the deeper truth is often more complex—because for 9s, the pursuit of peace can sometimes come at the cost of themselves.
The passion of Enneagram 9s is classically referred to as Sloth or Laziness. I prefer the term Self-forgetting, because it’s a pinpoint accurate description of what 9s do: they put themselves last, abandon their own agendas for the sake of calm, and live primarily through other people or through rhythmic, instinctual routines. Beatrice Chestnut does a great job bottom-lining the passion of Type 9 as “…a tendency to fall asleep to yourself.”
The key to how the 9’s character structure develops is this: they view their own internal stimuli—feelings, thoughts, needs—as things that disturb their peaceful calm. In their minds, if they didn’t dampen their inner experience, there would simply be too much at stake to feel stable and balanced. So they quiet themselves. Blend in. Go along. What 9s often don’t realize is that they haven’t really managed to shut out any of these so-called disturbances to their peace. They’ve merely numbed themselves to the stimuli they label as threats.
A special note here: Self-forgetting is the very core of the Enneagram—all types do this. The passions of the other eight types are born out of self-forgetting. But Types 1–8 each do various “twists” on the idea. I like to say that 9s are the most honest type in this way. They don’t b.s. around by transmuting their self-forgetting into some altered form. They just get right to it, tuning out and settling into a gentle slumber.
Likewise, Right Action—the virtue of Type 9—is what all types ultimately need to overcome their respective passions. I’d argue that “waking up to one’s True Nature” is the right action for everybody and anybody. The virtue of any given Enneagram Type describes the act of remembering their essential self, or waking up from spiritual slumber. At their best, 9s embody this transformation. They model Right Action for the rest of us—showing us the power of being truly presentto ourselves.
It’s important to understand that Right Action isn’t about productivity or doing more for others. It’s about re-engaging with life from a place of inner alignment. For 9s, that means choosing to show up fully—as themselves—and allowing their preferences, passions, and priorities to take up real space in the world. It’s about stepping into their own vitality, rather than letting life happen around them. When 9s contact this quality, there’s a quiet but unmistakable force that emerges. They stop avoiding the friction that comes with being visible and engaged, and they learn to trust that their presence won’t disrupt harmony—it creates it.
In my opinion, the steadfastness of awakened 9s truly represents the most powerful energy on the face of this earth. In my last post, I referred to Type 8s as “mountain movers.” And I’d argue that an awakened 9 represents the mountain that nobody can move. They stand firm in themselves, and they do not waver. Present. Whole. Rooted in Being.
I just plain love 9s.
So here’s some questions for the Type 9s reading this post:
Where have you made peace a higher priority than your presence?
What parts of you are asking to be remembered?
If you want to further explore themes and growth for Type 9, check out our monthly support groups held on the first Saturday of each month or our next monthly workshop. Learn more and register here!