Every Enneagram type is affected by a passion. While this may sound like a good thing, our passion holds us back from living a more virtuous life.
The root of the word passion means “to suffer.” Think of it as a “crime of passion” instead of being passionate about something.
In the case of the Enneagram and the nine types, our passion is an emotional pattern that’s hard to avoid, causing us to act out our passion unconsciously. It’s something we all struggle with and will likely struggle with for the entirety of our lives.
It’s important to know that we don’t control our passion. Our passion controls us.
That may sound a bit ominous, but it’s a fact of life. The good news is that once we start recognizing these patterns in our lives, we can begin pushing back against the passion.
So how do you fight against the passion of your type?
Being aware of this emotional driver is the first step in combatting it. Start by noticing when it appears in your everyday life, and then practice doing the opposite.
For example, I’m a Type Nine, and my passion is Sloth. When I’m feeling “lazy” and want to scroll through Instagram or watch videos on TikTok during the work day, I can stop and notice what I’m doing, figure out why I’m feeling that way, and then move to right action instead.
Sounds easy enough when put that way, but our passion is so ingrained in us and has so much control that it’s hard to just say to it, “Not today, Sloth.”
I still struggle against my passion every day. But knowing that it’s there and wants to control what I do (or, in my case, with Sloth, not do) helps motivate me to try to fight against it.
Below you will find the definition of each Enneagram Type’s passion, common characteristics of what that looks like, and things each type can do to fight back against it.
Type 8 Passion: LUST
lust: Seeking excessive fulfillment through the senses or physical experiences. Urgency to have desires satisfied.
What Lust Can Look Like in Type 8
- Intensity
- Direct communication (can sometimes be perceived as offensive)
- Physical gratification
- Rebelling against rules
- Doing too much of something fast and intensely (e.g., eating, working, talking, etc.)
- Impatience when it comes to having their needs met
- Provoking others to see what they’re made of
- Using a loud voice to get their point across
- “Work hard, play hard.”
How Type 8 Can Combat Lust
- Make time for self-care activities to help you relax and slow down, even if it’s just taking five minutes a day to meditate or practice yoga.
- Try to be flexible and empathetic when interacting with others. Lower your intensity and listen to others’ opinions without imposing judgment.
- Find someone you feel close to and show more of your vulnerable side. Use soft tones and speak about a time that was particularly hard for you.
Type 9 Passion: SLOTH
sloth: Laziness to the self. Neglecting one’s own opinions and needs and not taking necessary actions to support oneself.
What Sloth Can Look Like in Type 9
- Giving too much attention to what other people need while ignoring their own needs
- Sticking to routines and resisting change
- Saying yes when they want to say no
- Taking a path of least resistance
- Listening to others’ opinions before putting in their own two cents
- Acting out passive-aggressively as a way to avoid conflict
- Not knowing what they want
- Going with the flow so as not to rock the boat
How Type 9 Can Combat Sloth
- Think of an essential task that needs to be done and focus your attention on doing it without distractions. Try to challenge yourself to do one thing at a time.
- Challenge yourself to say no or go against popular opinion to see what will happen. You may be surprised at how much people appreciate hearing what you have to say.
- Notice when you are starting to narcotize/numb out and ask yourself why you want to do so. What is motivating you at the moment to avoid living your life fully?
Type 1 Passion: ANGER
anger: Being in a state of displeasure that people or things are not as they “should” be.
What Anger Can Look Like in Type 1
- Suppressing anger because they feel it makes them “bad” and their priority is being “good.”
- Using passive aggressive behaviors
- Trying to improve things/people to Type One’s standards
- Making everything better to live up to their ideals
- Being overly critical of themselves, other people, and/or things in general
- Feeling and/or looking irritated
- Over emphasis on improvement and self-improvement
- Tension in the body
How Type 1 Can Combat Anger
- Observe when anger or resentment comes up for you and question the motivation behind what is making you feel that way.
- Remember that there is no one “right way” to do things. Everyone has their own opinion, whether you agree with them or not. When others do something you disagree with, try to think about things from the other person’s perspective.
- Start journaling daily to let out your frustrations, whether at yourself, others, your never-ending inner critic, etc. Getting thoughts out of your head and onto the page can help you get to the bottom of your underlying anger.
Type 2 Passion: PRIDE
pride: The desire to be important and indispensable to others.
What Pride Can Look Like in Type 2
- Believing they know what other people need
- Giving too many compliments to get on someone’s “good side.”
- Offering support as an unconscious way of controlling the other person
- Trying to meet everyone else’s needs as a way to feel indispensable
- Not asking for help for themselves
- “Give to get” – strategically giving to others in hopes of something in return
- Overly sensitive to critical feedback or constructive criticism
- A need to be essential and be liked by everyone
How Type 2 Can Combat Pride
- Remember that you are just as important as everyone else – no more and no less. Try to be more self-accepting of your limitations.
- Spend more time alone and get in touch with what you want.
- Try not to depend on others’ approval so much. Work on getting approval from the person who matters the most: yourself.
Type 3 Passion: Self-Deceit
self-deceit: Shape-shifting to create an ideal image so others will approve of you.
What Self-Deceit Can Look Like in Type 3
- Over-identifying with their perceived persona
- Shape-shifting to what they think the person they’re with wants them to be
- Not knowing who they really are
- Ignoring feelings when working on tasks and goals
- Promoting their successes and denying their failures
- Going to any means to be successful, even if those means are something they don’t like or want to do
- Doing rather than being
How Type 3 Can Combat Self-Deceit
- Try to slow down your pace. What motivates you to keep going? Is it to keep up with your perceived image? Avoid accessing vulnerable emotions? Try to get to the heart of why you do so much and not feel so much.
- Think about how your shape-shifting has a negative impact on others. What is holding you back from being your authentic self when interacting with others?
- Talk to someone you trust about a time when you felt shame or sadness. What do these emotions bring up in you? Do you find it difficult or easy to access these emotions?
Type 4 Passion: ENVY
envy: Having the desire to have the positive aspects of others for oneself.
What Envy Can Look Like in Type 4
- Feeling a painful sense of lacking
- Concentrating on what’s “missing” instead of being in the present
- Constantly comparing themselves to others
- Feeling like something is missing in their life due to their self-perceived deficiency
- Having an inferiority or superiority complex (depending on subtype)
- Excessively admiring others
- An innate need to feel unique and authentic
- Being overly excited or overly sad with no in between
How Type 4 Can Combat Envy
- Notice the similarities between yourself and others instead of always focusing on the differences.
- Participate in an activity that involves helping others. Practice actively listening instead of leading the conversation.
- Base your conclusion of a situation on the reality and opinions of other people instead of only relying on what your feelings are.
Type 5 Passion: Avarice
avarice: Closing the heart to giving and receiving, often resulting in not feeling emotions at all.
What Avarice Can Look Like in Type 5
- Holding back from others
- Hoarding their space, time, and resources for fear of running out of them
- Holding on to what they already have instead of acquiring more of something
- Not openly expressing their emotions, even with the ones they’re closest to
- Concentrating on acquiring knowledge as a way to avoid interacting with people
- Missing someone but not feeling the need to reach out or talk to the person
- Having an intense need for privacy; needing alone time every single day
How Type 5 Can Combat Avarice
- Try opening up more to those you feel closest to. Tell someone what you’re feeling in the spur of the moment and do so without putting too much thought into it.
- Treat yourself by letting yourself indulge once in a while. Permit yourself to spend money on things you don’t need but want to have.
- Take a walk around your community and start a conversation with a neighbor. It doesn’t have to be a long, drawn-out conversation. Even just five minutes will do a lot in helping you start opening up to others.
Type 6 Passion: FEAR
fear: Being in a constant state of uncertainty and reacting to the possibility of bad things happening.
What Fear Can Look Like in Type 6
- Anxiety, tension, or uneasiness related to the anticipation of danger
- Constantly scanning for danger
- Asking question after question but not answering questions
- Being mistrustful of others and themselves
- Feeling surprised when good things happen because they’re always expecting bad things to happen
- Always finding problems to solve
- Contrarian thinking
- Constant doubting leads to delays in acting (procrastination)
How Type 6 Can Combat Fear
- Try taking more risks. Start with something small like not going back to check you locked the front door at the end of the day.
- Be the leader of your own life instead of letting your fear run the show. Experience each day with an open heart and an open mind.
- Try listening to your gut more and your head less. Go with your first instinct instead of running “doomsday” scenarios in your head.
Type 7 Passion: GLUTTONY
gluttony: Having the desire to experience pleasure and pleasurable experiences without limitations.
What Gluttony Can Look Like in Type 7
- Having a desire to get a “taste” of everything so as not to feel limited in choices
- Feeling dissatisfied after getting the taste of what they’re after but masking it by pursuing more pleasurable experiences
- Choosing variety instead of focusing on the depth of one subject
- Jumping from one project to the next without finishing anything
- Not wanting to miss out on anything (major FOMO)
- Constantly reframing negatives into positives
- Always thinking about the future instead of staying in the here and now
- Being easily distracted; having “bright, shiny object” syndrome
How Type 7 Can Combat Gluttony
- Try getting more in touch with your emotions, no matter how painful you perceive them. You might surprise yourself with what you learn about your inner workings.
- Practice your active listening skills when talking to others. Notice when your mind starts to wander and return to the present.
- Pick a hobby or interest and stick to it instead of dropping it halfway through to move on to the next thing. Experience how great it feels to finish something you’ve started.
Resources:
The Enneagram Guide to Waking Up by Beatrice Chestnut and Uranio Paes
Take Care of Your Type by Christina S. Wilcox
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