Enneagram Type 9, known as “The Peacemaker,” is harmonious, gentle, and pleasant by nature. Individuals with this personality type will attempt to solve relational problems and avoid conflict, sometimes at their own cost.
Type 9’s adapt to situations and people the best they can to keep the peace. At their best, they can make influential diplomats; however, they can become passive when lacking self-awareness, allowing life to slip by.
Enneagram Type 9’s desire connection with others but will often neglect assertiveness to get what they want or communicate what they need. Keep reading for further insight into how the Enneagram type 9 personality behaves, thinks and feels.
Enneagram Type 9 Characteristics
What It Is Like to Be an Enneagram 9
At their core, an Enneagram type 9 dislikes relational turbulence or disruption, whether physical or internal. Witnessing others arguing or confronting someone, for example, can cause them great anxiety and discomfort. As a result, they are motivated to make peace wherever possible or avoid the problem altogether.
Worried that creating conflict may result in losing connection with those they care about, 9’s will adapt or avoid the problem to resolve this fear. This behavior can cause a nine to make considerable compromises even if it is the opposite of what they wanted. A 9 who is more secure will attempt to find solutions that benefit them and other parties.
Some 9’s are so averse to conflict that they may try to avoid it altogether, which can occur in various ways. If someone’s actions hurt them, they may ignore it or find ways around it without ever admitting or addressing the causes.
If they want something from someone, they may never bring up the subject and find a more complex way to obtain it. Enneagram type 9’s are in the gut triad and struggle with anger, mainly because unresolved conflict builds within them, taking a mental toll on them.
Something unique to 9’s is that they often take on the characteristics of other personalities to fit their situations. An enneagram type 1, for example, may share similarities with a type 3, but a type 9 can will adapt to every enneagram type if it helps them avoid conflict. As a result, 9’s can lack individuality and quickly lose their sense of self in service to others.
For a nine, the blending of personality traits can numb their internal pain. If they reject their own needs, they will not have to confront them. 9’s can numb pain in other ways, including substance abuse or over-indulging in pleasures. Ironically, this can lead to other problems without the 9 realizing it.
Healthy Enneagram 9
A Healthy Enneagram 9’s desire for peace can make them influential leaders and decision-makers within their social and professional groups. When sure of themselves, they can confront hostility in the short term if it means peace later on.
As a child, healthy Enneagram Type 9’s learn to care for themselves as much as they do other people. While it may seem easy at first to give up small-time preferences to maintain peace and friendships, it can grow into more significant problems and concessions over time.
By being told that they deserve to have their voice heard, they can solve issues without personal loss. If they choose to disregard their feelings, they can see the resulting dissatisfaction early in life on a small scale.
Providing enneagram type 9’s opportunities to lead and make decisions on their terms can strengthen their self-confidence. By getting involved in clubs or sports, they get the experience to solve problems and work with others that may disagree with them.
Healthy Enneagram 9’s seek to develop their sense of self and are willing to fight for themselves. An enneagram nine performs best when able to help others in a calm environment. Staying in control of environmental influences can empower them to make better decisions that serve others without compromising their values or needs.
Those who know healthy 9’s see them as helpful and easy-going members of their group, able to defuse tense situations quickly. 9’s perform well with like-minded people and are generally easy to please because of their compassionate nature.
Unhealthy Enneagram 9
Unhealthy Enneagram 9’s avoid standing up for themselves and become incredibly withdrawn; nervous about social interactions in general. Eventually, they abandon their interests with almost nothing resembling an identity by losing sight of who they are and what they want.
Unhealthy 9’s at an early age learn to give up what they want and concede to the demands of others, whether they be peers or older. This response can be caused by controlling and demanding parents or general anxiety. Ideas of arguing for themselves or exploring their own best interests are either never or rarely ever considered a possibility.
During their adolescent years, 9’s will likely not develop their personality and do what others tell them, disregarding their own needs. To cope with these problematic behaviors, they may try to forget or depersonalize their troubles with daydreaming or harmful habits. When severely troubled, a nine will reduce interaction to avoid possible conflict as much as possible.
Unhealthy Enneagram Type 9’s will be completely repressed, abandoning any defining traits that can cause conflict. They will become social chameleons, changing who they are to please whoever they may be around. Any disagreements that arise will inevitably lead to more concessions, plunging them deeper into self-loathing and feelings of inadequacy.
Since they lack any skills in arguing, 9’s are incapable of helping themselves or those they care about against opposing parties. Adopting multiple personalities to fill their hollow identities is not uncommon. Mental health risks include the possible development of schizoid or dependent personality disorders.
Enneagram Type 9 Relationships
As with all of their other relationships, romantic relationships for 9’s involve keeping the peace under every circumstance. The underlying struggle involves the nine deciding when to stand their ground, if ever. This habit can make them easy to take advantage of if they are not careful.
A healthy nine will be able to handle arguments with their partner rather well, knowing what they need from the relationship and meeting their partner’s needs. While they are unlikely to start the fights, they will do their best to finish them.
An unhealthy nine will prefer to bottle up their displeasure in exchange for short-term peace. This leads to unresolved issues that fester in the relationship and become worse over time.
If a 9 ignores relationship problems, their frustration will rise gradually over time, leading to passive-aggressive behavior and quiet resentment towards their partner. This behavior worsens when further refusal to address grievances pushes the nine deeper into their unhealthy approach, found in other parts of their lives.
Maintaining a balance is essential to ensuring that decisions are not one-sided but healthy and fair. When someone is dating a 9, they have to be very mindful of their partner’s needs, which may go unspoken for a long time. While having them focus on their own needs can be satisfying, the 9’s displeasure can cause problems later in the relationship.
Type 9 Enneagram Careers
Stability in the workplace is crucial for 9’s, as it allows them the chance to find themselves and get in their groove uninhibited. It helps when others are warm and open to everyone’s opinions to enhance this productivity.
Since they are motivated to find peace, work that engages 9’s in finding solutions to other’s problems gives them the chance to use their strengths. As long as the pace of work is moderate and hostility is at a minimum, 9’s can handle the tension. While working alone may be easier due to a lack of social conflict, 9’s also enjoy helping to resolve problems between coworkers.
Working conditions that are worst for 9’s put them at constant odds for those around them, especially in situations where they should be in control—allowing 9’s to feel confident and secure in what they do results in their best work. Work environments that focus competition can be a bad fit for 9’s, which goes against their fundamental nature.
Below is a shortlist of the best jobs for an Enneagram Type 9:
- Librarian
- Psychiatrist
- Editor
- Veterinarian
- Religious worker
- Counselor
- Social worker
- And human resources
Enneagram Type 9 Celebrities
The friendly, peace-loving nature of an enneagram type 9 can help them become quite popular and influential. Their skillful ability to resolve conflict and create harmony between opposing parties can often position them within seats of leadership and power. Below is a brief list of famous enneagram type 9 celebrities.
- Ron Howard
- Audrey Hepburn
- Carl Jung
- Carl Rogers
- Claude Monet
- Abraham Lincoln
- Tobey McGuire
- Jason Segal
- James Taylor
- Walt Disney
Key Enneagram 9 Traits
An Enneagram Type 9’s actions result from a fear of loss and separation from the people and things they value in their lives. They believe that maintaining peace and avoiding disagreements can help them maintain harmony. This motivation can benefit both them and those around them but can be a detriment if they cannot preserve the peace healthily.
As a result, Enneagram Type 9’s tend to stay in environments and social settings that make them feel secure and comfortable with themselves. They may feel more likely to explore and grow with supporting friends they have known for a long time. On the other hand, being in unfamiliar territory can cause them to repress for emotional safety.
The core desire of a nine is peace.
The message nines long to hear is, “You matter too.”
The gifts of an Enneagram Nine include:
- Agreeable: Nines are easy-going and make terrific friends. Others experience them as open, receptive, and peaceful.
- Understanding: Nines can listen to differences, understand multiple perspectives, and find commonalities across opposing differences with excellent synthesis skills.
- Patient: Nines do things calmly, sustainably, trusting the natural rhythm of projects and processes.
- Supportive: Others feel accepted, heard, and understood in the presence of Nines. They accept people for who they are and see their full potential.
- Genuine: What you see is what you get with a Nine, and they are unpretentious. Others can be at ease with them. (Integrative9.com)
Further Signs Of An Enneagram Type 9
Strengths Of An Enneagram Type 9:
- Empathy: 9’s are concerned with the needs of others and are sensitive to their viewpoints, taking them into account when making decisions
- Calm: a healthy nine will not panic when the situation changes and will take time to assess different options
- Supportive: when their friends need help, 9’s will come to the rescue and make sure they are okay
- Mediation: if there is a disagreement, 9’s can help form a middle ground. Nines will work hard to find solutions.
- Open-minded: 9’s are slow to judge and are willing to forgive others if need be. This quality means they are ready to endure complex relationships and see a light of hope past darkness
Common Weaknesses Of An Enneagram Type 9:
- Unwilling to fight: if 9’s notice a problem or need to confront an issue with someone else, they may hesitate or outright avoid it
- Disregard troubles: when addressing a complex problem, it may seem more straightforward to ignore or live with it, leading to no resolve or solution.
- Avoiding conflict: if 9’s want something that requires a challenging scenario, they may never achieve that goal, leaving a void within themselves.
- Passive aggression: when avoiding conflict leads 9’s to frustration; they may take out their anger by being passive-aggressive rather than direct.
For Enneagram Type 9’s to make the most out of their strengths, they have to learn to overcome difficult situations and keep their best interests in mind. This progress can start by living a healthy lifestyle and asking others for small favors. Over time, they should build up their tolerance for difficulty and prepare themselves for more significant issues that affect their lives.
Enneagram Test Type 9
If you think type 9 might be your Enneagram type but want to take a test, we recommend the Truity Enneagram Test.
The Truity online Enneagram test will provide a score to indicate how strongly your answers identify with each of the nine Enneagram personality types. These scores are helpful because you can use them to determine traits that you are familiar with or recognize areas you overlook.
To take the Free Enneagram Test offered by Truity click, HERE!
Truity also provides a six-page report of in-depth information and questions to help you identify your enneagram type. Over one million users have taken this test and have been satisfied with their results.
Do you still need to do some more research (this could be the number one sign, you’re an Enneagram Type 9)? Check out the post: Learn How to Find Your Enneagram With 4 Helpful Tips.
Enneagram Type 9 Summary
Understanding underlying psychological foundations within a person will reveal what caused their actions. From their greatest fears to deepest desires, these motivations lead people to act in ways that may seem to hurt themselves without even realizing it. Personality types help to group these concepts and find similarities between individuals.
For 9’s, dealing with everyday problems with others can be a struggle that pierces their need for inner peace and security. If dealt with healthily, 9’s can help others and make the best out of disagreements. However, not recognizing signs of regression and apathy can lead to their individuality fading and general unhappiness in life.
