While knowing your dominant Enneagram personality type can teach you much about yourself, learning about enneagram wings can further enhance your understanding. Using the helpful Enneagram wing descriptions in this article, you can explore all 18 enneagram wings to become more aware of your motivations and actions in your decision-making.
Each of the nine Enneagram personality types has two possibilities for a wing type, making 18 Enneagram wings. You can most likely discover your wing type by choosing which one you relate to the most. However, the wing you rely on can change depending on fluctuating life events.
Read on to find out what an Enneagram wing is, how Enneagram wings work, and the different Enneagram wing types and their descriptions. You can also learn what Enneagram wing type you resonate with most and receive a list of the best Enneagram wing tests to be sure of your findings.
What Is An Enneagram Wing?
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An Enneagram wing refers to the influence of one of the adjacent personality types on an individual’s primary type. Each Enneagram type has two numbers directly beside it. The two numbers beside each type are the wings of the dominant personality type.
Enneagram wings represent the influence of the two types adjacent to an individual’s primary type on their personality and behavior. For example, an individual whose primary type is 4 (The Individualist) may have a strong wing of type 3 (The Achiever) or type 5 (The Observer), which would indicate that they are influenced by the characteristics of both type 4 and type 3.
Those new to the Enneagram often wonder if their wing can be any of the nine numbers, but this isn’t possible. For example, if your dominant type is 5, your wing cannot be a two. The wings of an Enneagram Five can only be 4 and 6.
Everyone has a unique sense of personality. The description you read for each Enneagram personality type are helpful summaries; however, there will always be variances in how every individual interacts, even though they may share the same Enneagram number.
Wings are one of the ways the Enneagram uses to explain the complexities of personality. Enneagram wings can influence thinking and behavior because individuals will still identify with some of the core motivations of these adjacent types.
7 KEY TAKEAWAYS CONCERNING ENNEAGRAM WINGS
- Your Wings Are The Two Numbers Directly Next To Your Dominant Type
- Wings Can Influence Your Thoughts, Feelings, And Behavior
- Wings Enhance Our Personality And Make It Dynamic Rather Than Static
- One Wing May Be Stronger Than The Other
- You Can Determine If You Have A Dominant Wing By Examing The Motivations
- Some Enneagram Tests Can Indicate Your Strongest Wing
- Your Wings Can Offer Additional Strengths To Utilize
Do Enneagram Wings Matter?
Learning about Enneagram wings can help you discover, enhance your journey of self-discovery, better understand others, and strengthen relationships.
Once you understand your Enneagram wing type, you can use the knowledge you’ve gained to better yourself by recognizing your behaviors. This process can help you develop desirable qualities to avoid blindly hurting yourself and others. Expanding your perspective by exploring enneagram wings can help you experience happier and healthier relationships.
Understanding Enneagram wings is important because the wings of each personality type affect each type in significant ways and can be used to further understand an individual’s motivations. Recognizing each enneagram wing’s influence can help you avoid weaknesses or lean into their strengths when needed.
How Do Enneagram Wings Work?
Enneagram wings influence your dominant Enneagram personality type in decision-making, complementing or contradicting your dominant type’s traits and enhancing your personality.
The presence of a wing is thought to influence a person’s overall Enneagram type and can provide additional insights into their personality and behavior. For example, a person with a type 4 Enneagram core and a type 3 wing might exhibit traits from both the Individualist and Achiever types, such as a desire for uniqueness and a drive for success.
Ian Cron describes enneagram wings as “a seasoning” to our core type. In the same way that different spices are added to foods to enhance or influence their flavor, enneagram wings “season” the dominant type as individuals draw from each wing’s unique qualities, thus adding variety to their personality.
Enneagram wings can influence the dominant personality type differently because they are dynamic rather than static. This explains why people with the same dominant Enneagram type can have different traits from one another.
Therefore, it is important to understand the motivations of each enneagram type and which one you most identify with so that you can maximize or limit the influence of each wing.
Because every type has strengths and shadow sides, the wings of your dominant type can also positively or negatively affect your personality. An individual’s ability to monitor how their wings affect them relies on self-awareness. Engaging in exploratory work to assess one’s health and emotional intelligence is worthwhile.
How Can Understanding Enneagram Wings Help In Personal Development And Self-Improvement?
By understanding your Enneagram wings, you may be able to:
- Identify your strengths and weaknesses.
- Understand how you relate to others.
- Make better decisions.
Knowing your Enneagram type and wing can help you understand your natural tendencies and patterns of thought and behavior, which can help you recognize areas of your life where you might benefit from growth and development.
The Enneagram can help you understand how you relate to others and how others may perceive your behavior. This can help improve your relationships and communication with others.
Learning about Enneagram wings can help you become more self-aware by providing insights into your unconscious motivations and patterns of thought and behavior. This can help you make more conscious and intentional choices in your life.
4 Tips To Help You Utilize Both Wings Of Your Dominant Type:
- Understand Your Enneagram Type: You can learn your behavioral patterns and personality traits by understanding your type.
- Notice Your Behaviors And Patterns: By becoming more self-aware, you can learn more about your strengths and weaknesses to recognize your actions and better yourself.
- Practice Acceptance And Loving Yourself: Sometimes, being hard on yourself can cause more harm than good. It’s best to accept your unique and healthy qualities and love you for who you are. We can’t change some things about ourselves, but that’s okay because no one is perfect.
- Mindfully Apply What You Are Learning: Once you understand how your dominant type and wings influence you, you should begin trying to apply what you know as you navigate your thoughts and relationships.
How Do I Determine My Dominant Enneagram Wing?
T determine your dominant enneagram wing; you should consider the motivations of each wing and which ones you tend to lean toward the most. Because some people can relate to both of their Enneagram wings equally, it can sometimes be difficult to figure out which one is their dominant wing. Learning more about each wing, including its strengths and weaknesses, is the best way to understand which wing you depend on.
Sometimes, your dominant wing can be so strong that it makes you uncertain if it is your personality type. If unsure of your type, check out the post, How to Find Your Enneagram With 4 Helpful Tips. Or visit, The 5 Best Free Enneagram Tests Online. Taking an Enneagram test can help you identify your dominant enneagram and wing types.
The Enneagram Wings Of Each Type
The 9 Enneagram types and their wings:
- Type One, The Reformer: 1w9, 1w2
- Type Two, The Helper: 2w1, 2w3
- Type Three, The Achiever: 3w2, 3w4
- Type Four, The Individualist: 4w3, 4w5
- Type Five, The Observer: 5w4, 5w6
- Type Six, The Loyalist: 6w5, 6w7
- Type Seven, The Enthusiast: 7w6, 7w8
- Type Eight, The Challenger: 8w7, 8w9
- Type Nine, The Peacemaker: 9w8, 9w1
Enneagram Wings Description
Enneagram 1 Wings
1w9
An enneagram 1w9 will tend to be more introverted than a 1w2. They think before they speak to avoid saying something against their morals. Sometimes, a 1w9 takes a long time to make a decision which can make them a bit of a procrastinator. This wing type is better at maintaining relationships.
1w2
An enneagram 1w2 tends to be extroverted and outgoing with a warm nature. They are more empathetic and understanding than a 1w2 and feel inclined to help the people around them. 1w2s can be excellent problem-solvers but a little more critical and controlling.
Enneagram 2 Wings
2w1
An enneagram 2w1 is inclined to help people but is more concerned with providing the proper help that meshes with your morals. Their goal is to be seen as someone others can depend on and a responsible figure. With this wing, they can be more critical of themselves and have trouble expressing their needs.
2w3
Enneagram 2w3’s are more ambitious and image-conscious than the 2w1. They can be very extroverted and more inclined to connect with the people around them. 2w3s can be excellent leaders because they are competitive and like to be seen as experts.
Enneagram 3 Wings
3w2
Enneagram 3w2s are charming and persistent, making excellent entertainers or salespeople. They crave attention from the people around them, but they can get angry or aggressive if they don’t receive it. Though they want to be recognized for their achievements, they still help others.
3w4
An enneagram 3w4 cares more about staying authentic to yourself than a 3w2. This can feel confusing to them because their dominant type is more of a social chameleon, while your wing type values being seen as unique. They may pretend to be someone for a crowd but feel conflicted because they know it is not authentic.
Enneagram 4 Wings
A 4w3 wants to be unique and the best because they have competitive energy. Because of the three wing’s influence to be image-conscious, they can be more aware of dialing back their emotional intensity than a 4w5. Also, they want to be different but socially accepted.
4w5s are more introverted. They have unique artistic interests because they are attracted to the avant-garde and eccentric. They value being different from others but have less need to be noticed than a 4w3.
Enneagram 5 Wings
An enneagram 5w4 is more sensitive. Sometimes they can come off as more self-absorbed. They are more independent as both type fives and fours do not mind being alone. They have creative and eccentric personalities and are often drawn to the unusual.
An enneagram 5w6 tends to be more anxious and cautious, influenced by both types. However, they often have a more social life than the 5w4 and may find it easier to be loyal to people they care for deeply. They are aware of their fears, so they surround themselves with people. A 5w6 can also sometimes come off as socially awkward.
Enneagram 6 Wings
A 6w5 is more introverted, self-controlled, and intellectual than a 6w7. They often surround themselves with leaders and others who share the same values. They enjoy their privacy and are sometimes seen as aloof because of the five wing influence.
An enneagram 6w7 can be playful and entertaining. They are much more outgoing and adventurous for a dominant type six but not as risky as a dominant type seven. Since sixes often feel anxious, they always have a backup plan if their adventures go wrong.
Enneagram 7 Wings
An enneagram 7w6 is more settled than rambunctious. They take more time to work on projects before moving on, so their pace is slower than a typical type seven. They may have an easier time committing to relationships than a 7w8.
A 7w8 can appear reckless because of their quick pace and competitive, bold attitude. When expressing their ideas, they can be assertive and even get aggressive when others disagree. The seven wing can help a type eight prioritize having fun over gaining power.
Enneagram 8 Wings
Enneagram 8w7s are more outgoing, energetic, and fun. They are ambitious and determined to impact others but can make impulsive and reckless decisions. They like to make the most out of opportunities and live to the fullest.
An enneagram 8w9 is typically more organized and prepared than an 8w7. They can be easier to approach and more cooperative with others. The 9 wing can help a type eight to be an excellent mediator and to refrain from forcing their desires.
Enneagram 9 Wings
An enneagram 9w8 can often feel conflicted because type nines avoid anger, while the eight wing can influence it. They can be more confident while also having stubborn and passive-aggressive tendencies. They have more access to feelings of anger to express their emotions openly when there is conflict.
An enneagram 9w1 has a stronger sense between right and wrong to focus on accomplishing their goals. Unlike a 9w8, they are more introverted and critical toward themselves than others. Their one wing can also make them more likely to participate in efforts to promote justice and fairness.
Helpful Enneagram Wings Tests
Truity
Benefits of The Truity Enneagram Wings Test:
- Excellent Rating: This test has a 4.8 out of 5 stars rating.
- In-Depth: This test shows your dominant Enneagram personality type, your Enneagram wing type, and how you score for all of the remaining types.
- Quick: This test has 105 simple questions and takes about ten minutes to complete.
- Free
To take the Free Enneagram Test offered by Truity, click HERE!
Cloverleaf
Benefits of The Cloverleaf Enneagram Wings Test:
- In-Depth: This test shows your dominant Enneagram personality type, your Enneagram wing type, the Enneagram triad you belong to, and an overview of characteristics your dominant personality and wing types display.
- Quick: This test has 22 pages of questions and takes about ten to 15 minutes to complete.
- Free
- Insightful: After taking this test, you can receive Cloverleaf’s feedback through email or on their online platform to improve your daily life.
To take the Free Enneagram Test offered by Cloverleaf, click HERE!
Crystal
Benefits of The Crystal Enneagram Wings Test:
- In-Depth: This test shows you an overview of your dominant Enneagram personality type, your basic desire, your basic fear, your communication style, and your wing types.
- Simple: This test asks you to rank each statement one through five based on how much you agree it describes you.
- Free: This test requires no purchase.
- Helpful: After taking this test, Crystal links you to other free Enneagram resources for more in-depth research on the Enneagram of Personality.
To take the Free Enneagram Test offered by Crystal Knows, click HERE!
IEQ9
Benefits of The Integrative Enneagram Questionnaire:
- Accurate: This test is reliable and highly accurate, with a 95% accuracy rating.
- In-Depth: This test provides your Enneagram profile and teaches you about the 27 subtypes, the Enneagram centers of intelligence, the Enneagram wings, the lines, the levels of integration, and the six dimensions of stress and strain.
- Medium-Paced: This test consists of 22 pages of questions and takes about 30 minutes to complete.
- Fair-Priced: This test’s standard version costs $60, while the professional version, which contains even more background, costs $120.
For more information about the iEQ9 assessment or to purchase, CLICK HERE.
Understanding how Enneagram wings relate to and influence your dominant type is beneficial to your journey of self-discovery. Every person is unique, and the wings of each Enneagram type further enhance their personality. Studying the wings of each Enneagram type is useful for further explaining and understanding the human personality.
