June 2024
by Colin Adam
Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening – wherever you are in the world, and welcome to this June newsletter!
When teaching the Enneagram I’ve often been asked to name famous people who characterize each of the nine styles. My guess is that most famous people have never heard of the Enneagram and have no clue about their primary Enneagram style, so it feels a little arrogant for me to point out what I think it is! I can only offer a best guess.
(As an aside, I don’t recommend ‘telling’ someone what their primary Enneagram style is. It’s really up to individuals to identify it for themselves, perhaps with the help of an assessment like the FIVE LENS. When working developmentally with others, I would advise against telling someone what you believe their primary style to be.)
Having said that, I’m aware that when learning the Enneagram it can be helpful to get a picture in one’s mind of well-known people who seem to characterise each of the styles in some way. It’s with this in mind that I decided to have some fun matching famous people – some real, some fictional, (and even a genre of music) – to the nine Enneagram styles, along with a few quotes. So here goes………!
Enneagram 1
Basil Fawlty of Fawlty Towers fame is known for his extremely angry outbursts when things don’t go exactly to plan. A perfectionist at heart, he picks out and comments on pretty much everything that he thinks others are doing wrong. Poor old Manuel, the hotel waiter, often gets the brunt of Basil’s wrath and criticism, as do the unfortunate hotel guests! Basil himself never quite seems to get things right either, much to the chagrin of his long-suffering wife Sybil!
A more integrated example of Enneagram 1 would probably be Mahatma Gandhi who, by applying the principle of non-violent, non-compliant, passive resistance, changed the face of India from being under British military rule to independence. In Ghandi’s case principles and values were applied consistently and methodically in contrast to the picky critical and reactive outbursts of the lower integrated version of this style. This is a style that can raise standards and change the world for the greater good.
Enneagram 1 Quotes
“Without discipline, there’s no life at all.” – Katherine Hepburn
“I’m a perfectionist, so my bossiness definitely comes out.” – Emma Watson
Enneagram 2
Diana, Princess of Wales, was perhaps the iconic Enneagram 2. From the mid-1980s, she became increasingly associated with numerous charities. She developed a strong interest in serious illnesses and health-related matters including AIDS and leprosy. In December 1995, she received the United Cerebral Palsy Humanitarian of the Year Award for her philanthropic efforts. In October 1996, for her work with the elderly, she was awarded a gold medal at a healthcare conference organised by the Pio Manzù Centre in Rimini, Italy. Recognising her impact as a philanthropist, Stephen Lee, director of the UK Institute of Charity Fundraising Managers, said “Her overall effect on charity is probably more significant than any other person’s in the 20th century.” What a powerful illustration of the unconditional giving nature of Enneagram 2 at its best.
Annie Wilkes, played by Kathy Bates, in the film ‘Misery’ is an example of a truly disintegrated Enneagram 2. She’s a fan of famous novelist Paul Sheldon (played by James Caan) whom she fortuitously finds with broken legs after his car crashed in a blizzard on a remote mountain road. The weather deteriorates so she takes him to a disused cabin where she spends weeks nurturing him back to physical health. She slowly starts to over-control things, even forcing him to rewrite the ending of his latest manuscript which he was in the process of delivering to his publisher. Her control escalates to aggression and when he’s ready to leave, she has other plans to continue with her addictive ‘helping’ behaviour! I won’t spoil the rest of it for you if you haven’t seen the movie.
Enneagram 2 Quotes
“I always just thought if you see somebody without a smile, give ’em yours!” – Dolly Parton
“I’m the model middle child. I’m patient and I like to take care of everyone. Being called nice is a compliment. It’s not a boring way to describe me.” – Jennifer Garner
Enneagram 3
Sir Lewis Hamilton is my pick for Enneagram 3. F1 motor racing is an extremely competitive sport and Lewis Hamilton has been one of the most competitive drivers. He’s achieved huge success at the highest level and is currently the joint record holder of the most World Drivers Championship titles (which he shares with Michael Schumacher). He has been described as having an aggressive driving style and is known for pushing his car to the limit. He has become an iconic image in the world of motor racing.
Lance Armstrong is my suggestion for a less integrated Enneagram 3. In the 1990’s he was diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer and given almost zero chance of surviving. Nevertheless, survive he did. Not only that, but he went on to achieve enormous success as a professional cyclist. Highly competitive, he achieved world fame by winning the grueling Tour de France cycle race a record seven times. Sadly, he was stripped of his titles after an investigation into doping allegations proved that he had used illegal performance-enhancing drugs extensively in his career. This illustrates the ‘win at all costs’ attitude of this style. He was subsequently banned for life from participating in all sanctioned cycling events. More recently he put himself in the public eye again by launching and hosting two podcasts ‘THE MOVE’ and ‘The Forward’.
Enneagram 3 Quotes
“I love what I do. I take great pride in what I do. And I can’t do something half-way, three-quarters, nine tenths. If I’m going to do something I go all the way.” – Tom Cruise
“I don’t know what my calling is but I want to be here for a bigger reason. I strive to be like the greatest people who have ever lived.” – Will Smith
Enneagram 4
Amy Winehouse is my choice for the tragic Enneagram 4. She was an English singer-songwriter known for her soulful voice and unique blending of musical styles. She rose to fame in the early to mid-2000s yet despite her success and obvious talent, she battled with addiction and her own personal demons. She has been described as fiercely independent, creative, sensitive, and uncompromising. Unafraid to challenge society’s norms, she was unapologetically true to herself. Her music and lyrics were raw, emotional, and often deeply personal, speaking as they did to the experiences of many who could relate to her struggles with addiction, heartbreak, and self-doubt. Her performances were typically intense and emotionally charged as she poured her whole self into her music. She tragically passed away in 2011 at the age of just 27 from alcohol poisoning.
Fado – the music of Portugal is my second choice to illustrate Enneagram 4. Fado’s characteristic style is soulful and melancholic. It has been described as “the music of longing, loss and nostalgia.” Its often emotionally charged lyrics portray the idea that in life there’s no joy without pain and no light without darkness. This music genre is associated with the Portuguese word ‘saudade’ for which there’s no direct English translation. However, British folklorist Rodney Gallop describes ‘saudade’ as “yearning for something so indefinite as to be indefinable, an unrestrained indulgence in yearning”. What a wonderful description of the heart of Enneagram 4. If you’re not familiar with Fado music, I definitely recommend that you give it a listen! It’s unique and beautiful!
Enneagram 4 Quotes
“Whenever I’m in a situation where I’m wearing the same as 600 other people and doing the same things as 600 other people, looking back, I always found a way to make myself different, whether it behaving a red lining inside my jacket or having red shoes, it hasn’t changed.” – Jeremy Irons
“People say that I make strange choices, but they’re not strange for me. My sickness is that I’m fascinated by human behaviour, by what’s underneath the surface, by the worlds inside people.” – Johnny Depp
Enneagram 5
For me, Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes epitomises Enneagram 5. He’s characterised as a fiercely detached and independent thinker; as analytical as he is creative in the solving of complex problems. His exceptional observational skills enable him to detect the smallest of details that go unnoticed by others. His deep deductive thinking and logic serve him well in his crime-solving escapades. He also has a need for periods of solitude when he can introspect and think deeply.
The example that I’ve selected to illustrate a somewhat less integrated Enneagram 5 is Rowan Atkinson’s character, Mr Bean. I think you’ll agree, he’s quite an eccentric individual with an inquisitive nature and an amusing oddness about him. Wandering through life in a rather detached way he never really seems to connect with the world around him in the usual ways. He hardly ever interacts meaningfully with people and rarely speaks apart from in a low, quiet mumbling voice from time to time. In addition to being socially awkward, he’s physically uncoordinated and seemingly disconnected from his body.
Enneagram 5 Quotes
“But generally speaking, I tend to be quiet and introspective.” – Rowan Atkinson
“I get so nervous. I happen to be socially awkward and shy. I spent a lot of my time as an adult not going places.” – Christina Ricci
Enneagram 6
Woody Allen is someone who characterises Enneagram 6, especially the phobic version of this style, although not so highly integrated. He generally comes across as nervous, insecure, and self-doubting with a tendency to overthink and second-guess himself. In movies, he’s often played parts that epitomize this style. In one interview he was praised for his extensive vocabulary and musical ability and yet he quickly declared himself to be “no more than average” and a “terrible musician”. He has a restless uneasy energy about him and has openly spoken about his many fears including death, flying, traveling, disease, insects, sunlight, open spaces, tunnels, bridges, elevators, crowds, and beards!
I’ve used the character of Bruce Springsteen to illustrate the counter-phobic Enneagram 6 style. In his autobiography he described the world as being filled with instability and danger which is the classic perspective of this style. His songs often contain a thread of rebelliousness and even defiance against authority which many of his fans can relate to. His nickname of “The Boss” gives a further impression of his more assertive rather than withdrawing nature. He has been quoted as saying: “Pessimism and optimism are slammed up against each other in my records, the tension between them is where it’s all at. It’s what lights the fire.” This is often a struggle in Enneagram 6 – wanting to be optimistic but constantly plagued by doubts.
Enneagram 6 Quotes
“Confidence is what you have before you understand the problem.” – Woody Allen
“Some people go to bed at night thinking, ’That was a good day!’ I’m one of those who worries and asks, ‘How did I screw up today?” – Tom Hanks
Enneagram 7
Sir Richard Branson is a well-known global entrepreneur. In fact, it’s more accurate to refer to him as a ‘serial entrepreneur’ since his Virgin Group controls more than 400 companies! He decided to be an entrepreneur at the age of 16 when he launched a magazine called Student. He soon after set up a mail order record business which turned into a chain of retail stores, Virgin Records. He later started Virgin Trains, Virgin Airlines, Virgin Galactic, Virgin Mobile, Virgin Blue, and so the list goes on! Inspirational, sociable, visionary, and, of course entrepreneurial, are often positive qualities that characterise the Enneagram 7.
I’m guessing you haven’t heard the tragic story of Viv Nicholson, probably a good example of a less integrated Enneagram 7, who lived a life of excess seemingly without a care that bad things might happen. She gained fame when telling the media that she would “spend, spend, spend” after her husband won £152,319 (equivalent to £4,300,000 in 2023) on the UK football pools in 1961. The couple’s lavish spending and Viv’s chaotic life quickly depleted the fortune. She became distanced from friends and neighbours who could no longer relate to her longing for a much more affluent lifestyle. After her husband’s death in a car accident, her fortune rapidly dwindled and she became bankrupt. In 1968, she won a three-year legal battle to gain £34,000 from her husband’s estate but rapidly lost it all by more uncontrolled spending, taxes, legal fees, unpaid bills and bad investments. Viv’s life is a powerful illustration of living without limits and the ‘more, more, more’ attitude of the unboundaried lower integrated Enneagram 7.
Enneagram 7 Quotes
“I feel very adventurous. There are so many doors to be opened and I’m not afraid to look behind them.” – Elizabeth Taylor
“It’s more my nature to be optimistic, I think. I’m one of those people who gets up on the right side of the bed every morning. I get up and have a cup of coffee and go to the gym before I talk myself out of it.” – Dick van Dyke
Enneagram 8
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela is my choice for Enneagram 8. In his earlier life he took up boxing and eventually became head of Umkhonto we Sizwe the militant arm of the African National Congress (ANC) advocating aggression and even violence against the apartheid regime of the time. Later, after serving 27 years in prison he became President of South Africa and used his powerful influence towards uniting a nation that had been traumatised and dysfunctional for many years. His example demonstrates a shift from aggression and attack to one of incredible influence, compassion, and forgiveness in support of the vision to unite a nation in desperate need of reconciliation and healing. When the Enneagram 8 style ‘opens the heart’ its energy becomes a truly transformational and benevolent servant leader.
On the other hand, Robert Mugabe ex-President of Zimbabwe is my choice for a disintegrated Enneagram 8. In the latter years of his presidency, Mugabe emphasised the redistribution of land controlled by white farmers to landless people of colour, initially on a “willing seller–willing buyer” basis. However, from 2000 he encouraged people of colour Zimbabweans to violently seize white-owned farms. Food production was impacted, leading to famine, economic decline, and foreign sanctions. Opposition to Mugabe grew, but he was re-elected in 2002, 2008 and 2013 through campaigns dominated by violence. In 2017, he was ousted in a coup and replaced by the former vice president. Having dominated Zimbabwe’s politics for nearly four decades. He was praised as a revolutionary hero of the African liberation struggle who helped free Zimbabwe from British colonialism and white minority rule. However, his critics accused him of being a dictator responsible for economic mismanagement, widespread corruption, and human rights abuses including anti-white racism, crimes against humanity and even genocide.
Enneagram 8 Quotes
“Don’t hide your scars. They make you who you are.” – Frank Sinatra
“It never occurred to me that I couldn’t change things that needed to change, or couldn’t have what I wanted if I worked hard enough and was good enough.” – Kathleen Turner
Enneagram 9
Known by some as “The Great Communicator”, Ronald Reagan is an example of Enneagram 9. It’s said that he had the ability to connect with people in a way that made them feel special and heard. His friendly demeanour and sense of humour quickly put people at ease. As a leader, he had a tendency to seek compromise, an example being at the end of the Cold War. He was known to be a consensus-builder and even in crises largely managed to maintain harmony and stability. He has, however, been criticised for lacking attention to detail and for over-simplifying complex issues rather than thoroughly examining them; perhaps this was the result of a stronger focus on maintaining relationships and promoting harmony.
In 1952 Christopher Craig aged 16 and Derek Bentley aged 19 were convicted of the murder of a policeman in a south London warehouse burglary. They were caught by police after climbing onto the warehouse roof. Christopher was carrying a gun and once the police confronted the two boys and demanded the weapon Derek reportedly said “Let them have it, Chris”. He later said that he meant Chris to hand the gun over to the police, not to shoot at them. Unfortunately, Christopher fired and killed a police officer. Capital punishment was possible in England at the time and the death penalty was applied. Derek Bentley was subsequently hanged, even though he didn’t fire the gun. Christopher Craig was deemed too young and so was not given the ultimate penalty. Instead, he served a prison sentence.
46 years later Derek’s hanging was ruled to be a severe miscarriage of justice and his name was cleared posthumously. Although I’m not sure that Christopher had an Enneagram 9 profile, I use it to illustrate how, at a low integration level, this style can suspend judgement, take things literally, and be led into dangerous paths for the sake of maintaining relationships at all costs.
Enneagram 9 Quotes
“I decided, very early on, just to accept life unconditionally. I never expected it to do anything special for me, yet I seemed to accomplish far more than I had ever hoped. Most of the time it just happened without my ever seeking it.” – Audrey Hepburn
“I think it’s an impulse for human beings to want to suffer less, and we’re kind of addicted to comfort at all costs – at least I am.” – Jeff Bridges
Finally…….
I’m constantly amazed at how the Enneagram patterns show up in people, events, and stories that we encounter every day. For me, it gives credence to the accuracy and validity of this remarkable model.
I hope these mini pen portraits have illuminated the nine Enneagram styles in a slightly different way for you and perhaps ignited some further insights.
Looking forward to connecting with you again soon!
Colin
