type 6 instincts

personality structure

in a world they experience as dangerous, the focus for the type six is on what might go wrong and planning for it, to reduce the possibility. some type sixes are consciously aware that fear drives many of their habits, yet each of the three subtypes has a different relationship with fear. in childhood most type sixes experienced an ongoing threatening situation. in extreme cases this threat could have been embodied by a parent who was alcoholic, mentally ill or violent, or too weak to protect them. they experienced shifting expectations, objectively dangerous conditions, and/or unpredictable punishment. living in such conditions, the child becomes an expert at picking up small cues that help them to know what is coming, which allows them to prepare for, or evade the threat. as an adult they can absorb and sort through much information (subtle or not), picking up signs of the negative or threatening intentions of others. finally, the mind is adept at detecting the smallest incongruities and what lies beneath the surface. through imagination they develop a radar which cannot be switched off. whereas this makes them highly intuitive, it also skews the mental processes towards projection and self-fulfilling prophecy. their reactiveness is analogous to the well-known “fight-flight-freeze” pattern that motivates every human’s self-defensive behavior. this roughly corresponds to three groups of type six: the "counterphobic" type six, representing the 'fight" reaction, the "phobic" type six, representing the "flight" reaction, and a third group who display both tendencies and consequently find safety in obeying and adhering to authority. this authority may well be a person or group but could also be an internalized set of guidelines or rules. for most type sixes there is an ambivalent relationship to authority. it is both sought (for the sake of safety) and rejected (for the threat that it may hold). type sixes therefore hold a wariness towards unfamiliar others, and a skepticism towards ideas that are foreign to them.

defense mechanism: projection and splitting

projection (the opposite of introjection), is a defense mechanism where the person unconsciously disowns a feeling or quality arising within themselves and “project it onto” something or someone outside. a feeling or quality that the mind cannot tolerate is therefore experienced as if it were coming from another or the outside. in its mature form, it is the basis of empathy, and in its malignant form the cause of dangerous misunderstanding. the type six tries to defend themself from an internal sense of fear by projecting it into someone or the situation. for example, feeling insecure (an interior experience), might be seen as judgment from another. like the four experiences outside threats as coming from themselves (introjection) in order to manage them, so the type six experiences inside threats as coming from the outside, in order to manage them. this habit of projection can cause the type six many problems, as others feel them to be paranoid and unnecessarily suspicious.

type six also makes use of splitting, where the world is divided into “good” and “bad.” this is a defense mechanism originating in early childhood, where the complexity of the other simply cannot be grasped. situations or people therefore are seen as either fully good or fully bad, which of course can never be the case. this leads to the type six experiencing a lot of guilt and self-accusation and a firm belief that they are somehow bad. when this extreme is projected onto the other, the other becomes either all good or all bad.

attention fixation

type sixes pay attention to what might go wrong, and imaginatively elaborate what might happen as a way of being prepared. they are alert to the complexity of life and focus their analytical ability on perceiving and understanding situations and people. they also doubt themselves, others, and the world. they are driven by a need for safety, so they focus on negative data that might signal the presence of threat. people are mistrusted until they have earned the type six’s trust through experience or evidence. in looking for danger, type sixes sometimes cause it, by exclusively focusing on it.

sometimes their habit of attention leads to an accurate and insightful reading of a situation, and at other times their mind may fill in the gaps with fear-based thoughts, leading to paranoia. type sixes also focus their attention on authorities, either looking for a good authority to guide their actions, or regarding authority with suspicion. they are naturally suspicious of people wielding power and focus positive attention on underdogs as they understand what it feels like to be vulnerable.

another focus of attention is taking the devil’s advocate or contrarian stance. any strong opinion is typically questioned or opposed. in this way they flesh out complexity, seeking truth or challenging with a view that has been left out. this habit makes them good troubleshooters. to most they may appear as negative, suspicious and pessimistic, yet they tend to perceive themselves as realistic.

emotional passion: fear

the fear that shapes the type six personality can take many forms and can be more or less conscious. fear of the unknown, anxiety and obsessive worrying, self-doubt, and uncertainty are common. it can also be experienced as shame or guilt and can manifest as a conviction that someone means to hurt them. it can be constant and paralyzing, motivate obedience to rules, and manifest as a strong impulse to attack when afraid. anxiety (which originates intrapsychic without any evidence of danger) is also typical. anxiety is typically felt in social situations as there may be a fear of being judged, criticized, or otherwise threatened by others. doubt may arise from the anxiety and may become cyclical, maintaining the anxiety. at worst, this leads to general anxiety.

cognitive mistake: thinking "the world is a dangerous place" (makes it more so)

to the type six, their mental patterns are perceived as an intelligent way to prepare and strategize for problems that may arise. their core beliefs accordingly reflect themes of managing potential threats. these beliefs include:

finally, these mental patterns lead to the type six trap: “when you expect something to go wrong, it usually does.” given their life strategy and focus on what will go wrong, type sixes actually keep themselves stuck in anxiety, fear, and insecurity. their unremitting focus on fear can have the effect of intensifying, rather than reducing their perception of threat, anxiety, and doubt.

type 6 shadow

since the type six is always “dealing” with fear and anxiety, their courage, faith, power, and self-confidence are often shadowed. they may also not recognize their own authority, strength, and capacity in dealing with problems. as Naranjo points out, the “courage” of the type six may be in having a weapon or a solution, rather than in a deep confidence that things will be ok.

with the SX type six, vulnerability and fearfulness may be shadowed as they are counterphobic and view attack as the best form of defense. this is in contrast to the SP type six, who is caught in self-doubt and vulnerability, and will therefore have blind spots to its own power, confidence, or aggression. the SO type six focuses consciously on obedience to an impersonal authority, so that their healthy sense of skepticism and ambivalence become shadowed.

since type six is such a mental type, most type sixes have their emotions and their “gut knowing” (intuition) shadowed. SP type sixes may avoid being aware of their more aggressive emotions and SX sixes may have their more tender emotions shadowed.

additionally, type sixes are naturally skeptical, and may not be very conscious of their internal capacity for trust and faith, preferring instead to consciously doubt, test, and question. whatever the type six may project onto another is also typically part of their shadow. often, they project their power instead of owning it. self-accusation and guilt are also key parts of the type six personality, contributing to their insecurity. they may be blind to the ways in which their imagination fuels their fear, assuming that what they see is what is out there, instead of recognizing the projection and thinking distortion.

SP type 6 — warmth

in the SP type six, fear manifests as insecurity. this is the most phobic of the type sixes and the subtype that feels the most fear. perceiving the world as dangerous, the SP type six seeks friendly connections and alliances, and in doing this, strive to be friendly, trustworthy, and supportive. not trusting themselves enough, they feel alone and incapable without outside support. they want to feel the embrace of family and a protected place where there are no enemies. they search for an “idealized other” for protection and can often have issues that look like separation anxiety, as they do not feel confident in defending their own self-interests and survival. in seeking security in another, they become dependent. looking for a bond in relationship, they present as warm, friendly, and fearful of disappointing others.

SP type sixes fear anger, aggression, provocation, and confrontation. making people like you means being good, and being good means not being angry. there is a lot of hesitation, indecision, and uncertainty in this personality. they have difficulty making decisions and dispelling their doubt. they a feel a lot of blame and guilt, even assuming or feeling the blame of others. the SP type six experiences two opposing realities: one of warmth, tenderness, serenity, and peacefulness, and an opposing one of fear, guilt, anguish, and torment. they are heart-centered on the outside and head-centered on the inside.

SO type 6 — duty

lacking trust in themselves, SO type sixes rely on abstract reason or a specific ideology as an impersonal frame of reference. in coping with anxiety, they “do their duty” in terms of this reference. consciously or unconsciously the SO type six fears the disapproval of authority, and knowing the rules allows them to know how to think and act. in this way they can develop a very philosophical mind, always striving to find the “rules” of who to be, and how to live. total submission to this abstract authority allows them to find security (in knowing that they are doing “right”).

the SO type six typically represents a mixture of phobic and counterphobic expressions. they are less warm than the SP and find safety in being precise about how one should conduct oneself. they feel a lot of anticipatory anxiety, based on believing that everything will go wrong. following the “rules” precisely becomes their antidote, and they feel most secure when things are very clear and categorized. they are like good scouts, adhering to the group code as a competent way of doing things. as a result, they are also typically stronger characters than SP type sixes, as they feel more certainty than uncertainty. however, they can become too sure, and even develop fanatical tendencies. they can also be highly idealistic, adhering to idealistic rules.

in contrast to the SP type six, the SO has an intolerance of ambiguity. they have little tolerance for uncertainty, as for them uncertainty equals anxiety. they therefore approach with precision and see things in a more black-and-white way. they also tend to be more legalistic and enjoy clear categories. they tend to have a strong sense of duty, and a kind of rigidity in applying themselves to that sense of duty. as a result, they are also less spontaneous than most, and are usually shy and reluctant to socialize. others may perceive them as cold, as they’re very formal in what they do.

SX type 6 — strength/beauty (countertype)

as the countertype, the SX type six is the one who acts most fearlessly, not because fear is not felt, but as a defense against fear. they can therefore appear intimidating and filled with strength. anxiety in the SX type six is allayed by skill and readiness. bold and fierce, they go against danger assertively, even aggressively. for this reason, they have a passion for securing positions of strength. they want to be powerful enough to keep the enemy at a distance. they are forceful, and do not allow for weakness within themselves. they often cultivate strong bodies, and develop marked control over their bodies and emotions, so as not to experience the chaotic feelings that can accompany strong emotion.

for the SX type six strength is often directly connected to an illusion of independence. like the other type six subtypes they may have a sense of “badness” within themselves, so their strength also protects them from an inner attack on themselves. they are often intimidating, as for them offense is the best form of defense. “beauty” may also become a form of “strength”, as it holds a power over others. they will do anything not to feel cheated, manipulated, taken advantage of, or attacked. their intimidation usually creates an impression of a person who could get violent at any moment, and they can be somewhat paranoid in imagining danger, convinced that fear is an emotion that should be eliminated systematically. SX type sixes tend not to acknowledge or even be aware of their aggression, though it tends to manifest less in their private lives, given their focus on trust in their relationships. many of them appear to be adrenaline junkies and are into extreme sports, and they can also be prone to megalomania. additionally, they can be very contrarian, always ready to argue or contradict every opinion. although they appear certain and contrarian, the SX type six will keep doubt for a long time in their own minds. despite how they present, they still fear making errors and experiencing the consequences of their mistakes.

summarized and adapted from Beatrice Chestnut: The Complete Enneagram