type 8 instincts

personality structure

type eights have easy access to anger and often overdo their anger. they often move impulsively to express before giving themselves time to think. in terms of control, they tend to deny their vulnerability, and overcompensate by exerting control in direct ways in order to influence what is happening. although they do not intend to be scary, many people find them intimidating, and it can be a surprise for them to realize the personal power and strength that they hold. they also have tremendous energy and tend to think in terms of the big picture or overall view. for them the world is divided in terms of “weak” and “strong”, and they can be easily irritated by what they perceive as “weak.”

as children type eights often experienced conflict-heavy environments where they had to grow up fast in order to survive. most were unable to maintain a sense of childlike innocence because they were either deprived, or not sufficiently protected as children. taking on a persona that was bigger and more powerful helped them to deal with a world that did not provide love, care, or protection. to get their needs met they learned early to take matters into their own hands and exert control over their environment. the coping strategy thus centers on the child’s need to defensively deny their vulnerability and develop a belief in their invulnerability. as adults they automatically become “big” when challenged and live according to the idea of “the best defense is a good offense.” this bigness leads to a person whose power is felt as bigger than their person, has a big appetite for everything, and tends towards excessive behavior. they often feel that they can make their own rules and may ignore rules that put limitations on them. they tend to see reality on their own terms, bending their perception of the facts and confusing objective reality with their own personal projection.

although others may experience them as bossy or controlling, the type eight typically sees themselves as direct and honest. they are skilled at getting what they want and simultaneously have a keen sense of justice and protecting those they feel need protection. they pursue their aims through force, intimidation, or aggression, and would not hesitate to step into confrontation and conflict.

as a “self-forgetting” type, they minimize their own physical needs and natural human limitations. in this way they may work to the point of exhaustion or live with some excess to the point of being detrimental to their health or well-being. their deepest dread is a feeling of helplessness, and in the face of this feeling their vengefulness can become a powerful impulse.

defense mechanism: denial

in order to feel strong, type eights habitually deny any vulnerabilities they may have. from their perspective it is impossible to win the battle if you are focusing on your vulnerability. totally denying any weakness allows for the experience of invulnerability, which in turn allows for domination. in young children the experience of denial is typical in terms of things that they do not want to experience. to refuse to accept that something is happening is a simple way of altering reality to include only what is needed. as adults we typically experience this when suddenly confronted with bad news. we may say something like “no, that cannot be,” or “no, it cannot be happening.” another typical reaction for the type eight is omnipotent control. this happens early in life when the child realizes that they can evoke their mother’s responsiveness by acting in a certain way. at this point the state of still being merged with the mother allows the child to experience control of the world. thus, type eights sometimes believe they can change the way things are simply by exerting control over them, defensively imagining that they can direct the course of events in whatever way they wish without being subject to the limitations imposed by reality.

attention fixation

the coping mechanisms of denying vulnerability and getting big and strong lead to a focus on power, control, and injustice. most type eights are very adept at coming into a new situation and assessing quickly who has power and who doesn’t. the type eight therefore has a focus of protecting their own projected vulnerability in someone who they care about. in this way they can move into action in response to an unconscious need for care, without experiencing the pain of vulnerability. they want and need a lot of stimulation, so their focus is also on meeting their need for pleasure and other forms of satisfaction. they can be intolerant of frustration and tend to scan their environment for sources of fulfillment: interesting people, fun things to do, good things to eat and drink, and challenging situations to master.

the type eight likes to impose their authority and overcome resistance to their influence and strength. they are naturally drawn to people and situations that could include confrontation in order to right injustice, flush out bad actors, or wrest power from unjust authority. they also tend to see the world in terms of grand visions, or a broad perspective of what is possible. their big view matches their big energy and their larger-than-life sense of power and authority. they naturally want to create order out of disorder and generally feel confident about their vision of the way things are and their ability to make things happen.

emotional passion: lust

lust is a passion for excess, or intensity, not only in sex, but in all manner of stimulation. all areas of sensual stimulation and physical fulfillment are important to the type eight. sometimes they even seem to have an insatiable desire and an unapologetic attitude towards their quest for pleasure. the type eight can easily display a no-holds-barred approach to life, including the breaking of taboos, material comfort, and the fruits of hard work. it also drives them to look for challenges to overcome, and often lets them overdo and go to extremes. as Naranjo points out: “instead of being inhibited, instead of standing in the way of their desires…they side with their desires, they defend them.” in other words, instead of repressing, they become the enemy of the repressor. type eights feel the strongest sensory-motor physicality of all the types, and easily express through their bodies. they like expressing their power and lust and easily display characteristics of hedonism, excitement, impatience, and impulsiveness. the lust therefore is less simply an overriding need for pleasure, and more a passion for intensity and the right to be excessive.

cognitive mistake: “it’s true because i said it”

the core cognitive pattern for the type eight is control. as they were hurt early on in life by authority figures who misused their power, their adaptation is to become stronger than everyone else as a way of protecting themselves against being dominated again. this means having thoughts and assumptions that support their belief in their own strength and ability. their mental pattern therefore often involves thoughts that reinforce their self-confidence and invincibility. this mindset is often expressed along the following lines:

these recurring thoughts support a personality with a powerful, confident, and authoritative self-representation. when caught up in this trance, it becomes harder for the type eight to observe themselves, or to come home to deeper and more tender feelings that point the way to true self. this finally becomes the type eight trap: “avoiding vulnerability leaves you vulnerable.” due to their intense power and push, type eights create situations in which they make themselves vulnerable by not taking normal human limitation into account. they can often be physically ill as a result of their lust and may end up being cast out for their lack of diplomacy. when we do not have some consciousness of our weak points, they start impacting situations as a direct result of being left unattended. in the ongoing quest to avoid feeling helpless, the type eight may invoke hostility and misunderstanding. as long as they deny their own sensitivity, they are also less sensitive to others, which may create cycles of aggression. the type eight can hurt their very cause because of overdoing it. at the same time a defensiveness against their own vulnerability can result in a lack of deeper connection with others, so that finally they cannot obtain the nurturing love they really need.

type 8 shadow

type eights minimize or ignore any data revealing their own weakness and vulnerability. although in childhood this defense is a powerful way of surviving, in adulthood it may lead to many problems. as humans we all have vulnerabilities, but since the type eight learns to deny this, even from themselves, they can be completely unaware of the aspects of their personality that actually cause difficulty. one way of becoming aware of this is by focusing on whoever or whatever they want to protect, as this is often a projection of their own vulnerability. whilst type eights are strong characters who can be deeply generous and courageous, they often do not see the impact of their strength, or the actual nature of their influence over others. they can intimidate without meaning to and they can bring much more than the optimal force into a situation. whereas they can be very straightforward and direct, they can also be blunt to the point where it is hurtful or insensitive, because they do not see the bite behind their directness.

type eights can work incredibly hard, but because they hide their vulnerability even from themselves, they can do so to the point of exhaustion, and may only stop as a result of physical failure or illness. their need for pleasure and excess can cause health issues for similar reasons. they may also be unaware how their search for pleasure overcompensates for the avoidance of pain and other vulnerable emotions. as a result, their close relationships can suffer as much as their physical health.

type eights may also have blind spots around their interpretation of reality, since in seeing only what they want to see they may deny important aspects of reality. they can easily conclude that their own understanding is the most objective or fullest understanding. they can therefore believe that their interpretation is the “correct” interpretation of the situation, and this makes it hard for them to see where they are wrong, overstepping on the another’s boundary, mistaken, or needing to apologize.

when experiencing boredom, the type eight may push for conflict, intensity, or excess to avoid the experience of being bored. their boredom is often really the avoidance of deeper feelings and an escape of feeling empty, anxious, confused, sad, or powerless. those difficult emotions are therefore kept out of consciousness, and along with them the wisdom and depth that they may bring.

SP type 8 ― satisfaction

the SP type eight has a strong desire for the satisfaction of material needs and an intolerance of frustration. they therefore have a hard time being patient when it comes to getting what they want. this intolerance creates a kind of ruthlessness, and they may obliterate anyone or anything that stands in the way of their needs. SP type eights go after what they want without talking about it much. they are the least expressive of the type eights and don’t reveal much. in general, they have a no-nonsense approach and do not bother with pretenses. they also tend to be preoccupied with getting things and getting away with transgressions. the SP type eight is concerned with taking care of self and finding ways of meeting their needs. they feel omnipotent in being able to do this, and would typically disqualify any feeling, person, idea, or institution opposing such an idea. in business the SP type eight knows how to barter, bargain, and get the upper hand on almost anybody. they are strong, powerful, direct, and productive, creating dependency in others, who rely on their control and protection.

the SP type eight is the most “armed” of all the type eights, possessing a quiet strength, without feeling the need to explain themselves. in meeting their needs, they will devalue feeling altogether, and the damage they do to others may go completely unrecognized. at their worst they are vengeful, even when there is no reason to be.

SO type 8 ― solidarity (countertype)

the SO type eight presents a contradiction, which makes them the countertype. as much as they rebel against social norms, they are oriented towards protection and loyalty. they therefore express lust and aggression in the service of life and other people. in contrast to the SP type eight, they are loyal, overtly friendly, and less aggressive. they are typically helpful, nurturing, protective, and concerned with injustice. at the same time, they can be antisocial in terms of the particular rules or norms of society. archetypically this is the child who has given up on love from one parent (the perpetrator) and allied with the other parent against the perpetrator. in this characteristic, the SO type eight is immensely sensitive to injustice or the “top-dog/underdog” dynamic. when they detect a power imbalance, they will protect the underdog.

overall, this type eight is more outgoing and less aggressive, and their rebellion happens in more subtle ways. they may also have a disproportionate lust for projects and collecting things. in extreme cases this type eight may be quite megalomaniacal, and in close relationships may lack commitment due to a fear for abandonment. they are usually caring of others and may unconsciously have given up on caring for themselves, replacing their need of love with a need for pleasure and power. according to Naranjo, they are hard to recognize as a type eight, for their main drive is towards loyalty. at the same time, they will also rebel against the dominant culture.

SX type 8 ― possession

SX type eights have a strong antisocial tendency. they are provocative and can express their lust through open rebellion, differing in word and deed from the norm. along with being the most rebellious of the type eights, they are also the most emotional. the SX type eight is outspoken, does not mind being seen as bad, and does not feel guilt over their rebellion. in fact, they can take pride in their capacity to go against the norm. in childhood they often felt disrespected and starved of affection and attention from one or both parents, so they decided (consciously or unconsciously) not to recognize authority.

SX type eights are known as “possession” due to their highly charismatic dominance of their environment. they are quite capable of “possessing” an entire situation energetically, becoming the center of attention. they also enjoy feeling this power and might believe that “the world starts running when they arrive.” they don’t want to lose control over anything or anyone and want to be able to influence people with words. for them everything is seen as something to possess. however, they are not really interested in material security. their thirst for possession has more to do with having power over people, things, and situations. in attaining and maintaining this power they can be very charismatic and fascinating. the power comes from a kind of seduction which differentiates them stylistically from the other two type eights.

the SX type eight can be voracious in seeking love, sex, and excessive pleasure. they enjoy adventure, challenge, and the thrill of an adrenaline rush. in line with this passionate forward movement, they can be very intolerant of weakness, dependence, and slow people. their emotional expressiveness may seem atypical of type eights. for them there is often a detachment from intellect and whilst they may be very intelligent, they express action and passion rather than contemplating their actions. they feel deeply, which allows for them to connect more deeply to a partner. at the same time, they tend to have possessive relationships not only with partners, but also with friends, objects, places, and situations. in their emotionality they may look like the SX four, in that they can be angry, demanding, and emotionally expressive. however, they’re easily distinguished from the type four by their confidence and lack of a sense of deficiency.

summarized and adapted from Beatrice Chestnut: The Complete Enneagram