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An Enneagram Type 6 can be depended upon to ensure the safety and security of those who have earned their loyalty as well as that of their close friends and families. Honest and friendly, they bring a community spirit and can-do attitude to group endeavors. Type are resourceful problem solvers, especially when motivated to maintain group cohesion.
From studying the Enneagram Type 6, we have found common key personality traits that this type hold. These are the general traits of an Enneagram Type 6:
Figure 1: Global distribution of each Enneagram type.
What this chart shows
This chart shows percentage of the population who are each Enneagram type. We see that Type 4s are the most common and an Enneagram Type 6 is the most rare at 5.6% of the population.
Notes:Figure 2: Regions with highest percent of Type 6s
What this chart shows
This chart shows countries with the five highest and five lowest percent of respondents with Enneagram Type 6 personality type. This helps identify which regions have an above or below average proportion of Type Sixes. We see that of those reporting their country as 'Nigeria' there is an above average proportion of Type 6s, and of those reporting their country as 'Ireland' there a below-average proportion of Type 6s.
Notes:When asked what their deepest phobias are, Type Sixes will not hesitate to tell you in vivid detail. They are hyper aware of what could go wrong in any situation, but that doesn't mean they have a negative outlook. Highly oriented to solving crises, rest assured your Type Six has the plans, strategies, and tools necessary to fix whatever comes up.
These are vigilant, astute observers with a penchant for situational awareness. Driven by a need to know what exactly is going on as well as to understand the people in their lives, they are great at picking up clues, subtext, and underlying motivations, reading between the lines in conversations.
Type Sixes like to understand the people in their lives, and they are great at picking up clues, subtext, and underlying motivations, reading between the lines in conversations.
A fear of betrayal is behind the Loyalist's need to deeply understand the people in their lives. Hard-wired sceptics, they are quick to pick up on omissions, and they will ask questions when things don't seem to add up. When rooting out problems their aim is not to blame or condemn anyone. However upset they may get, Loyalists are generally very forgiving and eager clear the air so that they can mend their relationships.
Type Sixes are also highly attuned to the role of authority figures in their lives. They fear falling out of favor with anyone perceived to have power over them, but they also often have a strong inclination to rebel.
When we perform factor analysis on the core behaviors of each Enneagram type, we find that Type Sixes exhibit positive correlations with three core traits (or 'Dimensions') as we shall call them. Dimensions are specific behavioral indicators that underpin a person's enneatype. Think of them as building blocks of a person's personality.
Consider the three Dimensions which came out as having strong correlation with Type Six personality type, and it helps to understand what underpins a Type Six's behavior.
An Enneagram Type 6 tends to have high levels of suspicion. They will not expect anything at face value and are naturally skeptical. They will want to test whether an idea holds up rather than just accept it without questioning it first. As a result, Type 6s are often traditionally focused and naturally loyal to existing, established and rigorous ideas.
An Enneagram Type 6 tends to have high volatility as they tend to complex people who often feel that they are pulled in opposing extremes. They can often come across as either heavily traditional, or rebellious against the authority.
An Enneagram Type 6 tend to have high altruism. They are loyal and generous with their friends and try to offer them support, even if they don't agree with their position as an individual. This lends a Type 6 a forgiving nature that means they often do things to help others that rarely translates into a personal reward. This is often why they are called 'The Loyalist'.
An Enneagram Type Six is likely to display lower levels of self-efficacy. They often worry that their relationships, goals, and sense of identity are constantly at the mercy of malicious external forces that are beyond their control.
An Enneagram Type Six is less spontaneous than other Enneatypes. Type Sixes are careful and cautious, refusing to accept unnecessary risks and instead prefer to tread carefully whenever possible.
We studied the core personality traits (dimensions) of Enneagram Type Sixes. The radar chart below shows the dimensions profile of a statistically average Type Six.
Figure 3: Radar chart of core personality traits (dimensions) of typical Type Sixes
What this chart shows
This chart shows how Type 6s score on 14 key personality traits. The scores on each scale are derived from our internal research and present a helpful shorthand to describe the Enneagram Type 6 personality profile. For example we see that Type 6s score high on Suspicious and Altruistic but low on Self-efficacy.
Notes:
Head type
Type Sixes are head types that approach the world from the center of intelligence, and their minds are very active. A common complaint among Loyalists is that they have difficulty shutting off the thoughts that are constantly running away with them when they would rather relax.
Type Six are head types. They trust their intellect rather than their instincts or emotions.
Type 6s are mostly female (56.3%) with 43.1% male and 0.4% non-binary.
Figure 4: Type 6s by gender
What this chart shows
The split between genders across the Type 6 population was 56.3% female, 43.1% male, 0.4% non-binary.
Notes:Are Type 6s more inclined towards certain religions? From our research we see that Hindus are more likely to be Type 6 than Sikhs are.
Figure 5: Percent of Type Sixes in each major religion
What this chart shows
This chart shows what percentage of eight religions are Type 6, and the global average percent of people who are Type 6. This helps identify whether a particular religion has an above-average or below-average proportion of Type 6s.
Notes:
Each Enneagram type has its unique strengths and weaknesses. Personality traits that stand out and others that can be unhelpful. Here we will answer the question of 'what are the main strengths and weaknesses of being a Type 6 Enneagram?'
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Quick to make amends; doesn't hold grudges | Either overly rebellious or overly compliant with authority |
| Friendly; interested in getting to know people | Tendency to abandon rather than complete goals (fear of success) |
| Reliable in times of need and in crises | Difficulty breaking away from harmful relationships |
| Conscientious regarding situational hazards and safety | Excessive risk taking or inaction due to excessive caution |
Note: An Enneagram Type 6 is a complex person who often feels pulled in opposing extremes. Due to their intense focus on authority, they show up as either defiant rebels or staunch traditionalists. Their heightened awareness to risk and danger can awaken their inner daredevil or paralyze them with fear.
Each Enneagram type has fears and desires; things to avoid and things to seek out.
Core fear: The core fear of Type Six is finding themselves alone, without support, when facing threats.
Core Desire: The core desire of Type Six is to know that they can trust and rely on those around them.
We surveyed the age of Type Sixes and grouped the data.
Figure 6: Enneagram Type 6 by age
What this chart shows
This chart shows that Type Sixes are disproportionately likely to be younger people, particularly under the age of 30. We suspect this is because younger people tend to show greater loyalty and identify with peer groups, subcultures, and social networks. Middle-aged and older individuals, however, tend to focus on immediate and extended family for social interaction, with less emphasis on identifying strongly with social groups.
Notes:Type Sixes have active imaginations that allow them to conceptualize solutions to all kinds of problems and threats, both real and imagined.
When Type Sixes are feeling secure, having established trust and learned that their internal anxieties don't necessarily indicate external threats, they find the freedom to step away from the hamster wheel of the mind and go with the flow like easy going type Nines, they act on their knowledge and assume leadership roles, becoming decisive and authoritative like Type Eights.
When in crisis, Type Sixes can be counted upon to take action and lead the response, looking like industrious Type Threes.
Tip: When feeling established and secure, an Enneagram Type Six can become better integrated with Type Nines.
Type 6s can also exhibit traits associated with their adjacent Enneatype. For Type 6 the adjacent Enneatypes are 5 and 7. A Type 6 can either have a Five-wing (6w5) or a Seven-wing (6w7). With either of these wings, the Type 6 would then exhibit certain traits of that wing type. You can tell what your wing type is if you're a Type 6 Enneagram by taking our Enneagram Test.
We surveyed sexual orientation amongst Enneagram Type Sixes.
Figure 7: Enneagram Type 6 by sexual orientation
What this chart shows
This chart shows what percentage of each a particular sexual preference are Type 6. For example 6.8% of people reporting as bisexual are Type 6. This compares with 5.6% of all people who are Type 6. Bisexuals are more likely to be Type 6s than homosexuals are.
Notes:We surveyed Type 6s on their highest level of academic qualification.
Figure 8: Highest level of qualification held by Type 6s
What this chart shows
This chart shows the percent of the population who reported holding a particular qualification as their highest qualification. By comparing data for Type 6 and all types, we can see whether Type 6s are more or less likely to hold a particular qualification. We see that Type 6s are more likely than the average population to hold as their highest qualification "Degree or equivalent qualification".
Notes:
University of Chichester, Advanced Applied Psychology
Chloe Yarwood, MSc in Advanced Applied Psychology from University of Chichester. Specialist in personality type theory and developing valid personality questionnaires.
Type 5w6
