Enneagram Eight is motivated by the need to be self-reliant and strong and to avoid feeling weak or dependent. They uphold just causes and truly do fight for what they believe is right. A blind spot for the eight can be in assuming their truth equals the truth. Other descriptions of the eight are The Boss, The Challenger and The Rock. The two eights I know best are both very much into social justice causes. The description “The Challenger” fits both of them and they truly do both march to a bigger drum than I do. They are visionaries who support the underdog; they see injustice and strive to right it.
Enneagram Eight Wings
The wings for eights are nine and seven. They, with a more developed seven wing, tend to be more extroverted, enterprising, energetic, quick, and egocentric. Eights with a more developed nine wing tend to be more mild-mannered, gentle, receptive, and quietly strong.
Eights Movement
The movement for eights is to 2 and 5. When eights move toward the positive side of two they open up to others and reveal their vulnerability. They become more concerned for the welfare of others and become more loving and lovable; and are able to express their softer, more gentle sides. The positive move to five allows them to step back and see things from a more objective point of view and think things through more thoroughly before acting.
From The Enneagram Made Easy things eights would never dream of doing:
- Eliminating all off-color expressions from their vocabulary
- Not stating their opinion when they strongly disagree with what is being said
- Stepping down as president of the company because they thought someone else could do it better
- Playing a tennis match and not trying their hardest to win
- Always saying, “Fine, let’s do it your way.”
Remember this is just a quick snapshot of the different Enneagram types. There is lots of information out there on the Enneagram. One place is my wife Crystal’s website Journey to Inner Wisdom where you will find other suggested resources. She will also be doing some online workshops on the Enneagram in the fall.
