Search 

 

Type 7

THE ENTHUSIAST
Enneagram Type Seven

Personality Profile - Personal Growth Recommendations

 

The Busy, Fun-Loving Type:
Spontaneous, Versatile, Acquisitive, and Scattered

Basic Fear: Of being deprived and in pain
Basic Desire: To be satisfied and content — to have their needs fulfilled
Enneagram Seven with a Six-Wing: "The Entertainer"
Enneagram Seven with an Eight-Wing: "The Realist"

 

Type Sevens are the people who teach the rest of us the meaning of "joie de vivre," the joy of being alive. Sevens are generally energetic and optimistic people with an enormous capacity for experiencing all the variety life has to offer. They don't ever want to be bored, and if a relationship, a job, or any situation or experience becomes dull or tedious, just not fun anymore, they are inclined to smile and wave goodbye, riding off into the sunset certain that something more interesting is just around the corner.

Without having to try very hard, Sevens seem always to be on the cutting edge, drawn by their love of new experiences. They like to plan for the future: a trip, a project, creating innovative ways to solve problems.

Early in life, Sevens figured out that the people around them were not going to be able to stimulate and nurture them as much as they needed. They set out, often unconsciously, to fill in the gaps -- living large, on the lookout for relationships and experiences that would satisfy their deep need to be connected. Their tendency is to go after what they want and sometimes they have to learn to wait and be patient without pouting or panicking. They have to accept that the power they feel through their anger doesn't always get them where they most want to be and that their true challenge is to learn the art of being vulnerable. Instead of being impulsive, saying or doing whatever appeals to them in the moment, Sevens learn to also be quiet and enjoy what only comes from going deep.

FAMOUS SEVENS: Robin Williams, Goldie Hawn, Scarlett O'Hara, Howard Stern, John F. Kennedy, Carol Channing.

Top

Personal Growth Recommendations
for Enneagram Type Sevens

  • Recognize your impulsiveness, and get in the habit of observing your impulses rather than giving in to them. This means letting most of your impulses pass and becoming a better judge of which ones are worth acting on. The more you can resist acting out your impulses, the more you will be able to focus on what is really good for you.

  • Learn to listen to other people. They are often interesting, and you may learn things that will open new doors for you. Also learn to appreciate silence and solitude: you do not have to distract yourself (and protect yourself from anxiety) with constant noise from the television or the stereo. By learning to live with less external stimulation, you will learn to trust yourself. You will be happier than you expect because you will be satisfied with whatever you do, even if it is less than you have been doing.

  • You do not have to have everything this very moment. That tempting new acquisition will most likely still be available tomorrow (this is certainly true of food, alcohol, and other common gratifications—that ice cream cone, for instance). Most good opportunities will come back again—and you will be in a better position to discern which opportunities really are best for you.

  • Always choose quality over quantity, especially in your experiences. The ability to have experiences of quality can be learned only by giving your full attention to the experience you are having now. If you keep anticipating future experiences, you will keep missing the present one and undermine the possibility of ever being satisfied.

  • Make sure that what you want will really be good for you in the long run. As the saying goes, watch what you pray for since your prayers may be answered. In the same vein, think about the long-term consequences of what you want since you may get it only to find that it becomes another disappointment—or even a source of unhappiness.

Top

Eating Disorders & Addictions