Enneagram 5: Investigator Observer

We are now in the the territory of the Thinking Triad, folks who process the world first through the cerebral Head center of Intelligence. Thinkers, strategists and innovators best describe this group. It includes Enneagram Fives, Sixes and Sevens.

Fives are the brainiacs who enjoy nothing more than data collecting, organizing and analyzing. They store up knowledge to prevent them from being helpless or inadequate which is overwhelming to them. They believe that one day, they will have enough information to allow them to safely enter the outside world. For now, they are most comfortable in the safety their heads. Fives aim to be self-sufficient, capable and independently competent. They are insatiably curious about how things work and what is really going on in the world. Information fuels them.

These Investigators would rather sit back and observe than participate. They can almost make themselves invisible in a room of people. They are the most introverted of all types and can't understand why people get together just to "hang out." Their preferred company is their deep thoughts and analytics. They don't rush. They pause and take in. They take time to process events and feelings. They open up to very few people and can be difficult to get close to because of their preferred isolation. Fives are especially private.

Fives are excellent creative problem solvers. They are quietly caring and thoughtful. They are skilled listeners and know how to egg talkers on in a conversation so that the Five won't have to speak or reveal much. They don't often express anger and they are undemanding of others. Their faces don't express much. They can be literal and objective. They consider all sides of an issue and are not black and white. They are often gentle and kind. They are patient.

People feel intrusive to Fives who believe they only have limited energy to dispense each day. They dislike demands placed on them and think they lack the inner resources to meet them. They can get lost in projects for days neglecting self-care and other necessities. They value their independence. They tend to hoard privacy, space, affection, time, knowledge and anything else. They are stingy. This earns them the passion of avarice.

Fives can grow by participating in life rather than just observing. At their best, they are content knowing enough, instead of everything there is to know. They come out of hiding and connect with others. Opening up to a select few will greatly help their relationships. Practicing feeling feelings instead of thinking through them can connect them to their bodies. So can physical exercise. When they are healthy, they see the world as abundant and not a place of scarcity. This allows them to be generous with their resources, inner and outer. They can share their brilliant ideas with others through science, technology, mathematics, art and other creative disciplines.

Life is abundant,

Jessica Morgan McAtee