Enneagram Type Nine

The Peacemaker

The calm, mellow type.

Overview of The Enneagram 9s

Also known as: The Mediator, The Accommodator
Core Fear: Of loss and separation
Core Desire: To have inner peace and stability, and to feel in harmony with the world
Core Weakness: Sloth – an inertia or over-complacency towards positive action
Core Strength: Action – engagement with the self and the world to create harmony
Core Longing (the message your heart longs to hear): ‘Your presence matters’
Disintegration under stress: Towards 3
Integration under growth: Towards 6

Common Characteristics of Enneagram 9s

Nines are friendly, caring individuals who are very easy to get along with. They are good-natured and friendly which means they are well-liked by many people. They tend to only be truly happy when they know that everyone else is happy too.

Welcoming and inclusive, nines are often described as the glue that holds a group of people together. They are good listeners and mediators, and often excel at smoothing out problems with group dynamics.

Similarly, nines are tolerant and accepting. They can easily see all sides of an argument, and are happy to listen to all points of view. However, their willingness to accept all views as valid can lead to them struggling to know their own minds, and they often find it difficult to work out what they personally believe.

Nines tend to be peaceful and placid. They are good at keeping their heads in a crisis. People around them often appreciate their ability to remain calm and collected in difficult circumstances.

Another thing people often appreciate about nines is their optimism. They tend to look on the bright side of life, trusting that things will work themselves out in the end.

Nines often work behind the scenes. They do the jobs that others don’t see, and work persistently at them. Although occasionally people not recognising their unnoticed work can lead to resentment or frustration!

Nines are easy-going individuals. They don’t want to rock the boat, which means they are usually happy to go along with the general consensus. However, this laid-back attitude can lead to complacency, as nines sometimes refuse to act in order not to stir things up. They are so keen to maintain the status quo that they can seem indecisive, lazy or even apathetic to outsiders.

This wish not to rock the boat comes from the nine’s deep desire for peace. They long for both internal and external peace, believing that the world would be a better place if people could just get along.

Because of this nines try to avoid conflict in all its forms. Interestingly, they do this in very different ways.

Some nines mentally ‘check out’ of situations or become dissociative, trying to maintain their inner peace. They believe that if they can make themselves numb to external conflict it will help keep their internal balance. However, other nines do the complete opposite, instead becoming overly active in an attempt to keep everyone else happy and at peace.

One of the reasons why nines desire peace so deeply is because they are often unsure of their own identity. They struggle to find their worth within themselves, and so instead rely on others for a sense of belonging. They tend to develop chameleon-like qualities, so that they can merge into whatever group they are surrounded by, helping them to feel more accepted and valued.

Again because of their quest for identity, nines often become ‘spiritual seekers’. They seek a connection with the world and humanity, and feel comforted by the thought of everything being interconnected. Many nines enjoy spending time in nature, enjoying a feeling of harmony with the world.

Although at their worst nines can be stubborn, indecisive, and apathetic, at their best they are caring and inclusive individuals, exuding peace to all around them.

Strengths of Enneagram 9s

The genuine warmth of the nine is one of their greatest strengths. It is quite difficult to dislike most nines! Their open, honest personalities mean that others feel comfortable around them.

They’re often very hospitable, enjoying welcoming others into their spaces and making others feel included.

Nines are also genuinely supportive characters. They want the people in their lives to be happy, and will try to help them achieve their aims, often prioritising other people over themselves.

Nines tend to be calm and peaceful. They remain so even in the midst of a crisis, meaning that others often turn to them for comfort. Their optimistic, patient belief that things will sort themselves out in the end can be very reassuring.

Nines are open minded and non-judgemental. They have the ability to see multiple perspectives, and to genuinely engage with all of them. They are good listeners and enjoy hearing other people’s views. This means that people tend to feel heard and seen by the nines in their lives. Nines often have very varied communities and friendship groups because of this ability.

Nines are brilliant mediators. They are good at finding common ground with others and between differing viewpoints. They’re also good at helping other people to see these areas of agreement. Their desire for peace and harmony spills out to the people around them, diffusing tension.

Similarly, nines are often good at helping others to see their connection to the world around them. Their own desire for connection and unity on a deep level invites others in to explore their humanity too. For the nine, this desire for connection often (but by no means always) has a spiritual element to it, which they are also good at sharing with those around them.

Finally, nines are incredibly hard workers. As they tend to prioritise others over themselves, their work is often altruistic. They are persistent and will work at a task until it is complete, generally without expecting recognition. It’s often said that without nines working behind the scenes, far less would get done in the world!

Challenges of Enneagram 9s

As with all Enneagram types, the challenges faced by the nine are often fundamentally linked to their strengths – the two are opposite sides of the same coin.

The nine’s desire to avoid conflict is one of their biggest challenges. It can provoke many different unhealthy behaviours for them.

Most obviously, nines often minimize problems or avoid them completely in the hope that they will disappear. This head-in-the-sand approach can be frustrating for those around them. It also often causes more stress for the nine themselves, as ignoring their problems can end up making them worse rather than them disappearing.

Nines are often indecisive to the point that they can seem not to care, because of their desire not to impose themselves on others. Although merely not wanting to make an unpopular decision, this can cause them to appear indifferent or even uncaring to potentially important situations.

Many nines also struggle with procrastination. They are so nervous about making the wrong decision that they refuse to make any decision at all, which again can lead to frustration for those around them. Similarly, many nines have a tendency to distract themselves with unimportant, minor tasks, in order to delay – or even prevent – a decision they are unwilling to make.

Nines can also become very stubborn in their inaction, in what is often called ‘passive resistance’. They refuse to do something that will upset their inner peace, and refuse to budge no matter the circumstances! Additionally, if they do find themselves in uncomfortable positions, nines can become very passive aggressive. They refuse to act and instead simmer with frustrated resistance.

If they are feeling stressed out by their surroundings, many nines have a tendency to dissociate. Once again, this can lead to others believing they are callous and selfish as they refuse to engage.

Nines often resort to what is called ‘narcotisation’ in order to maintain a forced peace. This means that they find ways to numb themselves to the world around them, so that they can function on auto-pilot without having to actively participate. This could be drugs or alcohol, but equally could be repetitive rhythms such as traditions or habits – anything that helps put themselves to sleep.

Nines have a tendency to feel deep anger but, due to their desire for peace, usually feel the need to repress these emotions. They feel that their anger is unacceptable and exert a large amount of energy on keeping it at bay. Often, they succeed so well that when their anger does inevitably boil over, the people around them are shocked and confused, so backing up the nine’s perception that anger is an unhelpful emotion.

Finally, nines struggle to communicate their own needs. They are so good at merging with those around them that others often don’t know what the nine truly desires – and often the nine themself doesn’t either. This can lead to outside confusion but also to the nine becoming dissatisfied with life, as they continually prioritise other’s needs and become less and less able to promote themselves and their own individual identity.

Levels of Development for Enneagram Type 9s

At healthy levels, Enneagram Type 9s:

Stop trying to force peace on the world and instead let an inner, natural peace and acceptance of life take precedence
Are self-possessed, with a strong individual identity, able to speak up for themselves
Are engaged and active in their own lives and development, able to be ambitious and work towards bettering themselves rather than passively accept their fate
Are altruistic, able to empathise with others’ viewpoints and choosing to take action to help those they care about
Are accepting and forgiving of others, able to mediate well and bring peace into difficult situations
Are inclusive and hospitable, skilled at bringing people together and maintaining harmony in a group
Are good natured and unpretentious, embracing life with an optimistic openness
Accept conflict’s place in bringing peace, and are able to engage with conflict when necessary

Average Levels

At average levels, Enneagram Type 9s:

Are calm and placid, enjoying peace
Often desire an escape from the demands of the world
Dislike change and want the familiar, tending to losing themselves in routines and habits
Struggle to know what they truly want, instead choosing to live their lives through other people
Are self-effacing stay out of the limelight, instead accommodating and prioritising others
Fear conflict and run away from their problems, often tuning out of reality rather than dealing with them
Are open-minded to the point of ambivalence, often becoming hazy in their own thinking
Repress their anger, believing it to be an unhealthy emotion that will upset their inner calm

Unhealthy Levels

At unhealthy levels, Enneagram Type 9s:

Become stubborn and obstinate, refusing to move or act
Become paranoid and distrusting, presuming others are trying to force them into unwanted action
Feel incapable and being they don’t matter, being overly self-critical and unable to find their own identity
Fail to set personal boundaries, leading to burnout, exhaustion or anger
Can become distracted and unable to concentrate as they pull themselves in too many directions to try and maintain peace
Can become ineffectual, lethargic or even apathetic as they refuse to act
Can become neglectful of others as they strive to maintain their own peace
Can become dissociative and dulled to experiences, at the worst becoming shell-like in their numbness

Personal Growth Recommendations for Enneagram Type 9s

These recommendations aim to help nines themselves achieve healthy levels of development, as well as to give suggestions to others as to how to help the nines in their lives.

Try to remember that your worth comes from within. You will never be able to fully feel at peace until you accept and value yourself.
Work on your own individual identity. Spend time trying to regain a sense of yourself that is separate to the environment around you.
Work on determining your priorities and on making these happen. Your needs are as important as everyone else’s.
Practise building your assertiveness. It’s ok to speak up for yourself, and it’s ok to say no.
Force yourself to engage and pay attention to the people around you. Work on remaining mentally and emotionally involved.
Recognise that conflict is a necessary and beneficial part of life, often forging the path to deeper peace.
Practise taking action even when you are uncomfortable. Remember that often, short term pain leads to long term gain.
Try to force yourself to recognise and engage with your emotions. Dealing with your anger and other negative emotions will actually help your inner peace.
Learn to face up to your problems and difficulties rather than ignoring them and hoping they’ll disappear!
Remember that you cannot force happiness or peace on other people. You are only responsible for your own state of being.