How Are 9w1 and 2w3 Enneagrams Different? (5+ Main Characteristics)

Enneagram subtype 9w1 are typically friendly and reconciling, but with a very keen sense of purpose, especially when it comes to their own ideas.

People in this subtype are imaginative and creative, often able to synthesize multiple schools of thought or multiple points of view into a single vision of an ideal world. 

Enneagram subtype 2w3 are more externalized: they seek love through the personal bonds they create, as well as by making others feel good.

The self-esteem of a person with type Two with wing three is more related to personal qualities than to the quality of services rendered to others. 

They are sociable and talkative, charming and adaptable, with a very visible “personality”

Keep reading to learn more about the differences between the 9w1 and 2w3 Enneagram subtypes. 

The Enneagram 9w1 subtype

9w1 – The dreamer

Examples of personalities: Abraham Lincoln, Queen Elizabeth II, Cari Jung, George Lucas, Audrey Hepburn, Lady Margot Fonteyn, Rose Kennedy, Walt Disney, Garrison Keillor, Noonan Rockwell.

Healthy subtype: People in this subtype are imaginative and creative, often able to synthesize multiple schools of thought or multiple points of view into a single vision of an ideal world.

They are very good at nonverbal forms of communication (art, musical instruments, dance, sports, working with animals or nature) and can thrive in large companies and institutions. 

They are typically friendly and reconciling, but with a very keen sense of purpose, especially when it comes to their own ideas. Good as therapists.

counsellors or priests, balance their traits of good listeners, free from prejudice, with the desire to help others.

Medium subtype: They want to order outside, so they can have order inside. They tend to get involved in non-essential, unimportant activities and businesses.

They can be energetic, but in a detached and uninvolved way, which interferes with their ability to pursue long-term goals or to co-opt others in achieving them.

 They are more reserved and less adventurous than those in the Nine-Wing Eight subtype and express their anger with great restraint and indignation. 

They are also concerned about their respectability and image in society and, in many cases, feel morally superior to other classes, cultures or lifestyles.

It happens to have a puritanical side, as well as a perfectionist, orderly and typical side.

Type 9

Enneagram type 9 are comfort seekers. Type 9 is pleasant, calm, people who do not ask much from life.

They prefer simple pleasures, which are always at hand – ready meals at the nearest fast food restaurant, watching replays of their favourite TV shows or relaxing in a comfortable chair. 

Enneagram type 9 is usually not ambitious, although they may be very talented.

They face anxiety by hiding at work,  and prefer to do minor activities, and not getting involved in big projects.

One of the greatest sources of power for the 9 types is their deep patience: a pronounced “laisser faire” towards other people, which gives them the opportunity to focus on their own development. 

We observe this quality in a good parent, who patiently teaches his child something new while maintaining a respectful and vigilant distance.

Their patience is sustained by a silent power and a fearful endurance. They are able to “hold on” through hardships and suffering. 

We often notice their ability to outperform aggressive competitors, at work or in relationships – very similar to the fable with the turtle and the rabbit.

Healthy people are able to pursue with determination and thoroughness their own goals, which they often achieve. 

When they realize the power of the will, they will discover in them a great vitality and an extraordinary strength of character, because they are the centre of the Instinctive Triad.

The upper 9 type is particularly effective in resolving crises because it has great internal stability. It does not unbalance the small ups and downs of life, nor the big problems, obstacles or disasters.

When everyone around reacts with exaggerated anxiety, the 9 guy becomes calm and gathered centre who continues undisturbed and solves the problem.

A healthy 9 type has a great power of acceptance of those around them, a very important feature in today’s global society.

This explains why people of type Six, who always divide people into “accepted” or “unaccepted” groups, should evolve into type Nine. 

You can get a better understanding of the type 9 personality, by knowing the difference between 9w1 and 1w9.

The Enneagram 2w3 subtype

Famous personalities: Luciano Pavarotti, Sammy Davis, Jr. Sally Jesse, Raphael Arsenio Hali, Anne Meara, Jack Paar, Anne Jackson, Delta Burke, Merv Griffin, John Denver.

Healthy Subtype: People in this subtype are more externalized: they seek love through the personal bonds they create, as well as by making others feel good.

The self-esteem of a person with type Two with wing three is more related to personal qualities than to the quality of services rendered to others. 

They are sociable and talkative, charming and adaptable, with a very visible “personality”.

They love to share their personal talents and resources for the benefit of friends and family – cooking for them, making them feel good, singing or listening to them – all of which are a way to share their personal treasure.

Medium subtype: People belonging to this subtype are friendly and with a sense of humour, although they are also focused and ambitious.

They are usually not openly involved in caring for others: most often they feel that their own friendship and the quality of their attention is a sufficient gift to others. 

People belonging to this subcategory can be quite seductive, being also much more focused on relationships, sometimes excessively friendly, overly sentimental and theatrical, because the result of the desire to accept those of the Three typology mixes with the strong tendency towards the intimacy of those from typology Two. 

Less serious and more goal-oriented than people with wing type Two, they tend to become more involved in laborious processes of self-analysis and self-criticism.

People belonging to this category are direct beings, they know what they want, drawing attention to the services they provide.

They may attach too much self-importance to being dominant and sometimes arrogant.

Type 2 – The altruist

The typology that takes care of others: generous, demonstrative, aiming to please them

to others, possessive.

• Basic fear: of not being loved and desired only for oneself.

• Basic desire: to feel loved

• The message of the superego: “You will be fine or okay if you are loved by others and if you are close to them. ”

We call type 2 the Altruist, because the people belonging to this typology are either really altruistic towards other people, helping them, or, in the lower aspects, they are very involved in perceiving themselves as altruistic and helpful to others. 

Being generous and giving up their own needs for the interests of others, those in type two feel that their way of life is the most fulfilling way to be.

People of type two are interested in what they consider to be the most extraordinary thing – love, closeness, generosity, family and friendship.

In their healthy and balanced appearance, those in type Two are truly loving, selfless, generous and caring. People are very attracted to them, just like bees with a honeycomb. 

The superior type of typology Two spreads the light from his heart over the others.

Altruists enliven others with the appreciation and attention they give them, helping them to discover certain qualities they were not aware of before.

 In short, in their superior aspect, they represent an embodiment of the ideal parent we all wanted: someone to see us as we are, to understand us with immense compassion, helping and encouraging us with infinite patience, always eager to lend us a helping hand – also knowing exactly how and when to set us free.

In their superior aspect, those of typology Two make us open our souls because their hearts are already so open to us.

They show us how to be more complex and deeply human.

However, the inner development of type Two people may be limited by their “shadow” appearance – pride, self-deception, the tendency to be overly involved in the lives of others, and the tendency to manipulate others to meet their own emotional needs. 

In order to transform, it is necessary to enter the dark parts of their being, and this greatly contradicts the substance of the structure of their personality, which prefers to see themselves only in the terms that flatter them the most.

Probably the biggest obstacle in the work of inner transformation that types Two, Three and Four face is the fear of not being deserving.

These three typologies fear that they have no value in themselves and therefore must be or do something extraordinary in order to gain the love and acceptance of others. 

At the middle-to-lower level, people of type two present the false image of a total and unselfish generosity, claiming that they do not want any kind of reward for themselves, when in fact they may have huge expectations and unrecognized emotional needs. 

At this level, people in typology Two seek to validate their own value by showing their submission to the superego’s demands to sacrifice for others.

They believe that if they want to be loved, they must be loving and unselfish, and always put others first.

The problem is that by always putting others first, those in type Two will secretly feel angry and full of resentments – feelings that they strive hard to repress or deny.

Conclusions

In this blog post, we described the 9w1 and 2w3 Enneagram subtypes. We also talked about their dominant typology, meaning Enneagram types 9 and 2. 

.Enneagram subtype 9w1 are typically friendly and reconciling, but with a very keen sense of purpose, especially when it comes to their own ideas.

People in this subtype are imaginative and creative, often able to synthesize multiple schools of thought or multiple points of view into a single vision of an ideal world. 

Enneagram subtype 2w3 are more externalized: they seek love through the personal bonds they create, as well as by making others feel good.

The self-esteem of a person with type Two with wing three is more related to personal qualities than to the quality of services rendered to others. 

If you have any questions, comments or recommendations, please feel free to leave them in the comments section!

FAQ about the 9w1 and 2w3 subtypes

References

The Wisdom of the Enneagram: The Complete Guide to Psychological and Spiritual Growth for the Nine Personality Types, by Don Richard Riso 

Personality Types: Using the Enneagram for Self-Discovery, by Don Richard Riso, Russ Hudson

Understanding the Enneagram: The Practical Guide to Personality Types, by Don Richard Riso, Russ Hudson

Enneagrampaths.com