Eights (Enneagram of Personality)

Eights are one of the nine personality types of the Enneagram of Personality.

General characteristics

Eights feel the need to protect themselves and be in control of their own life and destiny. They will often act willfully, feeling a need to dominate their environments for this reason. They are generally:
- Confident (Shown by their determination)
- Decisive (Shown by their take-charge attitude)
- Assertive (Shown by their ability to fight)
- Strong (Shown by their courage)
Admire strength and courage in others but also want to be strong and in control to feel pleasure and success.
When unhealthy they can be too strong-willed, tough-minded and dominating.

Childhood issues

As children Eights are independent and often have an inner strength and fighting spirit. They may have grown up in difficult or abusive surroundings and so seize control so they will not be controlled. They are acute at being able to figure out others' weaknesses and will often attack others physically or verbally when provoked.

Wings

Eight with a dominant Seven wing

When healthy they have a quick mind and a vision for practical possibilities. They are action-orientated, and want to have an impact on the world. They are often entrepreneurial, interested in creating opportunities that will ensure their independence.

When average they are adventurous and risk-taking. They are sociable, talkative and outgoing. Pragmatic, practical and competitive, they are not overly concerned with what they perceive as weakness or inefficiency. They can become impatient and impulsive and are more likely to be led by their feelings than other Eights. More openly aggressive and confrontational, they are less likely to back down from a fight.

When more entranced, aggression combines with gluttony to form a tendency to addiction. Many entranced Eights with this dominant wing have had drug and alcohol problems or tensions around addiction. Prone to temperamental ups and downs they can be moody, egocentric and quick to anger. Tendency to court chaos and inflate themselves narcissistically. Some are ruthlessly materialistic. May be explosive or violent and prone to distorted overreaction.

Eights with a dominant Nine wing

When healthy they often have an aura of preternatural calm and seem highly self-confident. May be gentle, kind-hearted and quieter. Often nurturing and protective parents and steady and supportive friends. Informal and unpretentious, patient, laconic and generally somewhat introverted. Sometimes a dry or ironic sense of humour.

When average they may have an aura of implicit and simmering anger rather like a dormant volcano. Usually slow to erupt, when they do it can be sudden and explosive. When entranced the Nine wing offers them a kind of callous numbness. They can be oblivious to the force of their anger until they have hurt someone. Calmly dominating and colder, they may have an indifference to softer emotions.

When unhealthy they can be mean without remorse or aggressive in the service of stupid ends. They can be vengeful in ill-conceived ways and abuse those they love, unable to know when to quit.

Instinctual subtypes

Self-preservation

In the average range, these Eights are the most no-nonsense kind. They focus intently on practical matters and are the most domestic kind of Eights. They are more materialistic than the other two subtypes. They are prone to workaholism.

Unhealthy: Bullying, thievery, and justifying their own destructive behaviour by believing they are "toughening up others" is common. They may be inconsiderate and feel justified in acting selfishly.

Social

Average: Social Eights wish to express their intensity through powerful bonds with others. Honour and trust are big issues for them, and they will test the people they care about so that friendships are solid and safe. They will do anything for the few they care about and enjoy debating and hosting social events.

Unhealthy: When unhealthy they can feel rejected and betrayed and become extremely antisocial. Antisocial disorders do not involve lack of social skills, but rather the manipulation and distrust of others. They often indulge mindlessly in self-destructiveness through intoxication.

exual

Average: They are the most quietly intense and charismatic of Eights. They are passionate and rebellious and have a sly sense of humour. They can be deeply loving and devoted.

Unhealthy: Unhealthy Sexual Eights can attempt to completely control and dominate their partner. They are extremely jealous, seeing the other as a possession. In the worst case, spouse abuse, impulsive acts of revenge and crimes of passion are possible.

Levels of Development

Healthy
Level 1	Become self-restrained and magnanimous, merciful and forbearing, mastering self through their self-surrender to a higher authority. Courageous, willing to put self in serious jeopardy to achieve their vision and have a lasting influence. May achieve true heroism and historical greatness.
Level 2	Self-assertive, self-confident, and strong: have learned to stand up for what they need and want. A resourceful, "can do" attitude and passionate inner drive.
Level 3	Decisive, authoritative, and commanding: the natural leader others look up to. Take initiative, make things happen: champion people, provider, protective, and honorable, carrying others with their strength.
Average
Level 4	Self-sufficiency, financial independence, and having enough resources are important concerns: become enterprising, pragmatic, "rugged individualists," wheeler-dealers. Risk-taking, hardworking, denying own emotional needs.
Level 5	Begin to dominate their environment, including others: want to feel that others are behind them, supporting their efforts. Swaggering, boastful, forceful, and expansive: the "boss" whose word is law. Proud, egocentric, want to impose their will and vision on everything, not seeing others as equals or treating them with respect.
Level 6	Become highly combative and intimidating to get their way: confrontational, belligerent, creating adversarial relationships. Everything a test of wills, and they will not back down. Use threats and reprisals to get obedience from others, to keep others off balance and insecure. However, unjust treatment makes others fear and resent them, possibly also band together against them.
Unhealthy
Level 7	Defying any attempt to control them, become completely ruthless, dictatorial, "might makes right." The criminal and outlaw, renegade, and con-artist. Hard-hearted, immoral and potentially violent.
Level 8	Develop delusional ideas about their power, invincibility, and ability to prevail: megalomania, feeling omnipotent, invulnerable. Recklessly over-extending self.
Level 9	If they get in danger, they may brutally destroy everything that has not conformed to their will rather than surrender to anyone else. Vengeful, barbaric, murderous. Sociopathic tendencies. Generally corresponds to the Antisocial Personality Disorder.

Overview

Ego fixation: Vengeance
Holy idea: Truth
Basic Fear: Of being harmed or controlled by others, of violation
Basic Desire: To protect themselves, to determine their own course in life
Temptation: To be too self-sufficient
Vice: Lust
Virtue: Magnanimity

Notable Eights

* Ann Richards
* Bette Davis
* Charlton Heston
* Barbara Walters
* Donald Trump
* Fidel Castro
* Frank Sinatra
* Franklin Roosevelt
* Glenn Close
* John McCain
* John Wayne
* Lyndon Johnson
* Martin Luther King, Jr.
* Mikhail Gorbachev
* Pablo Picasso
* Richard Wagner
* Saddam Hussein
* Sean Connery
* Sigourney Weaver
* Susan Sarandon