Each of us tends to have a default conflict style:

• Assertive (Types 3, 7, 8): You speak up confidently for your needs, opinions, or values. This style is empowering and clear, but if overused, it can feel overpowering to others.

• Dependent (Types 1, 2, 6): You look to external guidance, principles, or expectations to determine the “right” way to respond. This style can create alignment and predictability, but over-reliance on external standards may limit your flexibility, spontaneity, or trust in your own inner impulses.

• Withdrawn (Types 4, 5, 9): You step back from conflict to protect yourself and process the situation internally. This style can provide perspective and space, but if overused, it may leave issues unresolved.

Each Enneagram type tends to have a default way of responding to frustration:

• Immediate Response / Emotional Realness (Types 4, 6, 8): Responses are raw, authentic, and felt strongly in the moment. This style allows for emotional clarity and honesty, but if overused, it may feel intense or reactive to others.

• Focused Response / Competent (Types 1, 3, 5): Responses are measured, strategic, and oriented toward problem-solving. This style produces effective solutions and reliability, but overemphasis on control or precision may overlook emotional needs.

• Optimistic Response / Positive Outlook (Types 2, 7, 9): Responses emphasize hope, encouragement, and maintaining harmony. This style supports resilience, strengthens connections, and fosters motivation, but if relied on too heavily, it may downplay valid frustrations or avoid necessary conflict.

Each Enneagram type tends to have a default way of seeking balance and connection:

• Relationists (Types 2, 5, 8): These types seek balance by engaging directly with people and situations, maintaining connection and stability. This style fosters strength, reliability, and active involvement, but overuse can sometimes lead to overextension, intensity, or holding too tightly to understanding to maintain stability.

• Idealists (Types 1, 4, 7): These types focus on principles, values, and envisioning possibilities. This style supports inspiration and thoughtful guidance, but excessive focus on ideals may make it harder to accept compromise or practical limitations.

• Pragmatists (Types 3, 6, 9): These types naturally attune to external expectations, systems, and relationships—seeking what works in real life, whether that means success, guidance, or harmony. This outward awareness can be a strength, but may come at the cost of inner clarity or self-trust.

Each Enneagram type tends to rely on a dominant intelligence center — a natural way of perceiving, processing, and responding to life:

Body / Action / Anger (Types 8, 9, 1): These types primarily process experiences through sensation and action. This style fosters decisiveness, groundedness, and the ability to effect change, but over-reliance can lead to impulsiveness, rigidity, or difficulty tuning into internal feelings.

Heart / Feeling / Shame (Types 2, 3, 4): These types primarily process experiences through emotions and relational cues. This style fosters empathy, sensitivity, and attunement to others, but overuse can lead to self-consciousness, emotional reactivity, or over-identification with others’ perceptions.

Mind / Thinking / Fear (Types 5, 6, 7): These types primarily process experiences through analysis and reflection. This style fosters insight, planning, and problem-solving, but over-reliance can create overthinking, indecision, or emotional detachment.