Are your wings helping you or hurting you? – Type One

In this episode, Kelsey Taylor interviews Enneagram Ones, Jake Gyer and Jana Whitaker on their wings. In the context of the Enneagram your wings are the two numbers directly adjacent to your primary Type. For example, Enneagram Ones have a Nine wing and a Two wing.

You always have two wings. Think of your wings like the wings of a bird. Your primary type is the body, and your wings are on either side. You may have two enormous wings, two tiny wings, or even one big wing and one small wing.

The 1w9 is known as the Idealist, and these two combinations are often In conflict with each other. The 9 is trying to avoid rocking the boat, while the 1 provokes others to improve and do what is right.

When healthy, they are conscientious of how their insistence for improvement might land on others. They pause before speaking, wanting to ensure both delivery and accuracy.

When they are not healthy, they procrastinate both from the one space and the nine space. The one space of procrastination is delayed perfectionism and the nine spaces of procrastination is delayed decision-making. When combined you have a struggle of delaying making decisions because the perfect solution hasn’t presented itself – but the perfect solution often doesn’t exist.

Ones need their Nine wings to become more flexible and accepting. The nine wing offers the One the ability to relax and rest from all the things the One “must” do.

The 1w2 is known as the advocate, and these two easily complement each other with the Type One’s desire to be good and the Type Two’s desire to be supportive and helpful.

When healthy they are empathetic and sense the needs of others. They’re generous with their time and resources to serve others without the need to be recognized for it.

When they are not healthy, they impose their support on others, insisting that if others would “just do what I tell them” then they wouldn’t have that problem they keep complaining about. They are less apt to listen to people’s problems without the compulsive need to correct them or fix the issues.

Ones need their Two wings to maintain friendships. Without the influence of the two the One is rigid and cold- which makes a continual friendship with the One extremely challenging.

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