You may be a Type 5

Fives are curators of their time and attention, often having many hobbies or deeply explored areas of interest. They prefer to have ample time alone to regain the energy they share with others. They are perceptive and deep thinking and are less reliant on others to meet their needs. They will have difficulty expressing emotions and recognizing the full impact of situations on themselves or others.

Type 5 Overview

People are drawn to you because of your depth of knowledge and dedication to your commitments. You are reliable, problem-solving, and a good sounding board for multiple ideas. You think deeply about all the options and are willing to consider multiple points of view. You value personal boundaries and individual time, so you naturally respect others’ boundaries. You interact with things objectively and do not like to make reactive or emotion-based decisions. You often have interesting hobbies and great stories to share.

You experience distress because you are dominated by your thinking, often all-or-nothing with very little influence from emotions or your instincts. You can minimize your own needs to the point of resentment, withdrawal from people, and physical distress. You can be uncomfortable in social situations and prefer to avoid small talk and surface-level relationships; this can cause you to have an unnecessarily small social circle. You can misread others’ intentions by taking things literally, missing nuance or innuendo.

You have a limited amount of energy for each day and have to withdraw from people or events to recharge, and may not always track this correctly. Your need for solitude can be misunderstood as distant, unfriendly or uninterested. You can be very blunt and rigid, prefernig honesty and accuracy over relational intimacy. Others may feel frustrated and tell you that they want more communication, affection, or attention from you.

You are invaluable to society because you use your thinking to explore and be curious about the world in deep ways. You are naturally resilient and are not easily manipulated or distracted by agendas. Because you are fair-minded, your nature is to make space for lots of views to be heard and examined. You use thoughtful questions to improve systems and genuinely care about responsibility and commitments. You are naturally innovative and capable of accomplishing highly detailed goals. You are comfortable working on your own and do not usually need oversight, especially when you are inspired.

  • You are reliable, problem-solving, and a good sounding board for multiple ideas.

  • You can minimize your own needs to the point of resentment, withdrawal from people, and physical distress.

  • You have a limited amount of energy for each day and have to withdraw from people or events to recharge.

  • You are naturally resilient and are not easily manipulated or distracted by agendas.

The Core of Type 5

What makes you a Type 5 is your core desires, motivations, fears, and goals. No two people are exactly the same, but all Type 5’s will have the following in common

  • Core Desires

    Being known as capable and competent

    To possess knowledge and expertise; master and understand their environment

    To protect and prioritize personal energy and resources

    To seek out personal interests

    To be loyal; to honor multiple views

    To have predictability, efficiency, and logic

  • Loving Messages

    "Your needs aren't a problem."

    "I welcome your questions and appreciate your focus on the details."

    "I respect your need for solitude."

    "I want to hear about your passions and benefit from your depth of knowledge."

  • Natural Gifts

    Objective assessment

    Deep consideration

    Honoring self-care needs

    Dedication and focus

    Mastery

  • Core Fears

    Being thought of as incapable, incompetent, or ignorant

    Having obligations placed upon you or your energy being completely depleted

    Being helpless

    Being in a position where you cannot have solitude or alone space

  • Blind Spot

    Greed/Hoarding

    feeling that you lack inner resources; that too much interaction with others will lead to an inability to regain your energy reserve; withholding yourself from contact with the world; holding onto your resources (emotionally and mentally).

    Overcoming these messages:

    "You're focusing on the wrong thing."

    "You never think about others, just what you want."

    "You are being too picky or asking too many questions."

  • Triad Groups

    Head - Center of Intelligence; emphasizes their thinking in order to manage fear and anxiety and create effective strategies

    Withdrawing - attempts to meet personal needs by pulling away from relationships

    Competency - channel disappointment or conflict into work

    Rejection - prioritize connection to others and avoiding rejection

Type 5 Support Types

Type 4 Wing (5w4)

Easily retreats into their inner world and are often able to make deep connections or thought discoveries. Drawn to emotional storytelling and benefits from checking in on their stories about their world when they are in distress.

Type 7 traits in Stress/Challenge

May appear more restless, hyperactive, and impulsive. Seeming more adventurous, looking to shake up the routine, dreaming about the future, and enjoying more confidence in their ability to affect the change they want to see.

Type 6 Wing (5w6)

Curious and drawn to analyzing why things are the way they are. Often practical, even handy, with a desire to bring value to their environment. Easily focused and impressive.

Type 8 traits in Security/Growth

May appear more assertive and confident, with more ease making decisions and acknowledging physical sensations.

How to try on Type 5

I suggest that you “try on” Type 5 and give yourself time to see how it fits you. Not every word and detail will be a perfect match, but it helps to see the traits come alive in your unique life.

  • There is not a "best type"

    It's common to read through the number types and think that one or two personalities sound like the best ones, but it's much less common for those to actually be your core type. Every number has its strengths and challenges and most often it feels like someone is reading your journal (how would they know that about me?) when you find your actual type!

  • Understanding motivations vs excusing behavior

    Each type has a set of core desires and fears that drive behaviors and perspectives. Each type also has its own spectrum of healthy, average, and unhealthy patterns. Using the Enneagram to excuse unhealthy patterns ("I'm a 5 so that's just how I am") will keep you stuck, whereas awareness and ownership of those same patterns can provide the skills we need to thrive in our roles and relationships.

  • Don't just rely on a test to find your type

    Enneagram tests are becoming highly accurate, but not all tests are created equal. Even the most reliable tests can be wrong because they are based on the test taker's level of self-awareness. Tests are a great starting place for narrowing down your type and trying on one or two to build the self-awareness to confirm the type. If tests aren't your thing, there are many podcasts or books that explain the types. Same rules apply.

  • Understanding the connections between the numbers is key

    One of the best parts of the Enneagram model is how dynamic it shows us we are and the ways in which our personality adapts to the situation. Every type has access to 4 other personality characteristics - 2 wing types (the numbers on either side of your type) and 2 other types, your Stress and Rest numbers. We can also understand our types more clearly by learning about unique groups of three types called Triads.

  • The Enneagram is a tool, not a box

    The power of the Enneagram exists in its ability to recognize who we are at our core - what we're most afraid of and what we most desire in life. It encourages us to use our strengths to thrive as well as uncover the (usually subconscious) barriers that keep us stuck and unhappy. You are wonderfully made and the world needs your healthiest self.

  • Find a teacher or coach

    There are many great ways to learn about the Enneagram types, but it can get oerwhelming quickly if you jump in alone. Getting a coach. counselor, or finding an Enneagram teacher to help guide you through the information is crucial. They can help you know the basic information but more importantly help you lean what your type looks like unique to you.

Ready to learn more?

Get the Type 5 Growth Guide

What’s Included:

  • Over 100 pages of tools I’ve used with my own clients, personalized for a Type 5

  • Roadblocks to growth

  • Self-care suggestions

  • The Quick Reference Guide for all Types (my favorite go-to)

  • A personalized workbook to build self-awareness and spark exploration