Enneagram Type 8: The Challenger · xo, enneagram

Eights value justice and honesty and thrive off of the intensity of life. They are almost always self-assured, decisive, and willful...at the very least, they have powerful personalities. They can make incredible leaders who fiercely fight for the people they love and the marginalized. Although their behavior can sometimes become controlling and aggressive, it comes from a fear of being controlled, manipulated, betrayed, or taken advantage of. In an effort to self-protect, Eights often hide the softest and sweetest parts of themselves (which do exist) while maintaining a strong exterior.

Our Type Eight friends say:

“8s are very direct but that doesn’t mean we are heartless people. We value honesty, even if it’s going to hurt to hear. Don’t sugar coat for us.”

@travisgadamek

"We're passionate and strong and can carry people through difficult times. We have a can-do attitude and are naturally confident, but it can come off as arrogant & dominant even if the intention is to be helpful."

@simply_bible

"8s are often really emotionally sensitive and empathetic, but we struggle to show it, which means we end up processing a lot of emotions by ourselves. We aren’t heartless; we have so much heart that it’s pushed people away, so now we keep it to ourselves. We need people to show us that it’s safe to let it out."

@ellenorr

"I have very little desire to control others. I generally only want to control my own personal safety and that of those I love. I actually admire and appreciate people who stand up for themselves and what they believe regardless of my/other’s opinion. It is even better when I get to be close with and trust a person like that. It gives me room to be able to relax and enjoy sharing a space with them instead of feeling the need to be alert and on guard. I thoroughly enjoy a person who can 'hold his/her own.'"

@cheylopez

"Even though we appear to want to do it on our own, we crave people that we can trust and be vulnerable with."

@raganhuse