Enneagram 4 – The Romantic, Individualist, Artist

Enneagram type 4 are also known as the artist,  individualist or romantic. This personality type tends to be expressive, dramatic, self-absorbed, and temperamental. Fours basic fears include having no identity or personal significance.

Enneagram Type 4

Creative, sensitive and moody, they are motivated by a need to be understood, experience their feelings and avoid being ordinary. Let’s learn about the Enneagram 4 types.

Let’s look at this type, who they are, their characteristics, wings, stresses and more. 

Need

Type 4 Enneagrams typically have a need to be unique or viewed as special.

Characteristics

Type 4s are typically creatives. A typical Enneagram 4 has a strong sense of identify, seem quirky and endearing. Fours may feel a sense of emptiness.

Character of God

Here is the character of God for an Enneagram 4: The beauty of God.

• Learn about Character of God

How We Distort That Characteristic

Enneagram Type 4s distort this characteristic by becoming self-aborbed

Heart Triad

Type 4 fall into the heart triad, motivated and fueled by shame.

• Learn more about Triads

Harmonic Approach – Reactive Approach

Enneagram 4  fall into the Reactive Approach in regards to Harmonic Approach. Fours are emotionally reactive under stress. 

• Fours can get into conflicts by being overly moody, temperamental and self-absorbed.
• Fours tend to have (over-) dramatic reactions to problems.
• They need to process and internalize their experiences. I
• dentity and emotional reactions are highly intertwined in a Four.
• Fours tend to withdraw into their imagination, where problems often escalate into feelings of despair and hopelessness.
• Fours want to be emotionally open with and trust others, but more so with very close people. Their emotional guard is down so they can let others in.

source: fitzel.ca

• Learn more about Harmonic Approach

Wings of Enneagram 4

Enneagram 4 wings are 4w3 or 4w5 . No one is a pure personality type: everyone is a unique mixture of his or her basic type and usually one of the two types adjacent to it on the circumference of the Enneagram. One of the two types adjacent to your basic type is called your wing.

4w3 – Want to be the most unique AND the best. More frequent mood swings than 4w5.

4w5 – More introverted and unconventional. Concerned with uniqueness but have less to need to be noticed by an audience.

• Learn about Wings

Stress and Security

Here are what stress and security types that Enneagram type 4s go to when in stress or (security) success. 

STRESS – NINE – Retreat to the couch and lose themselves in unproductive busywork.

SECURITY – SIX – Become warmer and more in touch with their feelings and the feelings of others.

Learn about Stress and Security

Sin and Counter Virtue

The deadly sin and counter virtue that Enneagram 4 need to watch for are:  

DEADLY SIN: ENVY

Fours believe they lack an essential element and will never have the wholeness others enjoy. They envy the normalcy and happiness of others.

COUNTER VIRTUE TO CULTIVATE: GRATITUDE

Fours counteract envy when they dwell not on what’s missing but what’s present in the way of their gifts and blessings.

• Learn about Sin and Counter Virtue

Best Careers for Enneagram 4

Careers that require creativity are great for type 4s. Here are careers that a typical Enneagram 4 would be successful in: 

• Musician
• Poet
• Journalist
• Activist
• Graphic Designers
• Chefs
• Painters

• For readers, here is a list of Enneagram books.
• Prefer audio? here is a list of Enneagram podcasts.