Parks and Recreation: Ron Swanson – Type 8w9

Ron is blunt, smart and emotionally detached He prefers to be alone and often finds the demands of others to be pointless, which is why he often ignores citizen requests and allows Leslie to jump in and solve their problems. He is reluctant to show his true feelings to others and as a way of avoiding personal conversations, stays hidden away in his own office.

At his best, Ron becomes more open and receptive of the feelings of others. His relationship with April shows growth as he appreciates her and in his own way tries to be supportive of her and Andy. At his worst, Ron is rude and aggressive. He makes it very clear to others that he thinks they are not worth his time.

Ron is extremely closed off and private, so he doesn’t readily share aspects of his personal life and upbringing with his coworkers. However, it can be seen that he had an interesting childhood and was expected to act maturely and work from a very young age. Due to this he has taken on a mentality that he needs to be self-sufficient and he doesn’t want to rely on anyone else for anything. He likes to be in control of himself and others as can be seen from his managerial style.

Ron has a number of strong qualities of type 5 including his introversion and need for privacy. However, I think that he is more concerned with being self-sufficient and strong than with finding knowledge and appearing useful and competent. It can be seen through his interactions with others that he is more of an 8 as he respects people who are self-made, despises weak people or entitled people and is not concerned with how others view how he does his job. 

Ron has many hidden talents that he is reluctant to share with his coworkers as he feels this will make them see him differently. He is a relatively well-known Jazz artist (Duke Silver) but hides this from the people he works with as he thinks they will see him as being less masculine and strong. When April finds out about it, it becomes a secret that they share and strengthens the bond between the two of them.

Despite being very forthright and unafraid of telling people what he thinks of them, Ron has a very interesting dynamic with the women in his life. When his mother and Ex-wife Tammy are shown through the series, it can be seen that Ron seeks their approval, even though he knows they are unhealthy for him. This is because he reverts back to a time when he was a child and wasn’t in control.

Ron has a 9 wing as he is much more withdrawn, introspective and seeks the pleasures of comforts such as woodworking and food.

Tri-type: 8w9 – 5w4 – 3w4

Some quotes to describe Ron’s motivation:

“Fishing relaxes me. It’s like yoga, except I still get to kill something.”

“Deal with your problems yourselves, like adults.”

“The less I know about other people’s affairs, the happier I am. I’m not interested in caring about people. I once worked with a guy for three years and never learned his name. Best friend I ever had. We still never talk sometimes.”

“When I eat, it is the food that is scared.”

“Second there’s only three ways to motive people: money, fear and hunger.”

“Under my tutelage, you will grow from boys to men. From men into gladiators. And from gladiators into Swansons.”

“I’ve cried twice in my life. Once when I was 7 and hit by a school bus. And then again when I heard that Li’l Sebastian had passed.”

“When people get too chummy with me, I like to call them by the wrong name to let them know I don’t really care about them.”

“I’d wish you the best of luck but I believe luck is a concept created by the weak to explain their failures.”

“My idea of a perfect government is one guy who sits in a small room at a desk, and the only thing he’s allowed to decide is who to nuke. The man is chosen based on some kind of IQ test, and maybe also a physical tournament, like a decathlon. And women are brought to him, maybe… when he desires them.”

Dead to Me: Jen Harding – Type 8w9

Jen is intense, direct and protective. She strives to protect her two sons and works hard to keep them away from anything bad. She takes on the role of protector and looks out for others by standing up against things that she disagrees with.

At her best, Jen is fiercely protective towards Judy, Charlie and Henry and begins to show them a more vulnerable side to her. She opens up more and doesn’t have to prove that she is strong as she can share her emotions and worries with them. At her worst, Jen becomes very reactive and aggressive. She will focus on her own feelings and dismissed the feelings of others as they are standing in the way of what she wants or needs.

Jen is dealing with a lot of trauma when the series begins and as a result a lot of her behaviours are in the lower levels of health and highlight her grief and coping mechanisms. Jen comes across as being very abrasive and blunt to others, often saying the first thing that is on her mind- despite the impact may have on their feelings.

Jen is very impulsive and will act first think later. She will use her gut instinct to assess a situation and immediately react based on what she is feeling. She finds it difficult trying to censor herself and even when having discussions with Charlie will lose her temper and be very reactive to what he is saying or doing.

Jen shows a softer side of herself when she begins to open up to Judy and explain some of her insecurities and worries. She is afraid to allow herself to be vulnerable and believes she needs to be strong for her family and to show others like Lorna that she is capable of standing on her own without Ted.

Jen has a wing 9 as she presents throughout the show as being less extraverted and fun-loving. It was difficult to determine her wing as she is unhappy and grieving which would make her appear more introverted, but from her characterisation she seems to have more of an emphasis on peace than fun.

Tri-type: 8w9 – 6w7 – 3w2

Some quotes to describe Jen’s motivations:

“Scars show that you went through something hard, and you survived. And it’s your story.”

“I don’t know where you’re getting this patriarchal sh*t from, but you are not the man of the house, you are a child.”

Judy: “Personally, I think your anger is understandable.”
Jen: “Well you haven’t been on the receiving end of it.”
Jen: “Thank you…. And also just for not saying and doing the same stupid shit that everybody says and does and just makes you feel more alone than you already are, you know? And for not being repulsed by my version of grief.”

“I am the woman of the house and I do the protecting.”

”Men called women nuts and crazy way too often just to undermine us.”

The Instinctive Triad (8, 9, 1)

The instinctive triad is also known as the ‘gut’ or ‘anger’ triad as they are very concerned with their instincts and their central emotion is anger. These types seek autonomy, however it manifests in different ways depending on their core type. They are mostly concerned with influencing and controlling their environment, yet they resist being influenced or controlled. They create inward (directed internally) and outward (directed externally) boundaries.

Type 1: 1s are concerned with making the world better and controlling their environment in just the way they want. Their main boundary is inward, as they direct their anger internally, which is why they often seem to be repressing their emotions. 1s put up ‘internal walls’ against certain parts of themselves. 1s tend to repress their anger. e.g. “I don’t want to be angry so I’ll push it down”

Type 9: 9s want to be in control of their environment, however they will often reject controlling others and will try to avoid conflict to gain control. 9s do not want their equilibrium to be disturbed. 9s will put up walls both against others and parts of themselves, as they are in the centre of the triad, this will manifest more strongly in their wing. e.g. a 9w1 will be more repressed and inward, whereas a 9w8 will be more likely to show emotions. 9s tend to deny their anger. e.g. “I’m fine” or “I don’t know what I’m feeling.”

Type 8: 8s want to be in control of their environment and often do this by trying to gain control over others. Their main boundary is outward, as they direct their anger towards others which is why they can come across as aggressive. 8s also put up ‘external walls’ so they are not hurt by the outside world, and have a very tough exterior, that is not always indicative of their real emotions. 8s tend to act on their anger. E.g. “I’m angry and I’m going to let everyone know why”

Brooklyn Nine Nine: Rosa Diaz – Type 8w9

Type 8s are known as the Challenger. They have a basic desire to be powerful and in control and a basic fear of being weak or controlled by others. At their best, type 8s are able to show their vulnerabilities to those they love and use their strength to support and help others. At their worst, type 8s become combative and lose their tempers easily as they are fearful of losing control of their life.

Rosa is tough, independent, direct and protective. Rosa likes to do things on her own and in her own way. She generally isn’t worried about the opinions of others and is unafraid of telling others what she thinks. In her job as a detective she is brave and dives headfirst into dangerous situations without a worry.

At her best, Rosa becomes more supportive, helpful and thoughtful towards others. It can be seen throughout the show that Rosa cares deeply for all the members of the Nine-Nine and will go to any lengths to protect them. She also opens up more and begins to show some of the softer sides of her personality.

At her worst, Rosa is aggressive, stubborn and controlling. Rosa is reactive and can hurt the people close to her through her blunt words and actions. She closes herself off to others and wants to assert her dominance over people as a way of keeping her autonomy.

Like a typical 8, Rosa is not afraid of expressing her anger or displeasure at others. She will often resort to this as a way of protecting herself or the people she loves and maintaining control of a situation. However, it can be seen that Rosa will also begin to show more of her vulnerabilities and feelings with her partners as she feels more comfortable with them.

While Rosa is such a strong-willed character, she still wanted the approval of her traditional family. This made it very difficult for her to confront them and tell them about her bisexuality. However, it can be seen that she stuck to her convictions and remained strong in addressing this with her family despite their views.

Beneath Rosa’s tough exterior, it can be seen that she is kind-hearted and has a big heart. She never backs down from a challenge and works hard to get respect for all the ladies of the nine nine.

Rosa has quite balanced wings but I would say she has a stronger wing 9. She is more likely to look towards comfort rather than fun and she is more reserved, introverted and closed off than a wing 7.

Tritype: 8w9 – 6w7 – 3w2

Some quotes to describe Rosa’s motivations:

“What kind of woman doesn’t have an axe?”

“I don’t ask people out. I just tell them where we’re going.”

“‘Cause I didn’t understand why people care so much about their dumb dogs till I got a dumb dog myself. I’ve only had Arlo for a day and a half, but if anything happened to him, I would kill everyone in this room and then myself.”

“Don’t arrest him. Just smack him. Hard. With a phone book on a body part no one can see, you know what I’m saying?”

“So you would rather me be some dude’s mistress than be in a loving relationship with a woman? Well, Jake and I aren’t dating. But guess what? Your worst fears are real. I’m not straight. I’m bisexual. And I don’t care what you think about it. Screw this. I’m outta here.”

“It’s a joke. I was insulting him. You know, flirting.”

“It’s very embarrassing having feelings.”

“I only said ‘I love you’ to three people: my mom, my dad, and my dying grandpa, and one of those I regret.” Which one was it? “My grandpa. He beat Cancer so now I look like an idiot.”

Rosa: “And when this is over, I’m going to find you, and I’m going to break those little fingers.”
Judge: “Ms. Diaz, please stop threatening the stenographer!”

Terry: “Wait, is that a smile I see?”
Rosa: “Possibly. My immune system is too weak to fight off my smile muscles”

Hornevian Types/Social Styles in the Enneagram

The Hornevian Groups were created and named for Karen Horney, who first suggested there were groupings based on how people interact with others in order to meet their own needs. Enneagram was not specifically created with these groups in mind, however the types fit neatly into the three groups. There are three different groups; the assertive types are 3, 7 and 8, the compliant types are 1, 2 and 6 and the withdrawn types are 4, 5, 9.

Note: Each type wants to gain different things depending on whether they are thinking/head (5, 6, 7), feeling/heart (2, 3, 4) or instinctive/gut types (8, 9, 1). Generally, the thinking triad desires security, the feeling triad desires attention and the instinctive triad desires autonomy.

Assertive Types (3, 7, 8): These types are very proactive and direct as they go after what they believe they need. They have strong ideas of what they want and they will act to get their needs met. They can sometimes seem to have a sense of importance or entitlement about them as a result. These types can be independent and assertive, but can seem aggressive and demanding to others. Simply put, they move against others to get what they want (e.g. rebelling or challenging others).

Compliant Types (1, 2, 6): These types are usually very obedient of rules and other people’s feelings and opinions more generally. They attempt to earn their desires and are very driven by their superegos (their moral code, what they ‘should’ do). These types would usually be considered the ‘goody-two shoes’ of the enneagram. These types are usually committed, hard-working and responsible, however they can have a hard time relaxing and letting loose. These types are compliant to those around them, and can often overlook their own needs in favour of others and can seem self-sacrificing.

Withdrawn Types (4, 5, 9): These types withdraw from others and can often seem quite disengaged with the outer world. They withdraw to both deal with their needs and to get their needs met. They can be introspective, imaginative, but they can have trouble taking charge or being direct with others. They are sometimes more involved in their dreams and fantasies, rather than reality. Generally, these types move away from people to get what they want (e.g. withdrawing, becoming introverted).

These groups are easily identifiable, and can often be the cause of mistypings and misidentifications. For example, 6s and 1s are often misidentify with one or the other, as they are both very compliant and obedient towards belief systems. However, 1s are more focused on their own moral code, whereas 6s are more focused on external belief systems or authority figures.

If there is any interest in a particular type, we’re happy to do a post on the specifics, as this a very general overview 😊

Harmonic Types in the Enneagram

These types show how a person will react and cope when they do not get what they want. They reveal the way our personality defends against loss, conflict and disappointment. There are three different groups for the enneagram. They are the positive outlook types (2, 7, 9), the competent types (1, 3, 5) and the reactive types (4, 6, 8).

Positive Outlook: (2, 7, 9): These types react to conflict and disappointment by trying to adopt a ‘positive’ attitude. They will try to reframe the situation in a positive light, and are often considered ‘glass half-full’ people. These types will often deny that they even have a problem, and will try to tell others that they are fine. 2s, 7s, and 9s also often have trouble balancing the needs of themselves with the needs of others around them. For example, 2s focus too much on the needs of others, 7s focus too much on their own needs and 9s can oscillate between the two. As a result, they will often not face their problems head-on and will try to deny their existence.

Competency: (1, 3, 5): These types react to conflict in an unemotional, objective and detached way. They have learnt to put aside their own problems in favour of ‘getting the job done.’ They often try to use logic to solve problems, and expect others will do the same, so they cannot understand the reactions of other types (especially the reactive types). 1s, 3s and 5s are confused about their role in systems and structures, and how much they should follow the rules of said structure. For example, 1s operate within the rules, 3s can do both depending on their goals and 5s often operate outside of the rules. Consequently, they approach their problems in the same way.

Reactive: (4, 6, 8): These types react emotionally to conflicts and their thinking can often be clouded by their feelings and emotions. They want others to react similarly to their problems, and will have strong opinions on certain things. They may be the type to want others to terminate friendships with others because they don’t like them or they betrayed their trust. They deal with their problems quickly and often explode, however after the explosion of emotion they will often move on more quickly than other types. 4s, 6s and 8s are concerned with control and fear being betrayed by others. For example, 4s subconsciously want to be taken care of, 6s want to both take care of and be taken care of and 8s want to be providers and take care of others.

If there is interest, we are happy to elaborate on specific types, as this is just a general overview 😊

Rejection Types Enneagram

Object relations theory suggests that our first relationships as children form our expectations of our future relationships. The three object relation triads in the enneagram are rejection, frustration and attachment. Rejection types are 2, 5 and 8, and these types feel they have been rejected by others, so they reject their own needs.

These types will like to nurture others, but will often have issues of not being nurtured in their relationships. They try to counter rejection by using their talents, so their sense of self is primarily based on these ‘talents’

Type 2s: 2s are driven by their desire to be needed and to help others, so they often reject their own needs in favour of others. 2s feel they need to nurture and help others as this will stop them from being rejected in their relationships. Basically, their sense of self is based on rejecting their own needs and helping others.

Type 5s: 5s are driven by their need of knowledge and are very withdrawn, so they often minimise their own needs, especially physically and emotionally. 5s believe that their usefulness is based on their brain and intellect, so they offer their expertise to others to try and counter rejection. 5s are often very independent and try not to need anyone, so if they are rejected they can feel stable enough in themselves. Basically, their sense of self is based on minimising their own needs and building up their usefulness to combat rejection.

Type 8s: 8s are driven by their need to be strong and independent, so they often reject their emotional and vulnerable side. 8s try to become powerful and strong, so that people will come to them for leadership, and they will not be rejected because they are needed. 8s try to give the impression that they don’t care if they are rejected because they are so ‘strong’ but they are just as afraid of rejection as other types. Put simply, their sense of self is based on gaining strength and will-power to combat rejection.

These types react differently to rejection, for example 2s are the most overtly scared of rejection and will put the most effort into their relationships, whereas 5s and 8s sometimes pretend they don’t need others and will withdraw or react aggressively respectively. All of these types try to do things for others to combat rejection, and when that doesn’t work they can react badly. 2s reject nurturing, because they see themselves as nurturers, 8s reject vulnerabilities and protection as they see themselves as the protector of others, and 5s reject knowledge from others, as they see themselves as the source of knowledge for others.

Legacies: Hope Mikaelson – Type 8w9

Type 8s are known as the Challenger. They have a basic desire to be powerful and in control and a basic fear of being weak or controlled by others. At their best, type 8s are able to show their vulnerabilities to those they love and use their strength to support and help others. At their worst, type 8s become combative and lose their tempers easily as they are fearful of losing control of their life.

Hope Mikaelson is strong, independent and brave. She can come across as a bit abrupt and never backs down from a fight. At her best, she is selfless and is willing to fight for the well-being of others. This is seen when she makes the ultimate sacrifice to defeat Malivore to protect everyone else. At her worst, Hope becomes aggressive and pushes people away. She often has this issue in her relationships in particular, with trying to keep Landon away from her.

One of the defining characteristics of Hope is that she will face things alone. As she is the daughter of Klaus Mikaelson this is something that she learnt from a young age and it helps that she has the strength to protect herself and others. I was debating typing Hope as a 1 as she often has a desire to “be good” however, I settled on 8 as she seems to care more about protecting the people she loves and showing those around her that she is powerful.

Hope is a character that will do what she has to do in order to protect the people around her. She is even willing to use dark magic when needed so that she can save her friends.

Hope takes the desire to protect especially serious when it comes to the people she loves such as; Landon and Josie. She is often afraid of Landon’s inactive abilities as she doesn’t want to be worrying about his safety. She is also scared to open up to Landon and show him her vulnerabilities, which we as an audience will often see when she casts spells to imagine what she wants to say to Landon. Hope also has the same attitude towards Josie and resolves to save her when she is beginning to go dark, even when others are giving up on her.

Starting in The Originals, Hope has a real desire to have a relationship with Klaus and tries to connect with him. They will often clash and she is unafraid of going head to head with him to prove her point and assert her feelings. She can become very stubborn and shows her anger towards being left behind by Klaus and wanting him to take her seriously.

Hope has little time for fun and is very inward with her feelings, which is why I have given her a wing 9. She is also a bit more subdued and reserved than a wing 7 would be.

Tri-type 8w9 – 6w5 – 2w1

Some quotes to describe Hope’s motivation and traits:

“When we’re young, we’re taught the distinction between a hero and a villain, good and evil, a saviour and a lost cause. But what if the only real difference is just who’s telling the story?”

“Maybe we could table this until I catch the guy I was trying to find by using black magic because the longer that Landon Kirby is out there the greater the chance he tells people about the school and the kind of people we have hidden behind the gates.”

“I never wanted to before because I would have to do it alone, but now I have you. And we make up our own faction.”

Alaric: “You and Landon … you have a thing or something?”
Hope: “I don’t have things”

“It should be said that Shakespeare wasn’t completely clueless. He had plenty of advice about how to handle betrayal. My personal favourite: "Think, therefore, on revenge and cease to weep.”

One Tree Hill: Nathan Scott – Type 8w9

Type 8s are known as the Challenger. They have a basic desire to be powerful and in control and a basic fear of being weak or controlled by others. At their best, type 8s are able to show their vulnerabilities to those they love and use their strength to support and help others. At their worst, type 8s become combative and lose their tempers easily as they are fearful of losing control of their life.

At his best, Nathan is supportive of Haley’s career and open about the vulnerabilities he experienced when she first went on tour. He is protective of her and Jamie and has moved on from his insecurities towards Haley and music.

On the flip side at his worst, Nathan becomes self-destructive and volatile when Haley first leaves to go on tour. When she returns, it takes a long time for him to trust her again and share his vulnerabilities.

Nathan is often typed as a 3 due to his drive and focus to make it to the NBA. However, I have typed him as an 8 as I believe his motivation is not purely for success but was ingrained into his life by Dan and he is more concerned with independence and autonomy for himself.

Nathan is always shown to have issues with his anger, be unafraid to say what he wants to say and jostling for power with those close to him. When Lucas first arrives and joins the Ravens, he becomes threatened by his place on the team and makes it his goal to show him who the leader of the team is. He also fights back towards his parents, and ultimately files for emancipation as he is tired of being put in the middle of his parents arguments and wants agency and control of his own life.

Nathan shows a much softer side towards Haley and Jamie. He is protective and caring towards them and would do anything to keep them safe. As he matures, he becomes more supportive of Haley and her goals and shows through his actions that they are the most important thing to him.

Tri type: 8w9 – 3w2 – 7w8

Some quotes to describe Nathan’s motivations and traits

“People just go through things, challenges that make them stronger.”

“You know what? Tragedies happen. What are you gonna do? Give up? Quit? No. I realise now that when your heart breaks, you gotta fight like hell to make sure you’re still alive. Because you are. And that pain you feel? That’s life. The confusion and fear, that’s there to remind you that somewhere out there is something better. And that something is worth fighting for.”

“Every once in a while, people step up. They rise above themselves. Sometimes they surprise you. And sometimes they fall short. Life is funny sometimes. It can push pretty hard.”

"People say hell is endless. They say it’s our worst nightmare, the face of our darkness. But whatever it is, however it is, I say hell is empty and all the devils are here.”