TYPE FIVE
Observer
Caring for Fives
“When you ask a Five what they feel they will tell you what they think. Often they think their thoughts are their feelings because when they’re aware of a feeling, they have vivid thoughts about it. . . [They live in their head.] For self-protection, they can wall off from other people and not realize it. . . .Fives are intensely observing and slow to act, but powerful when they do act” (Healthy Feelings, Thriving Faith, p. 161 ).
Key Traits
Always thinking
Perceptive
Intense
Self-sufficient
Withdrawn
Unemotional
Personality Dynamics
These three factors may contribute to someone becoming a Five:
- Family formation role: Loner
- Root sin: Hoarding knowledge, money, or other resources
- Defense mechanism: Intellectualizing
Emotions
The Five personality is expressed and related to largely through emotions like these:
Felt need: Have resources
Head type: Hiding emotions behind thinking
Core emotion: Anxiety about needing more knowledge or money
Stress emotion: Anxious distractibility and seeking stimulation
Underlying sadness: Feeling misunderstood or intruded on
Emotional alarm: Staying in your head
How Fives Become Like Jesus
“When we follow Jesus and make our work part of Jesus’ mission, he leads us out of scarcity thinking (like an unhealthy Five) and into abundance thinking (like a healthy Five)” (Healthy Feelings, Thriving Faith, p. 169).
Key Scripture
“And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth” (John 17:3 NLT).
Christlike Virtue to Cultivate
Generosity
Key Soul Care Practice
Bible study as worship
Subsidiary Types
Wing Type(s): Four and/or Six
Stress Type: Seven
Growth Type: Eight
* Learn more and dive deeper into your wings, growth, and stress types with our resource, "Your Enneagram Map: Guides for Each Type to grow Emotionally & Spiritually."
