Enneagram 2s: Seven things you need to know

When I first stumbled upon the Enneagram, I had no idea what to think. I mean there are nine different types or lenses through which we see the world and if that’s not enough, you can go deeper with wings, and arrows, and subtypes. In my own personal journey, when I applied the Gospel to the map of the Enneagram, I found a tool that helped me build self-awareness of where I was at, identify what was holding me back in becoming who God made me to be, and the steps to take to build thriving and strong relationships with God, myself, and others.

All of that to say, I think it might be helpful - whether you’re new to the Enneagram or have been following along for a while - to cover each of the nine types. Our focus today is Enneagram Type 2s, also known as the Helper. So if you’re ready to learn more about the Helper for yourself or to understand someone you love, I’ve got you covered with seven things you need to know.

1. At Their Best

   Our type 2 friends at their best are loving, compassionate, nurturing, generous, and supportive. They thrive on connecting with their people and helping others.

2. At Their Worst

   The Enneagram is an equal opportunity tool and will not only reveal your superpower, but also what happens when your strengths get overdone. At their worst - when their strengths are overdone - Type 2s can be intrusive, indirect, manipulative needy, possessive, and overly accommodating.

3. Core Fear

   When seeking to identify your type, one of the most important things to pay attention to is your core fear and which one you resonate with the most. The Type 2s core fear is the fear of being unloved or unwanted for being themselves.

4. Core Desire

   Type 2s’ core desire is to feel loved and being wanted for being themselves.

5. Core Weakness

   This can also be called the emotional struggle. For type 2s, the core weakness is called pride, but not always in how we think of pride. Because they want to be loved and valued for who they really are, type 2s reflect pride as an inability or unwillingness to acknowledge their own needs and suffering. They deny their own needs and serve the needs of others.

6. Growth & Stress

   All types on the Enneagram have arrows for growth and stress. These arrows indicate another type’s traits that you can take on during these circumstances. For type 2s, they tend to take on the average to unhealthy traits of type 8 and can become irritable, and agressive — blaming others and making demands.

   When they are growing spiritually, emotionally, and relationally, type 2s tend to take on some of the traits of a healthy type 4. They become more self-nurturing and compassionate toward themselves, and become more emotionally aware.

7. The Message Their Heart Longs to Hear

   Each Enneagram type has a wounded childhood message that helps form their type and a message their heart longs to hear. For our type 2 friends, their wounded message is “It is not okay to have their own needs” and they long to hear “You are wanted and loved”.

There you have it. Seven things you need to know about type 2s, the Helpers. Here’s the thing I love about the Enneagram. It helps us understand why we do what we do and why our people do what they do. It can help you walk in the fullness of who God made you to be and thrive in your relationship with God, yourself, and others. If this resonates with you, and you’d like to learn more, I’d love to chat. I offer a free 30 minute discovery session to answer all your questions about the Enneagram and what your next steps might be for learning more.