Enneagram and Politics - What’s in Store for a Type 5 Politician?

Let us continue this exploratory session of how certain Enneagram Types would fare well as politicians. As the clock ticks, we are closer to the fateful agenda of election day in Singapore of 2020.

We often see various leaders being publicised (and criticised) in the past, present, and even future. More often than not, campaigning candidates will already present a perception for the world stage to judge.

Pleasing everyone is near impossible and this is a reminder to all that each of the 9 Enneagram Types has the capability to be the captain of a ship. However, it truly is dependent on the Type’s self-mastery and how each step they take will be for the greater good.

Today, we will shed light on Type 5s and we will investigate and observe how they could behave in the political arena.

Understanding Type 5’s Essence

Type 5s are a curious and insightful bunch. Hoarding knowledge like a camel’s relationship with water, they are able to concentrate and focus on developing complex ideas and hone specific skillsets. With that said, their worldview is: “I need to be in the know, while conserving scarce resources.”

Being self-sufficient and independent comes at a cost of emotional detachment. Their guards remain up to prevent against any form of intrusion of personal space because active participation and interaction with others can be draining. Being curious, Type 5s would rather observe and learn; leaving them rather uncaring for the emotions of others.

All in all, at their best, Type 5s are visionary pioneers and often ahead of their time, which could possibly be what we all need especially in this post-pandemic world.

Type 5 Strengths:

The thirst for knowledge is real. They are highly motivated by their desire to accumulate knowledge. Being innovative and inventive can lead them to be preoccupied with their thoughts and have very vivid imaginations. This allows Type 5s to the world in a wholly new way.
Social validation is unimportant. They pursue mastery of knowledge they feel is of use and distinguishes them from the rest. The need to master a particular field of expertise leaves them laser-focused and unconcerned on how people feel about their endeavours. In fact, they shy away from being too conventional. They are also great at compartmentalisation and this can easily translate to them not caring about social validation.
What crisis? Because 5s view their resources as scarce, they tend to conserve time, energy, resources, and knowledge. This tendency results in the ability to listen and be supportive of others while resisting the potential dramatics of emotions. Hence, they are usually calm and objective in a crisis.
You can count on me. They are often reliable and deliver their part provided they are aware of what is expected of them. The requirement to be furnished in full details of the project is crucial to ensure a resounding success on their behalf. One thing about 5s, they never over-promise and they take commitments seriously. Seeing through given tasks naturally gives them high scores on dependability.

Type 5 Weaknesses

Can be cynical and argumentative. If Type 5s are not kept in check with doses of reality, they can easily get lost in their imaginary construct. They begin to take an antagonistic stance towards the world and will behave abrasively to those who are not aligned with their views. 5s naturally compartmentalise and this makes it easier for them to disregard the feelings of others around them.
High-walls and withholding emotions. A lack of emotional involvement puts 5s in a spot where they behave rather impersonal to those around them. Because of their need to not deep-dive into a well of emotions as it could be taxing, they will appear aloof and find comfort in keeping to themselves. All in all, they may come off as arrogant and easily classified as lacking empathy. Not showing enough care may weaken relationships with 5s especially when this is coupled with regulated facial expressions (understand their need to conserve emotions when and where they can).
Slow in taking action. They tend to dwell so much on the information they have gathered. Because it is so important for 5s to get things right, project launches, for example, tend to get delayed because of the low confidence vote they may have and would rather wont for more time then to take the leap and let fate take charge.
Stingy with resources. They readily guard their thoughts, feelings and property in the perpetual fight for private survival. Volunteering to offer information is hard for them to accomplish. This can be perceived as lack of care and comes across as being selfish. Also, Type 5s tend to withdraw easily, taking back whatever resources they have put forth before.

What are the gifts a Type 5 politician bring to the table?

Decision-making is important in making policy making and ruling a nation. Type 5s need to investigate and research will allow them access to a host of information which is crucial before making an important choice. Should this be the case after the whole world has experience a pandemic and along with the rise of technology, there are so many ways to tackle an issue. Would a Type 5’s approach of deep observation give a solid solution to many of our existing societal problems today? Pivoting strategies with insightful data is something they are skilled at.

One great thing about them: They know what they’re doing, especially after a long process of analysing, studying and strategising. Now, all they require is a full team to march forward together.

Examples of Type 5 Leaders

Of course these leaders have never done our Enneagram Tests but they’re believed to be Type 5s by many Enneagram teachers based on their beliefs, values, traits, and actions through historical and interview records.

(From left to right: Albert Einstein, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg; all leaders in their own right)

What do these leaders have in common? You can agree it is their way of thinking that has led to revolutionary activities in the field of science, the rapid expansion of personal mobile technology, and the latest addition to our social circles: a community platform that can connect to people as far as the world wide web is able to reach. Their fascination with a focused subject has brought about life-changing concepts to everyone.

Wouldn’t you agree they are also ‘politicians’ in their respective industries?

We will continue to explore another Enneagram Type and what they can bring into the political arena tomorrow.

Curious about your Enneagram type? Here’s a quick overview of the 9 Types. I know reading through these descriptions can be confusing. So save yourself from second-guessing and figure out your type with the help of our online test.

Curious about your Enneagram type? Here’s a quick overview of the 9 Types. I know reading through these descriptions can be confusing. So save yourself from second-guessing and figure out your type with the help of our online test.