The INFP In The Enneagram

Today I’m continuing my series on the MBTI Enneagram variations and how each MBTI type experiences the Enneagram traumas differently. The struggles of the Enneagram are universal. We have all experienced shame, fear, and anxiety at some point in our life. But the reasons for why we felt that way may differ, and your fears and anxieties may be unique to you and to some extent, also shared by people of your own MBTI type. I believe each Enneagram can teach you what it is in yourself that you are struggling the most to make peace with.

INFP Enneagram 1

The perfectionism of Enneagram 1 is mostly manifested in the INFPs creative process. The INFP-1 will sometimes feel that their ideas should be objective and realistic, that their intuition and their ability to scout out options will only have value if the idea can be clearly defined, explained, and measured in a way a Thinker would understand. The INFP is, however, a deeply intrapersonal personality type, and they are far better at drawing existential value from their ideas.

INFP Enneagram 2

INFPs, especially the 2s, will often find a strong sense of pride in their authenticity and character: they can be proud of being virtuous, for doing what is right, and for trusting their individuality. The number one trap of wanting to be authentic is believing their past self is more authentic than the future self. In other words, the person they used to be is more human, more real, than who they have the potential to become.

INFP Enneagram 3

The vanity of the three comes off in particular in the INFP-3s focus on developing their unique character; their unique sense of self that will make them stand out from the crowd. The INFP-3 will think the only way to gain attention and fame is by developing a more loud, cool, and street-smart personality. The INFP-3 sees fame as a way to support their passion, arguing that it can somehow help them forward their strong ethics.

INFP Enneagram 4

At times, INFP-4s can be envious of those people that do what they want without the same concern for ethics and right & wrong. The Enneagram 4 INFP might look at these people and wonder, “Why do they have it so good, and I so bad?” They might find themselves overly idealizing this kind of behavior and the people who can pull it off. At the same time, they feel preoccupied with their own values and interests, and they believe they can’t achieve the same happiness as others because of their interests and values. This is not true.

INFP Enneagram 5

An INFP-5 struggles with stinginess in the sense that the INFP-5 feels they lack qualities or worth to offer the world. The INFP-5 is working hard to gain and develop these powers so that in the future, they can become more important. The INFP-5 is too critical, too narrow, in their definition of ability. They believe that ability is something a lot more traditional, simple, and logical than it really is. The INFP-5 often struggles to recognize their strengths as Intuitives, Feelers, and Perceivers.

INFP Enneagram 6

INFP-6s struggle with overthinking, as they are constantly trying to make logical sense of a complex and profound life. The INFP distrusts what they feel and know intuitively, and the INFP-6 disregards their values and power too much. There is an insecurity here, as the INFP-6 will be trying to overcompensate for their perceived lack of ability, power, and strength. The INFP-6 has yet to learn that they have their own powers: powers of listening, noticing, and powers of individuality. There can be a tendency here to overthink relationships, friendships, and opportunities, and a need to find a logical explanation for why things happen. In reality, all an INFP-6 needs to do to gain this understanding is to reach out and feel it.

INFP Enneagram 7

The INFP-7 is typically dealing with a very restless and unsatisfied Intuition, a wild creativity, the eagerness to understand, and a profound curiosity. Intuition is not the problem so much as the rush of Intuition – the desire to learn everything too fast. In this rush, the INFP may disregard the process of evaluating the truths they gain. The INFP-7 may be absorbing tons of information, without thinking about how this information relates to their values. And the dissatisfaction and restlessness of the 7 is a direct result of this lack of processing truth.

INFP Enneagram 8

The INFP-8 has a powerful, but ungrounded Intuition and Feeling. There is a lot of creativity and Authenticity (Fi) in the INFP-8, but a lack of self-reflection and introspection. The INFP-8 may be rushing into situations and exploring ideas without taking the time to use their foresight and higher awareness to understand the consequences. There is no problem with wanting, but there is a problem with wanting things that are not for you. Your ideas and values do not always have to translate into real opportunities.

INFP Enneagram 9

For INFP-9s, there is a feeling of confusion as they engage in intuition that is not their own, as they entertain other people’s perspectives and thoughts, and obsess about how other people think and see things to the detriment of their own viewpoints. We can never know for sure what is going on in other people’s heads – but the INFP-9 may, for example due to a conflict between their parents, find themselves constantly thinking about everyone but themselves. This can be to intercept problems and possible sensitive topics before they come up and to avoid conflict, but it also becomes a major block for the INFP-9 in gaining personal understanding and awareness of their feelings and interests.

INFP Enneagram Social Subtype

INFP-Social Subtypes often experience anxiety about their ability to manage people and crowds, to deal with community-related issues, and to hold presentations and events. Social pressure is difficult for an INFP-So who is blending in, or being one with the group. Social subtype INFPs often feel that to blend like this, they need to withhold their interests, Intuition, creativity, and existential musings, and expose their personal values to stress and unsettling compromise. Often, to overcome these issues, the INFP-So needs to learn to appreciate the value of who they are, their unique self, even in large groups and established communities with a strong pressure to conform.

INFP Enneagram Sexual Subtype

When it comes to the experience of closeness and intimacy, I think many INFP-Sexual subtypes believe they need to be overly kind and accommodating to others. There is an attachment to a traditional romantic ideal. INFP friends have told me they felt pressure to be “extra girly” or “extra manly” at the expense of their creative, liberal, and quirky selves. INFP-Sx types may hold on extra tight to significant routines and patterns in dating and romance, and while they can find closeness and intimacy because of this, they can often struggle to maintain an interest if their Intuition becomes too suppressed.

INFP Enneagram Self-Preservation Subtype

If an INFP experiences fears related to self-preservation – for example, a feeling of not being safe or comfortable with their life or with the situation they are in – the INFP will start to withhold their powers and abilities somewhat. As an INFP, it is easy then to withdraw into a fantasy world, exploring existential and ethical musings and dwelling on problems and issues in their life. The INFP-Sp may feel that, until they have found a better answer or understanding, they can’t expose themselves to the chaos of the world. The Self-Pres INFP may also be overly attached to peace and security and will find themselves so devoted to maintaining good in the world that they keep themselves from truly living life.

Want to Learn More About the Enneagram? Check out:

Enneagram Roadmap