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Type Fives are seekers of knowledge and wisdom. Type Fours feel emotions deeply and take time to appreciate the beauty of life. In the Enneagram, Type Fives are adjacent to Type Fours. Therefore, some Type Fives share a few of the perspectives of Type Fours. These are known as Type Fives with a Four-wing, or Type 5w4.
Type Fives, knowns as “the Investigators,” are the most cerebral of the Enneagram types. Type Fours seek to cultivate a heart-felt experience of the depths as well as the heights of human experience. A four wing can bring a type five into the heart center. A Type Five with a Four wing is more in touch with their emotions (though they still keep their emotional life very private) and expresses a deeper need for intimate connections with partners and close friends.
Enneagram 5w4 Types are great observers and researchers like type fives, but they tend to be more imaginative and introspective, with artistic or esoteric interests. These solitary creatives value their personal privacy and care very little what society thinks of them. Some of the greatest works of literature and philosophical insights have been achieved by 5w4s, but they are hindered by a reticence that often prevents them from sharing their contributions with the world.
Some of the greatest works of literature and philosophical insights have been achieved by 5w4s, but they are hindered by a reticence that often prevents them from sharing their contributions with the world.
An Enneagram 5w4 is motivated by the pursuit of knowledge, like all Type 5s, but they specifically focus on abstract concepts, deep understanding, meaning making, and “the big picture.”
Here are some of the key traits to a Type 5w4 personality.
Did you know: When unhealthy and stressed, Enneagram 5w4 Types are prone to retreat into their mind and feel alone and low self-worth.
As humans, we all have fears and desires. As a 5w4, it is likely you will share some common fears and desires with other Enneagram 5w4 people.
Core fear: Type 5w4s have a rich inner life. The greatest fear of Type 5w4 is to have this private world exposed.
Core desire: To make a unique and significant cultural or artistic contribution.
Every Enneagram type, even types with wings such as 5w4, has strengths and weaknesses. Here we will list the 5w4 strengths and weaknesses:
| Type 5w4 Strengths | Type 5w4 Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| A healthy balance between knowledge and emotion | Retreating into fantasies |
| Creative problem-solving | Disregard for rules and authority |
| Artistic expression | Performative expression rather than authentic engagement |
| Capable of deep intimate friendships | Feeling misunderstood, operating as loners or “strangers in a strange land” |
When 5w4s balance their intellectual curiosity with their capacity for deep emotions, blending keen observation with passionate interest in life, they can become visionary leaders and artists.
Some Type 5s do not exhibit wing traits significantly enough to say they have a wing. When this happens we say they are a 'core' Type 5. Not all Type 5s have a wing, indeed 5w6 is very rare.
Figure 1: Type 5 vs Type 5w4 vs Type 5w6
What this chart shows
This chart shows that 65.6% of Type 5s do not have a wing type, in other words they are 'core' Type 5s. And 33.3% of Type 5s are 5w4 and only 1.1% are 5w6.
Notes:All personality types are naturally drawn to certain careers over others. Here we have compiled a list of three sectors that Type 1w2s have a proclivity for and three that are likely to clash with a Type 5w4 personality type.
Author
System Analyst
Researcher
Salesperson
Delivery or Passenger Vehicle Driver
Professional Athlete
Understandably, this career list is not prescriptive. There will be many Enneagram Type 5w4 careers that are successful and in the 'not recommended' sectors.
These famous individuals have the personality Type 5w4. Are you also 5w4? Do you recognize any personality similarities you can relate to?
Albert Einstein
20th Century German Theoretical Physicist and Astronomer
Nikola Tesla
Nineteenth Century Serbian-American Engineer and Inventor
Jordan Peterson
Contemporary Canadian Psychologist and Neuroscientist.
Friedrich Nietzsche
German Philosopher
Stanley Kubrick
Film Director (Science Fiction)
Stephen King
American Author
Emily Dickinson
Nineteenth Century American Poet
Our research is always ongoing so please let us know if you think we've missed a noteworthy Type 5w4 worth highlighting.
University of Chichester, Advanced Applied Psychology
Chloe Yarwood, MSc in Advanced Applied Psychology from University of Chichester. Specialist in personality type theory and developing valid personality questionnaires.
Type 5 Celebrities
