Take our quick free test to discover your Enneagram type and learn more about what it means.
Free Enneagram Test
Page contents:
Type Sevens believe in creating beautiful and pleasurable experiences. Type Eights focus on securing luxuries and comforts for themselves and those they care about. In the Enneagram, Type Sevens are adjacent to Type Eights. Therefore, some Type Sevens share a few of the traits, motives, and fears of Type Eight. These are known as Type Sevens with an Eight Wing, or Type 7w8.
Type Sevens are playful and dreamy, while Type Eights are down to earth. Type Sevens usually rely on their quick wits and creative minds to create the situations they desire while Type Eights rely on their strength and willpower, but both are assertive in going for what they want. So an Enneagram Type 7 wing 8 is unstoppable.
"Realists", Type 7w8, are generally more independent than Type Sevens with a six wing. Their humor can be pretty off-beat and sometimes biting. They strive for material success and are often highly accomplished. The tough resilience of Type Eight gives them a thicker skin, allowing them to take greater risks without as much fear of getting hurt. They don't care much what others think, although they are not averse to attracting the attention of people who admire their care-free approach.
In their determination to accomplish goals, Type Sevens can easily rationalize hurting those they perceive as standing in their way. Type 7w8 are good at distracting themselves from regrets, but pain eventually catches up with them – both their own as well as that of friends, admirers, and loved ones who may have suffered for standing in their path.
Although they tend to be practical and strategic thinkers, with superb organization skills, Enneagram Type 7 wing 8 often have outrageous tastes for the bizarre as well as for the sumptuous.
A healthy Enneagram 7w8 is an energetic and adventurous individual with a thirst for excitement and new experiences. This combination of traits makes them a natural leader and motivator, inspiring others to follow their lead in pursuit of their dreams and aspirations.
Here are some of the key traits to a Type 7w8 personality.
Did you know: When unhealthy and stressed, Enneagram 7w8 Types are prone to become more perfectionistic and critical of themselves and others.
Enneagram types have fears and desires - things to avoid and things to seek.
Core Fear: Type 7w8s fear a lack of new opportunities for experiences:
Core desire: Type 7w8s are driven to realize their dreams. In particular, they desire:
| Type 7w8 Strengths | Type 7w8 Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Setting and achieving goals | Can become aggressive and domineering |
| Clear and direct communication | Lack of sensitivity to feelings of others |
| Strategic thinking and organization | Blunt in communication |
| Generosity | Lack of patience |
Type Sevens know exactly what they want in life. Their ability to single-mindedly pursue goals despite obstacles, setbacks, and bad press inspires the admiration of many.
Some Type 7s do not exhibit wing traits significantly enough to say they have a wing. When this happens we say they are a 'core' Type 7. Not all Type 7s have a wing, as we see in our research results below.
Figure 1: Type 7 vs Type 7w6 vs Type 7w8
What this chart shows
This chart shows that 89.2% of Type 7s do not have a wing type, in other words they are 'core' Type 7s. We see that 6.7% of Type 7s are 7w6 and 4.1% are 7w8.
Notes:All personality types are naturally drawn to certain careers over others. Here we have compiled a list of three sectors that Type 7w8s have a proclivity for and three that are likely to clash with a Type 7w8 personality type.
Travel Writer
Sales Manager
Motivational Speaker
Administrative Assistant
Debt counselor
Librarian
Understandably, this career list is not prescriptive. There will be many Enneagram Type 7w8 careers that are successful and in the 'not recommended' sectors.
These famous individuals have the personality Type 7w8. Are you also 7w8? Do you recognize any personality similarities you can relate to?
Sacha Baron Cohen
British actor and comedian
Elon Musk
Canadian-South African inventor and entrepreneur
Quentin Tarantino
American film director
Boris Johnson
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
John F. Kennedy
American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States
Neil deGrasse Tyson
American astrophysicist and Science Communicator
Thomas Muller
German professional football/soccer player
Our research is always ongoing so please let us know if you think we've missed a noteworthy Type 7w8 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 7w6
