The Enneagram Type 6 (The Loyalist)

In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about Enneagram Type 6 archetypes. From the definition of the Enneagram, examples and why it is useful.

What is The Enneagram Type 6? (The Loyalist)

The type six personality is known as the Loyalist (or sometimes also as the Sceptic) and is defined by a strong need for safety and security in their life.

These types of individuals are determined to anticipate and avoid risk at all costs.

In order to achieve this they will seek to align and ally themselves with institutions and people they see as trustworthy.

They are always vigilant, on the lookout for potential dangers, and as a result, exist in a state of alertness.

They try always to anticipate and think ahead in order to allow them to be prepared in the event that things go wrong.

Their greatest fears in life are that they may be unprepared and when in danger unable to defend themselves from harm.

As a coping mechanism, they try to prepare for all eventualities.

How do Enneagram Type 1 individuals act?

The type six personality is very loyal to both their family and friends, and also to their own beliefs.

They are prepared to sacrifice themselves for others and will cling to relationships where other individuals would have given up long before.

Once they have determined that they believe in something or have an idea about something they will stick to that belief through thick and thin, even if that means questioning and/or defying authority and the status quo.

They can be rebels and even revolutionary, standing up to authority when they believe it does not act for the common good.

Often they will be prepared to fight for the things they believe in, for their family, for their community and for their society more than they would actually be willing to fight on their own behalf.

Enneagram Type 1 individuals and fear

However, this loyalty stems from a deep fear inside of the type six personality of abandonment and being without support.

This comes from a lack of self-confidence, believing that they are not capable of dealing with the challenges which life will throw at them on their own due to something lacking within them internally.

As a result of this lack of confidence and fear of being alone, they come to rely on external belief systems, structure and support for guidance on how to navigate and survive the world.

Where they perceive that the support systems they need do not already exist they will try to create and keep them, for example through creating and maintaining their own family and circle of friends.

Enneagram Type 1 individuals and judgement

Type six personalities have trouble accessing their own internal guidance which means that they doubt their own judgement and minds.

Despite this, they think and worry excessively. They fret about making important decisions but they do not want other people to make such decisions on their behalf.

The type six person fears being controlled, whether by other people or by authority, but despite this fear of control they also fear taking responsibility in case it puts their neck on the block.

Type six people are conscious of their own anxieties and as a result of this, they try to develop defences against them.

They believe that having backup in the form of society will allow them to progress with some confidence rather than having to stick their neck out alone.

However, where these social defences fall apart they are prone to self-doubt and anxiety.

Darkside of Enneagram Type 6 personalities

Type six individuals are keen to build up a network around them of people and institutions which they can trust, but they do this against a background of their own fears and instability.

Filled with anxiety of uncertain cause, they struggle to understand what it is that is the cause of their fears in an attempt to find something solid and stable in their lives.

In trying to do so they can attach themselves to explanations that they believe explain the cause of their anxiety or the situation in which they find themselves.

However, because they find ‘belief’ so difficult to get to, they find it difficult once they have established it to be able to question it, or to allow others to question it on their behalf, giving rigidity to their beliefs which others will observe.

As with the rigidity of the beliefs they develop, the same applies to the people that the type six personality comes to trust.

Once they believe that they can trust an individual then they will go to extremes to maintain that connection, using them as a regulator for their own behaviour and a mentor to guide them in life.

They will do all that they can to keep the association going and are very reluctant to ever question whether the loyalty remains deserved once earned.

Enneagram Type 6 Growth

Type six personalities have a tendency to move backwards and forward between the various influences which act most strongly on them at a given moment in time.

They are reactive in nature meaning that they are also contradictory.

They have strengths and weaknesses, are brave and fearful, are aggressive and passive, are defensive and offensive, are team players and individualistic, are trusting and sceptical, are generous and mean, are cooperative and awkward etc.

The key feature of a type six is that they are full of contradictions.

Their biggest problem in navigating the world is that they attempt to create a safe environment in which to exist without dealing with their insecurities.

If they can learn to deal with these effectively and learn that the world will always constantly be changing then they will be more able to deal effectively with the uncertainties of life and find peace.

Enneagram Type 6 Characteristics & Traits

  • Strong identification with a social group
  • Loyal to family and friends
  • Loyal to their own beliefs
  • Organized
  • Popular
  • Good at budgeting
  • Good team player
  • Has a close group of friends
  • Good communicator
  • Detail-oriented
  • Precise
  • Committed
  • Security oriented
  • Responsible
  • Anxious
  • Engaging
  • Sceptical
  • Suspicious
  • Rebellious
  • Anti-authoritarian
  • Fear being controlled
  • Struggle with decision making
  • Worry
  • Aware of their own anxieties
  • Rigidity in their beliefs
  • Reactive
  • Contradictory

Enneagram Type 6 Examples

There are numerous famous examples of type six personalities throughout history, including:

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