You know that each Enneagram type has the wings to ‘flavor’ their personalities. With the Observer, there is The Philosopher which is the 5w4, and there is The Troubleshooter which is the 5w6. Let’s talk about The Philosopher and the traits.
5w4 The Philosopher
If your dominant wing is 4, then you are The Philosopher. You will possess most of the traits of The Observer, but you will have some traits of The Individualist as well. Therefore, you will have a strong curiosity and have a strong desire to keep learning and gaining knowledge. You are also highly creative. You do need to recharge and reflect often as you need plenty of alone time. You are a lot more expressive and emotional than other Type 5s.
Your biggest fear is not feeling competent like other Type 5s so you overcompensate by learning new skills. That is what helps you feel ‘worthy’. Like other Type 5s, you also prefer to be alone and you work the best when you are alone. There is that risk of isolation, however. Now, let’s go over and talk about Type 5w6, The Troubleshooter.
5w6 The Troubleshooter
The Troubleshooter is the 5w6 where you would share most of the traits of The Observer and have some traits of The Loyal Cynic. You are quite logical as well as practical, and you are highly independent. You are also more cooperative than others who have your Enneagram type. Additionally, you have a strong desire to help solve problems with the world.
You are also highly analytical and are good at making decisions that are based on logic and not emotion. Even though you are more sociable than other Type 5s, you still have a preference for working alone. You need that alone time to think as you feel you can think the most clearly when you are by yourself. You still have that fear of not being competent if you don’t gain enough knowledge and skills to help others like other Type 5s. And when you are stressed, you also are the type to withdraw.
Those are the key traits of either wing of The Observer. The wing that you identify the most is the one that is dominant. The easy way to know what wing you likely are is if you ask yourself this question. ‘Am I more creative or more practical?’. The one that resonates with you the most is likely your dominant wing.
