Curious About Enneagram Type 6? Here's Everything To Know About This Personality

From the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to the Big 5 personality assessment, who doesn't love a good personality test? The Enneagram is another popular personality system that categorizes people into one of nine types based on how you answer a series of introspective questions.

Type 6's, or the "Loyalists" of the Enneagram, prioritize feeling safe and secure in the world. They have a way of focusing on worst-case scenarios, so they get a reputation for being scaredy-cats—but in truth, they can actually be quite brave when it really counts, especially with regard to a cause they care about.

"Experts of preparation, 6's are always on a lookout for what could go wrong," explains Enneagram coach Jay Martynov, adding, "The Loyalist type of stress can be triggered by [anticipating] an upcoming event or a situation they have not encountered before."

And according to Enneagram educator and relationship coach Julie Nguyen tells mindbodygreen, type 6's may also lack an internal compass they can trust on. "As a result, they tend to feel anxious, reactive, worried and unmoored—and they look for a steady foundation to stand on. They tend to look for systems, structures, established beliefs, and trusted friends to establish safety and reassurance" she explains.

For this type, their greatest fear is fear itself, and namely being without any support or guidance to confront those fears. Because of this, Nguyen notes, they can definitely be worry-warts, but it simultaneously makes them excellent troubleshooters.

In their relationships, Enneagram 6's make reliable, dependable, and loyal partners who will be there for you through thick and thin. According to Nguyen, you can always count on a 6 partner, as they're trustworthy, thoughtful, and always prepared.

"They care deeply about nurturing their connections to their loved ones, with a warm presence that feels akin to a safe harbor for their partners to return home to," Nguyen says, adding that 6's want that stability and warmth to be reciprocated.

And if it's not, she says, their fear of being abandoned could likely come up. "They can overcompensate in being hypervigilant in forecasting future problems," she says, further making them skeptical, risk-averse, and insecure. They may also require constant reassurance, since they place faith in other systems and people instead of themselves she adds.

If you're dating a 6, according to Nguyen, it's going to be important to stay steady in the face of their fears and concerns so they know they can lean on them for support. "6's appreciate partners who listen to their anxious thoughts and encourage them to find their own inner guidance," she adds.

In terms of compatibility, it's important to note that any two Enneagram types can make a relationship work if they're both committed to understanding each other and growing together. However, Nguyen says, she tends to see Enneagram 6's pair well with Enneagram 9's.

According to Nguyen, the biggest misconception around Enneagram 6's is that they are mainly anxious and scared. They are security-driven, yes, but they're also the type marked with the most contradiction.

According to Enneagram educator and author of The Enneagram & You, Gina Gomez, Enneagram 6's benefit from empowering workouts that help them get out of their worrying mind and into their bodies.

As she previously wrote for mindbodygreen, because they're so suspicious and spend a great deal of time worrying about future outcomes, empowering workouts can help build their confidence (i.e. kickboxing or long-distance running). "These types of skill-building activities could help them gain a sense of how strong and accomplished they can be. It would also encourage them to trust in their inherent abilities," she explains.

And as Martynov adds, while preparing for the situation is useful, 6's need to couple their plans with the mantra: I will do my best to prepare, and the rest is up to the universe. "In other words, 6's need to define their readiness criteria so it does not become a moving target; Otherwise, it will lead to exhaustion," he says.