There are several songs that are emblematic of each enneagram type. They are amusing to hear, and I often use type-based music in enneagram trainings to give people a different sense of each type. Here are the ones I use most often, including some key lyrics. When played with the melody, they are even more illuminating than the words alone.One | Maybe You’re Right (Cat Stevens)
Now maybe you’re right and maybe you’re wrong
But I ain’t gonna argue with you no more
I’ve done it for too long.Two | Getting to Know You (Julie Andrews)
Getting to know you
Getting to know all about you
Getting to like you
Getting to hope you like me
Three | Nobody Does It Better (Carly Simon)
Nobody does it better
Makes me feel sad for the rest
Nobody does it half as good as you
Baby, you’re the best
Four | Yesterday (The Beatles)
Oh yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away
Now I need a place to hide away
Oh I believe in yesterday
Five | You Don’t Know Me (Ray Charles)
You give your hand to me
And then you say hello
And I can hardly speak
My heart is beating so
And anyone can tell
You think you know me well
But you don’t know me (no you don’t know me)
Six | Maybe I’m Doing It Wrong (Randy Newman)
Maybe I’m doing it wrong
Maybe I’m doing it wrong
It just don’t move me
The way that it should
Maybe I’m doing it wrong
Seven | Don’t Worry, Be Happy (Bobby McFerrin)
Here’s a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don’t worry, be happy
In every life we have some trouble
But when you worry you make it double
Don’t worry, be happy
Don’t worry, be happy now
Eight | Steamroller (James Taylor)
Well, I’m a steamroller, baby
I’m bound to roll all over you
Yes, I’m a steamroller, baby
I’m bound to roll all over you
Nine | Sitting by the Dock of the Bay (Otis Redding)
Sittin’ in the mornin’ sun
I’ll be sittin’ when the evenin’ come
Watching the ships roll in
And then I watch ’em roll away again, yeah
I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay
Watching the tide roll away
Ooo, I’m just sittin’ on the dock of the bay
Wastin’ time
Ginger Lapid-Bogda PhD, the author of six best-selling Enneagram-business books, is a speaker, consultant, trainer, and coach. She provides certification programs for professionals around the world who want to bring the Enneagram into organizations with high-impact business applications, and is past-president of the International Enneagram Association. Visit her website: TheEnneagramInBusiness.com. ginger@theenneagraminbusiness.com
Always said I was a good kid
Always said I had a way with words
Never knew I could be speechless
Don’t know how I’ll ever break this curse
Ones, the Reformers, care about being ethical and all-around good individuals, and “Burn It Down” is an anthem for those who have always tried to be good but are now feeling slightly disillusioned. Listeners can either choose to interpret the call to burn it down as burning down this concept of being good or burning down their disillusionment. Either way, it’s an emotional track that you’ll undoubtedly put on repeat.
I wanna be there for you, honey
Working my job and making money
I wanna be cool for you, baby
But I’m just a fool for you, girl
But you know you’re my world
Twos are the Helpers, desiring to be loved and needed, often attaining this by taking care of their loved ones. These caretakers intensely love, and this song perfectly captures Twos’ hearts. It acknowledges that “there’s nothing wrong with being strong,” but the singer can’t help but want to take care of the person they love.
I’m giving out light like Cassiopeia
I’m covered in white like Cassiopeia
And I’m gonna take flight like Cassiopeia
I’m gonna switch on the light like Cassiopeia
This song is all about wanting to be significant and great, much like the constellation Cassiopeia (and the vain Greek goddess the constellation was named after whoops). LAYLA sings of waiting for “what seems like an age / to feel a feeling like this…I never thought it’d be so good.” Threes, as the Achievers who desire affirmation, attention, and feeling valuable, can relate to this search for significance.
4. Type Four — “Kitchen Sink” by twenty øne piløts.
I’m a kitchen sink
You don’t know what that means
Because a kitchen sink to you
Is not a kitchen sink to me, okay, friend?
Since I’m a Four myself, this song resonates with me. Individualists care about expressing themselves and creating an identity, and this whole song is about that very topic. Tyler Joseph (whom I join with my sister in suspecting of being a fellow Four) implores listeners to embrace their individuality and personal struggles and to transform it into art. It can be worthless writing or a wordless painting, but creating will cause purpose to surface and could be the beginning of defeating your demons.
I’d sell my soul
To discover things unknown
Set fire to all that’s cold
Watch the world unfold
But the truth is that I’m terrified
There’s nobody on the other side
There has never been a reason for this life
Fives, the Investigators, want to possess the knowledge and understand the world around them so as to better protect themselves. Their basic desire is to be capable and competent, which only happens through accumulating knowledge. However, the flip side of discovering the truth is that it’s not always pretty. While I do believe there’s Somebody on the other side and a reason for this life, this song still confronts the fear Fives may subconsciously feel as they search for knowledge.
You keep my head composed
You keep my head afloat
You give this old man hope
This song starts with acknowledging the “panicked stranger” in the mirror and the desire to “slow down the fear I bleed.” Its chorus lauds the person in their life who helps the singer feel composed, hopeful and centered. Basically, this song is the epitome of what Sixes, the Loyalists, want: to fight against their anxiety and insecurity by feeling secure and supported by their loved ones.
We’re out of the woods
We’re running with wolves
Into the wild again
We’ll never be tamed
We’re singing it out
Running around
We’ll figure it out
Running around
With wolves
“Wolves” is an underrated song for the literal party animal (ew, puns). Sevens, the Enthusiasts, isn’t always the stereotypical party animal, but they do enjoy the worthwhile experiences in life, desiring freedom and happiness. They think they can rationalize their way out of negative circumstances and feelings, preferring to focus on the positive ones. This song could be interpreted as a night out, but it goes deeper than that. It’s about the desire to be adventurous and enjoy life as it comes—exactly what Sevens want.
They say I’m a dangerous man
Better run as fast as you can
Don’t you look back
Every bone in my body’s bad
Fire’s burning, the skies are turning black
They say I’m a dangerous man
Eights are the Challengers, the self-reliant, powerful types who want to prove their strength, dominate their environment, and stay in control of the situation. “Dangerous Man” is the Eight’s warning to everyone else: “Don’t test me. Don’t cross me. Don’t try to control me. I’m far too dangerous to mess with.” Every one of their bones is bad, y’all; you better steer clear (or just try not to make their decisions for them).
Hush now, baby, don’t you cry
I’mma sing you to sleep tonight
I know it’s strange and hard to grasp
The fact that we can’t understand
The meaning of this life
But if we learn to look between the lines
I think that if we open our eyes
We’re gonna see the sunrise
Everything, everything’s gonna be alright
As the Peacemakers, Nines are concerned with maintaining harmony in their environments and within themselves, achieving inner stability and their own peace of mind. This song is a peppy anthem and proclamation that everything will be fine in the Nine’s life and in the lives of their loved ones. Even if the Nine don’t understand how things will work out, their comfort with paradoxes helps them cope with the ambiguity of the situation.
“Without discipline, there’s no life at all.” – Katharine Hepburn
Principled, conscientious, and disciplined, the One is often called “The Perfectionist” or “The Reformer.” These types strive to live with a great deal of integrity and usually feel called to a higher purpose. They repress their anger in hopes of being “good,” and they work hard in hopes of being blameless. If they are unhealthy they can be incredibly self-righteous and inflexible. But at their best, Ones are accepting, grounded, and extraordinarily wise. Their desire for integrity and truth makes them inspiring leaders and role models.
“To be a revolutionary you have to be a human being. You have to care about people who have no power.” – Jane Fonda
“I’ve still got to do something to help, however tiny it is. I always think of the old Hebrew saying, which is translated roughly into, ‘He who saves one life saves the world,’ because it’s pretty ghastly to think of all the people we’re not saving.”– Vanessa Redgrave
“Some people regard discipline as a chore. For me, it’s a kind of order that sets me free to fly.” – Julie Andrews
“I’m a perfectionist, so my bossiness definitely comes out.” – Emma Watson
“My dad’s a doctor, and when I was 8, I went to one of his medical conferences where they were demonstrating laser surgery on a chicken. I was so mad that a chicken had to die, I never ate meat again.” – Natalie Portman
“I don’t think you can ever be bitter about anything, because if you don’t allow your heart to stay open, then all you have is a filled heart of hate and bitterness, and you’re never able to love or like anybody.” – Debbie Reynolds
Generous and open-hearted, Twos want to spread feelings of positivity and compassion wherever they go. They want to do what is best for others, but sometimes they do this at the expense of their own well-being. At healthy and average levels they offer love freely and generously, happy to help out when it’s needed. At unhealthy levels, they give so that they can get love in return. When Twos grow in maturity and learn to love themselves, they become deeply unselfish, joyful, gracious, and sincere. When they are unhealthy they can be manipulative, coercive, resentful, and dealers of guilt rather than givers of joy.
“I like joy; I want to be joyous; I want to have fun on the set; I want to wear beautiful clothes and look pretty. I want to smile, and I want to make people laugh. And that’s all I want. I like it. I like being happy. I want to make others happy.” – Doris Day
“I always just thought if you see somebody without a smile, give ‘em yours!” – Dolly Parton
“I am the model middle child. I am patient and I like to take care of everyone. Being called nice is a compliment. It’s not a boring way to describe me.” – Jennifer Garner
The Enneagram Three – The High-Achieving Celebrity
Photo Credit To: Gage Skidmore
“I love what I do. I take great pride in what I do. And I can’t do something halfway, three-quarters, nine-tenths. If I’m going to do something, I go all the way.” – Tom Cruise
Driven, hard-working, and image-oriented, Threes are one of the more frequent types found in Hollywood. They know how to market and advertise themselves well, and they’re aware of the things that will or won’t hurt their reputation. Typically high-energy and friendly, Threes enjoy being part of something exciting and large-scale. When they’re unhealthy, they are fixated on their image to a reckless degree. They become exploitative, unprincipled, and opportunistic in pursuit of success. When they’re healthy they are authentic, visionary, benevolent, and high-spirited.
“Before I was a year old I walked and talked and I was even potty-trained. When I started going to school I think I got on everyone’s nerves because I used to ask adult questions rather than settle for the stuff they usually fed kids.” – Sharon Stone
“Surround yourself only with people who are going to take you higher.” – Oprah Winfrey
“I don’t know what my calling is, but I want to be here for a bigger reason. I strive to be like the greatest people who have ever lived.”– Will Smith
The Enneagram Four – The Artist Celebrity
Photo Credit To: Nicolas Genin
“People say that I make strange choices, but they’re not strange for me. My sickness is that I’m fascinated by human behavior, by what’s underneath the surface, by the worlds inside people.”– Johnny Depp
Deeply creative, Fours are drawn to work that is original and emotionally revealing. Actors of this type frown at anything cliché or formulaic, so they’re often found in independent films with stories that are less run-of-the-mill. Introspective and identity-focused, Fours are highly intuitive about themselves and others and follow their intuition into many varied creative pursuits. If they are actors, they probably have a creative project on the side like painting, sculpting, or playing a musical instrument. When they are unhealthy, Fours are usually self-destructive, despairing, and alienated from themselves or others. When they are healthy, Fours are profound, creative, inspired, compassionate, and emotionally honest.
“Whenever I’m in a situation where I’m wearing the same as 600 other people and doing the same things as 600 other people, looking back, I always found a way to make myself different, whether it be having a red lining inside of my jacket, having red shoes, it hasn’t changed.” – Jeremy Irons
“Always be a first-rate version of yourself instead of a second-rate version of someone else.”– Judy Garland
“I wouldn’t dream of working on something that didn’t make my gut rumble and my heart explode.” – Kate Winslet
“I just knew at an early time in my life how important privacy was.” – Daniel Day-Lewis
Deeply curious and extraordinarily insightful, Fives long to find mastery in a particular field. Often quirky and independent, they don’t want to be tied down to the “image” of celebrity life. They like having their privacy and space and can become reclusive when the world seems to close in on them too tightly. More than anything, actors of this enneatype will look for visionary ways to achieve their goals. They’ll look for screenplays that are original and stimulate their curiosity and help them to learn or explore something new. Many times Fives have an interest in dark or unusual stories and concepts. They believe that by conquering and exploring the darker sides of life they can overcome any anxiety about it. At unhealthy levels, Fives can be detached from reality, self-destructive, and obsessed with threatening and dark ideas. At their best, Fives are visionaries with independent, original ideas. They are open-minded, intuitive, and intelligent.
“I got to read some writings by serial killers, and they got inside my head. They were quite disturbing. I read disturbing stuff about that very detached way of manipulating people to do things.” – Ralph Fiennes
“The story of my life is about back entrances, side doors, secret elevators and other ways of getting in and out of places so that people won’t bother me.” – Greta Garbo
Photo Credit To: Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan
“Some people go to bed at night thinking, ‘That was a good day.’ I am one of those who worries and asks, ‘How did I screw up today?’” – Tom Hanks
Remarkably responsible, Sixes want to feel prepared for absolutely anything life might hurl their way. They live in constant anticipation of what will happen next – trying to foresee possibilities so they are never caught off guard or unprepared. Often anxious and ambivalent, they feel many ways about things. They can go from being rebellious to obedient, gregarious and funny to cranky and negative, and decisive to self-doubting. Sixes dislike being in an anxious, ambivalent state, so they work relentlessly to build a sense of safety and stability in their lives. They aim to appear approachable, down-to-earth, and calm – even if they’re quirky, anxious, or eccentric on the inside. At unhealthy levels, they are self-disparaging, terrified, self-destructive, and authority-seeking. At their best, they are independent but cooperative, reliable, trustworthy, and courageous.
“No compliment is ever sufficient and every insult, of course, is true.” – Jesse Eisenberg
“I’m a catastrophist. I’m always thinking that the worst-case scenario is actually going to happen. So when it does happen, I’m like: ‘Gah! OK! I’m prepared!’” – Robert Pattinson
“I want people to treat me as normally as they can. Anybody who doesn’t, I feel awkward with.” – Daniel Craig
“I feel very adventurous. There are so many doors to be opened, and I’m not afraid to look behind them.”– Elizabeth Taylor
Fun-loving and energetic, Sevens look for possibilities and opportunities at every turn. These types have agile minds and a quick ability to see fun experiences and get involved in them (or make them happen). “Seize the day!” would be the motto of this type. They want to throw themselves into every sight, sound, taste, and possibility that the world has to offer. Deep down, they may be trying to distract themselves from underlying anxieties – but the people around them likely won’t see it. As they grow in maturity, Sevens learn to sit with negative feelings and learn from them. If they are unhealthy, they tend to be hedonistic, impulsive, erratic, and self-destructive. At their best, they are enthusiastic, resilient, grateful, self-aware, and deeply joyous.
“We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.” – Robin Williams
“You get into comedy because you are insecure, and you communicate with the world through comedy to sort of alleviate the tension of those insecurities and to find a way to make people like you other than the way you look or how good you are at sports. I don’t think that really goes away.” – Andy Samberg
“It’s more in my nature to be optimistic, I think. I’m one of those people who gets up on the right side of the bed in the morning. I get up and have a cup of coffee and go to the gym before I talk myself out of it because I will as anybody will.” – Dick van Dyke
“If you want something from an audience, you give blood to their fantasies. It’s the ultimate hustle.” – Marlon Brando
Assertive and self-confident, Eights have a tough, rugged demeanor that is hard to ignore. These types won’t bend who they are to fit in, and they’ll do what they can to protect their vision and sense of independence. “Don’t tread on me” could be the motto of the Eight. They don’t want anyone or anything to have control or power over them, so as actors they tend to pursue roles where they will have some creative freedom. Their take-charge, assertive nature can make them intimidating to some – but it can also give them a powerful on-screen presence. At unhealthy levels, Eights are ruthless, hard-hearted, arrogant, and confrontational. At their best, Eights are patient, courageous, protective, and honorable.
“Courage is being scared to death…and saddling up anyway.” – John Wayne
“Don’t hide your scars. They make you who you are.” – Frank Sinatra
“It never occurred to me that I couldn’t change things that needed changing or couldn’t have what I wanted if I worked hard enough and was good enough.” – Kathleen Turner
The Enneagram Nine – The Zen Celebrity
Photo Credit To: Gordon Correll
“Sometimes we get so caught up in our daily lives that we forget to take the time out to enjoy the beauty in life. It’s like we’re zombies. Look up and take your headphones out. Say “Hi” to someone you see and maybe give a hug to someone who looks like they’re hurting.” – Keanu Reeves
Accepting and supportive, Nines aim to achieve harmony with the world around them. They enjoy connecting with nature, animals, imagination, spirituality – many of the things that other people miss in their hurry. These types have a gift for soothing hurts, healing conflicts, and creating an atmosphere of gentleness and acceptance. At unhealthy levels, Nines can be so focused on harmony that they “tune out” of negative emotions or situations and become oblivious. They can be repressed, disoriented, and neglectful. At their best, Nines are self-possessed, imaginative, creative, empathic, and unpretentious.
“I decided, very early on, just to accept life unconditionally. I never expected it to do anything special for me, yet I seemed to accomplish far more than I had ever hoped. Most of the time it just happened without my ever seeking it.” – Audrey Hepburn
“Forgiveness liberates the soul, it removes fear.” – Morgan Freeman
“I notice that when I’m generous, accepting, and loving toward myself, all that’s reflected out into the world. The more I cut myself slack, the more I don’t judge myself for not being other than I am. The more aware of who I am, see it, honor it, and respect it, the more I do all those things for others. I push them less and I respect their different rhythms.” – Jeff Bridges
Celebrity Enneagram types can be very fun to discover, but perhaps you have some suggestions or ideas to add! Do you relate to the quotes by the celebrities with your Enneatype? Do you have any thoughts or suggestions to add? Let us know in the comments!
Susan Storm is a certified MBTI® practitioner and Enneagram coach. She is the mom of five beautiful children and loves using her knowledge of personality type to understand them and others better! For fun, she enjoys reading fiction, spending time outdoors, or challenging her friends to tabletop board gaming competitions (Settlers of Catan, anyone?)
Green Book (pianist is the 1) Black Swan (Dancer is the 1), CitizenFour (Ed Snowden a One), Gandhi, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Mandela and Leclerk, Mandela: His Life and Times, Invictus (about Mandela), The Iron Lady (Streep, a One, playing a One) Living in the Material World (George Harrison documentary of him), Inconvenient Truth (Gore, a One), Hanna’s Sister (Max Von Syndrow), Chocolat (the Mayor), Mary Poppins, Harry Potter (Hermine), Mandela: Son of Africa, Father of a Nation.
Type Two
I love You Man, Shine (the Dad), The Fan (Robert Deniro), What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (the mom), Fatal Attraction (Glenn Close), Grizzly Man (Timothy Treadwell), Misery (Kathy Bates), Almost Famous (Kate Hudson, and Rolling Stone kid writer), Beautiful Boy (the dad is a Type Two) Harry Potter (Hagrid). Beautiful Boy (the dad)
Type Three
Jerry McGuire, Enron: The Smartest Guy in the Room, Little Miss Sunshine, The Armstrong Lie, I Heart Huckabees (Jude Law), The Talented Mr. Riply (Matt Damon), Catch Me If You Can (Dicapri), Terminator (Three at Level 8), American Beauty (Annette Benning plays a Three), Lady Gaga’s Secret World, Truth or Dare (Madonna), Bill W., Boogie Nights (Jeff Walberg plays a Three), Whiplash (Drummer is a Three). Creed (Michael Jordan the Three) A Star is Born (both Gaga and Cooper)
Type Four
Boyhood (boy is a 4) Don Juan Demarco (Brando and Depp are Fours), What Dreams May Come (the wife is a Four), Big Fish (Son is a Four), House of Sand (Jennifer Connolly), Pollack (Richard Harris), The Piano, Into the Wild, Wizard of Oz, Being John Malkovich, Revolutionary Road (Kate Winslet), Before Night Falls (Four issues), Fur (Nicole Kidman), I Heart Huckabees (Main character), No Direction Home (Bob Dylan), Leonard Cohen Live in London, Frida, West of Memphis (Damian Nichols). Room (the little boy). Beautiful Boy (the son is a Type 4) Words of Love (Leonard Cohen) I’m Your Man (Leonard Cohen)
Type Five
Vivian Maier, Wikileaks: We Sell Secrets (Julian Assauge), Contact (Jodi Foster, Five playing a Five), Lars and the Real Girl, Imitation Game, Parenthood 5 seasons (the young boy), Little Miss Sunshine, Journey of the Universe (Brian Swimme), Encounters at the End of the World (Werner Herzog), Shine (David Helfgott, pianist), Eraserhead, Edward Scissorhands (Tim Burton autobiography), Galazy Quest (the kid), Beautiful Mind (John Nash), Truman (Gnosis), Matrix, Alien, Hitchhikers Guide to Reality, Social Network (Zuckerberg the Five), Into the Abyss (Werner Herzog), Big Bang Theory (Sheldon), Contact, Love and Mercy (Brian Wilson story)
Type Six
Malcolm X, Capitalism, Sicko, Fahrenheit 9/11 (Michael Moore), Leaving Las Vegas, Little Miss Sunshine (the mom), Book of Eli (Denzil plays a 6), Lord of the Rings (Aragon, Frodo, Samwise), Manhattan (Woody Allen), Taxi Driver (Deniro), The Rose (Bette Midler), Saving Private Ryan (Hanks and company), Open Water, Band of Brothers, Tootsie (Dustin Hoffman Six playing a Six), Anne Hall (Keaton, Allen are sixes), Imagine (John Lennon). Green Book (driver is a 6) Vice (on Cheney a 6)
Type Seven
Patch Adams (Robin Williams 7 playing a 7), Fierce Grace (Ram Das), Kundan (Dali Lama), Up in the Air (George Clooney, Seven playing a Seven), Amadeus, Yes (Jim Carey a 7 playing a 7), What Dreams May Come (Robin Williams plays 7 with 4 wife), Revolutionary Road (Dicapri a Seven), Big Fish (the dad), Rocket Man (Elton John story), Bohemian Rhapsody (story of a 7) Rocketman (Elton John)
Type Eight
Narcos (Escabar is the Eight) Whiplash (music teacher plays Eight) Schindler’s List (Eight playing an eight), Selma (MLK the 8), Gladiator (Russell Crowe), Bad Lieutenant, Gran Torino (Eastwood, Eight playing an Eight), Good Will Hunting (Damon, a Eight, plays an Eight), There Will Be Blood, Cool Hand Luke, Hoffa, Scarface, Good Fellows (Pesci), War of Roses (the couple), Apocalypse Now (Duvall), Moby Dick (captain) No Place for Old Men (psychopath), Last King of England, Breaking Bad (Hank the cop), When we were Kings (Ali),Gurdjieff’s Legacy, Gurdjieff in Egypt, Gurdjieff’s Mission, House of Saddam (Saddam the ), King of Scotland, Flight (Denzel 8 playing an 8), Rita (Netflix Rita played as an Eight by an Eight—she’s awesome as an ). House of Cards (Kevin Spacey type 8 politician). Ali (type 8 boxer played by Will Smith) Ali: The Man, the Moves, the Mouth.
Type Nine
Little Miss Sunshine (the little girl), Color Purple (Whoopi Goldberg), Pleasantville (Toby Mcguire), American Beauty (Kevin Spacey), Requiem For a Dream (Ellen Burstein), All in the Family (Edith Bunker), Star Wars, Star Trek, Narnia, Mumford (Redemptive Nine therapist working with nine client, Jason), Accidental Tourist (William Hurt a Nine playing a Nine), Lincoln (Daniel Day Lewis), Creed (Stallone) Gravity (disconnect from ship, when Bullock wanted to give up), The Descendants (Clooney plays a 9) Will You be My Neighbor (Fred Rogers)
