Enneagram 6 and 8 Misidentification: What Links 6s and 8s?

Enneagram 6 and 8 misidentification happens when Sixes are mistaken for Eights and vice versa. This occurs for many different reasons, but primarily because these two otherwise very different Enneagram types share some very distinct characteristics.

In this article, we’ll shed some light on what links Sixes and Eights—what they have in common and what makes them different—to understand why Enneagram 6 and 8 misidentification is so common.

Let’s start!

What is Enneagram Misidentification?

Enneagram misidentification, also known as Enneagram mistyping, is a common phenomenon that happens when one Enneagram type is mistaken for another. Mistyping can have a number of consequences, the most serious one being a failed opportunity for self-discovery.

For instance, Enneagram 1 and 6 misidentification is common due to their shared sense of responsibility and high standards, which may lead to confusion when distinguishing between the two.

The most important purpose of the Enneagram test and theory is to support developing self-awareness and personal growth, which can be partially or completely blocked if you don’t correctly determine your Enneagram type.

Therefore, accurately identifying your Enneagram type is important primarily because it helps you map your path to personal development in any area you wish.

According to the Enneagram, every type has its own unique core motivation, needs, desires, strengths, and weaknesses. By identifying them correctly, you can maximize your inherent potential. This process often begins early, as Enneagram 6 children might display signs of their need for security and support even from a young age.

In contrast, failing to identify your Enneagram type may lead to wrong decisions, slowing down your personal growth as you don’t get an accurate insight into your true advantages and disadvantages.

Why Do Enneagrams 6 and 8 Get Misidentified?

Enneagrams 6 and 8 get misidentified because, in specific circumstances, they display the same traits.

Therefore, the best way to understand Enneagram 6 and 8 misidentification is to start by analyzing the characteristics that they share, such as:

• Distrust: Both Sixes and Eights are deeply distrustful of other people and prone to testing them in many ways before they decide to open up. Moreover, they are both prone to paranoid ideas, especially when it comes to authority figures.
• Loyalty: Sixes and Eights are the most loyal Enneagram types. When they love someone, they are endlessly devoted and protective of their loved ones. They might express their loyalty in different ways, but this is generally the value that strongly binds them together.
• Desire for control: Eights want to be in control of their lives—to be the masters of their destinies, while Sixes want to control life to feel safe in it. Though motivated by different needs, their desire for control is equally intense.
• Cautiousness: Both Eights and Sixes are meticulous planners and exceptional strategists. That’s because they are very cautious, and both want to make sure they take every possible situation into account when making plans and decisions.
• Perseverance: Though Sixes persevere in a very subtle manner and Eights do it with more passion and fire, both are extraordinarily persevering and devoted to their goals.

What Are the Differences Between Enneagram 6 and Enneagram 8?

There are many obvious and not-so-obvious differences between Enneagrams 6 and 8. Therefore, we’re here to provide insight into all their key differences and shed light on what makes each type unique despite their similarities.

So, let’s see what makes Enneagram Type 6, the Loyalist, so different from Enneagram Type 8, the Challenger:

Differences in Traits

Though they share some crucial values like loyalty and honesty, Eights and Sixes are very different. While Sixes crave leadership and need someone to rely on for support, approval, and validation, Eights are fiercely independent and don’t accept anyone’s leadership but their own.

Furthermore, Sixes are compliant, friendly, and very attached to their community. They are kind, polite, warm, and always willing to help other people.

Eights, on the other hand, are domineering, bossy, and self-sufficient, and their direct approach to communication is often interpreted as rude or brash. While Eights put themselves first and expect others to comply with their demands, Sixes do the opposite and adapt to others’ needs before making any decision.

Moreover, Eights are bold, ready to take risks, and they face any challenge to get what they want in life, whereas Sixes are very risk-averse, tactful, and careful in everything they do.

Plus, Eights are way more willing to go against the rules, social norms, and expectations. They focus on the result and choose the most efficient way to get it, while Sixes are very concerned with tradition, procedures, and bureaucracy and try to do everything the right way.

Understanding Motivations

Since it is easy to misinterpret the motivations that drive each type’s behavior, Enneagram 6 and 8 misidentification is more common than one would expect, considering all of their differences.

So, here’s an insight into each type’s core motivation that will allow you to understand what makes them different even when they behave in very similar ways:

• Type 6 Motivations: For Sixes, security is the most important thing in life. They are chronically afraid of life’s unpredictability and, therefore, crave stability and protection, which they find in community, tradition, and large systems and institutions. Another way they fight this fear is by making detailed plans for everything, from their daily routine to 10-year projections.
• Type 8 Motivations: Eights’ deepest motivation is to be free of any kind of control, to be independent and autonomous, and to hold the key to their destiny in their hands. For this reason, they want power and everything associated with it—money, status, recognition, and authority. Nothing enrages them as much as being controlled by other people or circumstances.

Behavioral Expressions

Similar behavioral expressions are one of the biggest reasons behind Enneagram 6 and 8 misidentification. Despite their entirely different motivations, Enneagrams 6 and 8 overlap in certain reactions. Here’s an overview of their most characteristic behavioral expressions:

• Type 6 Behaviors: Sixes are very distrustful and reserved, especially in unfamiliar situations. They are generally very kind and considerate people, but if something seems suspicious to them, they become hypervigilant and react by trying to control the situation. This need for control, distrust, and hypervigilance is what they share with Eights.
• Type 8 Behaviors: Though self-assured, strong, and dominant, Eights are always on guard as they want to ensure no one manipulates them in any way. They are also very distrustful and cautious in unfamiliar situations and, just like Sixes, focused on taking control of the circumstances.

Stress Resilience

Sixes and Eights respond to stress in profoundly different ways. Sixes, already prone to anxiety, become overwhelmed with worry and fear of everything. They might also experience psychosomatic symptoms as a response to stress as they struggle to find inner peace. So, their basic reaction to stress is colored by their fear.

Meanwhile, Eights are way more stress-resilient and respond to stress by becoming even more competitive and determined than they usually are. Bold, energetic, and daring, they confront all challenges fiercely and even get excited when they face difficulties. At some point, they might become aggressive and confrontational, as their basic reaction to stress is colored by anger.

8 Common Causes of Enneagram Misidentification

The common reasons for Enneagram 6 and 8 misidentification and misidentifying Enneagram type in general boil down to eight challenges that can easily lead us astray from determining our type correctly. Here’s an overview of the most typical causes for Enneagram misidentification:

#1. Insufficiency of Personality Type Theories

There’s no such thing as a perfect personality theory, no matter how well-rounded it may be, because we are all the result of a million things that influence us and the relationships that form us. Every theory is limited in some way, and each has its advantages and disadvantages, therefore leaving a lot of room for misinterpretations.

#2. Misunderstanding of Enneagram Motivations

Enneagram motivations are the central concept of the Enneagram theory, and they are essential in differentiating Enneagram types and explaining their behavioral expressions. However, since motivations are not as obvious as behavioral tendencies, it is easy to misjudge someone’s motivation and base their type solely on their behavior.

#3. Prejudices and Stereotypes

Every categorization is prone to prejudices and stereotypes, and the Enneagram personality system is no exception. Some common Enneagram stereotypes, like ‘Eights are bullies’ or ‘Sixes are hypochondriacs’, cloud the theory's essential meaning and purpose and easily lead to misidentification.

#4. Impact of Enneagram Wings

Enneagram theory allows for two subtypes for each Enneagram type, based on the influence of their neighboring types or Enneagram wings. Therefore, each type can have traits of some other type, and this, naturally, can be very confusing when determining one’s Enneagram type.

#5. Differences in Enneagram Development Levels

According to the Enneagram theory, each type can function at a healthy, average, or unhealthy level and display its core traits differently at each of these levels. Needless to say, this may easily lead to misinterpretations of Enneagram types' behaviors.

#6. Influence of Enneagram Arrows

Enneagram arrows are another key concept of the Enneagram theory. They explain how each type changes as it evolves and develops.

Those changes happen in a predictable way as each type grows or regresses, taking over traits of some other type, depending on the direction of the Enneagram arrow. This, obviously, can be very confusing, even for those who are well-informed about Enneagram.

#7. Challenges of Self-Perception

Every personality test relies on self-perception to some degree. Since our perception is inevitably limited by our beliefs, fears, and projections, the test results are prone to misinterpretation, mistakes, and misconceptions.

#8. Cultural and Environmental Influences

We all change under all kinds of external influences. Some of those influences are predictable, like cultural norms, while others are completely unpredictable. Yet both kinds of influences shape us to varying degrees and these subtle and less subtle changes may also be the reason for Enneagram misidentification.

How to Know Which Enneagram Type Is Yours

When you understand the basic concepts of the Enneagram theory, like Enneagram motivations and life strategies, identifying your Enneagram type accurately shouldn’t be too complicated. So, the best way to determine your Enneagram type accurately is to learn the basics of the Enneagram personality system and theory.

Recognizing that Enneagram focuses more on the kind of motivations that drive each type’s behavior and less on their behavioral expressions will make it much easier to understand the differences and similarities between Enneagram types.

Another thing to pay attention to is each Enneagram type's healthy and unhealthy patterns, stress responses, and triggers and how they relate to each type’s core life strategy.

The next step in determining whether you have correctly determined your Enneagram type is asking your friends and family for feedback about your traits, behaviors, and reactions. This kind of reality check can help you address the challenges of limited self-perception that we are all prone to.

Finally, the best and safest way to determine your Enneagram type accurately is to take a well-designed, reliable Enneagram test. A quality Enneagram test will provide you with a very thorough explanation of your type and core motivations, needs, fears, and strengths so that you can immediately feel whether it aligns with your personality or not.

Key Takeaways

Now, it should be crystal clear what makes Sixes and Eights similar, what makes them different, and why misidentifying Sixes and misidentifying Eights happens so often!

So, let’s wrap up by emphasizing the most important insights about Enneagram 6 and 8 misidentification:

• Enneagrams 6 and 8 misidentification happens mainly because of specific behavioral expressions and similar traits and values, such as distrust toward other people, a need for control, and loyalty toward those they love.
• The key to preventing Enneagram 6 and 8 misidentification is to understand their different core motivations and life strategies.

Determining your Enneagram type correctly is essential, as it can help you make better decisions and generally support your personal growth and development efficiently.