The Basic Proposition

You lost sight of the fundamental principle that we all begin with faith in ourselves, in others and in the universe, and came to believe instead that the world is hazardous, unpredictable and untrustworthy. So you attempt to control life and feel more certainty by gaining (or defying) security, and avoiding (or facing) perceived harm through vigilance, questioning and battling (or escaping) hazards. At the same time, you develop fear and doubt, or just incessant questioning concerning potential threats to safety and security. Your attention naturally goes to hazards and potential worst-case scenarios, and how to deal with them.

The central issue for healing

The task for Loyal Skeptics is more obvious and straightforward than for any other type. The child who experienced the world as hazardous, unpredictable and threatening, and fell naturally into fear and doubt, needs to regain faith and trust in oneself, in other people and in the world. Faith is a big stretch for the Loyal Skeptic since faith comes before proof.

This means staying with situations that frighten you and cultivating the courage to go into and through the fear. Notice and resist the impulse to move away from fear (the phobic’s habit), or challenge fear (the counterphobic’s habit). Either way, your path of development goes right through fear and doubt. Learn to trust that you already know how to cope and that you don’t need to keep proving yourself.

Six healing and growth commitments for Type Sixes:

• Reclaim faith in yourself, others and the universe
• Work at distinguishing true impressions from projections
• Relinquish the quest for certainty and control as a substitute for faith
• Balance the tendency to put a negative spin on situations with more positive outlooks
• Welcome fear and move ahead
• Become your own authority

Previous: Type 5 | Next: Type 7

Key themes of all types: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Registered?
Learn how this type differs from all other types
Listen to Dr. Daniels interview the nine types on VoiceAmerica Internet radio

Read more about key themes of the types in The Essential Enneagram by David Daniels, M.D.

Buy David’s book