Not Sure If You are an Enneagram Type 1 or a Type 9? Ask Yourself These Four Questions

At first glance, it can seem like the Type 1 Perfectionists and the Type 9 Peacemakers of the Enneagram would be hard to confuse. The easygoing Type 9s are a pretty different breed than the precisely correct Type 1s. And yet, in my ten years of offering typing interviews, I’ve been surprised to see how many people struggle to decide which of these two styles most aligns with their inner world.  

While the habits of attention for Types 1 and 9 move in very different directions, these personality styles share important similarities and traits. Let’s take a closer look at Type 1 and Type 9, along with four key questions to help you distinguish between the two.

The Similarities

Both types, along with Type 8, belong to the body center of intelligence. People who lead with this center of intelligence typically have strong gut instincts and get lots of information from their physical bodies. They inherently sense if something is a good or a bad idea, and they can feel this clarity in their gut. When decision-making, they may gather facts and information, but they also rely on their instincts. While all body types have a sensitive issue around anger, both of these types tend to underexpress anger, with Type 9s denying it, and Type 1s repressing it.

Both types can be thorough and cautious. Type 9s are carefully considering everyone involved, while Type 1s are making sure all the details have been addressed. Both can have sharp attention to detail and tend to be grounded, literal, down-to-earth people who might prefer systems and processes over more abstract ideas. Both have an inherent sense of fairness and a drive to do the right thing.  

The Differences

But while they have these similarities, the minds of Type 1s and Type 9s work very differently, and they fundamentally want different things.

Type 1s are driven by improvement and efficiency. They love making things better whether that means more effective, more fair, more economical, more accessible, or some other improvement. Stagnation or even just leaving things as “good enough” can feel uncomfortable to Type 1s. They can often be action-oriented Type A personalities. They are excellent at solving practical problems. It can be hard for them to deeply relax, and their drive to get things right can sometimes result in rigid, inflexible thinking.

Type 9s, on other hand, seek harmony. They love a smooth, peaceful, conflict-free environment where everyone is getting along. They are gifted in being able to multiple perspectives and are famous for their accommodating personalities. It can be hard for them to get started, and sloth and inaction can be themes. Deeply relaxing is something they excel at, and they tend to be flexible and easygoing in their thinking.  If Type 1s are the turbo gear, Type 9s are cruise control.

With this as the backdrop, let’s take a closer look at questions you can ask yourself to determine if you are a Type 1 or a Type 9.

Four Questions to Ask

1) Do you procrastinate?

This is probably the fastest way to differentiate the two types. Type 9s are famous for procrastinating. Their motto is usually “why do it today if you can put it off until tomorrow?” These delays and avoidances can stem from a variety of factors. They might not feel confident in what they are being asked to do. They may feel drained of energy–usually because they are silently tolerating behavior they don’t like.  Whatever the reason, Type 9s, especially when operating in average or lower levels of awareness, can be slow to act and may put off important things.  

“When I really look at it, most of the time when I am procrastinating it is because I don’t feel very confident about whatever it is I need to do. Because I’m not sure of myself, it feels really uncomfortable to take action,” says Larry, Type 9.

In contrast, Type 1s have an internal constantly refreshing “to-do” list that they love crossing things off of. “I’m an anti-procrastinator,” jokes Samatha, a Type 1. “It would probably be good for me to procrastinate more. I think I can annoy people by being so on top of things…”

This question sometimes takes a little digging, since procrastination can be misunderstood. Everyone puts things off now and then. True procrastination goes deeper. It is a consistent habit of delaying important tasks until the very last moment (or avoiding them altogether) while choosing easier, less urgent or more enjoyable activities instead. Type 9s habitually procrastinate whereas Type 1s do not.

2) How comfortable are you with conflict?

Type 9s are famously conflict avoidant and learning to engage in healthy conflict is part of their personal growth path.  To avoid conflict, they become indirect, vague or even surrender their own priorities rather than directly addressing something they don’t want to do. Conflict feels intense. “I feel like I vanish in the face of conflict, even if it isn’t my own,” says Dieter, a Type 9.  

Type 1 may not enjoy conflict, but it isn’t as uncomfortable for them. They will typically try diplomacy first, but if something offends their sense of correctness, they directly engage in conflict.  “I don’t like conflict, but it is more important for me to make my position clear than it is to avoid a difficult conversation,” says Camille, Type 1.

Type 1s tend to be more comfortable with conflict than Type 9s.

3) Are you self-critical?

Any Enneagram type can be self-critical so this question has to be taken in context, but Type 1s are highly self-critical, and this self-criticism is habitual. When I ask this question in my interview, Type 1s cite a long list of things they beat themselves up over regularly: what they ate, what they didn’t eat, what they said, what they didn’t say, where they went, where they didn’t go, and so on. The list is broad and wide-ranging.  With such a harsh inner critic, they can become fearful about making mistakes. 

“Sometimes when I am traveling alone, and I need to find a place to eat, I waste so much time in the airport trying to decide where to go because I don’t want to make a mistake. I don’t want to overpay. I don’t want to go to a tourist trap. I go around in circles wasting tons of time before deciding because I don’t want to be mad at myself afterwards,” says Hilary, Type 1.

Type 9s are a bit easier on themselves. Rather than be self-critical, their tendency is more to numb out and sleep walk through their lives. They may not notice they are off track or making poor decisions. Rather than suffer from a harsh inner voice, they numb out through television, video games, social media scrolling, and so on. They can have moments of self-criticism, but it usually isn’t their central theme.

Type 1s typically report being  more self-critical than Type 9s.

4) Do you forget yourself?

Self-forgetting is a central theme for Type 9s who tend to put the priorities of other people above their own. It is not uncommon for Type 9s to look up at some point in their life and wonder, “How did I get here?” This disorientation happens because they feel so uncomfortable with someone else’s discomfort, they go along with other people’s agendas rather than advocating for their own needs. When I ask this question in my typing interviews, Type 9s often get a dreamy look in their eyes before confirming they do in fact forget themselves.

Type 1s, on the other hand, usually don’t relate to the idea of forgetting themselves. When I pose the question, they often ask for clarification. Sometimes they’ll say they do in fact forget themselves, but what they mean is that they become so absorbed in their work or focus that they lose track of time and space. 

Type 1s typically operate with a strong internal compass and rarely lose touch with their own agenda. Type 9s are much more likely to forget themselves.

The Wing Influences: Dreamer or Idealist?

With these fundamental differences, it is worth taking a deeper look at how these two types get confused at all. The answer is usually the Enneagram wings. 

In the system, you are your dominant type, but you are also influenced by the numbers next to you. If your wing influence is strong enough, you can take on many of the behaviors of that Enneagram style. Your habit of attention remains with your dominant Enneagram number, but you can seem a lot like the personality of your wing.  

A Type 9 with a Type 1 wing is called the Dreamer. This is someone who fundamentally seeks harmony, but who can also have a strong attention to detail, an orderliness, a drive for efficiency, a sense of mission and, in some cases, a sense of virtue or higher calling.

A Type 1 with a Type 9 wing is called the Idealist. This is someone who seeks improvement but who also brings a sense of calm and inclusiveness. They can seem emotionally cool and understated, and they often prefer to operate behind the scenes.

With a strong enough wing influence, there can be so much overlap between the characteristics of the two types it is hard to determine what habit of attention is dominant.

In Closing

Deciding between Type 1 or a Type 9 can feel tricky at first, especially if your wing influence blurs the lines. But the differences are clear because the core motivations are distinctly different. Type 1s are driven to improve the world around them, whereas Type 9s seek for inner and outer harmony. 

Take this free Enneagram test to give you an additional data point. Then explore the answers to these four questions above to see where your attention naturally goes. With honest reflection, the patterns become clearer, and you’ll find it easier to recognize which of these two body-centered types best reflects your inner world.