The Enneagram Circle Characteristics of Type 7 - The Optimist
Find out about the different characteristics, stresses, management styles and ways you can assist a 'Type 7 Personality'.
Whether you feel you fit within this characteristic type or a colleague or loved one, learning more about the different character types of the Enneagram circle can assist you in your work and home life.
(Also called the Adventurer, Epicure, Generalist, Visionary, Connoisseur)
CHARACTERISTICS AND COMMON TRAITS OF 'THE QUESTIONER'
- Psychological defence is to be the optimist and ensure multiple options available
- Avoid commitments that may restrict their freedom
- Focus on pleasant possibilities and optimistic planning as a way of escaping the mundane or the limitations of boredom and pain.
- Often charming, lateral thinkers and witty types who seek out enjoyable new and stimulating life experiences.
- Epicureans, who live life to the full.
- Fascinated with interesting people and their stories and with the natural world.
- Like to have options open to them and do not like to be trapped, avoiding entering into relationships that may restrict their freedom.
Key Goal - Enjoyment
Traits - Lack of discipline, pleasure-seeking, entrepreneurial, enthusiasm, charm and liveliness, inspiring ideas, enthusiasm, avoiding conflict, Peter Pan energy
Where the attention goes - To multiple options, to interconnecting and interrelating information, to pleasant possibilities, options and distractions
Pre-occupations - Excitement, enjoyment, being liked (charm), simultaneous possible options, freedom
Difficulties produced for self - Various losses from trying to escape commitment, overload from trying to keep excitement and energy going, distraction and diversion from deeper purposes involving task completion and relationships, easily bored, aversion to rules, keeping options open, lack of commitment, need for variety
What causes me stress - Coping with overload that comes from trying to sample all that life has to offer, making the same mistakes over and over because of my desire to avoid pain, making commitments and then feeling trapped by them and wanting to escape
What makes me angry - Constraints or limits that prevent me from getting what I want, people who are unhappy, depressed or blaming others, feeling trapped
Nature of my anger - Brief to the point, short-lived, impetuous
Gifts - Funny, inventive, imaginative, energetic, optimistic, loving life, seeing possibilities, inspirational
Basic strategies for development - Recognise excesses, meet commitments, accept the pain, limits and boredom as well as the joy and the options (Daily activity: Listen fully to others, stay focused, commit and finish what you start).
Management style - Freedom, giving people space and stimulating them is the important aspect of management for a 7.
Leadership strengths - Imaginative and creative, enthusiastic, curious, engaging, multitasking, upbeat, quick thinker, connects disparate data
Improve leadership by - Slow your pace, find the truth in a criticism, complete your tasks, honour your commitments
Stress point - Type 7 moves in the direction of Type 1 when under pressure or feeling stress. The characteristics at this point could appear to be:
- Rigidity, convinced they are right
- Importance given to detail
- More likely to complete
- Can be critical
Relax point - Type 7 moves in direction of Type 5 when in a relaxed state. The characteristics at this point that may then appear are:
- Accepts a limited number of projects, completes them thoroughly
- Takes more time to think and is less vulnerable to apparently fascinating distractions
How to get along with a Type 7
- Make clear contracts both verbally and in writing. The 7 has a more flexible attitude to contracts than the rest of the world
- The 7 likes everything to be pleasant and that means there is no room for conflict
- Include the 7 whenever it’s time for brainstorming or creative input
For any further information regarding the enneagram personalities please contact [email protected]