Unlike other Enneagram types, who may actively suffer as a result of their habitual patterns, many Fives feel relatively comfortable with their defensive posture because it allows them to feel safe and in control. It provides them with a way to get away from difficult feelings—both their own and other people’s—and it helps them avoid having to feel fear. But the Five personality is a contracted stance that actively reduces Fives’ connection to themselves and others, and thus constrains their ability to grow.
