The Complete Enneagram: 27 Paths to Greater Self-Knowledge

by Beatrice Chestnut

Type Five Focus of Attention: Fives believe knowledge is power, so they like to observe what’s going on around them without getting too involved, especially emotionally. They focus on accumulating information about subjects that interest them and managing their time and energy, which they perceive as scarce, by avoiding entanglements with others. Patterns of Thinking and Feeling: Fives live in their heads and habitually detach from their emotions. They are sensitive to emotional demands being placed on them. They typically have a narrow range of feeling and almost never show their emotions in public. Behavior Patterns: Fives are reserved and introverted, need a lot of time alone, and avoid interactions with people who (they fear) might deplete them. They are very analytical and objective, and they tend to spend a lot of time pursuing their intellectual interests. Passion—Avarice: Avarice is a holding back and holding in—the hoarding of time, space, and resources out of fear of impending impoverishment. It’s not so much greediness as retentiveness, a “drive to hold on to what [they] already have rather than [a] drive to acquire more.”