The Wisdom of the Enneagram

by Don Richard Riso

Fear, Anxiety, and Doubt While not one of the classic seven “Capital Sins,” fear has been assigned as the “Passion” (or underlying emotional distortion) of the Six, since the root of so much of Type Six’s behavior is based on insecurity and reactions to fear. Sixes’ fear can be seen in worry about their security and about potential future problems, but also in chronic self-doubt and anxieties about others. Although Sixes can appear on the surface to be extremely friendly and people-oriented, they often harbor deep fears that others will abandon them, reject them, or harm them. They fear that they will make some mistake that will ruin their relationships and that others will unexpectedly turn against them. Thus, much of their friendliness comes from a desire to “check in” with others to make sure that everything is still okay.