.png)
Type 4:
The Authentic Idealist
You might be a 4 if...
You can be described as sensitive, empathetic (especially with suffering), honest, attuned to your feelings, intense, romantic in some form, appreciative of things that are unique, feeling unique yourself, passionate, and deep
You experience a wide range of emotions that and you are comfortable with them all, including the intense ones
​
​
You place a high value on authenticity for yourself and from others
​
​
​
You automatically compare yourself to others and take mental notes on how you come out in that comparison
​
You can't help the feeling of longing, and you feel the pleasure and the pain in the longing
​
​
You very much want to be understood by others, but often don’t feel that way
​
​
You know that there is something unique, special, and complex about you. You want this to be understood by others
​
You can easily see what's missing in a situation or what feels unavailable to you
​
​
You often feel like you don’t fit in, which can feel like a good, bad, or deeply lonely experience
​
​
You are a truth teller, you see the truth and feel compelled to get it out there, and you have likely felt shamed for it at some point
​
You're okay with sadness and what others call "hard" feelings. Sometimes they just camps out, and sometimes you invite and encourage it
​
It's easy for you to know what's going on with someone or a situation at a deeper level, you have emotional intuition that often allows you to see what isn’t being said by another person
Common Stereotype:
Many people believe that 4’s are dominated by their feelings and call them dramatic. Or they think that to be a Type 4 you have to be sad all the time.
Running Towards:
Being understood, heard, and valued. Bringing truth to light and feeling free to express themselves.
Running From:
Being inadequate, emotionally cut off, plain, mundane, flawed, or insignificant
Core Longing:
To know that “I am seen and loved for exactly who I am. Feeling accepted in the ways that I am special and unique”
Core Struggle:
Feeling that I am tragically flawed, that something foundational is missing inside of me and others possess the qualities that I lack
Subtypes of Type 4: The Authentic Idealist
SELF-PRESERVATION 4: TENACITY (the countertype)
This subtype is the long-suffering 4. They sit with their pain without sharing it openly with others as much as the other two 4’s. This is someone who internalizes and learns to “tolerate pain” as a way of earning love from others by having a tough but happy exterior. Sometimes they look happy on the outside but are struggling on the inside, being more masochist and melodramatic than the other two subtypes. They have learned to internalize their envy and while they may feel all the feelings and are sensitive, they don’t tend to talk as much about their emotions. They hope that their self-sacrifice will be recognized and appreciated. They are hard workers and action oriented, wanting to heal the pain of the world and often demanding a lot of themselves. In this type of 4, envy is what moves the 4 to take on the challenge of working hard to get what others have and they lack.
SOCIAL 4: SHAME
The Social 4 is the one who suffers more, is more sensitive than the other 4’s and deals with more shame. In this 4, envy fuels the focus on shame and suffering, leading this 4 to often taking the victim role, suffering more emotionally, and focusing on their own sense of inferiority. This 4 doesn’t compete with others as much as it compares themselves to others and in the end, finds themselves lacking. Walking the tightrope of being authentically individualistic and mainting social norms, they typically desire to be a part of a social group. They often find themselves comparing themselves to others and being envious of others for what they see lacking in themselves. This 4 can draw others in by intensifying their pain and suffering. They are also the emtoinal truth tellers of the group and often feel a responsibility to take that on.
​
​
ONE-TO-ONE/SEXUAL 4: COMPETITION
Competition with others helps to overcome feelings of inner deficiency and creates motivation within. This type of 4 may make others suffer as a way of trying to escape their own painful feelings or feelings of lacking. They can also deny their own suffering, expressing their needs more than others, often times becoming demanding and vocal. This type may be the most competitive of all types on the Enneagram. They will use their comparison to others to help them feel better about themselves. Instead of seeing themselves lacking as other 4’s might, they sometimes feel angry about not getting what they need from others.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​