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Welcome back to another episode here on the Enneagram NBA podcast. You are listening to a this or that episode. And I'm your host, Sarah Wallace, certified Enneagram coach, workshop facilitator, and speaker. And this is an episode where we take two common type comparisons, or either that or a specific request from a listener or somebody over on social media who wanted to match these two types up. And we do, we match them up, we put them up, we look at the some of the similarities and then dive more into what is different, though, some key differences about each of those, so that the listener, you, whoever you might be sending this to that is struggling, um, ideally leaves the episode with some additional insight and really with some clarity about what their dominant type is, or at a minimum, gives them some new questions and things to reflect on to ask themselves about. So without further ado, enjoy this this or that episode. Welcome to the Enneagram MBA Podcast, a show for aspiring and growing entrepreneurs and unfulfilled employees who know they are capable of playing bigger. If you are wanting to identify your gifts, find your purpose, do work that matters, and create a ripple effect that goes beyond yourself, you're in the right place. Each week you'll get resources, strategies, and support to help you get to know yourself, to get to know and understand others, like your future clients, and help you get known so that you can reach more people with your gifts and purpose. So grab your notebook or open up your notes app, and I will see you in class. Today's this or that matchup is with our Enneagram type one, known as the perfectionist, the improver, the reformer versus the Enneagram type five, known as the observer, the expert, the thought leader, the innovator, the investigator. And we are going to be looking at five key differences between these two types, but they do have quite a few similarities, which causes this confusion sometimes. The first one is that they are both in this competency triad along with the type three, where they are really focused on show me the data, don't give me the drama. When a conflict or challenge happens, they don't have a strong emotional reaction. They don't necessarily look on the bright side. They just like this is what it is. We are sensible, responsible adults here. I'm sure we just need to get to work, figure out the problem, do the research, figure it out, and we will move through it, right? Um, they also um value competency, like actually being competent. We're gonna talk about what that key difference, though, is um when it comes to the one versus the five that I think will be helpful as well when looking at these two. Right off the bat, though, we're gonna look at their key motives. So the type one is really motivated, they're striving to be perfect, they are wanting to be good and right and proper and uh rational and logical, and they're focused on rules and procedures and guidelines and doing the right thing. The type five is really focused on problem solving, innovative ideas, data gathering. They are striving to feel self-sufficient, capable, competent, knowledgeable, informed, analytical, maybe even detached. Sometimes people think of them as maybe distant, but really they are geniuses at managing their energy. And so sometimes you have to detach from the crowd, from other people, from other people's emotions in order to maintain that. We're gonna talk more about that in here in just a second. Um, but going back to this competency idea, um, if if if still understanding what those key drivers are isn't clear to you, we're gonna get into a couple other things that I think will give you some insightful clues and hopefully clear some things up by the end of this episode. So both are looking in that competency triad, both want to be competent. Ones, though, want to be competent about being right from the way that they think to how they plan to how they execute, even how they form their opinions. Their competency is rooted in the right way, being right. Whereas a fives, their competency is around knowledge-based competence. They want to know the answer, they want to have the information, they want to have the knowledge. And as they learn more, their opinions start to turn into facts because they have gathered so much information and knowledge and are really competent in that way. So that's a really um key difference, differentiator right there. Another important differentiator is something that I just alluded to around the five's ability to sustain their energy. And this one is around time and energy and boundaries. Ones don't have a lot of strong boundaries when it comes to working. They value hard work, they wear overwork as a badge of honor. They will pour over details to ensure the project is perfect, the presentation is perfect, that they themselves are perfect, and that it all gets executed properly. It gets executed in the right way. And so, however long that takes, it's however long that takes. They also have this responsibility, this feeling of just being responsible for the entire project. Even if they haven't been dubbed the that person, they will take that on. Maybe somebody's not um pulling their share, they'll take on the extra work. Maybe somebody's not doing it, quote unquote, right, they'll go ahead and just take it on because they're the only ones that can do it right. And they're okay with overworking themselves. Whereas a five, like anybody, from too much work, you are going to get depleted. Um, too much time around others for a five will also deplete their energy. And so while they like to do things well, they will maybe um and they will overwork, not overwork, but they will put in the extra time when needed, but they're not going to do it consistently. They're not gonna work themselves into the to the ground, nor do they really have that sense of responsibility to do so, like the type one does. So, yes, on occasion, they will stay extra. They will work extra. Um, but as a normal way of of working, no, that's that's not gonna be the type fives MO. So, really thinking about, you know, I uh there's probably one or the other that really resonated with you if you're willing to take an honest look. So that will give you that will give you some really great clues, just that one right there. Um, the other one is around self-control versus self-containment when it comes to emotion. So, type one, specifically with the emotion of anger, believe that you know, good and proper people, they just don't show their anger directly. Um, even though they very much can relate to feeling frustrated and feeling resentful and being angry and upset, they do their best to control their outward expressions. However, their body language, their facial expressions, they're they're good, they're gonna give some clues away that they're upset. And so, in most cases, even though they're trying to control that feeling, it's gonna be pretty easy to read. Whereas a five, they are masters of self-containment. They have very little animation. They're they're not going to talk with their hands a lot in general. Um, their voice is going to tend to kind of be, you know, really calm and steady for the most part part. They're not gonna have a ton of nonverbal behavior clues. And so that kind of steady eddy, um, nonverbal facial expression cues coupled with this kind of automatic default disconnection from their feelings make them really hard to read. And so threes we have talked about in the past are in that feeling center of intelligence. But when a feeling comes, um, they will kind of feel it and then quickly put it to the side and think, I'll come back to this later. Whereas what that looks like for somebody with the type five energy, they don't even let the feeling get that far. They don't even allow themselves to feel it. Um, so that does make it easier for them to, you know, not express how they're feeling because they're not even letting those feelings get there. So people find them incredibly hard to read. The other thing is around doing versus thinking. This has to do specifically with the center of intelligence. Ones are in the body center and they're going to have a very strong and immediate gut reaction. They may take some time, they probably will take some time to analyze, but analyze quickly just to kind of give backup, to give some backup rationale to that action that they're about to take. And then they're gonna jump into action, they're gonna move really quickly. Whereas a five, they tend to not make quick actions, right? They're gonna be much slower to act compared to the type one. They usually want to collect and analyze all the relevant information before determining their next move. Um, specifically being in that head center, very mental, um, very, very much um yeah, very, very heady right there. So that is another one to consider. And then the last one I find to be actually most helpful and bringing some clarity to any type that you are kind of teetering between is looking at where that type goes to in stress and also what what what is their growth arrows, but where where what do they look like in times of stress? So for the type one, they have an arrow to the type seven and to the type four, which is really just I just love this blend. The the perfectionist bringing in the enthusiastic energy, bringing in that individualism, bringing in um, you know, looking at their own emotions, taking care of themselves. A one tends to be so outwardly focused, so focused on the common good. Fours tend to be a little bit more, but and sevens too, really a little bit more self-centered. And so bringing in some of that energy to take care of yourself, also that creativeness, um, putting down just the constant structure in both of these, the type four and the type seven, just a great blend for that type one energy to really enhance their strengths and really grow through um their stereotypical type seven tendency. So um they they how they use the seven a lot of times is um, and actually they will neglect the seven because it it contradicts that desire to be perfect, right? Ones will kind of see sevens as being really emotional, even though it's excited emotion, really spontaneous. And they feel like those two things can lead to a lapse in judgment and a lapse of execution. They also can see that energy as being kind of irresponsible. So um, that's not to say they don't have fun. Ones actually have a really um kind of dry sense of humor, even a little bit of a devilish streak. Uh, they understand humor and maybe even are focused on being sarcastic because they don't ever want to let themselves, they don't ever want to let their guard fully down. So they'll they'll still be funny, but kind of have that sarcastic, maybe skeptical, um, contrarian type of sense of humor about them. Um, but in times of stress, they have they'll they'll bring in this type four. They'll bring in their type four coping mechanisms, defense strategies, and um they may attempt to force their unique interpretation of what is right onto others, which fours are very focused on being unique. Um, and and and that can benefit a one because they will tend to be unafraid to be the lone voice standing up for what is right. They are autonomous and not easily swayed, and they're not going to jump on the bandwagon very much, like that type four energy. So that's kind of how that peering, the benefit, the good that can come from that. Um, but when they kind of try and force that unique interpretation of what is right onto others, the others may not get on board. They may not agree. And so a one may be left feeling alienated and even a little depressed, which is very common for the type four to feel like they're all alone, nobody understands them, and to get really um kind of melancholy and moody. Now, on the other side, the type five, their arrows also to a type seven. So that's interesting and maybe a reason for some of the confusion. They both can bring in that energy depending on how they're using it, um, as well as the type eight. So the type seven, being the enthusiast, is actually the stress arrow for the five. And then they will neglect their eight arrow. And this is because to be powerful, eights are striving to be powerful. You know, it tends to come with some passion and you kind of need to engage others, which is the exact opposite of what a five is looking to do. They are looking to disengage with others, disengage from the crowd. And so they can be see also having that passionate fiery energy as being uncontrollable. And so they are afraid of being overwhelmed by their own emotions and others' emotions. So, you know, they can kind of tend to want to neglect that powerful energy. That's not to say, though, that they don't care about influencing others. They do very much. When they are growing, they will bring in that power and that influence from behind the scenes rather than maybe visibly leading from the front. And they're going to rely on their intellect and strategy to influence others versus maybe charisma and forcefulness. But in times of stress, um, they may be just gleefully, joyfully collecting data, diving into the analysis of it, researching for a project. And so they can become kind of distracted. They can become a little manic, maybe even forgetful because they are so absorbed into their intellectual pursuits that they become kind of scattered, like that type seven. And they may use that type seven excitement for their projects, but then avoid getting in touch with their own emotions or avoid connecting with other people. So, depending on kind of what stress looks like for you, and then where you know like your focus needs to be on growth, um, may also give you some really important clues into which type you are. The whole intention behind understanding what your core Enneagram type is, is not to put you in a box, it's not to label you, it's not to say all ones are this way, all fives do this. No, it's actually just to give you uh some really important insight about where are you starting from so that you can get to where you want to go. And then based on that, where you're starting from and where you want to go, um, you also have you, you have a really specific growth path to look at some key things for you. Like we talked about that blend of a one bringing in that four and that seven energy and being a really powerful um recipe, as well as the type five bringing that enthusiasm and the powerfulness of an eight can be a really incredible recipe, right? It and it just gives you like here are some things to focus on based on where you're starting from. And then there's so much good advice out there, but you don't need to take in all the good advice because that can be overwhelming and that's not typically productive. It's not gonna be transformational for you when you're trying to do all the things, but this allows you to kind of put your blinders on and say, here's where I'm starting from, here's where I want to go. And then here's some things that I know are gonna work for me specifically to help me get there. So that is the intention of really understanding your Enneagram type, not to put you in a box or or label you or say all types are all type ones are this way. So I hope you found that helpful. Um, if you know of somebody else who would find this helpful, please do share. Um, as always, you know, we have spent so much time in our lifetime learning about other people. Um, I hope this episode was an opportunity for you to learn a little bit more about yourself, whatever the type ends up being, and whether you found that's that definitive clarity of this or that or not. Um, my hope, my intention is that you at least got um you had some time to to reflect on yourself to learn a little bit more about yourself either way. I'll see you back here very soon for another interview episode and then a this or that coming back to you next week.