Point 8 Protector

Growth edge for Point 8 Protector is learning there's more than their side of the story.

"I'm the Boss."

Strengths

  • Protective
  • Intense
  • Outgoing
  • Decisive
  • Truthful
  • Persistent
  • Courageous
  • Self-Assertive
  • Energize Others

    • Protector path symbol


    Where Attention & Energy Go Against Personal Growth

  • Believing one must hide vulnerability being strong, confrontational = personal growth barriers
  • Concern with justice and the protection of others' issues with aggression and impulse control
  • The appearance to others of an excessive presentation, i.e. too much, too loud, too angry, etc.
  • Focus energy on seeing the extremes in people/situations -- an 'all or nothing' style of attention.
  • Difficulty in recognizing dependent aspects of self and denial (unconscious) of personal weaknesses
  • The tone and color of these tendencies will vary depending upon your instinctual subtype

    • Fixations

    • Excess
    • Vengeance

    Higher Aspects

    • Innocence
    • Truth








    What Supports Personal Growth

    • Learn to compromise.
    • Seek win-win solutions
    • Practice healthy self esteem - welcome a sense of calm and quiet within
    • Treat intensity as a way to mask vulnerability
    • Notice the intensity and the impact on others as a practice of personal growth
    • Apply only the appropriate amount of force in each situation
    • Notice when helpfulness seems intrusive and controlling to others.
    • Treat what seems like weakness as progress in letting self experience vulnerability
    • Practice waiting and listening before taking action as a way to moderate impulsiveness
    • Consider accelerating your progress with personal growth counseling

    Enneagram Protector Look-Alikes

    Point 1 & 8 -- Both are concerned with justice, truth, fairness and what is right
  • 8's - States their truth openly/directly, easily moves from impulse to action
  • 1's - Suppresses anger/impulse, self-righteousness develops in order to allow anger to move

    • Point 3 & 8 -- Both assertive, determined, goal-oriented, willing to take charge, radiate
  • 8's - Holds to a position, gets confrontational, and expresses anger directly and easily
  • 3's - Alters self like a chameleon, changes direction to reach goal, anger comes if reaching goal is obstructed

    • Point 4 & 8 -- Both intense, direct expression, flamboyance, want authenticity, oppositional
  • 8's - Point 8 Protector sustains action, refusing to be dominated by feelings
  • 4's - Moves deeply to feelings and falls into inaction and loses direction

    • Point 6 & 8 -- Both aggressive, seem fearless, fight for causes, world is untrustworthy
  • 8's - Reacts from instinct, minimizing or denying dangers, holds ground, denys vulnerability
  • 6's - Counterphobic - hesitates before taking action, magnify dangers, doubts and questioning arise

    • Summary - Point Eight - Protector


    The Point 8 Protector is the most explicit of the anger types. Anger and aggression are forms of an outer armor designed to feel strong and in control. Underneath, is a much younger more vulnerable part that they are attempting to protect.

    Protectors will often try to make contact through confrontation and fighting, which helps them to identify external threats, and know where others stand.

    There is also a tendency to excess and addiction of every form. They can often out drink, out eat, stay up later, work longer, player harder than any other point. The eight energy is easily identifiable in that they can narcissistically inflate their presence and take up a large amount of space physically and energetically.

    They don't often recognize the negative impact they may have on others or how belligerent they come off.

    Denial is a big aspect of this pattern, which is mostly unconscious. They will defensively deny their guilt, often becoming aggressive and acting as if they have nothing to apologize for. This is to compensate for the sensitivity to betrayal, vulnerable ridicule, or weakness to what they could possibly be ashamed of. On the other hand they can quite genuinely be puzzled and not understand how intimidating their directness or bluntness can hurt another.

    The Point 8 Protector can be quite fearless and seemingly free of self-doubt, and will often take on authority that they feel is being unfair to those who are weak. They see themselves as the protector of the unjust, having had their own innocence struck at an early age.

    The healthy Point 8 Protector is generous in nature and has an innocent quality in their exuberance of life. There is an innate strength of character that is dynamic and independent. Their leadership has influence and power that is inspiring and is used for constructive purposes. They recognize that showing feelings is not a form of weakness, but of a core inner strength.

    The Point 8 Protector grows by learning to wait, listening to more than just their side of the story and by questioning their ideas of justice.

    Learn how a Point 8 Protector can benefit from the upcoming Enneagram Panel Workshop.