Enneagram 7w6: The Tinfoil Brat

Written by Larissa (2022)

Nicknames I think fit this type: Tinfoil Brat, Party Goblin, Cheeto Gremlin, Attention Deficit Marauder, Little Rascal, Miss Demeanor, Disco Inferno, Constant Craving, Loveable Lunatic, Rabbithole Raver, Provocative Pollinator, Pixie Grifter, Trashbag Trickster, Enfant Terrible, The ‘Suck It and See’.

7w6’s scuttle, dart, flit and operate in an often spasmodic fashion. They’re constantly seeking shortcuts and novel ways of experiencing reality. You’ll know them by the signature trail of chaos they sow. They’re the “too much” or “a lot” friend; sometimes annoying in their fervor, impatient and scattered little imps. Tricksters at heart, they’re naively obscene and often artless in their communication style, grinning while they deliver an insult. But it’s ok, because they’re more interesting than you (by their own assertion). At their best, 7’s are generous and inspiring. While they may throw themselves pity parties, they’ll make sure there’s still spiked punch, Cheetos, a great playlist and sexual (sometimes grotesquely so) innuendo abound.

7w6’s share a core type with 7w8, but the 7w8 is more of a Bulldozer Barbie, Bellicose Bella, a Girl Gone Wild. Where the 7w6 is a chattering chipmunk, the 7w8 is a rhino with fake tits and they give zero fucks that you can see their areola poking out of their too-tight shirt.

7 is a “head type” and with a 6 wing it makes for a double “head type”; a pinball machine that never tires unless you start telling them a long-winded story about your poorly-healthed grandmother or the irksome details of your home renovation. 7’s underdo fear by escaping and avoiding it or anything that harshes their vibe. 7’s are one of the more solipsistic types, however, with a 6 wing (instead of an assertive, confident and grandiose 8 wing) it also has a dose of anxiety, paranoia and hypervigilance. They're aware that they're annoying and that fear isn’t truly escapable. Their 6-ish traits can be exacerbated by walls closing in on them or external forces trying to control or oppress them. Or if they’ve given in to reckless excess they might become terrorized by the consequences catching up to them. They can spiral into worst case scenarios and become reactive and hostile toward anyone who seems like a threat to their freedom, agency or fantasies. However, unlike the 6, 7’s rarely like to view themselves as victims, even when they are. They can apply their "possibilities" orientation to catastrophic thinking and dot-connecting, which can result in excessive catastrophizing, prophetic visions or a volatile combination of both.

As a head type and a “gluttony” type, 7’s love pulling from many different places and sources, obsessively consuming whatever they’re interested in. Even though they have their own ideas about the world, they love learning, and you might find a lot of geeky 7w6’s in the wild. They’ve often taken a multitude of classes and workshops. Their 6 wing can cause them to check in with “the experts”, but they basically just want a direct hookup to the dealer. They want your mental drugs, and they want them now. Of course, they’ll skidaddle when they’ve butt-chugged enough to create their own thing - however half-baked, ill-conceived or premature it may be.

7’s aggressively extract nectar from anything they find intriguing; voraciously suckling on the tit of life like a ravenous piglet. This can manifest via their interests, or whatever libidinous pursuit they might be engaged in. Once they get sick of the flavor, or the tit starts to wither, they move on to find a new one. Or, perhaps they suck so intently and relentlessly that they end up caving in their own skull; and find themselves obese and putrescent, breathless in a pile of excess and excrement.

7 is a "frustration" type; nothing is ever quite right. They get horny off idealizing what could be, and wilt under what is. The grass is always greener on the other side. FOMO is their middle name. Their thirst for what could be is often a propulsive force, and can be the only thing that motivates them when life is mundane. They get what they want, but it doesn’t satisfy them for long. In the back of their mind, their escape plan begins unfolding, schemes begin hatching and selfish rationalizations appear as if delivered by the divine hand of God. At their worst, the 7 can enter a state of deranged, ideopraxist mania and set themselves aflame. A juggler with so many balls, they will inevitably drop all of them and be left looking like a fool. Lather, rinse, repeat, and any hope the 7 had of finding stability or sustainable gratification goes down the drain along with the pubic hair and cheap body wash of a life they’ve constructed out of endless dissatisfaction.

7 is an "assertive" type. This can make them entitled and brazen about what they want. Their motto is “Gimme gimme more, gimme more, gimme gimme more…” *Britney hair flip* But because of the wing 6, 7w6’s can be aware of what they “should” do or what society expects from them (especially if a Social type) and it can keep their brattiest impulses vaguely more reigned in than a 7w8 (who is double assertive). They might go for what they want, but feel bad or belatedly apologize if it has ramifications. They might also experience paralyzing apprehension, self-doubt and overwhelm when their own incompetence (or fear of it) catches up with them. However, at the end of the day, the 7w6 will end up doing what the 7w6 wants to do, which is a big distinction between 7w6 and 6w7. The 7w6 might see the “should” in front of them on the pavement, and may stare at it a while, but ultimately the 7 will squish it under their neon yellow high-top and skip away.

7 is a “positive” type, which mostly means they reframe negatives into positives. They experience “magical thinking”, especially with a 9 fix in the mix. They attempt to avoid boredom, pain, annoyance, and negativity on autopilot. It doesn’t mean that they won’t be negative or experience sorrow, as a 7w6 they have a reactive “negative” wing (doubly so, if they have a 4 and/or 8 fix). They can dwell, sob, be too depressed to peel themselves off their fluid-stained bed sheets. However, they might not really be here for *your* negativity. They’ll likely want to reframe or resolve your problem and move on with their day, instead of handing you tissue after tissue while you tell them your sob story for the thousandth time. They want to rip the Band-Aid off and find the silver lining, yesterday. A 7 who has worked on themselves and is conscious of their patterns is better at holding space for others, but sure enough the frustrated feeling of being held hostage will creep upon them, and you will notice their spirit leave the room as you continue to ramble on and on about your dire situation that you’ve already told them A DOZEN FUCKING TIMES BEFORE and they have already repeatedly told you how to fix… GOOD GOD, IF YOU EXPECT ME TO LISTEN TO THIS NOTHING-SAUCE THEN PAY ME, YOU DAFFY BITCH!!!… Moving on.

As an assertive-“positive” type, they offer solutions, which may not seem realistic or viable to some. The 7 believes that anything is surmountable, given their blessed “magical thinking” abilities. If you can’t get with their visionary suggestions, you’ll likely morph into their hapless, weepy acquaintance that they put on the shelf next to the discarded, moldy books they discovered on the side of the road when they were drunk, and the drab religious figurines their aunt gives them each Christmas. You’ll collect dust only to be brought out to play with when they’ve exhausted other options.

This “positive” thinking ability also means that if something really fucked up happens to them, they’ll usually recover. Even if they hole up for a while to lick their wounds, or spiral into their 6 wing, they’ll eventually find the benefit of the tragedy. You fucked their boyfriend, but you’re also their mom? That’s ok, they’ll turn it into their Jerry Springer debut, and they’ll look hotter than you on television. You banned them from a social group? They’ll create their own group and it will be even funner and more interesting than yours. Or, if they’re more evolved, they’ll just move on as if you never existed. You cannot defeat a 7, because they’ll find a way to bend reality to make anything work for them. The only person who can defeat a 7 is themselves.

Because 7w6’s are a double head type with a line to another head type (5), they can often feel like they don’t know enough. In fact, they can feel spectacularly stupid. A core 6 will make sure they understand the rules, know what the experts think, what the group thinks (or the group they simp) as a way to fend off the worries of being a dumbass. A 5 will become a quietly arrogant expert as the “competency” head type, and over-learn into total abstraction. When a 7 feels a bit ‘tarded, it can fuel their internal gluttony and they might immediately move into “doing” something about it, without thinking it through. They might buy a ton of books (and not read them), or sign up for a bunch of classes (but not show up for half of them). It can also cause them to retreat into their line to 5 (obsessively studying) or access their 6 wing (seeking out expert opinions), or just flee the experience entirely by brushing it off with a joke, or switching lanes to chase another pursuit or distraction. YOLO.

7’s can unravel into unhealthy levels when they feel suffocated, trapped, stifled or as if their prospects have been cut off. This can happen when there are too many responsibilities being piled on them, or when they feel as if under perpetual house arrest because of their circumstances (the wife, kids, job, weather, too many obligations, inadequate options in their dominant instinct). They’re not usually nine-to-five, rise’n’grind types and the workforce tedium can bring out the self-destructive urge to escape existence via drugs, booze, sex, distractions and stirring up chaos. 7’s, especially with an additional frustration fix (1 or 4), can devolve into a state of despair and decadence by being forced to be part of the proletariat. They might abscond responsibilities or lash out at people for taking up their time or energy; becoming almost hysterical about their boundaries and me-time.

7’s are also often the “party animal” or flamboyant type; flitting from scene to scene, rarely establishing anything truly meaningful outside of a select few connections. If you wound or disappoint them they might lob you off, as they have many other tantalizing social options to choose from. They have a live and let live attitude, and usually don't care all that much if people disagree with their opinions or beliefs, unlike the core 6. Often 7’s gravitate toward other 7’s or 7-fixers, as there’s a shared understanding that they can maintain the friendship without constantly checking in or seeing each other every week, which can be difficult for other types to fathom.

Known as a “selfish type” 7’s can be seen as narcissistic, especially from the view of a superego (1, 2, 6) or attachment (3, 6, 9) type, because they’re living life on their own terms and not abiding by the Matrix commandments or limiting beliefs. Life is to be enjoyed, experienced, ravaged, fucked from behind. Rules are for losers. 7’s aren’t limited by your mortal belief systems and structures, *insert evil laugh.* The 7 doesn’t care what you do, so long as you don’t get in the way of what they’re doing or want. If you get in the way of a 7’s passion or enjoyment, watch out.

7’s, maybe more than any other type, enjoy playing pranks and messing with people. Depending on their wing, instinctual stacking and fixes, you’ll find yourself with a devious pixie who likes to stir things up for their own amusement, a chaotic neutral character, or a gleeful demon who exacts revenge in the most amoral of ways. They like having a stockpile of wild stories to whip out like a party trick, self-indulgently musing at their collection of peccadillos and antics.

Because 7 has a line to 5 (the other head type), it makes the 7w6 one of the most “heady” of the types. Having a “line” to another type means it has access to aspects or behaviors of that type as a means to evolve or devolve. When 7 goes “line to 5” they can burrow into an interest and withdraw in order to feed their head. It can make them more introspective, focused on absorbing and fully comprehending details, refining, synthesizing and whittling versus their usual expansive, superficial gathering of information approach. It can also make them go into hermit-mode, becoming unusually abstemious, avoiding people and evading responsibilities in service of whatever their interest is because life “out there” just isn’t doing it for them. They’ll avoid the soirees and meet-ups because they’re disappointed and would rather get their juice from books or Reddit, or create something all night in their bedroom. When healthy, a 7 can apply all of this to mastering a skill or seeing through the actualization phase of an obsession. However, 7’s may go 5 mode when they’ve exhausted themselves escaping, running and devouring. They have nothing left to give or take, and they must finally rest. This can be a terrifying experience to the 7 if they have unprocessed trauma, upsetting emotions or life things they’ve been avoiding. The enormity of it can crash down on the 7, hurtling them into horror and overwhelm. This experience can make them depressed, distressed, double-down on escapist behaviors, or God willing, they introspect and look for healthy ways to integrate and process.

When 7’s access their line to 1 (a frustration-competency type) when unhealthy, they can transform into unholy terrors, imperious and cavalier. They mutate from being easy going to perfectionistic and hyper-critical of themselves and others. Especially with a wing 6 and a line to 1, the 7 can be uncharacteristically Kareny. They can become controlling of others in their life and preachy about how to live when their circumstances are not mirroring the reality they desire: one that feels elastic, lively and fascinating. They might cut people from their lives for not living up to their standards (as wavy-gravy or new those standards may be), or clean up the mess in their lives by abstaining from alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling or whatever else they typically overdo.

When they are accessing both of their competency lines, and actualizing their interests, hobbies or theories instead of just shouting their latest madcap ideas at strangers, they can go into a hyper-disciplined state. This can cause them to proceed in an austere and controlled manner; cutting away the fat in their life (people, other interests, obligations) in order to bring their vision into reality. Their relationships, belongings or multitude of interests may begin to feel like prison bars, and they’ll have to go. Because it’s difficult to balance repressed hedonistic impulses with responsibility, eventually the 7 will wear themselves out in this mode. The sensation of being stifled ferments, and they may succumb to the urge to abandon this new lifestyle, in favor of reinventing themselves or discovering unfamiliar, delicious vittles. Of course, the idea is that we use our lines to integrate and balance ourselves, but for the 7 it may take many tangos before they find a rhythm they can dance to. If they find a renewable source of energy in one direction, balance fun with consistency, they can harness their demiurgical life force and make grand things materialize.

A main life pattern with 7’s is that they’re always trying to outrun the Devil. If they don’t face whatever it is they’re running from, the ubiquitous monster at their heels will become bigger and faster as the 7 gets slower and weaker. Often, The Universe will throw a monkey wrench in their bike spokes to force them to stop and reflect, as injury and ruin is often the only way to force a 7 to look inward and emotionally heal. If they refuse, and keep pushing and squirming and escaping, it will become increasingly difficult as they get older to overcome these patterns. They’ll run out of road, options and ways out.

The film “Red Rocket” (2021) by Sean Baker is a great example of this life path. “The Little Mermaid” (1989) is also a good example of the “grass is greener” mentality of the idealistic 7w6 who goes through Hell to get what they desire, only to find out it’s nothing like what they dreamed; it didn’t solve all of their problems and now they’re totally fucked.

7’s can seem horrifically impetuous and self-absorbed to other types. However, because their type structure is centered around possibilities, expansiveness, movement and lack of rules or restrictions, they also make for great cheerleaders. If you have a big dream, you’re better off floating it to your 7 buddy who will join you in the fantasy, cheer you on, make you believe in the power of you, and spitball solutions. When they’re happy and have the means, they’re also keenly generous with their resources, time and energy. When they have slowed down and genuinely allowed for gratitude and internal abundance, and allow themselves to experience discomfort, they can unlock true joy and satisfaction. Maybe more than any other type, they’re the ones most likely to want to see you thrive, without a hidden agenda. They love it when you follow your outlandish passion and dream the undreamable. Fuck the rules, Cindy! You are a rockstar!!!! Fuck the haters, Gary! Eat as many goddamn hotdogs as you want, Marsha! Yassss Queen! When 7’s put their powers of provocation to good use, they can inspire others, catalyze massive change in their loved ones, and lift the world with them on their seemingly nonsensical quest. They crack open the door to what is possible for all, and give permission to other types to unabashedly follow their aspirations and unconditionally love themselves, warts and all.

Social-Dominant 7w6’s often like to build social groups around their interests, and as they can have multiple interests, they can have multiple groups to flit between. Each group can serve its own purpose (“these are the friends I talk about Enneagram with, these are the friends I party with, these are my horror movie friends”, etc). They can seem like social butterflies - noncommittal, selfish and scattered. They can be aware of the social impact they might have, if only they narrow or combine what captures their attention into something cohesive and meaningful. What really juices them up is being able to find their special groups where they can push into, learn and expand on ideas, concepts, experiences, interests and build something exhilarating together. If they’re not getting that from you, you might not have a place at the table for too long. They’ll encourage you on your own quest, though, as they usher you out the door.

Self-Preservation-Dominant 7w6’s are less focused on curating their social circles around their activities but will still want things to be engaging. This might manifest in a strange assortment of pets, physical pursuits or objects, eating or creating weird food, doing bizarre things with their body or aesthetic. They might be the most responsible of the three instincts, and the most able to actualize their efforts in the physical world. However, Self-Preservation 7’s can indulge in overspending, buying useless shit, eating out or travelling alot, partying nonstop, fucking nonstop, daredevil activities and sometimes pushing the limits physically because what even is reality? What even is this body? More, more, more! Adreeennnaaaaaaaalliiiiinnnnnnnnne!!!!

Sexual-Dominant 7w6’s want fleeting, intense, devouring, pleasurable experiences - and if you don’t profusely sparkle or pique their interest, move along. They can also attract a lot of attention in their presentation - through dress, adornments and displays. They’ll draw people in like a mystical belly-dancer, mesmerizing their audience - but as soon as they lose interest, bye, bye! They’re perhaps the most hedonistic and provocative of the three instincts, and unless you’re able to continuously feed them juice and captivation, you’ll be left with nothing but the memories of the Sexual 7 to arouse and torment you forever. What never could have been… *sigh.*

Examples of 7w6’s: Joe Rogan, Tim Dillon, Theo Von, Parker Posey, Florence Welch, Danny Elfman, Sia, RuPaul, Miley Cyrus

7: Frustration, Positive, Assertive, Head

6: Attachment, Reactive, Superego, Head

Line to 5: Rejection, Competency, Withdrawn, Head

Line to 1: Frustration, Competency, Superego, Gut