
Enneagram Type 9 – The Peacemaker
Type 9 are the easy-go-lucky, harmonious types of the Enneagram. Characterised by their calm demeanour, tolerance, and ability to see things from many angles, Type 9s are motivated by a strong wish for inner and outer peace. Though they are natural peacemakers, they are also prone to conflict aversion (passivity). In this article, we will look into the core Enneagram Type 9 personality, core motivations of an Enneagram Type 9 and the wings that influence their way of living, interacting and dealing with challenges.
What is Enneagram Type 9?
Type 9 is known as the Peacemaker and is motivated by the need for peace, comfort and stability. This type goes out of their way to avoid conflict, tension and discomfort, in themselves and their relationship. Type 9s (the peacemakers) are typically calm, open-minded, and accepting of others; they can see all sides of a situation while embracing differing opinions. Happy, easygoing, and nonjudgmental, they prefer an easy-going environment to one filled with tension or conflict. However, while this makes them a peaceable person, it can also make them passive or complacent as they avoid confrontation.
Enneagram Type 9 Meaning
Enneagram Type 9 is all about peace, unity, and acceptance. For this type, the motivation is to keep calm and to keep going in their life. To avoid personal discomfort, they may comply with the wishes of others and avoid playing the role of troublemaker. At their best, Type 9s feel a deep connection to others and can bring people together with their peaceful presence and empathic spirit. But if not all in or if they choose peace over their own best interest, they become withdrawn, lazy, and indecisive.
Enneagram Type 9 Wings
The Enneagram Type 9 has two wings 9w8 -The Referee and 9w1-The Dreamer. These wings then express different elements of the core Type 9 traits, further influencing how they relate to the world and face life’s challenges. 9w8 (The Referee): People with this wing tend to be more realistic, self-assured, and ready to defend themselves and others when necessary. The 9w8 is a much less conflict-averse version of other Type 9s, and their presence can be more commanding, as they balance peace and power in their relationships and surroundings. 9w1 (The Dreamer): The 9w1 wing combines the peace-loving, agreeable aspects of Type 9 with the principled, moralistic aspects of Type 1. They often become more contemplative, structured and concerned with doing things the “right way.”
Here, you can read more descriptions of Enneagram Type 9.
Cognitive Stack in Enneagram Type 9
Referring to them as “The Peacemakers,” they have sought inner and outer tranquillity. Here is what their mind cognitive function looks like.
Dominant Function: Introverted Thinking (Ti)
Type 9s are very inwardly focused, quiet and reflective in analyzing situations. This provides their dominant function a desire to maintain mental harmony and keep their internal conflicts to a minimum, so they can think methodically and slowly produce a reaction.
Auxiliary Function: Extraverted Intuition (Ne)
The Type 9 is open to embracing many different angles of a situation. The ability of this function to be receptive to new ideas and adaptable is influenced by this. This makes their curiosity even greater. They are able to see different ways or possibilities and understand different viewpoints.
Tertiary Function: Introverted Sensing (Si)
Type 9s are very prone to past things, memories that have to contribute to a sense of comfort and balance. It is their strong attachment to their personal history that allows them to find peace in predictability and to enjoy consistency in the environment.
Inferior Function: Extraverted Thinking (Te)
As Type 9s really want their internal harmony, they get into difficulty with being assertive and taking action. Because their Te is inferior, they struggle to structure external structures effectively or communicate their need assertively.
Personality Traits of Enneagram Type 9

- Peace Loving: The natural mediators, type 9’s seek balance and peace and avoid conflict. They are easy to be with and exude a sort of calm.
- Calm: Type 9s naturally remain calm and easygoing in both high-stress situations. Their presence often soothes others.
- Agreeable: they tend to go with the flow and avoid confrontation with others.
- Supportive: Nines are supportive but not in a centre-ring way; they are solid, able friends and colleagues, who will be steady but not ostentatious.
- Optimistic: preferring to see good in people and the environment.
- Adaptable: Type 9s are adaptable to different situations and tolerant.
- Avoidant: they tend to avoid conflict and uncomfortable feelings, and would rather keep things simple than stop to attend to their own needs.
- Complacent: They can be complacent, as they want comfort.
- Self-forgetting: Type 9s might forget their own desires and ambitions in order to focus on other people’s needs.
Core Fears and Desires
Core Fear:
Type 9s fear conflict, disconnection, and loss of inner peace. In situations where they feel they are being overlooked, made unimportant or are caught in the middle of tension, they become fearful. They tend to avoid conflict on a deeper level because they fear losing relationships or harmony within themselves.
Core Desire:
They want to preserve internal and external peace, harmony, and stability. They desperately want to feel connected, at ease, at home with themselves and with others, always wanting to live in a balanced state and have an equilibrium over any disruption.
Strengths and Weaknesses of Enneagram Type 9
Strengths:
- Type 9s Mediate: They have the ability to let tension flow and assist others in reaching an understanding.
- They are Empathetic & Understanding: They genuinely care about people’s feelings and are compassionate listeners.
- They are patient: They are tolerant, slow to anger and open-minded as Type 9s are, thus they make good people for strong, long-lasting relationships.
- They are adjustable: They have no problem in changing to new environments.
- They are steady and calm: They provide emotional security to anyone around.

Weaknesses:
- They are Avoidant: Their tendency to suppress disagreements can lead to unresolved issues since they are avoidant of conflict.
- They are Active: Assertiveness is something they may find challenging, and they may defer decisions to other people despite it going against their own interests.
- They are generally indecisive: they often procrastinate about making important decisions to avoid the stress of the possibility of conflict.
- They are Self-Neglecting: They may not pay enough attention to themselves while concentrating too much on the peace of others.
- They are Stubborn: While they seem easygoing, they can be quietly resistant to change if it threatens their comfort.
How Enneagram Type 9s Are Shaped into Who They Are
Enneagram Type 9s have typically grown up in circumstances where maintaining peace was a necessity within it: be it their family, a social circle or a community. But maybe it was that by avoiding conflict, they were doing that which brought stability. This coping mechanism eventually becomes part of the personality trait of someone who places high importance on harmony, flexibility, and emotional detachment from stressful conditions.
Healthy vs. Unhealthy States
Healthy Enneagram Type 9s are dynamic, confident, and engaged. While maintaining their peaceful nature, they assert their opinions. Inspiring unity, for them, is done with their mediating skill. They are calming to other people and also motivate them.
When in an unhealthy state Enneagram Type 9s become passive, dissociated and disengaged. Instead, they will withdraw to the point of not being present, avoiding responsibilities, and suppressing emotions. Because of the fear of conflict. These people become emotionally numb letting procrastination, stagnation and personal growth be the last goal.
Enneagram Type 9 Relationships and Compatibility
Compatibility:
Enneagram Type 9s want someone who can bring harmony into their relationship through steadiness and gentle communication. They want no unnecessary drama, easy to be around, and are quite supportive.
Type 3 (The Achiever)
The Achiever’s ambition compliments the Mediator’s laid-back nature, providing an environment where both growth and peace are able to do so.
Type 6 (The Loyalist)
Type 9 relaxes the person into a calm and reassuring feeling, which cultivates an atmosphere of trust and support. While the Type 6 person provides security and loyalty.
Type 1 (The Reformer):
Enneagram Type 9, who seeks peace and harmony, matches up well with the structure, principles, and strong moral compass of Type 1s.
Here is more about the Enneagram Type 9s.
Enneagram Type 9 in Love
Type 9s are affectionate supportive and loyal partners. However, they usually express love through actions, not through words; they provide a stable, peaceful surrounding. Although avoiding confrontation is perfectly normal, this may make it difficult for them to express their needs and emotions for fear that it could disturb the relationship’s harmony. In such situations, they thrive in relationships that encourage verbal communication gently.
Enneagram Type 9 Female

The Type 9 is a nurturing, calm, and resilient woman. Often she plays the role of a mediator among her family, friends or at the workplace. She has the forte of remaining calm under pressure — she is not nervous. But still, societal expectations can just be overly accommodating, hence she needs to widely assert her own needs and ambition.
Enneagram Type 9 Childhood
Children that are Enneagram Type 9s need to ‘blend in’ to resolve and dissolve conflict or tension in their environment. They could have been the quiet child who was easygoing, rarely causing problems and behaved that way with the hope of keeping everything peaceful in the family. Thus, as adults, they will do the same, believing in the sense of peace over any self-expression.
Relation with Specific MBTI Types
MBTI types that resonate with Type 9s are those that value harmony, self-reflection and emotional stability.
INFP
Both are about inner peace and deep connections sharing an almost reflective and idealistic worldview.
ISFP
ISFP is comfortable with beauty, peace, and present living, which sounds just like Enneagram Type 9’s want of peaceful experiences.
INFJ
These two types are introspective and caring, and they form relationships based on empathy and emotional understanding.
Career Paths for Enneagram Type 9
- Counselor/Therapist
- Human Resources Specialist
- Mediator/Conflict Resolution Specialist
- Writer/Artist
- Healthcare Professional (Nurse, Caregiver, etc.)
Common Misconceptions About Enneagram Type 9
- Enneagram Type 9s Are Lazy: they are simply more interested in inner peace than constant noise. In most cases, it is not from the lack of motivation, but rather from preferring to avoid conflict.
- Type 9s Lack Opinions: They have views of their own but tend to leave them unsaid to avoid conflicts.
- They are Emotionally Detached: They deeply care about connecting with you but may suppress their feelings to retain completeness in their exterior.
- They Can’t Be Leaders: Even though, Enneagram Type 9s can be phenomenal leaders due to their harmonious nature and the ability to come together for one purpose.
- They avoid responsibility: They prefer to take things at a calm, steady pace rather than high pressure.
Enneagram Type 9 Celebrities and Characters
Celebrities:
- Barack Obama: Calm, diplomatic, and as a leader, has been known to be composed.
- Audrey Hepburn: Graceful, compassionate and devoted to battling injustices by humanitarian work.
- Morgan Freeman is steady, and soothing (both on and off-screen).
- Queen Elizabeth II: A symbol of stability and consistency over decades.
- Keanu Reeves: Renowned for his humble, laid-back personality and peaceful approach to life.
Anime and Fictional Characters:
- Frodo Baggins from The Lord of the Rings
- Jim Halpert from The Office
- Belle from Beauty and the Beast
- Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender
- Totoro from My Neighbor Totoro
Summary

Enneagram Type 9, ‘The Peacemaker,’ is about harmony, flexibility, and serenity from the inside. Their strong points are calming, maintaining good relationships and solving conflicts without any aggression. Though they have difficulties with having themselves and confrontation, their empathy and emotional strength are a great asset in relationships and at the head of organizations. Enneagram Type 9s, at their best, instil unity and compassion, they bring a sense of belonging to the world around them.
To know more about your Enneagram type take the ENNEAGRAM PERSONALITY TEST given below.