Peace & Harmony: Enneagram Type 9 - The Peacemaker

If you've ever been around a person who’s mere presence makes you feel calm and at ease, there’s a good chance you’re with a Type 9 Peacemaker. The Peacemaker’s amiable, laid-back demeanor is like a big, deep sigh, inviting people to put down their armor and be themselves.

As leaders, Peacemakers are great consensus builders, able to hold multiple perspectives and help people around them feel seen and heard. Natural peacemakers, they have a talent for diplomatically navigating disagreements and helping people find common ground. Peacemakers create an environment of safety and belonging. They bring calm to emotionally charged situations, creating
the space for others to express themselves fully.

Peacemakers will often withhold their opinion or feelings for fear of creating conflict they believe would lead to disconnection from others. This makes it difficult to know where a Peacemaker stands on things, especially in situations that are highly contentious or controversial. By not speaking up, Peacemakers can slow down decision-making and create confusion. The result is frustration and even conflict - which the Peacemaker was trying to avoid.

In group settings, Peacemakers work well with others, ensuring everyone’s needs are considered and that the overall mood or atmosphere is harmonious. They often excel in roles that require support and reassurance. Their comforting nature is a beacon of hope for those in distress, and they often find themselves coaching or counseling their co-workers. They are natural-born consensus-builders, and have a knack for facilitating conversations.

What Makes Peacemakers Tick

The way we see the world and what we believe about it gives rise to how we’re motivated to respond to what we see and believe. Type 9 Peacemakers see the world as:

“…a place where my opinions, feelings, and desires are not as important as those of others. To maintain inner and outer peace, I must blend in and not assert myself too strongly.”

Consequently, Peacemakers come to believe that:

“I can maintain a sense of inner and outer peace by going along with others, by not asserting my own will or desires too strongly, and by avoiding anything that might disturb my comfort.”

We call this belief their Core Proposition.

Peacemaker’s Worldview and Core Proposition gives rise to their Core Motivation to seek inner and outer peace, harmony, and comfort and to avoid conflict at all costs. This motivation is rooted in a fear of loss, fragmentation, or disconnection from others. As a result, they tend to minimize their own needs, desires, and opinions, sometimes to the point of forgetting them entirely.

What Gets Their Attention and Energy

For Enneagram Type 9 Peacemakers, their Worldview, Core Motivation, and Basic Proposition revolve around a central theme of maintaining inner and outer peace. This shapes where they place their attention and how they direct their energy. What gets Peacemakers’ attention tends to be:

• Others' Agendas and Needs
  Given their desire to avoid conflict and maintain harmony, Peacemakers often pay close attention to the needs, desires, and agendas of others. By tuning into these, they can merge or go along with them to keep the peace.

• Potential Conflicts
  Even though they aim to avoid conflict, they are hypersensitive to its potential emergence. They'll notice the first signs of disagreement or tension and may adjust their behavior to prevent it from escalating.

• Comfort Zones
  Nines are attuned to what feels comfortable and familiar. Their attention naturally gravitates towards routines, situations, and people that provide a sense of ease and comfort.

• Distractions
  To avoid discomfort or inner turmoil, Nines might focus on distractions like repetitive tasks, entertainment, or daydreaming. These provide a refuge from the more challenging or confrontational aspects of life.

• What's Unsaid or Unexpressed
  Given their aversion to confrontation, they might pay attention to what they are not saying, holding back, or suppressing, especially if expressing it might cause conflict.

As “energy follows attention” Peacemakers tend to direct their energy towards:

• Maintaining the Status Quo
  A significant portion of their energy goes into maintaining the status quo. This can mean preserving routines, relationships, or situations that feel safe and familiar.

• Avoiding Discomfort
  They direct energy towards avoiding situations, discussions, or decisions that might lead to discomfort or disruption of their inner peace.

• Connecting with Others
  To maintain harmony, Peacemakers often invest energy in connecting with others, understanding their viewpoints, and creating a sense of camaraderie.

• Passive Resistance
  When faced with something they disagree with or are uncomfortable with, instead of direct confrontation, they might exhibit passive resistance – a subtle way of not going along without making a big fuss.

• Self-Soothing Activities
  Peacemakers direct energy towards activities that soothe them or offer a sense of calm. This can be things like reading, taking naps, watching TV, or engaging in repetitive hobbies.

A Type 9 Peacemaker’s attention and energy are primarily directed towards maintaining their inner and outer peace and equilibrium. They are attuned to potential disruptors of this peace and channel their energy in ways that either avoid these disruptors or mitigate their impact.

Bring in Relationship with a Type 9 Peacemaker

Being in relationship with a Type 9 Peacemaker brings both joys and challenges given their characteristic patterns and behaviors. As mentioned earlier, Peacemakers are laid-back and amiable, and generally easy to be with. Being in with a Mediator brings to mind the Eagles’ 70’s hit Peaceful Easy Feeling.

In relationships, Peacemakers bring:

• Acceptance
  Peacemakers are generally accepting and nonjudgmental, offering a safe space for people to be themselves without fear of criticism or judgment.

• Diplomacy
  Peacemakers can navigate disputes or disagreements with diplomacy, often finding solutions that satisfy multiple parties.

• Warmth and Comfort
  Peacemakers’ presence is often described as warm and comforting, making it easy to relax around them.

• Dependability
  Peacemakers usually perform their roles with a steady, consistent energy, which can be reassuring in a professional setting.

• Open-Mindedess
  Given their natural tendency to understand different viewpoints, Peacemakers are often open to new ideas and can be quite adaptable.

Some challenges that people may experience being in relationship with a Peacemaker include:

• Avoidance of Conflict
  While their desire to avoid conflict can make day-to-day life smooth, it can also mean that bigger issues get swept under the rug, leading to unresolved problems.

• Procrastination
  They might sometimes delay tasks, especially if they anticipate that the outcomes might disrupt harmony.

• Reluctance to Assert
  They might not always assert their ideas or opinions strongly, especially if they feel it might ruffle feathers.

• Slower Decision-Making
  Their aversion to conflict and desire for peace can sometimes make decision-making processes longer, especially if it involves potential disagreements.

• Passive-Aggressive Behavior
  When upset, instead of confronting the issue directly, a Nine might display passive-aggressive behavior, leading to confusion or indirect tension.

While these are typical dynamics one might experience in relationships with a Type 9 Peacemaker, it's essential to remember that it’s different from person to person, based on their level of personal development, experiences, and other factors. Healthy and self-aware Peacemakers can recognize and work on their challenges, making them incredibly valuable in both personal and professional relationships.

Pathways for Growth for Type 9 Peacemakers

Type 9 Peacemakers have unique strengths, but like all Enneagram Types, they also have areas in which they can grow and develop. Here are a few development ideas for Peacemakers to help them be the best version of themselves:

• Prioritize Self-Awareness
  This is foundational for Peacemakers. Their tendency to merge with others and to disconnect from their own desires and feelings makes self-awareness crucial. By cultivating a deep understanding of their own feelings, needs, and desires, they can navigate life more authentically and avoid losing themselves in their relationships or environments.

• Practice Assertiveness
  Since Peacemakers naturally avoid conflict and may have difficulty asserting themselves, practicing assertiveness can help them express their needs, set boundaries, and engage more fully in their relationships and endeavors.

• Set Healthy Boundaries
  Boundaries are crucial for Peacemakers. Without them, they risk continually putting others' needs ahead of their own, which can lead to feelings of resentment, burnout, and a sense of being lost or overwhelmed.

• Get Physical
  Physical activity, especially grounding exercises, is more than just a health recommendation for Peacemakers. It's a way to connect to their bodies, combat their tendencies to disengage or "tune out," and anchor themselves in the present moment.

• Lean Into Discomfort
  Given their aversion to discomfort and conflict, leaning into challenging situations is a significant growth opportunity. Whether it's having a difficult conversation, confronting a personal fear, or facing an emotionally charged situation, these experiences can be transformative for Peacemakers. They help them build courage, resilience, and a more profound sense of their value and importance to the world.

By focusing on these development areas, Enneagram Type 9 Peacemakers can more fully harness their natural strengths while also addressing their growth edges. It allows them to create a balanced and fulfilled life while being true to who they are.

Conclusion

Enneagram Type 9 Peacemakers shine as the harmonizers of the Enneagram. Rooted in a belief in unity, they bring calm and balance to their surroundings. Their ability to see multiple perspectives makes them bridges of understanding in a world of differences. Their gentle nature fosters authenticity, and while they might occasionally grapple with self-assertion, their deep empathy makes them treasured companions. In a world that often feels fractured, Type 9 Peacemakers beautifully remind us of the enduring power of connection and understanding