We are up to point #Four on the #Enneagram. Ichazo called the fixation "melancholy" & while I have another suggestion for the name, it certainly is a good descriptor. There is a thread here. (1/6)
In the original teachings, point 4 was *defined" by melancholy, so I have always been baffled by people who describe themselves as "happy 4s." There seem to be a large # of people in the US who see themselves as 4s because the descriptions have become a little loose. (2/6)
Some think they are 4s because they have had difficult childhood issues, or because they experience strong emotions, or because they feel people do not understand them. But that is not a type--it just means you are human. Remember too, the fixation is a *mental* habit. (3/6)
I call 4's fixation fantasizing, but that too needs to be explained. I mean that 4s tend to dwell on fantasies, memories, & self-talk that keep them in certain moods & feelings that feel familiar and authentic. And these moods tend to be melancholic as Ichazo suggested. (4/6)
4's feelings tend to be around longing & sweet sorrow. There's a tendency to expect disappointment, & much of 4s identity revolves around these feelings and the sense of disappointment. 4s generally are unapologetic about these feelings, seeing them as honest. (5/6) #Enneagram
It is true that inner work helps 4s move beyond the potentially destructive parts of this, but even healthy 4s still *like" darker, melancholic feelings, but find more creative and helpful ways of using them to support others. (6/6) #Enneagram
