Character Fives – Page 2 – Enneagram and Encaustic

HENRY JONES, SR., FIVE

Indy’s companion in his third movie is his father. It is a love story, as much as Marion Ravenwood’s is.

So, what Enneagram number is Dad?

He’s a scholar, but more than that he’s a solitary scholar. Contemplative. Prone to isolation and introversion. Any number can be an introvert, but Henry really says “Head Type” as a first impression. He’s certainly not a Body Type like Indy. Using the umbrella to send the birds into the plane engine is our clue there.

And he’s not a Heart. Emotions are secondary for him, an inconvenience.

Five, Six, or Seven?

Not Seven. He’s not fun enough, or varied enough, or hedonistic enough for that. The pleasures of the world don’t tempt him.

He’s a Five. He’s just too serious to be anything else. The mission drives him, knowledge drives him. The grail diary is his life’s work and he’s never grown tired of pursuing it. He’s relentless about something many people would find boring.

Here’s what’s interesting: In real life, Fives and Nines have a complicated relationship. Nines can’t stand how know-it-all Fives are, and Fives can’t stand that Nines don’t value their insight. I would say that, subconsciously, this dynamic is what makes the third Indiana Jones movie arguably the best of the series. Beautifully played.

MATTHEW CUTHBERT, FIVE

Matthew is a drop-dead classic Man Five.

His gentleness, his shyness, his observational attention to Anne, and his abhorrence of socializing, are all Five traits. He is steady, quiet, and loyal. Five.

He’s also awkward, boring, and invisible. Five.

In one version of Anne of Green Gables Richard Farnsworth plays Matthew’s Five-ness perfectly. He is the exact lovable mix of qualities. However, the actor is built nothing like Men Fives, who are tall and sometimes gangly, lean, or rangy. Physically, a Man Five is quite similar to a Man Four. The personalities are diametrically opposed, of course, but on first glance they are hard to differentiate.

It just goes to show that an actor’s Enneagram number will not restrict their ability to convincingly play a character’s Enneagram number. I like that.

T2’S SARAH CONNOR, FIVE

She’s the same number as she was in the first Terminator, but Sarah Connor now exhibits different traits of the Enneagram Five.

The workout. You might think she’s a Body Type because of her exercise regimen in the psych hospital, but she’s not. Fives appreciate the order and control of a physical program. Dance, martial arts, cross country running — these are all activities a Five loves without ever necessarily excelling at them. Sarah has that same physical dedication. It keeps her sane. But she’s not a great athlete.

The lack of sentimentality. Her beloved son rescues her and she’s angry. He can’t put himself in danger, not even for her. He thinks she’s hugging him but she’s only checking his body for wounds. Fives are in a constant battle of hating public displays of affection while wanting to connect and be close with others. It comes off as coldness and austerity.

Her ruthlessness. In order for a Five to be as badass as Sarah Connor parts of her personality must shut down. Fives can slide to Eight in strength, but they can’t live in the superhero realm comfortably the way a true Eight could. Sarah almost kills Miles Dyson because she’s closed off feelings that would’ve crushed her Mother of the Future Hero plan. She can be vulnerable or she can be iron; she just can’t be both simultaneously.

T1’S SARAH CONNOR, FIVE

Five Women are physically average in every way. Medium height, medium weight, medium pretty. With nothing to distinguish them they fade into the background.

For Sarah Connor, that’s the point.

You make Sarah an Enneagram Five because you want the audience and the characters to see no reason this person should be targeted for termination. It’s brilliant. Why her?

A Five is also someone who would believe a wildly improbable tale. A cyborg from the future? Pff. Because of their observational skills, Fives would put the clues together and accept the preposterous, and even change their life to suit the new reality.

In real life Five Women are often the teachers and church volunteers and PTA mothers. They quietly run society. When Sarah accepts the mantle of Mother of the Future Hero, she’s only fulfilling this Five-ish role.

LISA SIMPSON, FIVE

I’m not sure if a recent commenter was calling me a Lisa Simpson or if they were requesting an Enneagram character sketch of her, so I’ll assume the latter and off we go.

First off, let’s be honest. I’m only a casual viewer of The Simpsons. Here’s what I remember about Lisa:

She likes rules. She plays the saxophone. Bart, and his chaotic state, annoy her. She’s smarter than her father, at least, and maybe both of her parents. She’s kind of a pain because she’s so stringent. However, her open vulnerability can be very endearing and sad. She’s an alien in her own world.

My God, I am a Lisa Simpson! Oh, dear.

Much rueful chuckling goes here.

Well, then, Lisa — a character I tend to dislike — must be a Five.

That may not be true, but I don’t want to delve further. It’s a Monday morning and I’ve only had one cup of coffee so far. Self-searching requires at least a donut or something.