Are you happiest when helping others in some way? Do you consider yourself to have strong moral or ethical convictions? Is being loved by people you care about often the most important thing to you? If you answered yes to all or a majority of these questions, chances are that you are an enneagram 2 wing 1. We’ll just call you 2w1.
In-depth Description of Enneagram 2w1
Every enneagram type has another type by each side. These two types are called wings. They have some sort of influence over your dominant type.
This means that you are bound to display some traits of your wings. However, one of these wings will be dominant.
For enneagram 2, the wings are type 1 and type 3.
2w3 is the enneagram type where type 1 is the dominant wing. These people are the definition of companions.
They are very people-oriented and seek to create beautiful relationships with others. These relationships are ways they convince themselves that they are actually needed.
They will naturally be very cheerful and happy people that will be willing to help others reach their goals. They will also more introverted than 2w3s.
These people are happy to serve and be there for their friends and families.
While this is true, their wing also makes them idealistic. Thus, these people might have strong values and have perfectionistic tendencies.
2w1s seek a lot of validation from others. They want to feel loved. Thus, when this does not come, it can make them criticize themselves.
They might also see themselves as failures. This type is a blend of type 1 and type 2 which are in different triads.
Thus, there are subtle contradictions in their personalities. While type 1 is often critical of others, type 2 simply wants to be loved.
Thus, this type can be caught between the lines when it comes to dealing with people.
Overall, 2w1s are great friends who just want to be appreciated for the hard work they do.
Enneagram 2w1 (In Stages)
While 2w1s are generally similar people, there are often subtle differences. These differences are mostly caused by the strength of their wings.
The strengths can be categorized into strong, moderate, or weak.
2w1 (Strong)
This type variant will show strong traits of their wing. They will generally be more perfectionistic and ethical people.
Their type 2’s need to help others and type 1’s moral standing will make them more interested in religious or charitable organizations.
This type variant will also be more critical about themselves.
2w1 (Average)
This type variant has only moderate traits of their wing. They will generally be more balanced and friendlier. They will try to be of help wherever they can and are generally great friends.
This type variant is a good listener and people will often feel more comfortable around them.
They are also less judgmental than the previous type.
2w1 (Weak)
This type variant will look closest to the core type 2. They desire to be loved and appreciated by others. Thus, this type variant will go out of their way to make others feel comfortable.
While this often makes them the perfect companion, it can lead to people-pleasing tendencies.
This type variant is the most likely to be people-pleasers among all enneagram types.
What is the Core Desire of Enneagram 2w1?
The core desire of 2w1 is to be needed by others. To achieve this, they try to be very helpful to others.
Because they have a wing 1, they might try to achieve even greater levels of being helpful. This might draw them to humanitarian causes.
What is the Core Fear of Enneagram 2w1?
The core fear of 2w1 is to be abandoned or rejected by others. To make sure this does not happen, 2w1s overextend themselves when helping others.
This might quickly lead to other problems. 2w1s might never get to achieve what they want in life. They might be stuck helping others achieve their own targets.
Strengths of Enneagram 2 wing 1
1. Extremely Supportive
2w1s are extremely supportive people. Thus, they are people who can contribute effectively to a team. Their supportive nature has an influence throughout their lives.
Because they are so supportive, people often see this type as very reliable people. One way they support people is by giving them their time.
They are always ready to listen and help people out with their own issues.
2. Hard-working
The need to be perfect and to also be helpful blends to produce very hard-working people. Because their main desire is to be helpful, 2w1s will take on a lot of tasks for others.
Because they also want to do it well, they will work extremely hard to make it perfect.
Thus, these are people who give their all for the greater good.
3. Strong Values
2w1s often have strong values. Because of their wing, these values are often morally inclined. Thus, they have a strong sense of purpose and know what they want to achieve.
They are also aware of their flaws and what needs to improve. So, they can easily make progress.
4. Selfless
2w1s are very selfless people. They spend the majority of their life helping others and serving for a greater cause.
Their selfless nature often makes them great friends and leaders.
5. Attention to Details
2w1s are alive to the small details. This can be at work or when dealing with people. Thus, 2w1s will be able to spot when people are sad, anger or showing a different emotion.
This puts them in the best position to help others. Depending on their wing, 2w1s are often able to listen to people without judging others.
This puts people at ease.
6. Right Balance of Emotions and Logic
While most enneagram types might be more emotional or logical, 2w1s often have a clear balance. Thus, they can alternate quickly when the need arises.
This allows them to be there for others when needed and to make good decisions when they have to.
7. Easy Going and Approachable
2w1s are often easy-going people. They love to be around people. Thus, people find it easy to approach them for questions and support.
With 2w1s, you probably will never feel like you are a burden.
Weaknesses of 2w1s
1. People-Pleasers
There’s no doubt that 2w1s have their own values and targets. However, they might never get to meet them because they are so busy helping others reach theirs.
They can easily have a problem saying no to others. Thus, they are often caught in a never-ending cycle of helping others.
People who notice how helpful 2w1s are can try to take advantage of them.
2. They Need a Lot of Validation
2w1s need a lot of validation from others. They want to be needed and appreciated. When 2w1s work themselves into the ground for others and do not get this validation, things can get ugly.
2w1s might start showing the anger of their wing or might even become manipulative. They might become depressed or feel rejected.
2w1s often base their self-confidence on the opinion of others.
3. They don’t do well with Criticism
2w1s do not like to be criticized. Since their main desire is to be loved, criticism is surely the opposite of that.
Thus, criticism from people they care about can hurt them deeply. It can make them feel that their efforts to be the best companion have failed.
4. Self-critical
2w1s can become highly critical of themselves. This is often caused by the presence of their wing. Thus, when they don’t meet up to their expectations, they might feel miserable and of no use.
It’s very easy for this type to feel depressed if this continues for a long time.
Enneagram 2w1 and Stress
Like any enneagram type, 2w1s find certain situations stressful to deal with. Here are some of the most common ones.
· Feeling Helpless
2w1s want to help others. Thus, when they are caught in a situation where they cannot offer any help, it can be really stressful.
Thus, 2w1s might fight to put themselves in a position where they can be more useful to others. This can vary depending on the background of the particular individual.
· Being Criticized
As earlier stated, 2w1s do not cope with criticism. It leaves them very stressed. To them, this is a sign that they haven’t done well enough.
Thus, 2w1s might double their efforts just to make sure that they avoid future criticism. If it continues, 2w1s can either get really angry or become depressed.
· No Time for Themselves
2w1s do a lot for others. When they are very popular, this can make them very busy people. 2w1s might have no time for their personal needs.
Because they have deep values and are aware of their own targets, this can make things really stressful for them.
For a 2w1 to be happy, they need to carve out time for themselves.
2w1 and Finances
Type 2 generally does not consider money as a strong motivator. However, they need money to keep up with their obligations and charitable streaks.
Generally, 2w1’s finances will be fine. Their wing will give them a greater handle over their finances.
2w1 vs 2w3
Wondering if you are a 2w3 or 2w1? The main differences often rest with their core motivations and fears. Here are some notable differences between these two types.
| 2w1 | 2w3 |
| 2w1s are more introverted | 2w3 are more extroverted |
| 2w1s are more interested in being helpful. They tend to achieve this through humanitarian causes | 2w3s desire to be helpful by being an inspiration to others. This might see them excel in their profession. |
| 2w1s are more people-oriented | 2w3s are more ambitious |
2w1 vs 1w2
Wondering if you are a 2w1 or 1w2? A simple way of knowing is by figuring out what’s most important to you.
If you are more interested in helping others, then you are more likely a 2w1. If you are more interested in your core values and being perfect, then you are a 1w2.
To know more about Enneagram 1 wing 2, you can click that link.
Knowing what you really want is key to figuring out your enneagram type.
2w1 and Compatibility
The natural partners of 2w1s are type 1 and type 9. They might also be compatible with type 8 and type 3.
However, any two mature people can make a relationship work.
Fictional or Famous People who are 2w1s
- Henry Cavil
- Meryl Streep
- Jamie Lee Curtis
- Jennifer Garner
- Terry Crew
- Margot Robbie
Best Careers for Enneagram 2w1
- Social worker
- Counselor
- Missionary
- Clergy
- Psychologist
- Nurse
- Physician
- Humanitarian
- Financial Advisor
- Human Resource Specialist
Worst Careers for Enneagram 2w1
- Paralegal
- Accounting
- Auditor
Growth Tips for Enneagram 2w1
- Learn to carve out time for yourself. This helps you achieve your own goals and is a form of self-care.
- Being criticized does not make you a failure. It makes you human.
- Be confident in yourself. Do not build your self-esteem around people’s opinions.
