Motivation, which can be an internal drive or an external stimulus, propels our behavior. It might be toward something we want or, conversely, away from something we don’t want.
Each Enneagram type comes with specific motivators, ones that propel people of that type forward in a specific direction, as well as key demotivators, intense avoidances that also drive their responses and behavior.
The core motivators and demotivators be thought of as 1st level motivators and demotivators for each type. In addition, there are 2nd and 3rd level motivators for each type; 2nd level motivators are type-based improvements, while 3rd level motivators are deeper longings and higher aspirations.
ENNEAGRAM FOURS
Core Motivator: Expression of deep feelings and connection with others
Above all else, Fours love to express themselves – and especially deep feelings- through language, touch, and artistry of different kinds (if they are artistically inclined). This not only connects them deeply to themselves, but also to other people. Self-expression gives them a sense of having a lifeline.
Core Demotivator: Feeling rejected and not good enough
Avoidances are often as strong or stronger than what we search for, and this is certainly the case for Fours. Because they carry an intrinsic self-perception that they are flawed or deficient in comparison to others, Fours are highly motivated to avoid feeling this way and become demotivated when they do feel inferior to others.
2nd Level Motivators: To know more about themselves at the deepest levels, while becoming more self-accepting and less self-negating. To be less volatile, emotional, and reactive.
Almost all Fours are introspective, and many are deeply so. Sometimes, however, they mistake their more immediate feelings and responses for their deeper ones. For this reason, anything that stimulates deep, powerful and objective self-exploration is a great motivator.
3rd Level Motivators: To make lasting connections with others that can be sustained without having to constantly engage in deep, meaningful conversations. To feel more capable of making things happen and to manifest their dreams rather than feeling that things happen to them.
It can be exhausting and, in some ways, not altogether satisfying to expect all relationships to be deep and meaningful at all times. How wonderful to make deep and lasting connections that are profound and enduring without having to be in deep conversation about meaningful content constantly. This can be a powerful motivator for fours.
Next in this series will be the motivational structure for Enneagram Fives.
About Ginger
Ginger Lapid-Bogda PhD, author of nine Enneagram books including The Art of Typing, is a speaker, consultant, trainer, and coach. She provides certification programs and training tools for business professionals around the world who want to bring the Enneagram into organizations with high-impact business applications. TheEnneagramInBusiness.com | ginger@theenneagraminbusiness.com
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