In brief, the philosophical ideas of essentialism and existentialism deal with whether or not things exist arbitrarily.
Essentialism is the continuation of the idea that there is a fundamental essence to every ‘thing’ that can be called a ‘thing’ (Plato’s 'forms’). Existentialism counters this by saying 'things’ only exist emergently. That is, existence precedes essence, and things need to exist first before they can be said to have any kind of 'form,’ and the essence, if there, is nothing but an emergent property of the way things are arranged. (Bear with me, I have to get through the philosophical nitty gritty before the rest of this post makes more sense.)
This gets pretty heavy. Is there an Essential Chair that bestows all chairs their 'chairness?’ Rather, is the concept of a chair separate from actual chairs-in-themselves? Is each chair merely a collection of atoms arranged in such a manner that they provide enough resistance when a hominid sits on them, which we then call 'chair’? Or is there something more fundamental at work that produces the concept of a 'chair’ in our mind’s eye before the first chair is built? Let’s extend this question to types.
Is a type 9 a type 9 because there is some essential '9-ness’ that people can either have or not? Or is a type 9 a type 9 because they possess a collection of traits that correspond well enough to a collection of traits people have already observed in others and themselves and called '9’? And is integration and disintegration between the types merely the inevitable result of either overcoming these traits (even in bursts) in the first case, or those same traits reaching their breaking point before the psyche compels itself through homeostasis to return to the path of least resistance, the habits of mind being maintained that produce the 'type’ in the first place?
If types are essential, then they are like curses placed upon us, or genes that give us disorders that we then need to grow around (pardon the crude analogies). If types are existential, they are merely the product of happenstance and habit, even if the habits started before we could really realize it.
Part II: Type Signaling
Self-identifying as a type is arriving at a type that you think is a best fit. But that’s the important bit – it’s merely a best fit. What this implies is that each type is representing a collection of traits, however rooted these traits are in a common archetype. Further, claims are made that dip their toes into developmental psychology – that these are traits that emerge out of developmental factors. Even in the more esoteric approaches to enneagram, loss of contact with the 'Holy Ideas’ that each type is associated with carries a developmental aspect – that is, the loss has to happen somehow.
When we self-identify as a type, we are essentially signaling to others, 'These are the traits I identify with, and these are the traits you should expect from me. You now have a general expectation for my personality based on knowing my full tritype and instincts.’ It’s often pretty damn accurate, and I think a large part of the reason people stick around in typology communities. So long as there’s just barely enough room leftover for human individuality, I have witnessed people – myself included – actually enjoy being characterizations of their type, because it makes them feel understood and that they have a 'place at the table’ of human experience.
Inevitably, however, we run into people who display traits that aren’t 'consistent’ with their type, and we try to explain it through the framework. Is the 9-5-4 acting 6-y because their 9 is disintegrating? Is it the wing on the 5 fix? Are they acting 7-y because their 5 fix is disintegrating? (Etc.)
These theoretical explanations may even be true – either entirely or to some degree – but it’s too easy to forget that we already have all 9 archetypes inside us. The types act as fixations along a wheel of archetypes that is dynamic enough for us to experience all of the types (or all of the fixations) on it, whether or not there’s a clear connection point between them (like 8 and 1, which are opposite ways of dealing with anger but share no traditional connection point). It’s just that more consistently than not, we will fall back on traits we are used to exhibiting, and that seems to be all this really is at the end of the day.
Type Existentialism, then, in opposition to Type Essentialism, affords us more room for either growth or individuality, because it chooses not to assume that these are inherent qualities of ourselves that we are mapping, but merely habits of the mind.
A very philosophical piece from my friend CB’s Enneagram-focused blog. I personally don’t specialize in Enneagram, so I’d point you there for some good ~Enneagrammatical~ content. Give him some notes to motivate him!
Warnings:Oral sex (f receiving), squirting, PIV sex, Soft!Dave gets his own warning, gun mention, blood mention, canon-typical violence, putting the “murder” in Suburban Murder Daddy.
Summary:Dave York is a DIA operative by day, and a contract killer by night. When he has a chance encounter with an innocent bystander on the stairs and chooses to save her from a band of rival mercenaries, will he be able to stop himself from getting too involved?
A/N: And here we come to the conclusion of this little story! Please be warned, Dave does some murder in this part. It’s not overly graphic. Thank you a MILLION times to the incredible @leslie-lyman who talked me down when I was spiraling over this story, helped talk through some plot points, and let me send her SOOOOOO many snippets in the DMs. I want to credit @unhinged-summer-fun because I shamelessly stole her idea that Dave York thinks emotions feel like heartburn from her incredible fic, To Build a Dynasty . My darling, I hope you see this as an homage and not as blatant theft, I just love an emotionally-constipated-yet-very-soft Dave.
The next few days pass in much the same way. Dave goes to work, and Caroline occupies her time in his apartment by reading or painting. In just these few days, she’s already finished two canvases, and Dave wonders what her plans for them are. Will she take them with her? Display them in her gallery? Sell them?
Caroline has teased him about his bare walls. (“There’s not a single picture on them, Dave. And don’t tell me they’re painted white.”)
This is incredible!! I’ve always thought Dave was such an interesting character. I love what you’ve done with him here. He’s such a softie but won’t admit it.
Awwwww thank you, Kat! Yes, I could always pop in and check on them, see how they’re doing in the future, but the story as it crashed into my head that one afternoon while I was running is now complete. <3
(quote are from The Complete Enneagram by Beatrice Chestnut)
I think Dave might be an Enneagram Three. Enneagram Threes are known as “The Achievers.” They value hard work, achieving goals, and looking successful. The lie of the Three personality is that they are loved because of what they do.
Three’s have an outward persona that they show the world that is not necessarily representative of who they are. They can be incredibly charismatic. They put enormous value on looking the part of a successful person. Pre-divorce, Dave has a nice house, good looking family, and an important job. We know that’s not a full representation of who he really is, but he looks like a guy living the American Dream. Threes can over-identify with their outwardly created persona to the point that they lose touch of who they really are. They can almost be two different people. Sounds like Dave to me.
Threes can be ruthless in achieving their goals. While a One and a Three might both be workaholics with to-do lists, unlike a One, a Three does not mind breaking rules to get to the end point. “Their specific “superpower’ is their ability to make things happen by finding the most direct path to their goal, removing obstacles that might bet in the way – and looking good the whole time.” Hmm, this sounds familiar…
Threes are in the heart triad (Twos, Threes, and Fours), but since they are in the middle of the triad, they are asleep to their emotions. “Threes underdo grief, habitually numbing out their feelings so they don’t get in the way of working to reach their goals.” I think Dave could be the poster child for numbing emotions. I like to think Caroline broke the barrier between his inner and outer selves and that he will be on a path towards wholeness moving forward.
