At the opposite end of the spectrum, the Withdrawing types are moving away from all the dust and clamor raised by the Aggressive types. Although they have definite opinions, and some Withdrawing types are successful in leadership roles, most prefer to observe from the sidelines.
Sitting quietly, doing nothing, spring comes and the grass grows by itself.
–Zenrin
Is this your stance or the stance of someone you know? Withdrawing types can be very calm and peaceful to be around, but once they do get riled up, you’ll know about it. When that happens, they can be mistaken for Aggressive types. And just like Aggressive types, they are not particularly compliant.
Here are some topics to use for journal writing with a focus on the Withdrawing stance. If this isn’t your stance, but is the stance of someone close to you, try writing one of the following exercises from that person’s perspective. To use the topics for flow-writing, set a timer, write a topic sentence at the top of a page, and then begin writing. Keep your pen moving across the page; if you get stuck, repeat what you just wrote or write nonsense words until you get back into the flow.
- Write about times when you have felt isolated.
- Describe a fantasy or a daydream.
- Write about the pros and cons of procrastinating.
- Describe in detail something you are deeply interested in.
- Write about how you withdraw and where you withdraw to.
- Write about the effect your moods or feelings have on the decisions you make.
- Describe your relationship with the past.
- Write about what causes you to tune out.
If you have a strong reaction, either positive or negative to any of the topics, those are probably the best ones to start with.
NOTE: If you don’t know what your Enneagram stance is and want to find out, you can complete the Stance Keyword Comparison Checklist. There’s some information about stances under the “Interpreting the Results” section and also in this post.
Nine Paths 