The World’s Rarest Personality Type Has These Strengths & Weaknesses
Your personality might be as precious as a rare jewel.
elandis-patrick via Canva | borchee via Canva You can learn more about yourself from your primary personality type than you would by staring in a mirror all day. Your primary personality type can help you gain greater self-awareness about the patterns you act out unconsciously.
In particular, the Enneagram of Personality is an insightful system used to identify which primary personality type you most closely align with in accordance with the Riso-Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator (RHETI®) test. The Enneagram of Personality gives us 9 personality categories, one of which is quite rare.
- The Reformer
- The Helper
- The Achiever
- The Individualist
- The Investigator
- The Loyalist
- The Enthusiast
- The Challenger
- The Peacemaker
Of the nine Enneagram personality types, the rarest is Type 4: the Individualist.
Part of the reason you don’t meet a lot of Individualists is they are often introverts. You are more likely to encounter them in a small group or one-on-one situation. The Type 4 personality likes to connect with others at a deep heart level, which is difficult to do in large gatherings.
So, how do you know if you might have one of these rare personality types?
The world's rarest personality type has these five strengths and weaknesses:
1. You live through your emotions and often feel misunderstood.
Do you feel like no one understands you? Like you want to fit in with others, but you also don’t want to fit in if you are expected to be like everyone else. Do you want to find your own unique niche in life? These are the struggles of the Type 4 Individualist.
Finding your true vocation can be a difficult goal to achieve for anyone, but it's amplified if you are a Type 4 Individualist because they are very demanding of themselves. Type 4s always think there is something better coming along, even if the best is already staring them in the face.
2. You go to great lengths to show the world how different you are.
Maybe you like to wear leather. Perhaps, you like to color your hair. Or you dress in very funky clothes that get you a lot of attention. You always seek to stand out from the rest.
Type 4 personalities will have a flair for design, color, and beauty. Their home stands out from others in how they decorate a house or an apartment. You are a Type 4 if you have a gift for knowing what looks good in a room and you always have your eye out for art that will make your home unique.
3. Every day, you go through many emotions that are neither good nor bad.
If you are a Type 4, you often have your favorite emotions — powerful feelings of sadness, aloneness, and misunderstanding. When you are stressed, it is easy for you to feel despair.
Emotional energy becomes your way to deal with stress. Unfortunately, it only makes things worse for you and the people who love you. It feels like you get stuck in one emotion and you can't get out of your irritableness and depression until you get back into living in the moment.
If you are a Type 4, the best way to get out of your depression is to find a practice to help you become more grounded.
Type 4 personalities need to stay present by using a practice to help them open up to the wisdom of the body, mind, and heart. If you are a type 4, take a few moments, several times a day, to intentionally breathe to help you find your equilibrium.
4. Connecting with the wisdom of your body can be difficult.
It is essential for Type 4s to pay attention to their body by paying attention to the sensations of the organs and muscles.
A great way to become more aware of the sensations of your body is by taking part in a body scan meditation. You can find excellent body scans on the Insight Timer app. Best of all, you can do it on your own.
Lie down and start focusing your attention on your feet. As you move your awareness up your body, spend at least 30 seconds on each part of your body — feet, lower legs, knees, and so on.
You may find this hard, and it takes time and practice to become aware of your body, but it is worth the effort.
5. Others you meet may find you intimidating
Due to the intensity of your emotions, some people will not be prepared to communicate with you at the deep level Type 4 personalities would like. People of other personality types need time to be open to your desire to connect heart-to-heart.
Remember, you are a beautiful person! You are unique! You are special!
Trust you have something important to contribute to the world. Remember, we all have a bit of Type 4 in us. Sometimes, the answers to your big questions are a lot closer than you think. Pay more attention to what is happening now rather than dreaming of what could be one day.
The individualist personality type has its strengths and weaknesses, and if you share these traits, the chances are pretty good you are one of the rare Type 4 personalities in the world.
As a Type 4, life can have its unique set of challenges, so keep in mind that when you feel stuck in an emotion, you will need to ground yourself. Human emotions are in constant flux and change, but when you ground yourself, you will know precisely what you are feeling in each moment.
This is how you learn to enjoy the moment and fully experience all of what life is offering you with all the ups and downs.
When you feel down, know it will pass. The wisdom of your body, mind, and heart will show you the way.
Roland Legge is an author, certified spiritual life coach, and teacher of the Enneagram. He helps people connect to their inner selves and find alignment with their highest purpose and values.