What is a Wing?

Every style has a number on each side of it that we call wings. Whichever wing a style has slightly influences the central energy of the number. Think of the color red: if you add a little yellow, it becomes orange; if you add a little blue, it becomes purple. The red is still dominant, but modified.

The wings are like that. In the case of a Four, the Three wing makes the Four a little more extroverted and more competent in the external world, as well as a bit competitive. A Five wing makes the Four a bit more intellectual and speculative, along with being a little more introverted.

The wing energy is constant, unlike the stress and security points. However, a coach will need to observe carefully to what degree the wing has an influence. An Enneagram Eight might have a powerful Seven wing which would make her more of a visionary. On the other hand, if the Seven wing is present but muted, the coach might notice more difficulty in an Enneagram Eight observing nuances and alternatives. When the wing energy is strong, a coach might have some difficulty telling which is the primary energy and which is the wing. This distinction is important, however, because the Coach will help the client in slightly different ways.