Can I have a wing that isn't next to my type?

No. The Enneagram numbers are ordered in a specific way to account for interactions between the types, which is why your wing must fall to one side of your base type. Picture the nine Enneagram numbers as a circle: the wing possibilities are located next to the base type, on either side of it. For example, a type Nine can have either a One wing or an Eight wing, sometimes written as “9w1” and “9w8.” In Blueprint, your type plus your wing is called a “subtype.” 

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Your wing must fall to one side of your base type. For example, a type Six can have either a Five wing or a Seven wing, sometimes written as “6w5” and “6w7.” You cannot have a wing that’s not adjacent to your base type (e.g., there’s no such thing as a Six with a Nine wing).

 

Some Enneagram scholars believe that leaning into your non-dominant wing (for example, the One if you’re a Nine with an Eight wing) can provide a source of healthy perspective and balance to your overall personality. Although your main wing never changes, tapping into your non-dominant wing can give a sense of what’s missing from your dominant personality.

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