To learn more about this series, as well as how the survey was conducted, please read this post. 

Type Seven

Commonly known as The Enthusiast, The Adventurer, The Generalist, The Multi-tasker

The Need to Avoid Pain

Basic Fear: Of being deprived and in pain

Basic Desire: To be satisfied and content—to have their needs fulfilled

Key Motivations: Want to maintain their freedom and happiness, to avoid missing out on worthwhile experiences, to keep themselves excited and occupied, to avoid and discharge pain.

Sevens are extroverted, optimistic, versatile, and spontaneous. They're motivated by the need to be happy and contribute to the world. What with their playful, energetic ways, Sevens can be a ton of fun! In fact, you might find yourself feeling happier and more inspired after spending time with them. High-spirited and practical, they can also misapply their many talents, becoming over- extended, scattered, and undisciplined. They constantly seek new and exciting experiences, but can become distracted and exhausted by staying on the go. They might be fully enthusiastic about one idea for as long as it holds their attention and then it's off to the next idea. When they focus on worthwhile goals, much good results. They typically have problems with impatience and impulsiveness.

At their best: fun-loving, spontaneous, imaginative, productive, enthusastic, quick, confident, charming, curious

At their worst: narcissistic, impulsive, unfocused, rebellious, undisciplined, possessive, manic, self-destructive, restless

Read this profile for a complete description of Type Seven.

Type Seven Bloggers*

Grace Biskie, Truly, Tricia, Jamie's Rabbits, Shauna Niequist, Kelly@Love Well, Leanne Penny, Cara Meredith, Jim Kast-Keat, Idelette McVicker, Annie Downs

*these are bloggers who identify as type seven; it does not indicate they have participated in the Enneagram and Blogging survey

Typical Topics:

• Relationships (parenting, friendship, marriage, dating, etc.)

• Faith/spirituality

• Humor

• General life

• DIY

• Finding beauty and hope

• Wherever the wind blows them

Why did you start blogging?

While reasons for starting a blog ranged from building a platform to sharing stories with family, many Type Sevens reported starting their blog because they:

• thought it would be fun

• needed a place to share all their ideas

• are writers and wanted to work on consistency, work toward publication, or enjoyed having a creative outlet

• wanted to explore the lies in their head and grow toward healing

Sevens might not always be the most consistent bloggers (squirrel!) but their versatility keeps people engaged. They can hold court on any number of topics. Their desire to make the world a better place is often reflected in their writing, whether bringing sunshine and laughter to their readers or raising awareness about causes and organizations close to their hearts. Don't be surprised to find Sevens engaged in multiple endeavors: blogging, writing books, recording podcasts, speaking...all this in addition to the general activity of their lives.

Do you have any goals related to blogging?

Besides building a platform or working toward publication, most Sevens seemed to want to blog more consistently but weren't sure if they'd follow through. Because of their penchant for working on whatever's currently on their mind, blogging can get lost in the wayside. Except for when it doesn't. A Seven might post once a month, if that, for a while and then offer a spate of posts in the span of a week. It all depends. Those who expressed desire to be published reported wanting to build their platform and appeared more likely to follow through on this goal.

For those Sevens who blog because they think it's fun or because they want a place to share their ideas, goals may be more theoretical. As one respondent said, "Did you mean attainable goals?" They have goals or even great ideas on how to improve but not necessarily the attention span or desire to work toward them. That's not necessarily a bad thing. It may be more important for the Seven to devote their focus toward non-blogging related endeavors. The blog will always be there, if and when they have something to share.

What do you like about blogging?

• Friendship/community

• How their stories can encourage others and offer solidarity

• Ability to shine light on important issues

• The way other blogs/posts have changed them for the better

• Creative outlet

• Helped them improve and hone their skills as writers

• Helped them process situations

• Great way to test ideas

What do you not like about blogging?

While Sevens generally enjoy learning and are curious souls, they prefer to do it on their own pace, wherever the wind blows them. To that end, they expressed not liking the detailed side of blogging: such as coding and organization. Unless Sevens are particularly interested in these things (and some are!), it will feel like one big long To Do list filled with things they hope will magically get done on their own. They can follow through, if they want, but it can be a frustrating experience. They would rather do something fun.

Respondents said they felt pressured to "play the blogging game." They didn't like having to strategize their every move or consider whether a post will go viral. They might Tweet out a post but it's more likely to be according to their dictates instead of what the experts say. They would rather write and play with their blog friends.

Sevens reporting have a love/hate relationship with vulnerability. They like sharing their story and can in fact be excellent storytellers but it can be hard for Sevens to talk about difficult circumstances, as it goes against their basic fear of experiencing pain. Healthy Sevens are able to embrace vulnerability and recognize positive thinking won't, in fact, solve every problem. When Sevens are able to open up and explore the darker side, they can become more accepting of the dualities of life: the good and the bad, happy and sad. Their blogs can be a great place to process the slings and arrows of life but it can be difficult to put it out there.

What are your strengths as a blogger?

Sevens' greatest strengths include their versatility and willingness to try anything. They typically have a fast pace, which enables them to try ever more things. They want to explore it all. They're great at brainstorming and learning new things, ever energized by this process. When they direct this energy toward their blog, good things happen for them, as they see their efforts pay off and learn they can finish what they start. Their enthusiasm for a topic inspires us to be interested in it as well.

Respondents reported their authenticity and direct yet genuine style as strengths. When they decide to share about the hard parts of their lives, they hope someone else will be encouraged and feel less alone as a result. Sevens want to be fully present in their lives and get the most out of each day, which often includes making the world a brighter place, thanks to their optimism. They report blogging has helped them figure out who they're supposed to be.

One respondent reported her greatest strength was engagement, noting every comment and tweet is worthy of a reply. She reports enjoying the resulting conversation and looks for opportunities to create more of it. It's healthy for Sevens to learn to listen and see things from another point of view.

What are your greatest struggles/temptations as a blogger?

Sevens reported their greatest temptation was to wander. They don't want to miss out on anything and tend to work on multiple projects in order to have lots of options for their flitting attention span. They believe "more is better," no matter what that might be. More projects, more food, more cat videos. This can be a way to avoid reality, however. Whatever their goals may be, blogging or otherwise, Sevens need to learn to discipline their appetites so they can work toward that which will satisfy them. 

Sevens reported a lack of focus when it comes to their writing. They don't want to be limited to one genre or niche. But healthy Sevens recognize being overly broad or unfocused hurts their writing, too. They're not quite sure what they want or what their brand should be.

It's worth noting, respondents gave minimal responses to this section, proving their basic need of avoiding pain. It can be hard for Sevens to own up to their problems. They know they're not perfect but they'd rather not think about it and head to a party instead.

Resources: The Enneagram Institute, The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective (Rohr), Enneagram Made Easy (Baron and Wagele), The Wisdom of the Enneagram (Riso and Hudson)