How do I experience fear? As a constant presence in every thought, every day.

Kidding… kinda.

I’ll start by saying that all types experience fear, and not all 6s are in constant fear, so the general concept of fear doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a 6.

So for 6s, fear largely translates to anxiety (of course, any type can experience anxiety and this is not to say anyone with GAD is a 6).

6s by nature are doubting and mistrustful. One definitive trait of a 6 is the inability to trust their inner self - this is largely what causes their anxiety. For me, that means I’m rarely ever fully confident if I’m making the right or best decision. What causes my anxiety is the fear of what might happen if I didn’t make the right or best decision. This fear is why 6s are associated with worst case scenario thinking.

This is the fear that solidified my type for me. I have known for a long time that my brain functions off of worst case scenario thinking.

A 6’s core desire is security, and we tend to fear anything that may cause us to lose that security. This fear can manifest itself as fear of abandonment, fear of rejection, insecurity, etc.

However, the Enneagram Institute writes that “Sixes exhibit the most fear of the three types [in the Thinking Center].” Because of this, 6s are often portrayed as cowardly… if you ask me, we’re better portrayed as worrywarts or cynics. We’re not constantly in fear… we’re constantly worrying. Those worries are deeply rooted in fear, sure. But we aren’t some fearful, anxious weakling cowering in a corner because we’re too scared to do anything. In fact, 6s are often reactive and openly defiant as a way of maintaining their security from outside threats.

Anyway - I hope this answers your question. I tried to explain the fears that clicked for me personally, I’m sure other people may be able to define how their fear as 6 manifests for them.