Hard question, Q. For me, I originally thought I was a TWO because in my upbringing and culture, that's pretty much the perfect woman (sorry, I should restate as UNHEALTHY TWO). I was a helper because I thought I should be. Helper=Two in my book. The one type I did NOT want to be was a four. Nope. No way. They are waaay too self-absorbed and self-focused. Nope, no four for me. Well, guess what? As I got older and learned to differentiate between the "ideal" that I bought and the reality of who I am, I realized that I am a four. It's okay now. It's who I am. I couldn't force myself to be a two if I wanted to (and clearly I did). I am moving into my "fourness" and I am getting comfortable with it.

So to answer your question, I moved from a two to a four, but I think it was the result of allowing myself to be who I really was/am and to accept myself for all my eccentricities and learn to love them.

Hope that helps a little!

D.

I think I've definitely evolved over time as new experiences have changed me / I've taught myself how to better react to certain situations, etc. . . . I'd say I was probably a lot more "sixish" as a child / young adult. . . .I think I also probably exhibited a lot of fourish qualities as a youngster, as well. As I've gotten older, I've gradually integrated more of my 7 wing into my personality. It was always there, I don't think I've ever been a pure 6, but I've sort of "let out" more of that side of myself.
Now I definitely consider myself a true type 6w7.

So this is a couple months late and I don't know if you will read this but here are my thoughts. (By the way, I am a 6w5).

I have studied the enneagram quite a bit now and I may have an answer for that, though I am no expert. Now you say you were a 6w5 and now feel like a 9? Wings are not the only way different enneagram types are directly related. Each type is also connected to two others in the directions of integration and disintegration. For example, type 6 is connected to type 3 in the direction of disintegration and type 9 in the direction of integration. It is possible you may have mistyped yourself before, or that you have shifted on the level of health. As far as I have studied, observed or heard of thus far you cannot change types, only shift on levels of health. But you know, an unhealthy 6w5 looks very different from a healthy or average 6w5. I have never heard of anyone changing personality types all together.

"My question is: Has anyone else experienced a significant shift in type as they got older? Is it even possible -- I didn't think it was, but now I am not so sure."

Excellent question! Depending on what perspective we're operating from (e.g., from behind our own eyes, behind the eyes of others that see us or from an unbiased parties perspective) we can catagorize ourselves within any of the enneagrams. Some days we're the dreamer and we speak from the perspective of a dreamer. Some days we're a critic, and we operate and catagorize from that vantage point. Finally, some days we are the pragmatist, and our enneagram is catagorized from being pragmatic.

Each representational system we use also has an effect on how we catagorize ourselves as well as others. Some are visual. Others are aural. While others are kinesthetic. And a few are synesthetic.

Enneagrams are introspective metering device that we can use to understand what state we're in at that moment. And from that moment, we can understand our reactions to person, place and/or thing around us.

To understand what another is from the enneagrams catagorization, we need to understand what state that other person is in and what representational system they are using. Otherwise, we're just catagorizing our own reaction to them.

:D

SA

You are likely "integrating" as you grow and learn to cope with latent issues of childhood.
Yes, I have experienced shifts as well. For me, I was 4 with 3 wing (diplomat) and shifted to 4 with 5 wing (bohemian) over a period called mid-life... wow. I am also changing toward 1 as I age and integrate. I find myself having courage to speak my truth and stand for the good of humanity as I used to quietly choke down opinions or causes.

Hey there..I'm new to this site and have to say its pretty nifty. Big thanks to those who launched it. SP: Not sure if you'll be checking this out for responses nearly a year later but thought, why not?

I'm a 6w5 as well and have to say that its not surprising that we 6s continually question our type...its in our nature and a core part of who we are. And yes, as I've grown older (and learned more about the Enneagram) I've come to realize that I have changed...not my type, I'm still a 6 and my core values haven't changed - but in my level of awareness & growth. 6s are tightly tied to 9s and 3s, depending on where we are in our lives at any given time. When we're settled and happy, we move to that 9 place of peacefulness..less doubting and a little more trusting...more open and willing to have some faith that things will work out. I find myself there a bit more often and a little bit longer each time, the more I realize what sets me off and how better to talk myself off the ledge :-)