<< Yes; we fours are misunderstood, including by ourselves. So it would make sense to me that we would take tests that can help us understand our "special" selves bett>>

I bet more psychiatrists are 4 than any other number. I always chuckle at people who say they're psych majors. All that tells me is that they're fucked up and trying to sort through while getting paid.

Fours (and Fives) (I'm a 4w5) have a tendency to be more inner directed. Thus, while the more social, extroverted types are out socializing with friends IRL, we're the ones on the computer learning about ourselves and the world and connecting with others in cyberspace. The quest of Fours is self-understanding and self-actualization. Thus, we're very drawn to knowledge and taking tests. And, speaking for myself, tribe is a wonderful outlet to express myself in a safe manner with those who I feel will accept me for who I am with all my quirky interests and progressive values. That's likely one reason why you seem surrounded by all us Fours. In other settings (networking parties, executive level board meetings, sales contests, etc.) I'm sure we're be much less represented.

Or, if it's a not so great test, it will produce a high number of false positive fours. I'd ask for a second opinion.

according to whom? i still want a second opinion.

I agree with you... but I never thought of them as 6's. 6 and 4 share feeling like lost children, like orphans, however, that's where it is.

4's are more emotional than 6's (as a 6, I have to say that sometimes, I think 4's are just really flakey and dumb... and yes, I love them terribly) and 6's often feel alone because they have a radically different perspective than other people, however, I would agree with you here, that does not make them 4s. 4's aren't really special, they fear being one -- there was a book I read years about that discussed the fears of all the types... I maybe remembering it incorrectly, but eh.

Actually, I would love someone to take this up -- because the two do share a feeling of being isolated from other people... maybe the 4 revels in it while the 6 wishes for unity (which would make sense since the integration point is 9)....

haha, I wrote something similar before I even read your post...I'm a 6/7 who thought I was a four for a couple years, until i finally realized there was nooo way I depressing and self absorbed enough to be a four!

I am a 4....and...when I was a kid, I couldn't get why they would say that "everyone is special"...if everyone is special, then no one is special, right? (btw, Aquarius Sun,Mars,Saturn) People that are close to me tell me I am different in a special way, I can't seem to get a glimpse of what it is they speak of, it seems so intrinsic....Am I making sense here?
And yes I agree with Rachel, about being ashamed about the wounds that 4s suffer. Interesting too, because it is my Aunt that introduced me to enneagram, her husband is a 4 as well. She is a 1...

Interesting topic.

From my basic understanding, 4's have a strong desire to know themselves; this may explain why many are into the Enneagram, and other similar applications. Like someone above said, 4's generally have the need to feel special, perhaps due to a perceived (whether real or imagined) lack of understanding and appreciation in their upbringing. Four is also the final type of the "heart" center, and it is mentioned that the final type of each dominant happens to use a "countered" approach; for example, in the "thinking" dominant, instead of dwelling on fear, Type 7's may attempt to subterfuge this tendency (more from themselves, than from others) by distraction--throwing themselves into countless activities and stimuli. In the "gut" center, 1's may attempt to subterfuge their anger, by focusing on perfection; righteousness in their character, and in others. In 4's case, out of not feeling like they have a solid identity, they perhaps strive towards uniqueness.

But with all of this, we tend to run into many complications--nobody is solely a "4" or "6" or any other type. There are wings to consider, variants, "stress-and-security" points, for starters. Which brings me to my next point: someone else mentioned that many people who believe they are 4's, are *not* actually 4's. There would seem to be some validation here, as 4 is one of the easiest types to be mistaken for. For example, it was mentioned on a certain Enneagram site that 5's, 6's, 7's and 9's can easily mistype themselves as 4's:

5's can mistype as 4's, because of the wing's influence, and with the realization that they, themselves, often feel misunderstood and "different" from others.

6's (also like 9's) can manifest in multiple ways (not to mention the 'phobic/counterphobic' dichotomy), and when they are running on stress, they can collapse into melancholia, and as a result, believe they are 4's.

7's often correlate with the "manic depressive" personality type; every once in a while, a burst of depression finally seeps through into the tip of their consciouness, and when this happens, they may mistake themselves as 4's.

9's--I think it goes without saying--often have a confused state of mind, and they can probably mistype themselves as anything.

Stress and security points sometimes have a notable effect, and they are not nececssarily limited to what's implicated by the moniker. For example, for a type 4, the stress point is 2, and security point is 1. Under stress, a 4 can manifest negative traits of the "security" 1 personality (harsh criticism of self and others, self-righteousness), but can also manifest higher qualities of the "stress" 2 point (compassion, perhaps). In other words, one can express both the desirable and undesirable qualities of any of these points, at any given time.

For a long time, I myself mistyped as a 4 (I'm a 4-winger, dominant 5 personality), but I can strongly resonate with much of what is commonly associated with this type. Sometimes, much is quite relative.