The Secondary Triads: Enneagram Stances / Hornevian Groups
The secondary triads are used with the primary triads to colorize the Enneagram and create a simple two-factor system that makes the types easier to understand.
The Enneagram stances / Hornevian Groups are derived from Karen Horney's work describing neurotic trends which can be found in her book Our Inner Conflicts.
- Moving Toward People, The Compliant Type
- Moving Away From People, The Detached Type
- Moving Against People, The Aggressive Type
The nine Enneagram personality types are grouped into three groups of three (triads) in the following way.
- 126: Compliant Types
- 459: Detached/Withdrawn Types
- 783: Aggressive Types
Karen Horney described these neurotic trends as moving toward, away from, and against people, but for the Enneagram types it's more useful to relate her compliant, detached, and withdrawn types to the centers of intelligence or primary triads.
The Primary Triads
The primary triads are grouped into three groups of three and assigned the primary colors of red, blue, and yellow. While the centers of intelligence are often described as body-based, heart-based, and head-based, the primary triads use the labels behavior, emotion, and thought instead.
- Red (Behavior) Triad: 891
- Blue (Emotion) Triad: 234
- Yellow (Thought) Triad: 567
For more info on the primary triads click here.
The Secondary Triads
The secondary triads and their colors are found where the primary triads or centers meet.
- Red and Blue meet at Types 1 and 2 to create Purple
- Blue and Yellow meet at Types 4 and 5 to create Green
- Yellow and Red meet at Types 7 and 8 to create Orange
- Purple (Compliant) Triad: 126
- Green (Detached) Triad: 459
- Orange (Aggressive) Triad: 783
Secondary-Primary Triads for Each Type
By looking at the primary and secondary triads for each Enneagram type, Karen Horney's types can be seen in relation to the centers.
- Purple-Red (Compliant-Behavior)
- Purple-Blue (Compliant-Emotion)
- Orange-Blue (Aggressive-Emotion)
- Green-Blue (Detached-Emotion)
- Green-Yellow (Detached-Thought)
- Purple-Yellow (Compliant-Thought)
- Orange-Yellow (Aggressive-Thought)
- Orange-Red (Aggressive-Behavior)
- Green-Red (Detached-Behavior)
You can take a test to determine your likely type and have its colors explained by clicking here.
