In the Enneagram tradition, there are many theories about what wings and arrows (also called lines) represent, and different schools understand them in different ways.
Wings
Your wings are the two types on either side of your core type. A lot of schools put the emphasis on the wing. You'll hear people say they're a Three with a Two wing, or a Nine with an Eight wing, as though the wing carried half the weight of who they are.
The approach we use at The Enneagram Group follows the tradition of The Narrative Enneagram, which holds that you are your core type, and that there is a lifetime of work in your core type alone. Wings and arrows sit around that center as resources for understanding your default patterns and shifting beyond them.
You might notice that you lean toward one wing or the other. We hold both wings as places you can draw on to grow. Think of them as ways to get unstuck when your core patterns have you spinning.
For example, if you are a Type 9 stuck in indecision and conflict avoidance, practicing leaning toward your Type 8 wing, which points more toward fairness and asserting your position in the world, can be a supportive shift. Similarly, leaning toward the Type 1, which focuses more on what is morally right and wrong, can help bring clarity to the 9.
Arrows (or Lines)
Your arrows, or lines, connect your core type to two other types on the diagram. They work as a map in both directions. They show you your default patterns and where you might grow.
We don't draw the arrows in our visuals, but the direction each arrow points matters, and it helps to understand the map.
The Stress Line (Line of Disintegration)
The line moving away from your type is often called the line of disintegration, or the stress line.
By default, this is the line you move toward when you're in reactivity. When you're stressed, worn down, or having a hard time, you tend to show the low qualities of this type. The stress line tends to burn more energy and can exemplify a burnout pattern for each type.
For example, as a Type 4, when you're overwhelmed, you might notice a tendency to show some of the lower qualities of the Type 2, becoming needy and more focused on being liked and pleasing others.
The Growth Line (Line of Integration)
The line moving toward your type is what we call the line of growth, sometimes called the growth line or the heart/security point in other Enneagram traditions.
This line holds qualities that can be useful for your growth. It points to where you might focus your energy, shift some of your default patterns, and stretch to expand beyond your personality. Often we initially have an aversion to the qualities of our growth line. We encourage people to get curious about the qualities of this type as a lifelong learning path.
For example, the Type 6 is typically very focused on scanning for what could go wrong, anticipating danger, and looking for certainty before they can settle. The growth line points toward the Type 9 and its qualities of presence, ease, and trust that things will work out. At first, a Six often meets that easygoing quality with suspicion, reading it as naive or checked out. Getting curious about the Nine's steadiness, rather than dismissing it, can quiet the anxious mind and let the Six rest in the present moment.