EV
Type 5
Sin of Greed:
The definition of greed is the idea of “Not Giving”, which 5 exemplifies. Not so much in the “Haha, I have it, you don’t, suck on THAT” greed, but the “I can’t give this up because I really don’t know when I will need it or how you could use it against me” sort of greed. They always play their cards close to their chests, and are very withdrawn in their emotional and intellectual lives. As such, they tend to avoid commitment; 5s need to feel completely free and in possession of everything about themselves.
Much is about optimization with the 5. They want to be efficient and not “give” too much of themselves or what they have (hoarding it away) in the case that a better investment comes along. As a result, they are often left observing life without living it (reading about things in books because they’re afraid to actually go out and do things described in them, for instance, or, as Naranjo calls it, “the replacement of living through reading”), which is where many of the stereotypes of the “onlooker” and “observer” get created.
Fives also have a fear of letting go. They hold on to things, focus on having a grip on their inner life, and ensuring economy of their effort and resources. As a result, 5s tend to get stuck in the present without being open to the future. As a result of the greed and hoarding of resources, pleasure doesn’t rank high on the list of values for a 5. They want to be prepared for all trouble and avoid it.
Also related to the efficiency of resources, 5s have a tendency for being intellectual, specifically in terms of theory. They lean towards a theoretical activity of classification and organization (because of the ability to compartmentalize, described later), but dislike raw material. With theory, they can think and come up with things in their mind without putting it on the table or having to justify how well it works in actuality, which leaves them open to being shot down.
Fear of the Unknown:
Type 5s are similar to 4 in the sense that they feel a distinct sense of lacking within themselves. 4s (in the self-image triad), however, tend to reach out to the object and things she is envious of to try and fill the gap, whereas 5s (in the fear triad) are paralyzed by the fear and just renounces what it is they are envious of. Oftentimes, a five will feel empty, but not know what it is that they are missing in their lives.
Fives seem to have a fear of desiring “too much” in their lives, and are constantly evaluating whether or not something is worth the effort, because they are always anticipating being disappointed in life. 5s are afraid to put themselves on the front line to be hurt or injured, and are often only half-committed to anything, appearing apathetic and uninvolved, especially (but not only) when it comes to emotions. This can result in a self-distancing in a relationship (especially if it appears to be going downhill) and the tendency to just give up instead of work on it because it isn’t a responsible use of “resources”.
They are also prone to guilt, which manifests in a vague sense of inferiority.
Another fear 5s have is losing themselves. They’re afraid of being engulfed and swallowed up by others because of their need to be self sufficient. As a result, they often have to be alone to reconnect with their inner idea of “self”. Fives need to feel autonomous and in control of all of its resources.
Defense Mechanisms: -Isolation- Fives have a tendency to separate some ideas within their mind from others. This can include the compartmentalization of emotions/feelings and ideas in different places. The best way to look at this is to imagine that a five would put the emotions/feelings in one “box” in their mind, and ideas and theories in different “boxes” so that they don’t get entangled. This gives the 5 good analytical abilities, but a difficulty in seeing all aspects of a situation and the meaning/impacts of something. For instance, if you’re solving one problem, you might never look in the “box” of an alternate problem or in the emotions “box” because you don’t see it as relevant to the current problem “box” you’re in. :P
Sometimes, when compartmentalizing emotions and avoiding them, they can end up forgetting about them and come off as just not having them, making them seem cold, indifferent, and apathetic, when really fives have neediness because of their feelings of inadequacy, but it is hidden deep down behind the veil of indifferent, resignation, and external apathy.
Traits...
-Very introverted and often need to reconnect with the self.
-They have a love of privacy, mental over intensity/hyper-attentiveness, and emotional restraint.
-Can be passive-aggressive.
-Internally a perfectionist
-Can be detached and seclusive.