Attention goes to what is right and wrong, and to being good. Energy goes into trying to improve. People with Type 1 set the bar high for themselves, to make sure that they act correctly and do things well. If you do something perfectly, you avoid the risk of being wrong or criticised. That’s what people with Type 1 hate and why they’re so critical of themselves; they’re desperate to make sure they don’t do anything wrong. Attention goes to making things perfect and preventing mistakes. As a consequence, people with Type 1 have an eye for improvement. They have high standards about how things should be done and what is not right. For example, being angry is judged as not right. Anger is seen as something bad, so personal anger is suppressed or turned into irritation or criticism of others. This can show up when other people don’t behave as they should.

Attention goes to what is missing. Energy goes into searching for things that will be most unique, special and fulfilling. People with Type 4 often feel that other people don’t understand them. On the one hand this fills them with sadness but on the other hand it also gives them a feeling of superiority. They have so much more depth than the people who don’t understand them. At the same time, they often feel a great desire for deep connection with others and that is one of the contradictions that preoccupies Type 4. They have a great need to be seen, and this shows up in the form of needing to be distinctive from others. People with Type 4 have intense emotions; “I feel therefore I live”. They often have a semi-conscious feeling of incompleteness, as if something is missing. This leads to a deep desire to be complete, which is only ever fulfilled fleetingly. The attention of people with Type 4 goes to authenticity, truth and beauty. They tend to find these more in the past and future than in the here and now. At their best they bring a love of beauty and the ability to be with others in deep distress.

Attention goes to what limits and constrains. Energy goes into interesting ideas and experiences. People with Type 7 avoid being limited, having their freedom taken away or being in pain. They therefore develop a habit of keeping options and possibilities open. Even if these possibilities only exist in the mind, they give people with Type 7 a sense of freedom. People with Type 7 like to lead an upbeat life; their attention is aimed at fun things and possibilities. Having a positive experience is more important than fulfilling a goal. People with Type 7 often have a full diary. As they talk to people they often think of new ideas, and change direction frequently in order to follow the most interesting ones. Starting something is more fun than actually finishing it. This doesn’t mean they don’t want to complete things, but it can be very hard not to be distracted by other new things. People with Type 7 are optimists and often see the good or positive in situations, themselves and others. However, they can get tired of all the constant movement and distractions. At their best they bring optimism and an upbeat energy to life.

Attention goes to the wants and needs of others, and to being appreciated. Energy goes into giving and helping. For people with Type 2 it is important to be accepted and appreciated. They achieve this by having a strong focus on others and paying attention to what they might need. People with Type 2 are very service-oriented and have their antennae out for other people’s needs, so that they can make themselves useful. They see the good qualities in others and are good at appreciating them. However, people with Type 2 aren’t so good at receiving, especially when they don’t think they deserve it. Usually they don’t realise that their motivation for giving is so that they can receive thanks; they want to be indispensable. Although they feel at their best when others need them, they are also dependent on relationships and other people. At their best they bring a gift of warmth and care for others.

Attention goes to the demands that others might make on them. Energy goes into becoming self-sufficient and acquiring knowledge. People with Type 5 are very sensitive to the expectations of others because they feel that these expectations will drain their energy. In response to this they develop the habit of withdrawing. When you’re less visible, there are fewer chances that people will expect things of you. The possession of knowledge gives them the pleasant feeling of being independent of others and protecting themselves from obtrusive questions and expectations. People with Type 5 often find emotions (their own and other people’s) challenging; they only bring agitation and chaos. They therefore take refuge in the life of the rational mind: intellectual matters, knowledge, facts, analysis and structured thinking. People with Type 5 feel a need to understand life fully. This comes from their insecurity about how to act in life, in social situations and when emotions are around. By observing and analysing how other people do these things, people with Type 5 hope to become masters of external situations and of themselves. In the process they can bring clarity and reason to situations.

Attention goes to who needs protection, to power and control. Energy goes into being strong and direct. People with Type 8 experienced their early life as a place where the strong survive and tell the weak what to do. They therefore decided to join the strong in order to protect themselves. In particular, they want to protect their own inner vulnerability and weak spots, which need to be well hidden from others in this harsh world. Struggle is a natural part of their existence; they instinctively go into battle against injustice and to protect others who they feel legitimately need help like children, animals, elderly, the ill, etc. They hate victimisation and don’t want to be victims themselves. People with Type 8 have a tendency to see things as black or white. They have their own truth and tend not to recognise other truths; they deny them or don’t even notice them. They can therefore come across as rather direct and confrontational, but inside there is a tender heart and an engaging innocence.

Attention goes to what brings success and recognition. Energy goes into achieving goals, tasks and prestige. People with Type 3 have come to believe that their personal input is needed to get jobs done successfully. They have developed habits such as working hard, being competitive and building up and maintaining a good image. They won’t work on projects or teams where the chance of success is small or where it takes a lot of effort and time to get credit. The quicker they get things done, the faster success comes. That’s why they like effective solutions and working efficiently. Unconsciously people with Type 3 have come to believe that they are loved for what they do, not who they are. This has made them very focused on achieving results, being successful, being the best. They unconsciously seek out situations that result in praise. At their best they bring a can-do attitude and the ability to motivate and work for others.

Attention goes to risks and worst-case scenarios. Energy goes into becoming vigilant, questioning. People with Type 6 often worry about things that other people don’t see. In new situations they like to wait and see; unconsciously they distrust everyone until they have proved to be trustworthy. They don’t realise that they themselves are their largest source of insecurity. Deep within, people with Type 6 have little trust in themselves, which is why they doubt themselves and their own decisions. The attention of people with Type 6 therefore tends to go to spotting threats, uncertainties and insecurities. People can also be a source of uncertainty, so they scan other people for hidden agendas and test them to see whether they can be trusted. They see themselves as realistic people; what was safe and trustworthy yesterday may not be so today. As a consequence they find it hard to see what could really go well, turn out fine or even be fun. At their best they bring intuition for hidden agendas and the real truth of a situation, and great loyalty.

Attention goes to conflict and discomfort. Energy goes into other people and avoiding conflicts. People with Type 9 feel good when they’re part of a bigger whole. Feeling comfortable and in harmony is important for them – more important than having or standing up for their own opinion, point of view, agenda, etc. Just being in the presence of others can make them melt into the background or even forget themselves temporarily. Not that they’re aware of this – it just happens. Fitting in and staying in the background helps to avoid confrontations, which is what people with Type 9 want most. They can even feel it is confrontational to say they don’t agree with something, to say no or to say what they really want. Following what other people want seems to be easier; they feel it helps maintain harmony. This habit of going along with others makes it hard for people with Type 9 to notice what they really want. They need time and space away from others to find out what they want and what their point of view is. At their best they bring an ability to make others feel comfortable and a great gift for mediation.