Victimhood Movements and the Vitality of Voicing Pain: Enneagram Type 4 and Politics
We are in the midst of an explosion of victimization narratives being shared across the internet. There are victimization narratives on the left, on the right, and on nonpartisan political and social issues, as well. People tend to line up on one of two sides: supporting victims or dismissing them. It’s become a point of division and unrest. By understanding how the trance and the essence of type Four manifest in these movements, we can attain a higher understanding that integrates the truth on both sides of these conflicts and move our discussion of these emotional issues to a deeper level.
Leaders in a Four Trance
People exhibiting a strong Four trance are less likely to be in government or corporate positions and more likely to be cultural influencers or spiritual leaders. But a person in a very deep Four trance will tend not to be seen as a leader at all, nor to take on that mantle. Mired in their suffering, they will find it difficult to muster the needed energy and self-confidence to guide others, instead falling into despondency and wasting their gifts as they cut themselves off from society, hopelessly nursing their wounds.
Four Trance at the Systemic Level
At the level of government (which corresponds with the unhealthiest levels of functioning), the Four trance manifests in the withdrawal of those who are suffering from the political process. It is the despairing political paralysis of the disenfranchised, the oppressed — most especially those who live in poverty, though also those who are economically comfortable but socially disadvantaged. Democratic processes cannot function properly when the voices of “the least” are not being heard. And it happens not only because those voices are ignored or suppressed by others; it is also (perhaps mainly) because so many have (understandably) fallen into depressive self-negation.
A lighter Four trance is represented at the level of culture, where those who are suffering begin to find their voices (which is vital to the political process) but that voice is still coming from a place of shame, fear, and rage, rather than the true self. Victimhood narratives are presented in a highly defensive manner. In the same way that individual Fours adopt a fragile self-image to justify neglecting their responsibilities, political victimhood narratives demand that oppressed or underprivileged groups be exempted from normal responsibilities and reject any challenge to the narrative categorically, as “victim blaming,” “tone policing,” “de-centering,” etc.
Among spiritual leaders, the Four trance results in a teaching that is indulgent, undisciplined, too touchy-feely, and not sufficiently grounded in objective reasoning or fruitful labor. It is self-obsessed, and imagination-focused, driven by the desire to create a compelling self-image as compensation for a sense of inner deficiency. (Typical complaints about New Age spirituality — though few notice the lack of emphasis on meaningful work/service, perhaps because this tends to be missing from all forms of American spirituality, including psychology and secular humanism). Four trance spirituality focuses on manipulating oneself into having beautiful or intense emotional experiences. When such experiences are treated as an end in themselves, they ultimately prove to be a meaningless waste of time.
The Wake Up Call of Type Four
Subjectively, the wake up call of type Four can be felt as political despair and helplessness; seeing oneself as a political victim; and believing that no one will ever understand you; that you are fundamentally different and doomed to be hated as an outsider. It can also be experienced as defensiveness about one’s projected identity as a victim (or perhaps joining someone else’s victimhood fantasy and becoming defensive on their behalf).
Objectively, it is a wake up call when we can see that people are languishing in their political and social circumstances and yet we are not hearing from them. For example, the voices of people living in poverty in the U.S. and people living in poverty in other countries on whom our economic system depends; their voices are mostly silent in mainstream political discourse. This needs to be addressed. It is also a wake up call when victimhood narratives cause a deepening of mutual hate and division. It is easy for victims to blame this on others, and important to recognize that that reaction represents a trance state.
How Leaders Can Turn the Tide
(None of the Nine Enneagram types becomes healthy in isolation; greater integration is always about healing of relationships. But this may be particularly pronounced with type Four because there is a movement from painful alienation and feeling like an outsider, to connecting with others from the depths of the heart.) Leaders experiencing a Four trance may find it perversely comforting to hurt themselves with a victimhood narrative, and there will be an impulse to intensify the pain. The opportunity for growth comes in “bottoming out” and recognizing the true toxicity of one’s victimization narrative. When leaders allow themselves to experience their pain without creating a self-image of fragility to justify it, the experience of pure and honest suffering is integrated and transcended. No longer trying to defend their identity as a victim, leaders become open to recognizing and acknowledging the suffering of others, including those who have hurt them. Moving toward One, they become objective and are ready to do real work toward reforming oppressive socio-political systems. No longer seeking special treatment, they work for fairness and equity.
Systemic Manifestation of Four Essence
At the level of government, the essence of Four means centering the voices of those who are oppressed. This is the seed of political transformation. And it makes sense for people of greater privilege to take the initiative on this and find ways of soliciting and broadcasting the stories of those who, otherwise, might simply continue to languish in silence. And I just want to emphasize the need to do this for people living in poverty, both here in the U.S. and, especially, in the rest of the world. Because they are suffering the most and we are hearing from them the least.
At the level of culture, the essence of Four is that everyone’s voice is listened to and respected. Everyone who expresses pain is regarded with empathy and compassion. This includes the pain of “victims” whose identities are recognized by the left (racial minorities, women, LGBTQ+, etc.) AND those whose identities are recognized by the right (white, male, religious, etc.). Moving past labels of “victim” and “abuser,” “oppressor,” and “oppressed,” we recognize, in each other’s painful stories, our shared humanity and the vulnerability we have in common.
Spiritual leaders manifesting the essence of Four release the painful self-image of victimhood and feel the empowerment of being unashamedly themselves. Recognizing the true selves of others, in all their tragedy and beauty, they inspire others to know themselves as special and irreplaceable. Letting emotions flow and ebb without manipulation frees up mental space and physical energy for doing meaningful work. Essential Four spirituality becomes principled, disciplined, and actively engaged with others in making the world more just and fair. It manifests as egalitarian leadership which deeply appreciates the unique gifts of every individual and of whatever identity an individual may express.
Suggestions for Waking Up
As a person who is suffering, recognize how you create a negative self-image as a defense mechanism. Notice if you feel like an outsider or have an expectation that people will not understand, accept, or care about you. Ask yourself when you are keeping quiet because you’re afraid of how others may criticize you. Then practice voicing your pain. You can start by writing things out or talking with someone you trust. A beginning practice is just getting the words out. A more advanced practice is expressing your pain without judging others — simply stating what happened and how you were affected, without blaming or condemning anyone.
Having learned to voice your own pain, you’ll be ready to support others in their suffering. Create space for others to speak out. Ask to hear others’ stories. And when others speak of their pain, listen compassionately. Most often, there will be judgement mixed into the story. Try to listen beyond the claim of victimization, beyond the condemnation of others, and focus on the speaker’s pain. Affirm the legitimacy of that pain. When a black person expresses anger at white people for denying that they have privilege, listen and validate their pain. When a white person expresses anger at being called a racist solely on the basis of their skin color, listen and validate their pain. Acknowledge others’ pain with your words and address the cause of their pain with action.
