The Four is known as ‘the Romantique’, or more accurately, ‘the Tragic Romantique’. Romeo and Juliet is a good story to tie to the life of a Four as unrequited love is a recurring theme.

Fours are a part of the image sector, along with 2s and 3s. They strive to create images that are based upon authentic self discovery. Fours are the artists of the enneagram. They are soul explorers. Other Enneagram types may also be artistic, but Fours are artistic in the sense that expressing themselves is essential for discovering who they are. Fours need creative proceses to learn about themselves.

Fours sometimes have a forlorn quality. One of their primary issues is abandonment, often beginning in childhood. Fours feel they are different than others and often misunderstood. The EMO or 'emotional' goth movement is a Four kind of expression -- original and pained.

Fours are often dramatic and their personal drama may seem like a never ending tragedy. You can hardly believe the misfortune and sadness the Four can conjure. Their father died when they were young, their first boyfriend/girlfriend left them for a best friend, they were diagnosed with a terrible illness; they lost their favorite dog and while looking for him fell down a hill and broke both of their legs.

If you don’t end up wiping a tear from your eye when listening to the stories of a Four, you can scarcely call yourself human. Of course, if you are close to a Four you will undoubtedly become accustomed to their drama. You may even find it amusing when the Four comes home with mud all over their brand new coat, which brings up another thing about Fours.

Fours love to dress. They are considered as some of the best dressers on the Enneagram. They can pull off style with little effort, as it is second nature for a Four to throw on an outfit that perfectly expresses a particular character and mood. “Oh, this old thing?” they might say. Of course the Four has spent a lifetime cultivating their unique sense of style so although it may look effortless, it represents a significant investment.

Fours may often appear lost in another world. They may have difficulty holding a job because they don’t feel that the rules of any particular company culture should apply to them -- they are individualists. They need a lot of time alone to nourish their creative spirit.

The Four’s favorite friend is often is a type Eight, who also doesn’t go by the rules. The Eights find the Fours creativity as something to be revered; the Four adores the Eights ability to make their own rules and extend protection to others. The Four goes through life seeking protection because they feel vulnerable and misunderstood in general; the Eight goes through life looking for people to bring under their wing.

Japan is a Four culture, driven by a deep inner drive to express themselves as a unique culture. Italy and France are also Four cultures with their profound love of art and romance.

In NLP patterns, fours tend to be internally referenced and often are visual. They would rather talk about themselves than anyone else and usually run the VIP of Self.

To learn more about NLP (neuro-linguistic programming), visit Our Science.