Strategy 1
Principled Perfectionist
- Desire
- Goodness, integrity and being at peace with yourself
- Fear
- Making a mistake, failing and being bad inside
Strategy 6
Security-Minded Traditionalist
- Desire
- Security, support, and safety
- Fear
- Loss of support and guidance
Why People Confuse Them
Both strategies live with a strict inner voice and feel guilty when they break what they consider right. Both are responsible, rest only once their duties are done, and tend to like order. They rarely mistake themselves for each other, but the people around them do quite often.
What the Difference Is
The One listens to their inner critic and their own ideals. The Six listens more to a whole inner committee of voices, plus the people and authorities they trust. The One is sure: they know what they think and like to convince others of the best approach. The Six doubts, hesitates and looks for support in proven methods or in the advice of someone trustworthy.
The main emotion shows it too. For the One it's anger, irritation and indignation; for the Six it's fear, distrust and anxiety. When both start giving orders, the One scolds in the name of an ideal. The Six guards the rules because they fear what will happen if someone breaks them and becomes unpredictable.
Subtypes: The most common mix-up is between the self-preservation One, who worries a lot, and the social or self-preservation Six. But with the One, anger is in the background; with the Six, it's fear.
Three Questions That Settle It
Answer honestly, based on how things usually are, not how you'd like them to be.
- When you face an important decision, what do you do?
1More likely a One if you know what's right and are only working out how to do it.
6More likely a Six if you weigh the options, ask people you trust, and struggle to decide.
- What stirs in you when someone breaks the rules?
1More likely a One if it's mainly anger that it isn't right.
6More likely a Six if it's mainly unease about what might come of it and whether it threatens your security.
- What's your relationship with authority?
1More likely a One if you judge authorities by your own principles and are most often your own authority.
6More likely a Six if your relationship with them is ambivalent: you either lean on them or distrust them.
Not sure? The test will tell you in 10 minutes. What's my strategy? →
How to Spot a One →How to Spot a Six →How They Work Together in a Relationship →