As part of his ongoing series, ‘Enneagram of Famous Figures’, Subhuti examines two current political leaders.
Anyone who knows anything about the Enneagram knows that Donald Trump is an Eight, the personality type that is best known as “The Boss.”
In fact, Trump is so much an Eight it’s almost hard to believe. He never backs off, never admits weakness and when attacked relies heavily and aggressively on counter-punching his opponents.
Recently, Trump gave the thumbs up to Boris Johnson, when he became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
“Boris is tough and smart,” pronounced Trump.
It was a predictable comment.
Eights respect the strength they see in other Eights, unless, of course, they become enemies, in which case they will have to slug it out until one is on the floor.
As for Boris, his style is a little different from the American president. He shares the same political ambition, having declared his intention to be “world king” at an early age. But his manner is less arrogant and his “strong man” public persona is masked by a kind of comic, bumbling and stumbling act that seeks to defuse any aggression that might be coming his way.
My feeling is he adopted this tactic at Eton, Britain’s most prestigious private school, which has long been regarded as the spawning ground of British prime ministers. Boris shuffles along, with a kind of amiable grin on his face, looking like he’s half expecting to get hit by an older Etonian schoolboy.
It is for this reason, I assume, that Boris has occasionally been mistyped as a Nine. But he’s too outspoken and opinionated for that.
For example, he once described Hillary Clinton as “like a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital” and when the European Union presented the UK with a bill for billions of dollars, his first reaction was to throw it back in their faces, saying “They can whistle for it.”
He also famously called President Erdogan of Turkey a “wanker.”
Boris survives personal setbacks, such as lying about his love affairs, because he has gained a public image as a “loveable rogue.” This means he can shoot his mouth off, or goof up, with less risk than most politicians, because he knows that the public will not only forgive his transgressions, but has even learned to expect and enjoy them.
Which puts his opponent, Jeremy Corbyn, at a big political disadvantage.
Boris is a likeable buffoon.
Jeremy is a serious socialist.
So, Boris can drag us out of Europe, with a joke and a “Whoops, here we go!” And even though it may be disastrous for Britain, in terms of economic prosperity, he will probably get away with it.
And then who will be our most important ally?
Oh yes, of course: the guy in the White House.
Two Eights patting each other on the back.
What a cosy scene!
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