Stress and growth lines

Look at the figure and you'll see two shapes inside the circle. A triangle joins Three, Six and Nine. A six-pointed shape joins the other six types in the order One, Four, Two, Eight, Five, Seven and back to One. Every type sits on one of these shapes, so every type has two lines leading from it.

Under strain, each type tends to pick up some of the less easy habits of the next type along its line, in the order above: One toward Four, Four toward Two, Two toward Eight, Eight toward Five, Five toward Seven and Seven toward One. On the triangle, Three moves toward Nine, Nine toward Six and Six toward Three.

This doesn't mean you turn into another type. It means that when you're tired, worried or stretched, you may act in ways that surprise you. An upbeat Seven may become picky and critical, more like a One on a bad day. A calm Nine may become anxious and full of doubt, more like a Six under pressure.

Growth runs the other way along the same lines: One toward Seven, Seven toward Five, Five toward Eight, Eight toward Two, Two toward Four and Four toward One. On the triangle, Three grows toward Six, Six toward Nine and Nine toward Three.

Here the idea is that, as you grow, you take on the best of that type. A One may loosen up and find room for play, like a Seven at ease. A Five may step out of their head and act with confidence, like an Eight at their best. It's less a destination than a direction: the kind of change that tends to help someone of your type.

Here's where each type tends to move, as Find My Nine shows it on your results and on each type page.

• One, the Idealist: stress toward Four, growth toward Seven
• Two, the Caregiver: stress toward Eight, growth toward Four
• Three, the Striver: stress toward Nine, growth toward Six
• Four, the Seeker: stress toward Two, growth toward One
• Five, the Observer: stress toward Seven, growth toward Eight
• Six, the Guardian: stress toward Three, growth toward Nine
• Seven, the Adventurer: stress toward One, growth toward Five
• Eight, the Protector: stress toward Five, growth toward Two
• Nine, the Mediator: stress toward Six, growth toward Three

Not everyone reads the lines the same way. Some teachers call them the lines of disintegration and integration, and others talk about stress points and security points. Some see both lines as two-way, with a healthier and a less healthy side to each. Others give the lines less weight, or say the movement is harder to predict. The directions here follow the version most widely used.

The lines work best as questions. When you notice yourself acting out of character, ask whether it looks like your stress line, and what might be wearing you down. When you want to grow, look at the best of your growth type and pick one small thing to try. The weekly prompts on your results and on each type page are built around that idea.