#and that he skews far more toward lust than deceit as a fatal sin

[dracomort]

Hello! I’m the MBTI anon :)

Thanks so much for your answer! You have amazing insight into Tom/Voldemort. That, in addition to your fantastic post analyzing Tom’s mannerisms as a child—which, to me, point to him developing Te before Ni—has me swaying towards ENTJ. (That said, I’m with you: As an INTP, I can’t write an ENTJ to save my life—they’re always doing things! I can’t keep up—so whenever I dabble in writing, I always write an INTJ).

I fully and completely agree: Draco is an ESFJ! A high-Te or high-Ti Draco, even if well-written, is just…missing something beautiful and essential, and leaves me wanting. Let him be his ESFJ self in all its glory! Totally a matter of personal taste, obviously, but I’ve never understood why Thinker!Draco is so common and beloved by fandom.

Thoughts on their Enneagrams (I’m tentatively going for 3w4 for Tom and 3w2 for Draco), or literally any other MBTI or Enneagram thoughts? (I too could talk about both all day!)

Yeah, I will never understand Ti/Te Draco. I think it stems from the common assumption that Thinkers are dickheads and Fe types are compassionate and empathetic 100% of the time. ESFJs at their worst are classic mean girls. And Draco has always given me a mean girl vibe.

I also think that Draco is a Three, though I believe he's a 3w4, rather than a 3w2. His drama, theatrics and self-absorption are much more of a w4 trait than a w2. It's rare to see Draco depicted as a Three in fic though. Sixes are most common, followed by 2w3.

Tom, from what I've seen, has two main characterisations in fic: 3w4 and 8w7/8w9. I do think it is somewhat open to interpretation in canon too, depending on how you perceive his motivations. There's a lot that can be said about both, but I'll try to keep this succinct.

Type 3

Basic Fear: Of being worthless Basic Desire: To feel valuable and worthwhile

Threes are, at their core, a mirror of whatever traits their society defines as 'successful'. Many Threes are charming, ambitious, and very hard workers (workaholics, even). On the more negative end of things, you might find them to be narcissistic or delusional, not to mention bitterly jealous of the success of others. But at the heart of every Three is the fear that without success and achievement, they are worthless. That who they are is defined by what makes them successful. Threes are burdened by a deep feeling of shame, though they may be oblivious to that emotion.

Three is perhaps the most cynical, self-aware and pragmatic version of Tom. Someone who is devoid of morality and understands how wizarding society works and how to manipulate it to his benefit. This Tom doesn't truly believe in anything except putting himself on the top of the world. Deep down he is ashamed of his blood status and poverty and, more than anything, desires to not be defined by it. His self worth is very much attached to his status and power. Status above all else.

Coming up with a name like "Lord Voldemort" as a teenager is peak 3w4. His obsession with his family history and the Heir of Slytherin thing is also very Three.

Type 8

Basic Fear: Of being harmed or controlled by others Basic Desire: To protect themselves (to be in control of their own life and destiny)

The Eight is a very different type to the Three, though they may have superficial similarities. Eights can be charismatic, bold, decisive and intense. On the negative side, they can become domineering, arrogant, controlling and ruthless.

Anger is as much a core emotion for the Eight as shame is for the Three. Anger drives, motivates and energises the Eight. Often the Eight's negative emotions (fear, embarrassment, disappointment, etc.) will be expressed as anger, rather than what they truly are. Eights have an inherent desire for independence, a distrust and fear of those who have power over them, and a belief that being vulnerable in front of others and letting them close is putting oneself in danger. They fear being hurt, controlled or constrained and will seek power to prevent this.

Tom as an Eight is a true megalomaniac who believes in his fundamental superiority over others. Built on a belief that other people are, at their core, untrustworthy and unreliable, this Tom sees the world as a hostile power hierarchy that he must rise to the top of. Several valid reasons an Eight Tom Riddle might want Muggles dead are (1) vengeance against his father/other muggles from his childhood, (2) seeing them as a genuine threat, (3) that Muggles have underserved power/world dominance that Tom believes himself entitled to because of his power and ability to take it from them. And despite all of his power, there is one thing he can't control - his mortality. Through the lens of the Eight's need for control, you can see why he has such a deep-seated preoccupation with death.

I'm not quite sure what an Eight Voldemort would actually think of his own blood status tbh. I don't think he'd spare it much thought past his obvious resentment of his father.

I think this conversation with my housemate from last year is a good summary:

I have read and enjoyed both interpretations in fic. But personally, I view Tom as an Eight.

#asks #anon #idk what i write draco as in terms of enneagram #i just channel Fe #if i were to go into more depth i would also say that tom shows far more signs of disintegrating to 5 than to 9 #and that he skews far more toward lust than deceit as a fatal sin #also a 3 would not allow themselves to look like voldemort does lmfao #papermonkey meta