Despite only being in her early 30's, Selena Gomez has achieved more in her two-decade career than most people could dream of achieving in a lifetime. She rose to fame as a Disney Channel star and has since become a multi-platinum singer, actress, producer, business owner and philanthropist.
What personality traits drive this showbiz powerhouse? Based on her interviews and observed behavior, Gomez is an Enneagram Nine and ISFJ. A loyal friend behind the spotlight, here’s more about her generous, hardworking personality.
Gomez's Enneagram: Type Nine, The Peacemaker
Type Nines are called the Peacemaker for a reason. They tend to be easy-going, agreeable and avoid conflict at all costs. As a celebrity who constantly faces pressure and criticism, Gomez's Enneagram type may help her maintain a calm and collected demeanor amid relentless change and scrutiny.
Outwardly: Spotting the Nine
- Enneagram Nines are known for going with the flow and are often viewed as relaxed. Warm and stable, Gomez has a calm and soft-spoken presence on the interview couch that others find soothing.
- Humble and balanced, Gomez is not flashy or outspoken. She keeps her private life hidden from the public eye, choosing to share only what she wants to share with her millions of fans. Still, she finds ways to put her fame to good use, such as her work with 16 charities, including UNICEF, and her Rare Beauty makeup line that promotes self-acceptance. A relentless advocate for mental health awareness, Gomez has also launched The Rare Impact Fund to make mental health services more accessible.
- Helpful and cooperative, people who identify as Nines seek to maintain harmony by making sure everyone's needs are met. That's a tough motivation to have when you work in the dog-eat-dog showbiz industry. However, mature Nines like Gomez are able to be patient and supportive while knowing how to respectfully stand up for themselves—a message that came through very clearly in her speech at WE Day California in 2014,
“I’m surrounded by people who are supposed to guide me, and some of them have and others haven’t. They pressure me. There’s so much pressure. You’ve gotta be sexy, you’ve gotta be cute, you’ve gotta be nice, you’ve gotta be all these things …. Until recently, I had given into that pressure. I lost sight of who I was. I listened to opinions of people, and I tried to change who I am. Because I thought others would accept me for it. And I realized I don’t know how to be anything but myself.”
- In typical Type Nine style, Gomez has a small circle of friends who stick with her through thick and thin. She values her close friend so much that they even got matching tattoos to celebrate their friendship!
Inwardly: The Inner World of Type Nine
- Nines experience an inner world of peace that they seek to maintain at all costs. This may explain why Gomez has been vocal about taking breaks from social media for her own mental health, despite the pressure to constantly be connected with fans.
- Though generally easy-going, Nines can struggle with making choices and prioritizing their own needs over others’. It's a lesson Gomez appears to have learned the hard way —"It’s really important for me to love and nourish my friends and family and to make sure that I never get influenced by a guy. I’ve wanted to be in a strong headspace for years, and I really wasn’t. Before, I was so young and easily influenced, and I’d feel insecure. You want someone to add to your life, not to complete you, if that makes sense."
- In opposition to their go-with-the-flow nature, Nines like to be in control. For Gomez, freedom and independence are important, and she is cautious about who she lets into her inner circle. “I don't trust anyone... It's something that I have to live with, and I have to find the balance of who I want in my life and who isn't good for me.”
- Selena Gomez is an entertainer, which you will rarely find in the list of suitable career options for this personality type. Although she’s very talented, the performer has openly talked about her struggles with being in the public eye on numerous occasions and doesn’t hide the fact that fame intensified her mental health problems.
Gomez's Myers-Briggs Personality Type: ISFJ
I/ Introverted:
While Gomez is in the public eye, she has said that she prefers to work behind the scenes and is not comfortable being the center of attention. However, she is a social introvert. As an ISFJ she needs time to herself, but people are the main focus of her life.
S/ Sensing:
A down-to-earth realist, Gomez approaches life from a practical perspective and is known for being hardworking and responsible. She knows what it takes to succeed in this business and takes her career seriously. No matter what she does, she puts her blood, sweat, and tears into it—and it shows.
F/ Feeling:
“Success is nothing if you don’t have the right people to share it with,” she's quoted as saying, and there's plenty of evidence pointing to Gomez's big heart. She's a loyal friend and generous philanthropist, and she speaks openly about the importance of mental health awareness after struggling with her own issues. Unsurprisingly, loyal Sensing-Feelers like Gomez can find it nearly impossible to leave a relationship, even when it’s not working for them. Her and ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber's on-and-off relationship played out for nearly a decade before they finally called it quits.
J/ Judging:
It's clear from her interviews that Gomez has a strong sense of order, focus, and responsibility. “We only have one life, and it is very precious, and there’s a lot we can do, and there’s a lot we should do.” There's discipline and strong will within her, motivating her to work hard and stay on track towards her goals.
ISFJ Cognitive Functions
Si – Introverted Sensors live by practical rules and systems and tend to have a black-and-white way of looking at things. When down on themselves, they may struggle to gain perspective and thus become convinced that the odds are stacked against them.
Gomez has admitted that she needs positive feedback from others and negative comments affect her mental health. Announcing yet another in a series of time outs from social media, she said “Update: taking a social media break. Again. As much as I am grateful for the voice that social media gives each of us, I am equally grateful to be able to step back and live my life present to the moment I have been given. Kindness and encouragement only for a bit! Just remember- negative comments can hurt anybody’s feelings. Obvi.”
Fe - Extraverted Feelers are focused on bringing and keeping people together, which can manifest as extreme sensitivity to others’ emotions and needs. Speaking on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Gomez said, "There came a point in my life where there were so many things being said on my behalf, and I found myself protecting people that didn't really protect me, but I had a right to say my side of the story." The upside to Fe is it helps Gomez empathize with other people, including her fans.
Ti - Introverted Thinkers tend to be very analytical in their internal world, but it's only expressed when they are comfortable, or through thinking, research and in depth study. We simply do not know how or how often Gomez uses her Ti, since it’s unlikely to play out in the public eye.
Ne - Extraverted Intuition is Gomez's least developed function but there is definitely a side of her that remains open to new experiences and opportunities. It's also likely why she has been able to navigate the unpredictable world of show business with relative ease. When things get stressful, ISFJs can tap into their Ne function to come up with solutions that help them deal with problems. For example, Selena has said she used to hate her voice but has since realized it's something unique about her—she has contextualized and redefined the problem, which is a very Ne thing to do.
Fun facts about ISFJs
- Among the types most likely to believe in a higher spiritual power.
- More likely than average to experience chronic pain.
- Second most common type among education majors in college.
- Personal values include Happy family, Health and Spirituality.
- Among three types with the lowest income, although this clearly doesn't apply to Selena Gomez!
- Commonly found in education, health care, and religious occupations.
