Joel Miller on the Inner World of the Enneagram Five and the Power of Ideas

Typology

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14d ago 55:09

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In this week's episode of Typology, I sit down with my dear friend and fellow book lover Joel Miller—an Enneagram Five through and through, and author of The Idea Machine: How Books Built Our World and Shape Our Future.

Joel embodies the mind of a Five: curious, analytical, fiercely independent, and endlessly fascinated with ideas. But as we explore in our conversation, that intellectual brilliance can also become a refuge—a way to manage anxiety, avoid dependence, and retreat from life itself. Together, we unpack what it means for Fives to move from "information to intimacy," from hoarding ideas to sharing their hearts.

We talk about why books are "technologies of connection," how Joel's marriage to a Four helps pull him out of his head and into his heart, and why he believes faith is meant to be experienced, not simply understood.

If you've ever wondered how to balance thinking and feeling, solitude and connection, this episode will resonate deeply.

About Joel:

Joel J. Miller is a former publishing executive with a twenty-year career in writing and editorial. Today he serves as chief content officer of Full Focus (FullFocus.co) and publishes Miller's Book Review (MillersBookReview.com), a popular Substack celebrating literary culture.

He is the author of several books, including The Idea Machine: How Books Built Our World and Shape Our Future (forthcoming, November 2025). His writing has appeared in Reason, the Washington Post, American Spectator, and National Review. He lives outside Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, kids, dogs, and more books than space.

Available now for pre-order: The Idea Machine: How Books Built Our World and Shape Our Future

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