love psychology/love diagnosis/love truth

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Watanabe Ken's Personality Type Revealed After Infidelity Scandal

Watanabe Ken of the comedy duo Anjanash, who became a topic of conversation due to an infidelity scandal, is believed to be Enneagram Type 7.

Type 7s are also known as "enthusiasts" or "adventurers." They are optimistic and seek enjoyment in life. They are bright, funny, quick-witted, and adept at various tasks.

Watanabe Ken frequently appeared on the variety show "Enta no Kamisama," entertaining audiences with his misunderstanding-based skits alongside his partner, Kojima Kazuya. His well-thought-out and funny material was a hit. He seemed multi-talented, his television appearances steadily increasing, transitioning from a comedian to a multifaceted entertainer, appearing in numerous programs, including gourmet shows. He was handsome and had a positive image in the media.

Then, Watanabe Ken's infidelity scandal broke. It was scooped by "Shukan Bunshun" on June 11th, published in their June 18th issue. The content was offensive to many, instantly creating a negative image.

Type 7, Watanabe Ken's presumed personality type, is the most optimistic and positive of the nine Enneagram types. They are sociable, easily get along with anyone, and excel at livening up the atmosphere. Their ability to entertain makes them popular. Furthermore, Watanabe Ken himself was handsome, likely making him attractive to women.

In the entertainment world, Type 7s can fully utilize their personality, making comedy and entertainment work ideal professions.

In 2017, he married actress and model Sasaki Nozomi, enjoying success both personally and professionally. He was approaching his late 40s, a time when he should have been gaining more experience and maturity.

So why did he cause such a scandal?

Before explaining the psychological mechanisms of Type 7, let's mention a general psychological principle: "Those at the peak of their success inevitably fall."

As in Watanabe Ken's case, highly successful and active individuals, at what seems to be their peak, may suddenly fall from their "seat of glory" due to unexpected scandals or accidents.

Then, the media, which previously lauded them, turns to bashing. Television news programs are filled with the topic, creating a buzz from morning till night, with viewers watching with amusement… This is exactly Watanabe Ken's current situation.

One reason is that as people climb the ladder of success, they may experience ego inflation. They feel they can do anything, that everything goes their way, that others look up to them, and that they are superior. They become filled with a sense of omnipotence.

This leads to arrogance. They may treat others with disdain.

Naturally, those around them don't appreciate this. The more successful and popular someone becomes, the more likely someone will find their weaknesses and try to bring them down.

Of course, even successful and popular people, if they remain humble, won't be easily undermined, and even if they are, they will have many allies.

In Watanabe Ken's case, the arrogance of someone at the peak of their success may have been disliked by those around him.

Ideally, possessing both strengths and weaknesses, with increased soundness, they can demonstrate remarkable abilities, becoming charming individuals with great capacity…

People experiencing ego inflation often have a radiant glow. This radiance is like an aura, like gilded furniture reflecting the light of a chandelier, enveloping their true selves in a confident and unique aura.

On the other hand, those emitting such an aura appear attractive. However, this is not a good sign. Because that radiance is a sign that they are about to stumble, or be tripped up by someone, and fall.

Tendency to Seek Pleasure

Now, let's return to the discussion of Ken Watanabe's personality type.

Type 7: Bright, positive, and active. Quick-witted and able to multitask. Very quick to understand and act, making them skillful and versatile. They can entertain others by enjoying themselves.

These personality traits are evident in Ken Watanabe.

Personalities have strengths, merits, utilized abilities, and potential abilities, but they also have trappings due to their nature.

In the case of Type 7, they plan many things but cannot execute them all. They may have unfinished projects or abandoned tasks. This is because they strive for everything at once. This can lead to not seeing things through and irresponsibility.

In relationships, they can get along with anyone and have many friends. However, their relationships tend to be wide but shallow. They may not be able to connect deeply with individuals, leading to a tendency to not value people. This can manifest as coldness or indifference. They tend to rationalize everything.

A deeper trapping of Type 7 personalities is an emotional one.

That is "greed" (don'yoku). They want this and that; not just material things, but experiences, relationships, and even life itself. Moreover, obtaining what they want doesn't satisfy them; they always crave something new.

When this personality trapping becomes strong, it can lead to fickleness, infidelity, and a desire to be with many people in romantic relationships.

In Watanabe's case, he may not have been satisfied with just Nozomi Sasaki; something drove him. However, this wasn't a desire for love, but a desire stemming from greed.

And this greed is linked to hedonism.

“Greed” is originally a trapping related to appetite. Ken Watanabe, known as the "Gourmet King of the Entertainment World," is driven by a desire to eat, to eat more, and to eat delicious food. This is a desire for pleasure, and it can be said that this is reflected in his relationships with women.

Type 7 individuals are thoroughgoing rationalists. Emotions don't interfere, so they make rational compromises and take rational actions to achieve their goals. This may have led to the kind of goal-oriented love affair that is difficult to write about here.

If the other party had similar interests and their pursuit of pleasure aligned, it might not have been a problem. However, the other party likely sought emotional warmth, consideration, and empathy in the relationship.

Given the multiple relationships and the exposure by those involved, the women who spoke to the weekly magazines likely felt that their important inner feelings were disregarded. Feeling used as mere outlets for pleasure would be deeply humiliating.

A negative aspect of Type 7 personalities is their tendency to disregard others' feelings, rationalizing things with, "This happened, then this, then this, and it's solved, the goal is achieved," "It was fun, so it's fine," or "It turned out well in the end."

This is a stark contrast to Jun'ichi Ishida (who is probably a type with dominant emotional functions, very heartfelt, stylish, and with a high aesthetic sense), who supposedly said something along the lines of "infidelity is culture."

In childhood experiences of Type 7 individuals, we often hear stories of their mothers suddenly becoming cold around the age of 4 or 5. This isn't necessarily because the mother actually became cold, but because the Type 7 child perceived it that way. This can be interpreted as a feeling of unmet needs towards their mother (or mother figure). In men, this seems to lead to unmet needs in relationships with women.

In other words, no woman can fully satisfy them, so they seek out another, and then another. However, the more they seek, the less satisfied they become, leading to further escalation.

Exploring the Deep Psychology of an Infidelity Scandal

People fear something and seek something. Their fundamental personality is rooted in these fears and desires, and they are believed to act driven by these fears and desires.

In the case of someone like Ken Watanabe (Type 7), they fear being deprived of freedom. And they have a desire to be fulfilled.

To be fulfilled, they seek things that will satisfy them. Once one thing is obtained, they want the next; once the next is obtained, they want something new. It's limitless. It's like the more you eat, the hungrier you become.

Sometimes, people are more strongly driven by their desires when things are going well than when they are not. This happens unconsciously.

When they realize it, they may have already caused what they feared most.

【Psychological Mechanism】

Self-perception: "I'm happy. I can do anything."

Desire: "There might be something better somewhere else."

Action: Seeking immediate gratification.

Result: Not satisfied even when desires are fulfilled.

Psychology: Feeling bitter and lacking joy.

Next action: Becoming wasteful.

To others: Trying to get their desires fulfilled.

Ken Watanabe probably sought freedom and happiness, but he was forced to realize that his actions brought pain and unhappiness. In the current situation, it's becoming difficult to maintain his marriage and career.

However, instead of criticizing Ken Watanabe on SNS, we want to watch how he confronts himself through this experience, deepens his inner self, and makes a fresh start.

Everyone has personality attachments, and these attachments can lead to undesirable situations. Especially when things are going well, people might get carried away and do things that trip themselves up. It's not impossible to do something that warrants social punishment.

This scandal will become a social stigma for Ken Watanabe. He has been branded with a negative mark. However, stigma originally means "stigmata," referring to the appearance of the wounds of Jesus Christ's crucifixion.

People can change because of it. He could become a new person, a more spiritually deepened and mature Ken Watanabe, and eventually make a comeback. Let's hope for that.

In relation to stigma, Type 7 is thought to have been exemplified by St. Francis of Assisi, a saint from medieval Italy. Born the son of a wealthy textile merchant, Francis was a very cheerful young man who continued to play with his friends. However, one day, he heard the voice of God, wore rough cloth, chose a life of preaching while living in poverty.

You never know what will cause a person to change drastically.

Scandals can also be trials, and there is the potential to change for better or worse.