The word enneagram (pronounced any-ah-gram) simply means a drawing (gramos) with nine (enneas) lines or points. The enneagram symbol and some of it’s concepts have been traced back over 2,000 years. As a modern personality theory and tool for spiritual growth the enneagram reached the United States in the 1970's. The explosion of interest in the enneagram since then has been noteworthy. The enneagram personality theory focuses on finding one's self as one of nine distinct enneagramic types. This process of self-discovery reveals the subconscious motivation behind the behavior of each of the nine types as well as the healthy and unhealthy aspects of each type. Once subconscious habits of behavior become part of the individual's consciousness, then the range of available choices that one has in any given situation begins to expand.
Why study personality types?
Have you ever wondered why you find yourself at cross-purposes with another person? Have you ever wondered why people think or say or act as they do? Personality theories are attempts to answer these questions. Though the study of personality theories, people can uncover a wealth of information about themselves. Equally important, through this wealth of information, people can reduce unnecessary personal suffering - their own as well as others - and can often come to the recognition that people really are not alike.
For whom would the enneagram theory be useful?
People who want to understand themselves will find insights that the enneagram provides most useful. But in addition, anyone who lives and works with other people (and who doesn't?) will find great benefit in studying the enneagram theory.
Type One: The Perfectionist – believes you must be good and right to be worthy. Consequently, Perfectionists are conscientious, responsible, improvement-oriented, and self-controlled, but also can be critical, resentful, and self-judging.
Type Two: The Giver – believes you must give fully to others to be loved. Consequently, Givers are caring, helpful, supportive, and relationship-oriented, but also can be prideful, overly intrusive, and demanding.
Type Three: The Performer – believes you must accomplish and succeed to be loved. Consequently, Performers are industrious, fast-paced, goal focused, and efficiency- oriented, but also can be inattentive to feelings, impatient, and image-driven.
Type Four: The Romantic – believes you must obtain the longed for ideal relationship or situation to be loved. Consequently, Romantics are idealistic, deeply feeling, empathetic, authentic to self, but also dramatic, moody, and sometimes self-absorbed.
Type Five: The Observer – believes you must protect yourself from a world that demands too much and gives too little to assure life. Consequently, Observers are self-sufficiency seeking, non-demanding, analytic/thoughtful, and unobtrusive, but also can be withholding, detached, and overly private.
Type Six: The Loyal Skeptic – believes you must gain protection and security in a hazardous world you just can’t trust. Consequently, Loyal Skeptics are themselves trustworthy, inquisitive, good friends, and questioning, but also can be overly doubtful, accusatory, and fearful.
Type Seven: The Epicure – believes you must keep life up and open to assure a good life. Consequently, Epicures are optimistic, upbeat, possibility- and pleasure-seeking, and adventurous, but also can be pain-avoidant, uncommitted, and self-serving.
Type Eight: The Protector – believes you must be strong and powerful to assure protection and regard in a tough world. Consequently, Protectors are justice-seeking, direct, strong, and action-oriented, but also overly impactful, excessive, and sometimes impulsive.
Type Nine: The Mediator – believes that to be loved and valued you must blend in and go along to get along. Consequently, Mediators are self-forgetting, harmony-seeking, comfortable, and steady, but also conflict avoidant and sometimes stubborn.
