THE ENNEAGRAM 101
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I’ve always been obsessed with personality tests. There’s just something about diving a little deeper into who you are and how you tick that gets me super excited.
Or, maybe I’m just tough to decipher… who knows?!
While I feel like I’ve taken ALL the tests - Myers-Briggs (I’m an ISFJ) or the Strengthsfinder test (it’s been a while since I took it, but I remember Disciplined being one of my top strengths) - the one that has really helped me more than any of the others has been…
The Enneagram.
I first found out about the Enneagram about two and a half years ago. And when I first took the test, it said I was a 3.
And I was THRILLED! I wanted to be a 3 so so bad! I wanted to be seen as this girl who was a go-getter, who accomplished these goals, who achieved anything she put her mind to.
But, deep down, I think I knew that I was NOT a 3.
Not that I wasn’t a go-getter or achievement-oriented.
But, because I knew that my motivations behind achieving goals were different than people who were actually 3s.
OK, so by now you’re probably thinking to yourself 3 things…
“So, what are you?!”
“Ooooh, am I a 3?!”
“But, what IS the enneagram?!”
Have no fear, my friend, that’s what I’m here for…
WHAT IS THE ENNEAGRAM
I highly recommend you start by reading this basic overview of the Enneagram - especially if you REALLY want to use this as the tool it is intended to be or want to learn more about it. I am FAR from an expert, but it is definitely something I LOVE to learn about, so I am fairly well-versed in it. Just please keep in mind that (1) I am not an Enneagram coach, (2) this is simply a TOOL to help us understand ourselves better, and (3) I (and anyone else) cannot “diagnose” your type - this is something only YOU can determine yourself.
Here’s my Cliff Note’s version of the Enneagram…
There are 9 different personality types of the Enneagram. According to most researchers, we are BORN with a dominant type - your type doesn’t change throughout your life. However, you probably can see different parts of you in each of the 9 types, but ONE will stand out as closest to who you truly are.
These 9 types are based on your inner motivations, which is why it is so hard to identify a type in someone else. It’s not like an introvert or extrovert - we can pretty much tell based on their BEHAVIOR which type someone is. The Enneagram, however, looks at what motivates that behavior.
The best example I’ve seen of this is cleaning the house. As a Type 9, my motivation to clean my house is so I get it done and can rest sooner. For someone who is a 2, their motivation to clean the house might be because it will make someone else happy. We both have the behavior to clean the house, but our motivation behind doing it is completely different.
WHAT’S YOUR TYPE
So, which type are you?
There are several tests floating around the internets that you can take to help you figure out yours, but in total honesty, a test isn’t going to truly tell you which type you are.
My suggestion is to take a test and see which are your most dominant type or types and then go and read the descriptions of all of them. You’ll at least have a place to start with the test, but I truly believe that reading the motivations of each type will help you truly identify which one you are.
Here is a basic overview of each of the 9 types (you can click on each for more info on each type):
TYPE 1 || The Moral Perfectionist (The Reformer)
TYPE 2 || The Supportive Advisor (The Helper)
TYPE 3 || The Successful Achiever
TYPE 4 || The Romantic Individualist
TYPE 5 || The Intellectual Thinker (The Investigator)
TYPE 6 || The Loyal Guardian (The Loyalist)
TYPE 7 || The Entertaining Optimist (The Enthusiast)
TYPE 8 || The Protective Challenger
TYPE 9 || The Peaceful Mediator (The Peacemaker)
You can take the Your Enneagram Coach test for FREE or this FREE Enneagram Personality test to get started, or you can pay $12 to take the test by the Enneagram Institute. All 3 are excellent and worth it as a place to get started. I don’t think paying for the test makes a difference over the free ones.
Each of the 9 types has a core fear, core desire, core weakness, and core longing. These are really the things that will help you understand the motivations behind your behavior. For example, as a Type 9, my core fear is to be in conflict, so I tend to do anything I can to avoid it (like not having conversations with people because I know they will make me uncomfortable).
Along with this, you will lean to different numbers when you are in “health” and when you are in “stress.” Type 9s in health go to 3, which means we LOOK like an achiever, but if we are in stress, we will look like a 6, so we are going to be cautious about everything.
Each type also has a wing on either side of their number. You can lean one way or the other, and as you get older, both wings will start to show. I am a 9 with a 1 wing, so while my core fear might be conflict, I also have a fear of being wrong. This is REALLY hard when it comes to decision-making… decisions are hard for a 9, but add in a 1 wing and wanting to be right, it’s hard to figure out what the best “right” decision is.
If you want to get more advanced in your learning, you can also dive into the three instincts of your type (self-preservation, sexual, or social) and sub-types. The deeper you go into learning about your type and all the many aspects to it, the more you will discover about yourself.
Truly, your learning and growth about yourself is unlimited when it comes to the Enneagram. There are so many facets that you’ll learn something new about yourself and your type all the time, no matter how many podcasts you listen to or books you read.
WHERE TO GET STARTED ON YOUR ENNEAGRAM JOURNEY
The thing that helped me more than anything with learning about my type was reading The Road Back to You by Ian Cron. This was the book that helped me learn that I am a Type 9 and to love + accept my type. I HIGHLY recommend it!
Other books you might want to check out:
>> The Essential Enneagram: The Definitive Personality Test and Self-Discovery Guide by David N. Daniels
>> The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective by Richard Rohr
>> Enneagram Daily Reflections - I was sent the Type 9 book to check out and I absolutely LOVED it!
I also LOVE listening to podcasts when I run, especially ones on the Enneagram. The past 3 summers, my favorite podcast - That Sounds Fun by Annie F. Downs - has done an entire series on each number. I highly recommend checking out the first episode and then finding the episode for your type. But, listen to ALL the types because it will give you some insight into why your spouse or friends or family behave the way they do.
Other podcasts you might want to check out:
>> Typology by Ian Cron
>> Your Enneagram Coach by Beth McCord
>> Enneagram & Coffee by Sarajane Case
>> Jen Hatmaker’s Series on the Enneagram
>> This year’s EnneaSummer series (happening RIGHT NOW) with Annie F. Downs
Like I said, the Enneagram is just a TOOL. I see a lot of people use it like it is the gospel, but really, YOU are still in control - this is just a tool to help you understand yourself better, and be better in your relationships with others. I definitely recommend getting started with it because I truly feel like it has been such a useful tool in my own life!
Take one of the quizzes I shared and then share with me what your Enneagram type is on Instagram!