Discovering Your Enneagram Type

Have you ever heard of The Enneagram?  Yup, neither had I.  But I discovered what it was a couple of weeks ago while taking a class on how to discover your Enneagram type and now…I’m sort of hooked.

Why?  Well, I love learning what my personality type is whether that’s through astrology or Briggs Myers personality tests.  I think most people are curious about what their personality says about them or maybe dig deeper into who they are to learn more about themselves.

I had no idea what to expect from the Enneagram class, but I was intrigued.  The Enneagram system is made up of nine personalities which I’ll go over below.  But first, what exactly is the Enneagram?

“The Enneagram is a powerful and dynamic personality system that describes nine distinct and fundamentally different patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting.

The word “ennea” is Greek for nine and “gram” means model or figure. Hence, the Enneagram is a diagram or star with nine points representing the nine personality patterns. Each of these nine patterns is based on an explicit set of perceptual filters that determine our worldview. Underneath each of the nine patterns is a basic proposition or belief about what you need in life for survival and satisfaction.”

From www.enneagramworldwide.com

Evangeline Welch, who is an expert in the subject, taught the class to a roomful of listeners eager to learn more about this system of personalities.

The personalities are split into what is called the three centers of intelligence and perception: head, heart, and body.  Below are brief descriptions of each personality type. However, there is so much more to this system than what can be described in this article.  If you are interested in learning more about The Enneagram, I suggest clicking through to the website above for complete coverage of the system.  In the meantime, take a look through the personalities I cover ahead.  Many of the tendencies described can be considered negative, but it’s about learning what habits you gravitate to that might not always serve you and allowing you to accept yourself and others, as well as make changes that will bring more balance to your life.  I personally find it very fascinating.

The Intellectual Center:  These are thinking based types that tend to lead their lives by rationality and ideas.

• #5 The Observers are thinkers that tend for focus on research, collecting knowledge, and looking at life from an intellectual standpoint.  They are often introverted, spending much of their time alone to pursue their own interests.
• #6 The Loyal Skeptics are mental types that look at the world from a place of fear, often trying to predict outcomes of situations from an intellectual perception while at the same time protecting those they love.
• #7 The Epicures tend to be forward thinkers, always looking on the bright side of life, looking for new adventures and activities.  They prefer to keep their options open, often not being able to focus and always looking for the next big thing.

The Emotional Center:  These are feeling-based types that tend to lead their lives based on matters of the heart.

• #2 The Givers are feeling-based people who focus on relationships with people, often neglecting taking care of themselves.  They tend to give in order to receive and are often disappointed the favor is not returned.
• #3 The Performers are emotional types who channel their energy into their daily tasks and accomplishing their goals and achieving success.  They are very concerned with their image and are focused more on the external than the internal.
• #4 The Romantics are feeling based types who often have experienced a sense of longing or missing something since childhood, keeping them on a constant search for meaning in their relationships and work.  Individualistic, these types are concerned with their image, yet look for authenticity within themselves and others.

The Instinctual Center: These are body-based types that tend to lead their lives by their instinct, awareness, and social belonging.

• #8 The Protectors are body-based people who tend to take leadership roles and are often enthusiastic and generous while at the same time intimidating and intense.  They don’t like to be limited by regulations and will often take charge of situations in order to do things their way.
• #9 The Mediators are unbiased types that are open to all points of view, making them great peacemakers, but at the same time unable to focus on what’s most needed in their own lives.
• #10 The Perfectionists are body-based types focused on self-control, honesty, and correcting what’s wrong.  They look at the world from an idealist point of view and have a hard time accepting imperfections and opinions that differ from their own.

For information on how to discover your Enneagram type, check out their website at enneagramworldwide.com.