about the Enneagram

language and a framework for why humans do what we do

What is the Enneagram?

With many personality tests, you get a label. You learn you’re an achiever or extravert or lion. But what do you do with that information? Enneagram is not a label- it is a tool for growth and compassion.

The Enneagram outlines nine primary ways people engage in the human experience (ennea means 9 in Greek). It gives language and a framework for why we do what we do. These insights help us move forward in wholeness, freeing us from the passions and fixations of our types.

The Enneagram Symbol

The Enneagram Symbol is a visual picture of the energy and interaction of the Types. The circle reminds us we are all connected.

To some extent, we each hold and display all nine Types. However, we rest in one number as our core Type. Our Enneagram Type is the primary lens through which we experience the world. When we know our Type, we uncover and explore what we are afraid of, what we desire, and what makes us feel vulnerable. Knowing our Enneagram Type helps us name our shadows with compassion and take steps to live more deeply into our gifts.

Enneagram Types connected to our core Type by arrow lines reflect our tendency to energetically “move” in different circumstances. In times of stress, we tend to be “pulled” with the arrow, compelled toward behaving like the Type at the end of that arrow line. In relaxed or secure states, we tend to let our guard down and open to the energy of the Type at the end of the arrow line pointing towards our Type. Like our core Type, the Enneagram Types at the end of our arrow lines are important parts of who we are. In fact, learning to integrate those two Types in times other than stress and security is a key component of moving forward in wholeness.

Start with my course

Enneagram can be an intimidating journey. I designed my Break Out of the Box Enneagram Course to walk with you for each step of learning and discovery. It is a self-paced and in-depth way to learn your Enneagram Type and move beyond patterns that have kept you stuck.

Be patient with your journey of self-discovery. Finding your Type can take awhile. It is a difficult task to peel back layers of behaviors and ask why we do what we do. But, the journey is worth it. As Richard Rohr says, “Enneagram is not meant to put you in a box. It is meant to help you see your box, so you can be freed from it.”

What are the Enneagram Types?

Enneagram Type 1s

have the ability to see what could be. Whether that vision is for a room, a project, or the world, they carry both the idealism and responsibility to make things better. But because things are not as they could be, for Type 1s, the possibility of could often shifts to the weight of should. They become critical of ways things fall short of their (high) expectations. This can lead Type 1s to become perfectionistic about the things that are most important to their inner sense of what is right or good. Type 1s struggle with anger and resentment about all that is not right, even while they keep up the behaviors of what a "good person" looks like.

Priorities: excellence, goodness - Struggles: resentment, criticalness - Strengths: reliability, wisdom, commitment, objectivity - Characteristics: focused, correcting, advocating, reasoning, simplifying

Remember, no Enneagram Type is better or worse than another. This is why numbers are more helpful. As soon as we add words, we have feelings about what we do and don’t want to be. All nine Types carry important facets of what it means to be human.

Enneagram Type 2s

are naturally good at filling needs. They have a desire to help and an instinctual ability to plug into places that make a difference to teams, projects, and people. This can develop into a need to be needed and a thirst to be indispensable. Type 2s have a deep desire to be loved, but can begin to feel like they are cared about not because of who they are but because of what they do for others. This traps them in a string of imbalanced relationships, where they give, but do not receive. This is why their struggle is pride; Type 2s forget they are human and have needs like everyone else.

Priorities: connection, love - Struggles: pride, manipulation - Strengths: compassion, intuition, hospitality, empathy - Characteristics: rescuing, serving, listening, accepting, networking

Enneagram Type 3s

have a natural ability to be successful. Their instincts guide them toward what will create a positive image and achieve their goals in a variety of situations. Type 3s are motivated towards productivity and achievement, driven by a desire to feel valuable and accepted. Their success can serve as a trap, however, as their self image becomes based on how they perform and produce. When that happens, Type 3s can become status-conscious, and focused on image. They struggle with deceiving both themselves and others, as they show not who they really are, but who they think others want to see.

Priorities: worth, achievement - Struggles: vanity, deception - Strengths: charm, productivity, efficiency, team-orientation - Characteristics: strategic, dynamic, impatient, performing, motivating

Enneagram Type 4s

want to find and express depth and meaning. They are driven to actualize the significance of their identity, which leads to quests for beauty, individualism, and authentic emotional expression. Often, Type 4s choose non-traditional paths such as the arts or spirituality as they seek to be known as their unique and fullest selves. This desire is a trap that can leave them stuck in longing and envy, as they feel misunderstood and over-connect to what is missing in their lives. All this leads Type 4s to struggle with feelings of melancholy and disenchantment with the ordinary.

Priorities: identity, depth - Struggles: longing, melancholy - Strengths: sensitivity, expression, creativity, emotional honesty - Characteristics: romantic, nostalgic, artistic, spiritual, unique

Enneagram Type 5s

are independent and observant learners of the world. They are often wise and perceptive thinkers who want to be capable and competent before taking action. Type 5s are able to view situations from a perspective that allows them to analyze, synthesize, and understand. This can lead them to an exaggerated need to know and figure things out. When that happens, they become more compartmentalizing and intellectual. Type 5s can struggle with becoming detached from both their presence and feelings as they escape into their heads. They retreat to guard information, energy, and privacy.

Priorities: competency, aptitude - Struggles: guarding, hoarding - Strengths: insight, synthesis, wisdom, curiosity - Characteristics: detached, capable, ordering, inventive, perceptive

Enneagram Type 6s

are good at putting together puzzles. Whether a family, system, or project, they can see how all the pieces fit together, and want to keep everything in place. They are reliable, trustworthy, and hard working. Their ability and desire to see how things fit can also lead to a focus on what doesn't fit or could go wrong. Type 6s want to feel secure. Their brains can get sucked into holding the domino effects of choices. In response to the fear that arises from this way of thinking, 6s may be compelled to avoid, plan for, or conquer the foreshadowed catastrophes.

Priorities: loyalty, practicality - Struggles: fear, doubt - Strengths: work ethic, commitment, preparation, conscientiousness - Characteristics: skeptical, vigilant, cooperative, respectful, responsible

Enneagram Type 7s

carry a natural enthusiasm and zest for life. They look for adventures to keep life interesting. This pursuit of pleasure can be a fun and spontaneous energy that spills out to those around them. However, this energy can also turn into an avoidance of slowing down. Type 7s fear being trapped in pain or boredom. Hunger for more becomes a way to escape feelings of emptiness. They can be scattered and undisciplined as they stretch themselves too thin across all their interests. The fear of missing out can keep Type 7s from being present to what is in front of them.

Priorities: vision, energy - Struggles: excess, escapism - Strengths: versatility, enthusiasm, optimism, spontaneity - Characteristics: rationalizing, excitable, bright, sensual, scattered

Enneagram Type 8s

intuitively sense where power resides in others and in themselves. They are assertive and decisive challengers. Strong and independent, Type 8s have a desire to push for justice and protect the vulnerable. This energy can sometimes lean towards being proud, domineering, or confrontational when they push too hard or protect too much. They value self-reliance and can have an exaggerated need to be in control. Type 8s struggle with a conquering drive to move and acquire.

Priorities: justice, autonomy - Struggles: domination, retribution - Strengths: assertiveness, strength, charisma, honesty - Characteristics: leading, decisive, empowering, controlling, direct

Enneagram Type 9s

desire harmony. They are easygoing and mediating, as they see the world from multiple perspectives. They want to go with the flow, and provide a supportive presence to those around them. However, their hope for harmony can result in Type 9s avoiding conflict instead of creating peace, as they substitute comfort for understanding. They can become complacent and passive, settling for what they get. Their fear of separation and tendency toward resignation can combine and cause Type 9s to merge with others and lose their own identity.

Priorities: comfort, peace - Struggles: avoidance, numbing - Strengths: patience, groundedness, flexibility, understanding - Characteristics: slow, enduring, supportive, forgetful, harmonizing

Recommended Resources

There’s always more to learn. Here are some of my favorite places for exploration and discovery.

Of course, there’s my book, Out of the Box & Into the Wild: An Enneagram Journey through the Triads of Nature, but that is just one of many great resources out on the market today. Below are some others.

Podcasts

Websites

Beginning Books

Leadership Books

Music & Poetry

Organizations