Race Conversations and The Enneagram: How Enneagram Type may affect our posture and engagement.
In that last several years, cries for racial justice have been loud and hard to ignore. Those of us who are white have been pushed to grapple with our privilege and be thoughtful about how we move forward in justice work. I believe Enneagram can help us on that journey.
Here are some questions each type may want to consider.
(Also, since Enneagram work always transcends type, notice if a question from a type other than your dominant strikes a chord.)
Type 1:
How might my sense of morality, responsibility, and right/wrong have been influenced by cultural norms or systematic racism?
How might a deeper connection to my own inherent goodness help me be open to reexamining my standards?
Type 2:
Is my desire to be seen as loving causing fragility as I participate in conversations about racism, hoping for others to see my intentions and heart?
How might a deeper connection to my own belovedness help me engage in difficult conversations with a humble strength?
Type 3:
Is my leadership and image-consciousness causing me to (intentionally or unintentionally) center myself in conversations about race?
How might a deeper connection to my inherent worth free me to lift up marginalized voices more often?
Type 4:
Is my attachment to the complexity and emotionality of this conversation overwhelming me to the point of inaction?
How might a deeper connection to the value and vibrancy of my creative presence help me engage in racial justice work with my full self?
Type 5:
Is my fear of being helpless or my desire to figure things out holding me back from taking messy first steps towards systematic change?
How might a deeper sense of my own dignity regardless of deficiencies help me risk forward movement?
Type 6:
How might my desire for security be hindering my engagement with the calls to upend systems that I have been part of or have made me feel safe in the past?
How might a deeper connection to my inner strength help me find a security within that could free me to deconstruct past ways of thinking and participating?
Type 7:
Is my desire for interesting experiences moving me to either consume the energy of the current protests or avoid the protests for something that feels more “positive”?
How might a deeper connection to my cooperative, independent, and courageous energies help me commit to the long and difficult work ahead?
Type 8:
Is my intensity towards social change causing me to plow past minority voices and leaders who have done this work before me? Or putting me in a position of “being against” before I have listened?
How might a groundedness in my own vulnerability help me be a compassionate listener to the stories and leadership of others?
Type 9:
How might my desire for harmony be keeping me from engaging with the difficult feelings or conflictual situations that are necessary parts of learning and change?
How might a deeper comprehension of my voice, value, and strength provide courage for engaging with discomfort?
I am slowly learning about my own racism and privilege from teachers like Austin Channing Brown, Ibram X. Kendi, and more. These questions have been influenced by their wisdom. I know they are inadequate. But I hope they can also be a start.
You may also want to explore the books The Enneagram for Black Liberation by Chichi Agorom and Know Justice Know Peace: A Transformative Journey of Social Justice, Anti-Racism, and Healing through the Power of the Enneagram by Deborah Threadgill Egerton PhD.
💛 Stephanie
