What’s my Enneagram Type?: Tips for discerning your Type after taking a test.
One of the reasons Enneagram is such a useful tool is because of the ways it holds space for complexity and nuance. It looks not at our external behaviors, but our internal drivers.
What motivates us to do what we do? What are we afraid of? What are the gifts in how we see the world? What are the blind spots that exist because of that way of seeing?
This makes Enneagram Typing a work of deep self-reflection. In other words, one’s Enneagram Type cannot be determined by one test alone.
In fact, it is not uncommon for people to identify with an Enneagram Type other than their top test result. That is because a test only knows how we answer. It cannot know if we are lying to ourselves about something we wish we were or not. It does not know if we misunderstood a question. It does not know if we had a bad day and are answering from a place of stress.
Use the test to narrow down, not determine, what your Type might be. Consider your top three Enneagram test results as solid possibilities. Then, try the steps laid out below.
Examine several different Type descriptions to narrow down which Type feels the most like you.
Look through my guide Exploring the Enneagram: A Guide to Understanding the 9 Types and focus on the descriptions of your top three test results. Then follow up with descriptions from books, or websites like Enneagram Institute or Integrative 9 to see if someone else’s description changes what resonates.
As you read, notice what you identify with most. Especially when you look at the fears, vulnerabilities, and struggles. (You can find some helpful questions to ask on my download, What’s My Type? Questions for Enneagram Self-Reflection)
Naming our Enneagram Type doesn’t put us in a box, or mean that we don’t sometimes show up looking like another Type. It helps us get specific about both the gifts and shadows we bring, so we can get serious about the work of development.
If you feel confused, consider some common examples of mistyping below.
“I am an achiever, does that make me a Type 3?”
Type 3s are often named achievers, and it’s an attribute that most have in common. But Type 3s are not the only high-achieving type. What makes someone a Type 3 is why they are an achiever.
If I am an achiever because I want to be seen as successful in the eyes of those around me, then I am likely a 3. If I am an achiever because I want to be productive and do what should be done, then I am likely a 1. If I am an achiever because I have the energy and drive to keep my calendar full, then I am likely a 7.
“I am assertive, does that make me a Type 8?”
Type 8s are known as people who are not afraid of conflict. But they are not the only people who can push. Again, the question is why.
If I am a challenger because I enjoy the intensity of conflict, then I am likely an 8. If I am a challenger because I operate with a gut strength of right and wrong, and am not afraid to go against what is wrong, then I am likely a 1. If I am a challenger because I am a devil’s advocate who can find the hole in any plan, then I am likely a 6.
“I am smart, does that put me in the head center?”
Types 5, 6, and 7 are all in the head center, which means they approach life through the planning center of their brains. But that does not mean that all smart or thinking or methodical people are in the head center. Our center is naming what is primary, not what is only.
If I am a smart type 2, I will use my intelligence to help me better meet the needs around me- which means my head is serving my heart. If I am a smart type 1, I will use my intelligence to create a plan that serves the greater good and doesn’t waste my time- which means my head is serving my gut.
We all have all 3 centers. There are emotional head types and intelligent gut types. Again, our center is naming our primary homebase of why we do things, not the only thing we do.
You can see more Enneagram Type misidentification comparisons here.
Relax and take your time.
First of all, know that it is normal for it to take awhile to feel settled in your Enneagram Type. It is asking deep questions that can take awhile to answer. The process is worth it.
Try on a Type like a pair of pants.
Instead of just wavering and wondering what your Type is, “try on a Type” and see if it fits. Pick one that you have been thinking about, start reading more and doing more with that Type, and know that you can always change your mind. Just like a pair of pants, you can’t really know what fits until you try it on. And know that trying on a Type is not a waste, even if you change your mind. If you resonate with a Type, it means there is work for you to do there. Every Type has wisdom it can bring to our lives.
Pick a resource and start digging in.
Try one of the books or podcasts on the recommended resources on my about Enneagram page.
Or grab one of my Beyond Your Number Journals for your Type.
Or listen to a panel discussions of that Enneagram Type and ask yourself, does it feel like you could be sitting on the same panel? Here are some great panel discussions from the podcast The Art of Growth: Type 1 Panel -Type 2 Panel -Type 3 Panel -Type 4 Panel -Type 5 Panel -Type 6 Panel -Type 7 Panel -Type 8 Panel -Type 9 Panel
Consider Instinctual Subtypes
The Instinctual Subtype layer of the Enneagram is deep and rich with a lot to unpack. For many who are just beginning the Enneagram journey, it can be overwhelming. At the same time, for many others, including me, it is key level of nuance for landing on the correct Type because of how the Instinctual Subtype layer creates countertypes that are difficult to capture in a test.
CP Enneagram has an Ultimate Guide to 27 Enneagram Subtypes that is fantastic, as is the overview of the 27 Subtypes on Integrative 9.
You can also listen to great discussions about this layer on podcasts, including
The 27 Subtypes of the Enneagram series from The Liturgists with episodes divided up by the Gut (Types 8-9-1), Heart (Types 2-3-4), and Head (Types 5-6-7) Centers
The You are an Animal episode from Enneagram 2.0, with a discussion of where these instincts originate.
Overviews of theSelf-Preservation,Social, andSexual Instincts from Do It for the Gram.
Getting curious about our Enneagram Type helps us see ourselves and others with more clarity and compassion.
As you dive deeper, remember that no Type is better or worse than another Type. All nine Enneagram Types carry important facets of what it means to be human.
You don’t have to take this journey alone.
Talk to friends and colleagues that are working through Enneagram. Ask what they see in you. Ask what helped them through their process of discernment. And of course I’m biased, but coaching with me, especially through something like my Beyond Your Number Pathway, is a great option, too.
Enjoy the journey!
💛 Stephanie
