Welcome to People Hacking 101! The first time I learned about the Enneagram, I thought to myself “wow, you’ve finally figured out how others think!” Honestly, it was one of the biggest “aha!” moments of my entire life. It reminded me of when we were kids and heard things like “not everyone thinks like you!” Very difficult as a kiddo to understand how you even think, let alone anyone else. Forget it! Even as an adult, people are often a puzzle.
Introduction to Enneagram
The Enneagram: A Brief History
The Enneagram has a long and complicated history and when I went down that rabbit hole a few years ago, it was wild what I found. The Enneagram has roots stretching back to the desert fathers of early Christianity, the Sufis of Islam, and even further back. There were even traces back to early medicinal practices!
Of course, personality theory has been around a long time because people have always wanted ways to characterize and therefore be able to accurately predict others’ behavior. While this is not 100% possible, the Enneagram does provide us with a window into how different people operate and that is very helpful on multiple fronts. But its modern interpretation owes much to the work of Oscar Ichazo and Claudio Naranjo in the mid 20th century.
Unpacking the Enneagram System
Understanding the 9 core types of the Enneagram system is like understanding how you and everyone else around you thinks. Understanding your enneagram core type helps you to identify your own motivations and desires; basically why you do what you do, say what you say, and react the way you react. Everything we do is centered around our “why”. The Enneagram tells you a person’s “why”.
Basically the Enneagram is a system made up of 9 Core Types that are set up in a circle format (which is important to understand later). These types are interconnected, which will help you to understand where each type “goes” during stress and during periods of growth. Each of the 9 represents a different “why” or core motivation that a person has. Keeping in mind that everyone is truly a blend of many, this isn’t a rigid personality type but a touchpoint to help you to understand the CORE of why you do what you do.
The Nine Enneagram Types
Each Enneagram type, numbered one through nine, has its own set of distinct characteristics, motivations, and ways of perceiving the world.
Type 1: The Perfectionist
Ones are moral and ethical, principles and purposeful, and always strive for perfection. They are concerned with doing things the right way. Responsibility, strong values, acute attention to detail, and a clear sense of duty are all accurate descriptions for a type one.
Type 2: The Helper
Type twos derive their self-worth from uplifting and supporting others. They want to be loved and appreciated, especially for the contributions they bring to their loved ones’ lives. They are empathetic, friendly, affable, people-pleasing, generous, well-meaning, warm, sincere, nurturing, and approachable people.
Type 3: The Achiever
Threes are all about success. They want to achieve in whatever arena success looks like in their environment. They are productivity masters, often multi-tasking to achieve their ambitious goals. Goal-oriented, ambitious, driven, charismatic, energetic, and poised are all accurate descriptions of a Type 3.
Type 4: The Individualist
Type Fours are all about being unique. They want to express their individuality and are passionate, creative, introspective, self-aware, compassionate, and open-minded “idea synthesizers” who are often quirky and endearing.
Type 5: The Investigator
Type Fives love to observe. They are cautious to express opinions without gathering ALL of the information first. They are curious learners by heart, making them great researchers and are focused on gaining knowledge. They non-conformists who are analytical and objective. Fives are motivated by their desire to be capable and confident.
Type 6: The Loyalist
Type Sixes are loyal, trustworthy, and dependable. They seek security and are often prepared for anything. Vigilant, logical, organized, and detail-oriented, they are excellent team players.
Type 7: The Enthusiast
Sevens want to get the most that they can out of life. They are the definition of YOLO. Open-minded, adventurous, free-spirited, and optimistic, sevens are well-connected and love experiencing new things. They avoid as best they can feeling pain and deprivation.
Type 8: The Challenger
Eights are confident, independent, and decisive. They are strong advocates who enjoy challenges and are passionate in their convictions. Driven by their need to protect themselves and their loved ones from being taken advantage of, eights often act as the guardians in their social and family circles.
Type 9: The Peacemaker
Nines tend to be easy-going, peace-making, and get along easily with everyone. Their magic power lies in their ability to see things from all 8 of the other perspectives. They are non-judgmental, supportive, adaptable, and great at mediating conflict. They strive to create harmony, peace, and comfort.
Enneagram Types and Inner Motivations
Uncovering Inner Motivations
Figuring out your Enneagram core type helps put you on a path leading to greater self-awareness, compassion, and personal growth. It’s important to understand that while we do see some behaviors tied to our core types, behaviors are more often expressed through our wings.
How Each Type Relates to Their Inner Motivations
Each Enneagram type has a unique way of interacting with their inner motivations. This is the basic definition of the core type–your “why” or desires and motivations. For example, Type 3s, the Achievers, are often driven by an innate need to feel valuable, while Type 9s, the Peacemakers, are motivated by a desire for internal and external peace.
Enneagram and Relationships
How Enneagram Types Impact Interpersonal Relationships
The role that the Enneagram plays in improving your relationships is remarkable. It was definitely an “aha!” moment for me when I had my whole family take it! I love understanding more about how people handle conflicts, react in different situations, process information, communicate, and work with other people. It gives you a greater appreciation for your interactions with people in your life.
Conclusion
I love coaching with the Enneagram because it helps us unveil truths about the way we think and how others around us do the same. It unlocks true empathy, and helps you to communicate and resolve conflict in a more unified, and humanistic way. Knowing your Enneagram Core Type is invaluable not only for your relationships, but always for your personal development. By combining your “why” (Enneagram) with your “how” (Clifton Strengths Top5), we can get a complete picture of who you and what makes you tick. E-mail me at mdamon21@gmail.com and let’s get started!
FAQs
- What is the Enneagram?
- The Enneagram is a system of personality typing that describes patterns in how people conceptualize the world, think, and ultimately it reflects a person’s “why”.
- How can the Enneagram help me understand my motivations?
- Each Enneagram type is linked to specific motivations, fears, and desires. By identifying your type, you can better understand what drives your actions and decisions.
- How does knowing my Enneagram type affect my relationships?
- Oh wow, it definitely helps a ton. This has been one of the biggest areas that has helped me in my life with the Enneagram framework. If you know how people think, you understand why they say and do what they say and do, which might be for a different reason than what you/your core type would say or do. This helps you to resolve conflict because you have a true understanding allowing you to empathize.
- Are the Enneagram types rigid categories?
- No, everyone is a mix but one core type usually dominates. For example, I am a type 3 and that truly is my “why” but I have a strong Type 1 backup so I exude a lot of those traits in certain situations (and these tie into my Clifton Strengths as well which is why I like coaching both together!) This provides insight into the basics of a person’s desires, which helps us to understand their tendencies and how a person who thinks like them might act based on what we know about how that type thinks.
- Can my Enneagram type change over time?
- Your Enneagram type stays the same throughout your life but depending on your experiences and what situation you are in, your behaviors will mirror your wing more closely than your core type. This means that you may lean on one wing or the other (for instance, I am a type 3 so my wings are either 2 or 4) depending on which traits you need/feel comfortable using at that time.