Why I Love the Enneagram
I’ve been using the Enneagram with several clients lately. Although I’ve been using this model for years, I continue to marvel at how well it resonates when someone learns their type, and how helpful it is for taking steps toward growth.
“Ennea” (pronounced any-uh) is a prefix that means “nine” in Greek, and “gram,” also Greek, refers to that which is written or marked. The model is nine personality types, oriented in a circle as you can see, that are interactive and interdependent. Here are my top three reasons for why this is my go-to assessment and personal development tool.
1) It’s comprehensive
The theory says that we all have all nine types within us. The nine types represent nine archetypal energies, and as a whole person, we can relearn to access the energy of all types. Learning how to get out of our dominant type and access the other types is the goal to integrating the various aspects of ourselves that may be dormant. It’s not a model that boxes us in; it’s a model that shows us how to get out of the box we have unconsciously put ourselves in.
2) It tells us why
The Enneagram stands above other assessment tools in my mind because it gets at motivation, not just behavior patterns. Two types might behave similarly, but the underlying psychological reason for the behavior differs. If we can understand why we do what we do, we are more likely to be able to change. As I have personally experienced, the Enneagram holds real potential to transform us into better versions of ourselves.
3) It’s complex and dynamic
The Enneagram takes awhile to learn in any depth because there are several dimensions to it. There is one’s core type, which is one of the 9 personality types. Then there are variants, or sub-types, referring to which survival instincts are most dominant. Then you have the wing types, meaning the two types that flank your type on the circle. There are also the lines, representing where you might migrate in times of ease or stress. Based on your type, you can also gain insight on how you get what you want, and how you react when you don’t get what you want.
This dynamic nature of the Enneagram model means that there are many windows to access the validation and developmental suggestions it offers.
The main point of all of this: transformation towards self-understanding, compassion for others, both which lead to greater inner peace and capacity to give our gifts to the world.
Tagged: enneagram
