Use Enneagram to Know Your Character

The enneagram is unique and useful tool used to understand our motivations and our personality traits.  Several large organizations and corporations have been known to use the Enneagram as a means of anticipating individual's reactions to certain situations which maybe stressful.

How does the Enneagram work? It consists of a framework that categorises people into nine basic personalities. It is represented as a “enneagon”, a circle surrounding an equilateral triangle and two incomplete triangles that meet in nine points along the circle’s circumference. Although the origins of this system are unclear, some say it was based on Sufi Mysticism. The Ennea means "nine" in Greek, and gram refers to "model".

It is widely believed that a person can only have one place/number on the Enneagram, which will not change with time. What will happen as a person ages is their characteristics may soften or become more pronounced as they grow and develop. It is also believed that we are strongly influenced by the numbers on either side of our core personality type. For example, although my core traits are that of a type 5, I may be heavily influenced by type 4.

The first step to determining your Enneagram type is by making an honest assessment of their strengths and weaknesses.

In brief, the nine personality types are as follows:

Type One: The Perfectionist, The Reformer, The Critic & the Impatient Orderly.

Type Two: The Helper, The Giver & the Loving person.

Type Three: The Achiever, The Performer, The Motivator & The Effective Person

Type Four: The Romantic, The Artist, The Individualist & The Connoisseur.

Type Five: The Observer, The Thinker, The Investigator, The Innovator & The Sage.

Type Six: The Loyalist, The Trooper, The Devil's Advocate & The Trouble-shooter.

Type Seven: The Adventurer, The Epicure, The Optimist & The Generalist.

Type Eight: The Challenger, The Leader, The Top Dog & The Leader.

Type Nine: The Mediator, The Abdicator, The Peacemaker & the Equaliser.

 Who are You at The Core?

Understanding Personality Types

Each person is born with a unique personality. A great deal is learned through circumstances and other people, but our specific preferences are believed to be inherent in us by the time we are born. By categorising people into personality types, we are able to predict learning styles, motivations, behaviour and character traits – information which has enormous implications in terms of marketing and other business practices.

The Enneagram is one such means of categorising personality types. It is a framework that categorises people into nine basic personality types, each represented by a number. Its origins are unclear, although some say it has its roots in Sufi Mysticism. Ennea means "nine" in Greek, and gram refers to "model"

The numbers used to designate each personality type are intended to provide an unbiased shorthand way of indicating a person’s traits without being pejorative. The numerical ranking is of no significance. .No one personality type is better or worst than the other, with each having its own assets and limitations. However, interestingly, some types are often more desirable than others in any given culture or group, not because of the superior value of a particular type but rather because it has the qualities which that particular society rewards.

It is widely believed that a person can only have one place/number on the Enneagram, which will not change with time. What will happen as a person ages is their characteristics may soften or become more pronounced as they grow and develop. It is also believed that we are strongly influenced by the numbers on either side of our core personality type. For example, although my core traits are that of a type 5, I may be heavily influenced by type 4.

Having first determined your weaknesses and strengths to find out which personality type you are, you will need to look into the descriptions of each personality type in detail to find out more about your motivations and character. 

What is Your Personality Core Type?

The Enneagram Spectrum of Personality Styles

The Enneagram is a powerful tool that can be used to further self-knowledge, as well as your understanding and compassion of others. This system can be applied for analyzing and anticipating the motivations and behaviour of people, organizations and cultures. It consists of a framework that categorises people into nine basic personalities, each represented by a number.

The structure of the Enneagram is represented as a “enneagon”, a circle enclosing a triangle and a star, creating a nine-pointed figure. The triangle represents the Trinity, the creative, preserving and destructive forces necessary for creation. The inner figure of the Enneagram contacts the circle at nine equidistant points, each of which represents the nine basic personality types. Although it is common to find a little of yourself in all nine of the types, one of them – your basic personality type - will stand out as being the dominant one.

In the Enneagram system, each personality type has three sub-types indicating three primary areas of relationship, one of which is our weak point. These areas are sexual, social and self-preservation. Each number is influenced by the number on either side of it, referred to as “wings”. For example, although a type 5 may be influenced by a type 4, while retaining the core traits of a type 5.

Each person can only have one place/number on the Enneagram, which will not change with time. What will happen as a person ages is their characteristics may soften or become more pronounced as they grow and develop. No one personality type is better or worse than the other. Each has their own assets and liabilities, as well as their limitations. The ideal aim is a best self, rather than trying to imitate the assets of another type.

There are 9 personality styles:

Discover Your Personality Type

Know Thyself Through Enneagram

Know Thyself Through Enneagram

How does the Enneagram work? It consists of a framework that categorises people into nine basic personalities. It is represented as a “enneagon”, a circle surrounding an equilateral triangle and two incomplete triangles that meet in nine points along the circle’s circumference. Although it is common to find a little of yourself in all nine of the types, one of them – your basic personality type - will stand out as being the dominant one.

There are several fundamental points about the basic personality type:

1.      Throughout your lifetime, your basic personality type will not change.

2.      No personality type is inherently masculine or feminine. Hence the descriptions of the personality types are universal.

3.      Not everything in the description of your basic type will apply to you all the time because certain traits will soften or grow more prominent as we develop.

4.      There is not significance to the numerical ranking of the nine types.

5.      The concept of labelling each of the types with numbers is used to imply the whole range of attitudes and behaviours of each type without specifying anything negative or positive.

6.      No individual personality type is superior to the other, it all depends on the cultural setting or group that we find ourselves in. Each type has unique assets and liabilities, with different limitations. Although we may not be happy with the type that we are, it is important to understand that the ideal is to become our best self, not to imitate the assets of another type.

7.      You are strongly influenced by the numbers on either side of your core personality type. For example, although a type 5 may be influenced by a type 4, while retaining the core traits of a type 5.

The Enneagram is a very powerful tool that can be used to understand our motivations for doing what we do and our personality traits. As Lao Tzu once said, "He who knows others is learned. He who knows himself is wise."

Discover Your Personality Type

How the Enneagram Personality System Works

Unlike other personality systems you may have encountered, the Enneagram personality system is a numerical system which categorises people into nine basic personality types. Although it is common to find a little of yourself in all nine of the types, one of them – your basic personality type - will stand out as being the dominant one. The Enneagram system has very real-world value as large organizations and corporations have been known to use it as a means of anticipating individual's reactions to certain situations which may be stressful.

Throughout a person’s lifetime, his or her basic personality type will not change.      What will happen is that as you grow and develop, certain traits may soften or become more dominant. The descriptions of each of the personality types are gender-neutral and universal.

Why numbers? The Enneagram uses numbers to designate each of the types because numbers are value-neutral. They provide an unbiased, shorthand way of indicating a lot about a person without passing judgment. One important thing to note is that the numerical ranking of the types is not significant. No one personality type is superior to the other – each has its own assets and limitations.

Interestingly though, each personality type can be perceived as more desirable than the others in a specific culture or group. For example, in Western society, one particular type may be more desirable, not because of the superior value of a particular type but rather because it has the qualities which that particular society rewards.

Each personality type can be summarised in four-word sets of traits. Bear in mind that these are merely highlights and in no way represent the full spectrum of each type.

Type One is principled, purposeful, self-controlled, and perfectionist.
Type Two is demonstrative, generous, people-pleasing, and possessive.
Type Three is adaptive, excelling, driven, and image-conscious.
Type Four is expressive, dramatic, self-absorbed, and temperamental.
Type Five is perceptive, innovative, secretive, and isolated.
Type Six is engaging, responsible, anxious, and suspicious.
Type Seven is spontaneous, versatile, distractible, and scattered.
Type Eight is self-confident, decisive, wilful, and confrontational.
Type Nine is receptive, reassuring, agreeable, and complacent. 

Discover Your Personality Type