How The Enneagram Brings Us Back To Our True Self
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What’s fantastic about the Enneagram is its role in guiding us back to our true nature, and therefore the talents that are hardwired into our being. Yes, each one of us has a unique set of talents!
It’s not only our birthright to enjoy these talents but also our responsibility to offer them to the world.
The Enneagram describes the nine psycho-spiritual structures that we can have. Although each one of us shows up with a little bit of each type, we specialize in one territory – our specific Enneagram type - and that’s what becomes our focus of attention, consciously or not. As we grow up - and then become stressed adults - we lose contact with our true nature and we start unconsciously manufacturing an imitation of it that can lead to all kinds of troubles, from anxiety and depression to relationship issues, or “just” a nagging sense of unfulfilled potential or lack of direction.
Here is a quick description of each Enneagram type – see if you can recognize your self and some of your loved ones as you read:
When we are a Type One, also called the Idealist, we have an intuitive sense of what’s good and right about our self, others and the world. We conduct our self with integrity and we inspire others to do the same. When we’re stressed and less present, we tend to become critical and sometimes controlling. We must remind our self that our standards are just ours, and that multiple sets of standards can harmoniously coexist.
When we are a Type Two, also called the Helper, we know deep down that we are love. We bring our selflessness and generosity into the world and teach others that we don’t have to deserve love, we’re all perfectly lovable just as we are. When we lose presence, we start unconsciously believing that we are excluded from this natural flow and that we must become useful and helpful in order to earn love from others. We become compulsive in our attempts to help and we can at times be manipulative. We must remind our self that we are lovable no matter what we do, or don’t do.
When we are a Type Three, also called the Achiever, we have a knack for sensing what has value and the potential for success, in our self, others and the world around us. We make things happen and can literally turn lead into gold. We’re also great encouragers and leaders. When stressed, we unconsciously assume that we must be successful in order to earn approval and be perceived as worthwhile. This can lead to working too hard, maybe on things we don’t really care about, and to burnout and relationship issues. We must remind our self that our worth and brilliance is inherent and not based on our accomplishments.
When we are a Type Four, also called the Individualist, we have the ability to feel deeply and to be present to the whole range of emotions in our self and with others. We are sensitive, empathic, comfortable with our vulnerable side, and have a deep connection with beauty and esthetics. When stressed and less present, we begin to identify to our feelings and moods and take our self and relationships onto a rollercoaster of emotions and oftentimes unnecessary drama. We must remind our self that our feelings are valuable pieces of information in the moment but never tell us the whole truth about our identity or what’s happening around us.
When we are a Type Five, also called the Investigator, we excel at looking beyond what is obvious to find deeper truth about reality. We love learning and acquiring knowledge, and we think and communicate with precision. We are comfortable with solitude and allow others to just be. When we are under stress, we tend to feel overwhelmed by the world and we isolate from others in order to retreat into our own internal world. We must remind our self that we can master life out there in the world, and stay engaged with others in a sustainable way.
When we are a Type Six, also called the Loyal Skeptic, we enjoy a fine-tuned inner guidance that allows us to know and do exactly what needs to be done. Our great intuition is able to sense what is true and safe in the world. When we’re stressed and not present, we lose touch with this inner guidance and look outside our self for safety. We can start having an uncomfortable relationship with authority figures and not knowing who and what to trust in general. We must remind our self that we have a stable inner space within our self that is the source of our safety and wisdom at all times and therefore do not have to submit our own authority to others.
When we are a Type Seven, also called the Enthusiast, we have an extraordinary ability to enjoy the moment, extracting all the juice, the joy and the freedom of what is happening right now. We’re fun, we have plenty of ideas and we tend to invite others into our optimistic and joyful way of experiencing life. When we’re not present, we start resisting all the difficult experiences of life, from simple boredom to heartbreaks. We distract our self by unconsciously and compulsively planning our next moves or next ideas to not have to be in touch with any pain at all. We must remind our self that we’re strong and capable of being with all experiences - good, bad and ugly - and that this ability is actually the true source of our joy and freedom.
When we are a Type Eight, also called the Challenger, we are deeply in touch with our own power, we’re confident and strong and able to challenge what we don’t believe in. We can also acutely sense energies and power dynamics around our self. When we’re stressed and less present, we resist our own vulnerability and intimacy, we exert more energy than the situation calls for, and we can become difficult, pushy and sometimes rebellious. We must remind our self that in our emotions lies real strength, and that intimacy is not threatening but a source of great fulfillment.
When we are a Type Nine, also called the Peacemaker, we deeply connect with the thread that connects and unites us all. We intuitively know that we are one. We can see and accept all points of view and we excel at maintaining peace and harmony and bringing people together. When we’re stressed, we start feeling threatened by conflicts and we become compulsively accommodating to others to avoid disharmony. We must remind our self that addressing conflicts often leads to greater connection through deeper understanding and that our personal desires and needs matter. Contentment comes from participating fully in the world by including our self in the flow of life.
And that’s the Nine Types in a nutshell! For some, it’s very easy to land on our type right away. For others it takes a longer investigation because a lot of other factors can blend into our psycho-spiritual structure and these can make our Enneagram type less obvious. Such factors include Ennagram wings and subtypes, and also cultural and familial trends.
Tests and plenty more information are available online. Trustworthy sources include The Enneagram Institute and The Narrative Enneagram. Please explore! And be in touch if you’d like to book a Self-Discovery session with me, where we’ll figure your type out and discuss your next steps based on what you want to accomplish. Nothing beats a custom road map to get to precisely where we want to go!
