The Enneagram
You may have heard of the saying “Knowing your enemy is half the battle won”. Being able to understand others puts you in a better position in Interpersonal Communication. When you know the personality of the person whom you are communicating with, you understand how to phrase your words so that your points gets across effectively. In other words, you are responsible for the way you communicate.
I’ve come across several profiling systems, and one that i find extremely useful is the Enneagram (Pronounced Any-a-gram). The Enneagram is a dynamic and accurate map of human nature that explains our underlying motivation for existence. Ennea is the Greek word for nine, so the Enneagram translates loosely to mean “Nine Diagram”.
There are speculations that the Enneagram originated way back in Babylon in 2500B.C. Despite the possibilities that the Enneagram was first used a long time ago, it is still very accurate and widely used today because human nature has not changed.
Design of the Enneagram
As you can see, the diagram is made up of nine points on a circle, with interconnecting lines. Each point is marked by a number from one to nine. Each number represents one of the nine basic personality types, which are interrelated with one another as indicated by the connecting lines.
A key element of the Enneagram lies in the connecting lines, indicating the direction to evolve in order to fulfil the potential of a given personality type, rather than staying put at a spot. In addition, there are nine levels of development for all types, varying from Healthy, Average, to Unhealthy. So developing within a type to achieve the healthiest level also ensures a more fulfilled life.
An important point to bear in mind about the Enneagram is the use of numbers to define each type. Unlike other profiling systems that use words, the Enneagram uses numbers because of the neutral representation. Words are likely to be received with judgement, whereas numbers are neutral.
Another point to note is that there are no superior personality types. All types have their strengths and areas for caution, and can all achieve vast success when at their healthy best. Of course, certain types might be more valued due to cultural or societal differences.
Short description of the nine personality types
Type 1: Principled, Orderly, Self controlled, Purposeful, Perfectionist, Self righteous.
Type 2: Caring, Generous, People pleasing, Possessive, and Manipulative.
Type 3: Adaptable, Ambitious, Image conscious, Driven, Excelling, Hostile.
Type 4: Expressive, Intuitive, Self absorbed, Temperamental, Depressive, Melancholic,
Type 5: Perceptive, Original, Detached, Innovative, Secretive, Procrastinate a lot.
Type 6: Responsible, Engaging, Committed, Loyal, Anxious, Suspicious, Defensive.
Type 7: Enthusiastic, Spontaneous, Versatile, Scattered, Distracted, Restless.
Type 8: Self confident, Dominating, Decisive, Confrontational, Combative, Wilful.
Type 9: Peaceful, Reassuring, Agreeable, Complacent, Receptive, Neglecting
I’ll be posting more about the Enneagram over time. If you are eager to learn more about it, or wish to take some tests to find out what type you could be, do check out the links below.
Free Enneagram Profiling Tests:
Enneagram Institute – Riso Hudson Personality Tests
Eclectic Energies – Eclectic Energies Enneagram Tests
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