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What is the Enneagram? Excellent question! The Enneagram seeks to understand why people do what they do and why people are the way they are. The Enneagram teaches that there are nine different personality styles in the world. Every single person on the planet is one of these nine personality types. Discovering your own type and learning about your personality strengths and tendencies is a journey of discovery. Does that mean everyone who is the same type will be the same? Not at all! And that’s the intriguing part. The Enneagram doesn’t put you in a box. Rather, it helps you understand your core type and all the other types’ perspectives. It gets you outside the box, so you begin to appreciate your uniqueness and the uniqueness of others.

We’re here to reveal the secrets of the Enneagram, so that you will have the advantage in areas such as charting your career path, pursuing your heart’s desire in romance, dealing with difficult people, and learning to develop your talents and personal qualities on your life journey. You’ll learn exactly what the Enneagram is, what it isn’t, and how to use its power to enhance your life.

It’s always easiest to break something down into its parts when we’re learning, and the Enneagram is no exception. It’s a body of knowledge, it’s a tool, and it’s a road map:

The Enneagram isn’t a full description of every aspect of personality. Race, culture, subcultures, gender, birth order, and family history all play major roles in personality formation which the Enneagram doesn’t necessarily address. The Enneagram only considers the lens from which your personality expresses itself, on a fairly consistent basis. It doesn’t claim you are only and always just one type, though it does state you are pulled by one type that tends to define you. At different times in your life, during times of stress, as well as times when life is going smoothly, you will move among all nine types, taking on characteristics of each. In upcoming chapters you’ll learn how this works and how to use these characteristics to benefit you.

Have you ever looked at a couple and thought, He’s not her type. Where does that idea come from? Or you’ll be watching a movie or a television show and realize that a certain actor or actress is typecast?

At some level, we realize there are specific types of people. The Enneagram teaches that there are nine types of people and numbers those types from 1 to 9. Each one of us is one of those types, and the type we are is called our core type. For example, your core type may be 4 and your best friend’s may be 8. (In a little while, you’ll find out exactly what that means.)

Here’s an analogy to simplify the explanation. Just as the musical octave’s eight notes can create complex symphonies, each of us has some qualities of all nine types within us. This creates richness and diversity. It can also create problems! If our symphony has too many wrong notes, it’s just noise. If our type has too many negative qualities working overtime, we get depressed and frustrated, and we may have difficulty in our work and personal lives. The Enneagram plots out those qualities, shows us where we fall short, shows us where we’re doing well, and helps us get on an even keel. So far, so good? Good!

Here’s an introduction to the nine types of the Enneagram. Each type has its own chapter in Part 2:

Type 1: The Perfectionist/Reformer. Type 1 has an ideal view of how life should be and wants reality to conform to that view. 1s examine everything, including themselves, with an eye toward correction and perfection.

Type 2: The Giver/Cheerleader. Type 2 wants to help people, as a way to be loved and accepted. 2s need people to need them. A positive personality, the 2 loves to give, but can lay on the guilt if unappreciated.

Type 3: The Achiever/Winner. Type 3 is the U.S. cultural ideal and focuses on goals, success, accomplishments, winning, and producing. Image is everything, and 3s generally target areas for goal-setting, where they can succeed.

Type 4: The Romantic/Depth Seeker. Type 4 is the nonconformist, working to cultivate individuality or specialness in order to be noticed and admired. The 4 is drawn to beauty, individual self-exploration, and a search for meaning.

Type 5: The Observer/Thinker. Type 5 tends to be private and engaged in thinking, observing, and making sense out of life, particularly in knowledge-gathering, theory making, and integrating different aspects of knowledge and learning.

Type 6: The Questioner/Guardian. Type 6 tends to question everything, particularly issues of safety and security. 6s worry, analyze in depth, and try to solve concerns in advance. They feel more secure in the truth, no matter how negative, than with positive images.

Type 7: The Optimist/Fun Lover. Type 7 sees the world in the best possible light. 7s like positive thinking, fun, adventure, and newness. They prefer risk to repetition and like to be around people that are happy, ready for change, and can move on the spur of the moment.

Type 8: The Director/Powerhouse. Type 8 likes to be in charge. 8s want control of their own lives and often others’ lives, too. 8s act quickly and can’t stand ambivalence. They prefer action, directness, and strength.

Type 9: The Peacemaker/Accommodator. Type 9 prefers to avoid conflict. 9 tends not to initiate but “goes with the flow.” 9s appear easygoing, and they like comfort, constancy, and little change—unless they initiate it in stages.

Is it nature or nurture? Parents often remark that their children have unique traits from birth, particularly in comparison to their siblings. Although this is true, our upbringing and family patterns also affect who we become. Some people think their type is spiritually generated—a prechosen path of strengths and obstacles to learn from in this lifetime. Whatever the case, nature and nurture combine to work their miracles and it’s up to you to choose a side in this ongoing argument. Most Enneagram teachers agree that nature (physical and emotionally preset genes and disposition) plays a bigger role than nurture (environment and upbringing).

Now that you’ve been introduced to the nine types, you might have already found either yourself or those you know in these broad categories. Each type has strengths, tendencies, and areas of needed growth. However, if that’s all there were to the Enneagram, it would be very basic and not all that accurate. Fortunately, that’s just the beginning—sort of the overture, to continue our symphony analogy. There are other parts to the types. These parts are called wings, Instinctual subtypes, centers, Growth type, and Stress type. Taken all together, they paint a portrait of you that is uniquely you.

Each core type has two wings. Wings flavor the way you exist in your core type, sort of the way salt and pepper enhance your food. You’ll find your wings on either side of your type number. For example, wings for a 7 are 6 and 8. Wings for a 1 are 9 and 2. Where does the flavor come from? It comes from the qualities of the types next to you. You, in essence, borrow some characteristics of that neighbor type. One of your wings is generally stronger than the other. It’s called your strong wing and its characteristics show up in day-to-day life. You’ll discover more about wings in the type chapters in Part 2.

Each type has three subtypes, called Instinctual subtypes. These add complexity and variety and relate to three basic survival instincts, all of which are essential in your development. One of these subtypes, however, is more of an obsessional focus and self-esteem concern throughout your life. It operates in the arena where you have your most life challenges and have the most to learn and grow. A subtype area that’s always been easy for you is not your subtype. You’ll find their descriptions in Part 2, but for now, here’s a subtype summary:

Your subtype tends to be a lifelong area of concern or stress. This subtype focus may shift a bit, due to current life circumstances. If you are moving, you’ll be focused on self-preservation issues; if pursuing a relationship, you’ll be focused on the Sexual subtype; and if you’re worried about your job or whether you will be accepted in a certain group, you’ll focus on the social arena. Once those areas are satisfied, you’ll move back to your primary subtype concern.

Our musical analogy will help here. Visualize yourself as the conductor of the symphony orchestra. The orchestra before you is grouped into sections: woodwinds, strings, percussion, and brass. Within each section are similar types of instruments. In much the same way, the Enneagram divides the nine types into three sections called centers or triads. Each center perceives reality, first and foremost, through a similar focus of attention that is different from the other two centers. These three centers are Body (or Gut), Image (or Heart), and Head. Here’s a brief summary of how these centers work:

You’ll find out more about Body, Image, and Head types in Part 2.

You’ve already learned that the Enneagram is a tool for personal growth, so it’s only logical that it provides you with a Growth type! Your Growth type is one of the nine types, other than your core type. When you seek out the best features of that type and try to emulate them, that makes for growth! When you’re consciously aiming for personal improvement, and when your life is going along smoothly, you’ll be learning from your Growth type.

What would life be without stress? Hard to know, because it seems to be programmed into the solar system. The Enneagram teaches that during these stressful times, you first spiral down within your own type, acting out your type’s absolute worst traits. If things get even worse, you then take on the worst traits of your Stress type, which is another of the nine types, apart from your own.

It’s actually a good idea to develop the best qualities of both your Stress type and your Growth type. Your Stress type teaches you to recognize when things are getting bad in your life (you’d better get to growing), and your Growth type is both a reflection of how well you are doing and a model for those positive traits to develop to maintain your well-being.

You’ll find a complete description of each type’s Growth and Stress types in Part 2.

Generally, the types are somewhat evenly distributed, although there do seem to be more female 2s and 4s and more male 5s. On average, 1s, 3s, 7s, and 8s tend to be more self-directed and assertive and often associated with the masculine; 2s, 4s, and 9s tend to be more feminine and relationship-oriented. 5s tend to have a masculine orientation, but regarding focus and detachment they are not always assertive, and 6s vary. Of course, there are exceptions. Because the Enneagram doesn’t pigeon-hole you, you’ll find infinite variety.

It’s generally easier to type an extrovert than an introvert. While every type can contain introverted or extroverted versions, Type 5 seems to be the only type with introverts as the vast majority of its members. Introverts, in general, are more self-reflective and don’t reveal themselves immediately. Extroverts are more expressive and show who they are more readily and are easier to type because of this. 1s and 6s have a fairly even mix of introverts and extroverts. 4s, 5s, and 9s tend to have more introverts. There are generally more extroverted 2s, 3s, 7s, and 8s. There are many exceptions to this tendency, so always be open to an introverted or extroverted version of each type.

Core types, wings, Instinctual subtypes, centers, Growth type, and Stress type—these are the elements you’ll be concerned with as you begin your journey into the power of the Enneagram. Now that you know the main parts, let’s take a brief look at where this came from. Here’s Enneagram History 101—the short version!

In the beginning … Actually, we’re not sure where the beginning is. The origins and early history of the 9-type symbol are steeped in mystery. We find elements of it in the Jewish Kabbalah, Christianity, Sufism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Also, the Babylonians and the Egyptians seem to have had a fascination with the 9-type symbol or nine stages of spiritual development.

Some believe that Philo, a Jewish, neo-Platonist philosopher, introduced this 9-type tradition into Judaism, where it appears as the Kabbalah and the spiritual growth system called The Tree of Life. The Kabbalah references nine stages of development, with a tenth one that unifies the nine.

The symbol of the Enneagram is an ancient cosmic symbol, with nine lines that include a triangle, creating a unique star pattern inscribed within a circle.

The Greeks got really involved, with Pythagoras, Plato, Plotinus, and Homer all having a hand in some aspect of the Enneagram symbol. Pythagoras used the symbol, as he considered the sacred meaning of numbers and speculated about personality types. Plato spoke of nine divine forms and something called mystical mathematics. Plotinus wrote a text called The Enneads, and Homer’s Odyssey and Iliad have been linked to the Enneagram’s nine types or nine spiritual journeys.

Variations of the Enneagram symbol also appear in Islamic Sufi traditions, perhaps introduced by the Arabian philosopher, al-Ghazzali. Around the fourteenth century, an order of Sufism is believed to have preserved and passed on the Enneagram symbol. This order is variously known as the Brotherhood of the Bees (because they collected and stored knowledge) and the Symbolists (because they taught through symbols).

We can speculate endlessly about ancient origins of the Enneagram, but one thing is clear: many spiritual and religious systems and theories taught about differences, how to move beyond ego, and how to lessen suffering. Let’s fast forward to modern times, because that’s when we live! A few names are important here:

Each man advanced the cause of the Enneagram, contributing new dimensions of thinking and new levels of complexity.

Since the 1970s, the Enneagram has been growing steadily in popularity. There are many reasons for this, but probably the complexity of modern life, with its fast pace and increasingly impersonal interactions in business and in everyday life, are responsible. We need the human connection and we need to relate to others from a position of awareness and strength. The Enneagram provides both the means for making those connections as well as that strength.

Today, some of the most well-known Enneagram teachers and writers of the Enneagram are Helen Palmer, David Daniels, Don Richard Riso, and Russ Hudson. Enneagram teachers and groups are located all over the world. Millions of people are becoming aware of the Enneagram, and their numbers continue to rise! There is an International Enneagram Association and an annual conference.

The Enneagram provides a major shortcut to understanding the self, offering tools and action steps. Each type has a growth path very unique to the type. If you take advice from others of different types (quite likely), and do what others tell you to do, you might be going against the grain of what you need. Of course, listen to your intuition around growth, but you will find that the Enneagram accurately predicts your life journey, issues, and resolutions and brings you clarity and the confidence to act in ways best suited for you.

The Enneagram is one of the clearest descriptions of how people perceive their reality and organize their thoughts and actions around those perceptions. The Enneagram will help you understand yourself—what runs you and what limits you. You’ll see why you do what you do and how you expect others to respond to you in your type world, not the type world in which they live. Don’t take it personally! Growth only comes after you’ve faced the truth of who you are. Prepare for humility—yep, another object lesson! The Enneagram’s type descriptions are clear and objective, so you’ll see that others of the same type have very similar motivations and actions.

You will discover the world’s richest gold mine in the Enneagram. An Enneagram workshop or two can help you gain insight into your relationships (see Chapter 2 for more on workshops). You can actually understand what’s happening and why. Once the nature of your differences become clear, you’ll watch the tension disappear! (Sounds sort of like a commercial jingle, doesn’t it?) The reality is, though, that everyone becomes less of an enigma. You’ll understand your partner and have the bonus of having your partner understand you. (Warning: you might become an instant Enneagram addict!)

Everyone you know will make more sense to you. You’ll feel secure in knowing them and what is important to them. They will love you for it! You might not like the way people may act, but you can eliminate wondering why they are the way they are. They’ll wonder how you suddenly became so smart!

Using the Enneagram will greatly improve your own sense of compassion for people, knowing the different types and their personal struggles. You won’t compare another type to yourself so readily but rather you’ll compare them to the challenges within their type. With understanding comes empathy. Your confidence will soar, because you’ll know what to say (and not say) and what to do (and not do). You’ll know how to educate each person about your type, what your sensitivities and challenges are, what you can handle, and what you can’t. You can become a coach, helping those you care about enjoy shared and different type strengths.

You’ll learn why and how past relationships played out the way they did. So many conflicts in relationships are directly related to type differences and misinterpretations, as well as to maturity differences within each type. You’ll look at your past history with new insight. You won’t repeat as many mistakes, and you’ll get better at choosing to relate to people whose types are compatible with yours.

It’s so important to have work that you love and that also fits with your type strengths and challenges. The Enneagram helps inform what work paths or careers might be more satisfying than others, in addition to improving relationship dynamics directly related to work issues. Working against your type or dealing with type prejudices can be exhausting.

It’s important to be in work settings that value your type and your form of productivity and creativity. It’s equally important to be understood for the challenges of your type, so that co-workers and management don’t have unreasonable expectations. You can educate others in this capacity. Knowledge of your co-workers’ and supervisors’ types can also help you understand their perspectives, expectations, actions, and type language. You’ll be able to modulate your own language and work actions to balance your type with others’ type expectations and goals.

Now that you’ve got the basics of the basics under your belt, you’re ready to see the role the Enneagram can play in your life!

The Least You Need to Know