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Positivity Versus Enneagram
Every reliable method for categorizing people’s personalities must find a way to get past this one fundamental obstacle.
How do you create a system that takes into account the reality that no two individuals are alike, yet nevertheless provides genuine value and information to the millions of individuals that use it?
The Enneagram provides a number of sophisticated approaches to fixing this issue. Elegant enough that we consider it the best personality instrument ever made (if it weren’t, we might not have bothered making this site). Let’s get down to first principles.
The Nine-Point Rule
Does the lack of empathy from the people you care about drive you crazy? Perhaps your spouse notices clutter where you don’t see it.
Perhaps you’re attempting to pitch in around the house by washing dishes, but your mom is actually criticizing the way you’re doing it.
There is no single way to perceive or feel the world.Based on our unique perspectives and experiences, we all take in information in different ways. Understanding the effects of the enneagram on perception might help you become a better observer.
What you pay attention to and what you ignore might be predicted based on your Enneagram type.
The Enneagram is a fantastic spiritual and emotional tool that can be used as a guide to better understand one’s own personality. You’ll learn how to improve your health.
Your objective is to achieve optimal health for your genetic makeup. The nine different types of strength all improve in tandem with general wellbeing.
According to the Enneagram, there are nine distinct ways that people’s personalities might manifest themselves.
These nine things could be variously referred to as “nine storylines,” “nine viewpoints,” “nine patterns,” or “nine tactics. This is something I discussed in greater depth in the first installment of this series.
What matters is that these tales are the ones that each person adopts as their primary narrative. Repeatedly telling this narrative to yourself shapes the way you perceive the world.
The primary mode by which you engage with the environment. The method you typically use to address issues and find solutions. In a nutshell, it determines your dominant character trait.
Implication #1
All Enneagram subtypes have some characteristics in common.
Improve Your Capacity to Understand Others
It’s hardly surprising that we can connect with at least some of the nine stories if we consider how foundational they are to the human experience.
All of us, at least, aspire to be decent human beings.
All humans share a basic need to receive and provide affection.
We all hope to achieve some level of success in our life.
Authenticity and a sense of community are two things every human seeks.
We’re all just trying to get to that point where we feel comfortable in our own skin.
We’re all looking for a haven where we can feel secure.
We’re all looking for a little happiness here and there.
Everyone, at least on some level, wishes they could better safeguard their loved ones and themselves.
We are all, after all, on a quest for inner calm and social harmony.
For those who would like to return to the terminology of personality types, this would suggest that everyone of us possesses characteristics of all of the possible types.
That makes perfect sense. Even though only one of the nine voices has had the greatest impact on our development, this does not mean that we have lost contact with the rest. We are born with the ability to convey the full range of life experiences.
It’s very natural to see aspects of yourself reflected in every one of the nine personality types. The Enneagram merely recognizes reality, which in no way makes it too general or vague.
However, aside from those commonalities, everyone has a natural inclination for one of the forms.
This is why the Enneagram insists that you are never your type. This tendency to identify too strongly with one’s own personality is precisely what the Enneagram is designed to help you change.
It may be more accurate to state that you identify with one personality type more than any other, or that this one type has a greater influence on your overall character.
What I mean is, it’s the narrative that explains how you came to possess both your main strengths and your greatest flaws.
Implication #2
There really are literally billions of people who are similar to you, yet no one is exactly like you.
Your personality type is one of just nine possible varieties; therefore, you most likely share it with millions of other people.
It stands to reason, however, that not everyone who identifies with the same Enneagram personality type is identical in temperament.
There is an unlimited variety of ways in which each type can manifest itself. That’s because, as we mentioned in the prologue, everyone of us contains elements of all the other personality types as well.
It’s possible for multiple narratives to leave an impression on our minds. So, even though a person’s basic belief is influenced by the same or a similar story, the precise makeup of that belief and the resulting behavior will be distinct for each individual.
The comparison to colors is apt. As anyone who has tried to choose a paint color for a wall knows, telling the guy at the retail shop that all you desire is “blue” won’t get you very far.
There are an endless amount of nuances within each personality type, like there are within each color.
However, when you use the word “blue,” everybody will recognize exactly what you mean, and they’ll have no trouble at all determining that you are not referring to the color red.
In a similar vein, the nine personality types serve to delineate generalizations without ignoring the nuances present in each individual type. Many people with your personality type might seem quite similar to you, while others may look completely different.
To continue the color metaphor, they may be a really dark petrol, and you could be a dazzling icy blue. In any case, you and your partner will not be confused for a pair of yellow swans.
Implication #3
Not all typologies are born equal.
We humans enjoy giving things stars. So, anytime we encounter a new collection, we always want to know, “Which one is the finest?”
With different personality types, that just doesn’t function properly.
Enneagram types do not revolve around which is greater or worse, but rather about acknowledging that the narrative you have been feeding yourself has provided you with both special advantages that the other types don’t have access to and unique challenges that other types don’t have to cope with.
For instance, people of Type 3 are often envious of those of other types because of their drive, ambition, and can-do attitude, all of which help them achieve a great deal of what we consider to be success in our culture.
Jealousy is a common human emotion, especially when it comes to material wealth, prestigious employment, and social standing.
However, regardless of their successes, a person with a Type 3 personality who hasn’t dealt with their problems is likely to be unhappy.
Because if you base your life on pleasing other people, you’ll never have the chance to accomplish what makes you happy.
So, I will say it again: There is no hierarchy among personality types. So each classification has its own set of advantages and disadvantages.
Moreover, to clear the air, Enneagram types do not care about exterior factors like a person’s gender, social status, age, or level of education.
The fact that some genders are more heavily stereotyped than others has absolutely nothing to do with biological differences between the sexes and more to do with the cultural pressures that shape our society.
For instance, many women self-identify as type Twos because they are taught to put others’ demands before their own, and it is still common in the West for women to be told that they should never demand too much of men.
Moreover, many people still view masculine attributes like dominance and strength as essential, which leads many men to unconsciously embrace type Eight traits.
Once more, I’ll stop here because this is a topic worthy of its own blog entry.
If there is any place where true equality occurs, it is among the Enneagram personality types.
Implication #4: You will not exhibit every trait associated with your personality type.
Personality descriptions based on the Enneagram take into account how an individual’s internal narrative shapes their worldview and drives their behavior.
It has been established that these ideas produce behaviors and character traits that are universally comparable. The Enneagram, however, is not a divinatory tool.
It won’t be able to anticipate your every move or the actions of those around you. To put it bluntly, that’s a risky and very stupid game to play.
That’s why it’s OK if not every aspect of your specific personality description rings true. Our own definitions of types, as well as information from your whole report, go within this category.
Characteristics associated with a given personality trait are not universally applicable. This isn’t because the system is hazy; that’s been established again. Numerous variables play a role in shaping the finer points of your character. Just a few examples:
Currently, where are you on your life’s journey?
How balanced is your mental health?
How much your secondary types influence your dominant one
Potential or actual romantic interest you have or might have with a partner
among many others.
Don’t worry if you read about your type and immediately think, “That’s just not me at all!” No, the Enneagram won’t magically reveal your true personality. It makes no such assertion. Benefit from what it has to offer by using it as a means of introspection.
Implication #4
You cannot modify your core Enneagram personal style.
No one can alter their inherent character. This is nothing to do with my lack of faith in you. The “impossible” I have in mind is the kind that stops you from, among other things, developing wings out of thin air and going back in time.
It’s not how people are wired, period.
Teachers of the Enneagram assert that we are born with our numbers and that our deepest fears and desires are formed throughout our formative years.
The significance of traversing the Enneagram is something that is often emphasized in classes; all of the digits are interrelated. However, our total remains the same. Throughout our entire lives, it will remain the same as it was when we were kids.
Individuals who are most influenced by their Enneagram type No matter how hard they try, they will never be able to convert to a Type 4 (or any other) belief system overnight.Besides, that has nothing to do with developing one’s personality.
You shouldn’t try to alter your personality type even if you could; it’s something only you can benefit from and something only you can handle.
Now that we’ve established a good scientific basis for using the Enneagram, let’s dispel some of the common misconceptions about the tool.
MYTHS ABOUT INSTAGRAM
1. Myth: The Enneagram seems to be a tool for determining character.
We’ve all seen the pictures and t-shirts with numbers that correspond to the Enneagram. The Ones are the most methodical, the Fours the most creative, and the Sevens the most optimistic and always searching for new experiences.
While some of these generalizations may be accurate, for the most part, they are not. The numbered personality traits are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to understanding the Enneagram.
Contrary to popular belief, the Enneagram does not constitute a personality test but rather a numerical system with nine different types that can be used to gain insight into oneself and foster personal development.
2.Myth : Your Enneagram type can be determined by taking a test.
Tests found online should not be relied upon to determine your digit combination, despite what you may read. Though official Enneagram assessments might be helpful in getting started, the best way to discover your true Enneagram type is via introspection and study of all nine possible types (finding refined teachers and written & visual resources for further learning is what we recommend).
3. Myth: It is possible to have multiple Enneagram numbers.
It’s common to feel like you fit into more than one number here on the Enneagram initially. There’s nothing unusual about that at all.
We may more readily overlook the routines and even stereotypes associated with the nine numbers by keeping in mind that the Enneagram is not really a personality evaluation and that our type is defined by our basic fears and ambitions.
It’s our deepest, darkest fears and deepest, darkest desires that define our personality types.
For instance, I might relate to the methodical ways of the Ones and the independent drive of the Eights. This in no way suggests that I am a composite of the two numbers or even one of them.
This only indicates that I sometimes exhibit the traits associated with these values.
4. Myth: You may have any quantity of wings on the Enneagram.
There is some wiggle room in the number of wings we have. Our core type is denoted by these numbers here and there. If you’re a 3, you can choose between two wing numbers: and 6 (written like this: 3w2 or 3w4).
Contrary to our “core” number, our “wings” can change as we age. Some educators even hold the view that we each begin life leaning toward one extreme before eventually settling somewhere in the middle.
It is the opinion of some educators that we each begin life leaning more heavily on one side than the other, eventually settling somewhere in the middle.
There is a common misunderstanding that any Enneagram number can serve as our “wing” number. I might, for instance, try to pass as a 3w8 when I use the keyboard.
However, this is a misconception, since Enneagram teachings do not confirm this notion. One of the numbers on either side of our core type is the only valid choice for our core wing type.
5.Myth : The Enneagram is connected to a particular faith.
The Enneagram has become increasingly popular among many faiths in recent years. Today’s Enneagram authors and teachers come from a wide variety of religious and philosophical backgrounds, and many of them use the system as part of their mindfulness development.
The Enneagram could be a helpful tool for those interested in spirituality, although it is not based on or affiliated with any one religion.
Don Richard Riso, one of the best Enneagram teachers and experts in the world, talks about this subject in his book The Wisdom of the Enneagram.
Nonetheless, the Enneagram doesn’t really conflict with a person’s religious beliefs or practices because it is not a religion. It is not meant to be a comprehensive spiritual system. However, it focuses on something central to all spiritual practice: knowing oneself.
6. Myth: You are aware of the Enneagram characteristics of your friends and relatives.
According to Abi Robins, an Enneagram instructor and author, “typing other individuals could be the most essential and most neglected guideline in the Enneagram community.”
That’s a terrible idea, so don’t even try it. It’s entertaining to speculate about the Enneagram type of a close friend, loved one, or romantic interest. But the reality is that nobody knows someone else’s true type.
Keep in mind that this is an introspective journey that will force you to examine your own deepest fears and ambitions. While those closest to us can often shed light on our lives (and vice versa), we must be careful not to stereotype others or allow ourselves to be stereotyped.
7. Myth: All Enneagram numbers appear identical.
Those having the same phone number are often mistakenly thought to be the same person. However, the Enneagram is a sophisticated and multifaceted instrument.
Each person has their own unique set of characteristics known as “wings,” “subtypes,” “integration lines,” and more in addition to their basic Enneagram number.
The argument is that no two individuals can be identical in every way. Despite their shared anxiety and yearning, they are nevertheless distinct people whose experiences and perspectives have created who they are.
In my mind, each digit is like a main color, with several secondary tones that can be derived from it. A person’s Enneagram type can have as many variations as there are hues of blue.
We can’t presume anything about somebody based on their identification number because no two people are alike.
8.Myth: Your Enneagram type describes you completely.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we are not simply the cumulative total of any Enneagram type or number. This is a common misconception about the Enneagram.
This holds true for any method or examination, but it is especially true for this instrument.
The Enneagram reflects the complexity of human nature. Employ the resource to learn and develop, but don’t let it define or restrict you.
In addition to your dominant personality trait,
The discovery of one’s core Enneagram type can be a profound awakening experience for many people. Their inner universe, which has been hidden from them their entire lives, begins to materialize before their eyes.
They may at last feel like someone understands them.
However, that’s not the end of the story. Actually, that’s just the first step.
Then again, we have already established that there is no way that nine personality types can account for the vast diversity among the world’s eight billion individuals.
Your capacity for internal and external reflection is affected by your Enneagram type.
In good health, you’ll thrive in many different areas, regardless of your Enneagram type. Because of this insight, you will be able to steer clear of the hazards associated with each personality type.
When you’re at your best, your mind, body, and spirit are all in sync. You can bring out the very best in both you and the people you care about thanks to the insight gained from a peaceful mind, the knowledge gained from experiencing your body, and the generosity of your heart.
If you’re functioning at peak efficiency, you’ll be in tune with your inner knowing and perception of the world as it actually is.
Practicing openness and presence is a lifetime endeavor. The blind spots, or fixations, however, are always around.
They need a moment of intense stress to snap out of it. More self-sufficiency means more stability, so do what you can for yourself.
Discovering how your Enneagram type influences your perceptions might help you take in more of the world around you, which is just one way to benefit from this knowledge.
Watch the Youtube Video!: What exactly is Enneagram?
Read more on personality types: https://psytify.com/personality-types/
For more information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enneagram_of_Personality
