The Enneagram is a tool to improve self-awareness as well as other elements of emotional intelligence. It is a study of the nine basic types of personality. It explains why we behave the way we do and points to specific directions for growth.
A center is a filter of how you usually relate to the outside world. In my last post, I wrote about the Heart/Feeling types. In this post, I will focus on the Gut/Instinctive types. These types approach the world through their gut or instincts.
The Gut/Instinctive Types are as follows:
Reformers – Ones
Challengers – Eights
Peacemakers – Nines
TYPE ONE – THE REFORMER
AKA – The Perfectionist
MANTRA – To be perfect
SUPERPOWER – They can improve anything!
CORE FEAR – being wrong of being bad
CORE DESIRE – to improve the world
OVERVIEW
- Responsible, thorough, and hard-working with high standards for themselves and others.
- Want to improve themselves and the world around them.
- Their underlying emotion is anger and they deny it to deal with it.
ONES AT THEIR BEST
- High personal standards
- Ethical
- Reliable and responsible
- Detail-oriented
- Productive
- Accurate
- Honest
- Fair
- Organized
ONES AT THEIR WORST
- Powerful inner critic
- Judgmental/critical of others
- May get engulfed in details
- Inflexible
- Overly serious
- Controlling
- See things in black and white
- Have trouble relaxing
- Don’t know when “good enough” is enough
SINS, PASSIONS AND VIRTUES
Fixation: Resentment comes from trying to live up to standards for what’s acceptable and right while others aren’t.
Trap: Perfection comes from striving to attain or model an ideal that is free from flaws or criticism.
Holy Idea: Holy Perfection is about discovering the perfection of the world as it is instead of trying to impose your own set of standards upon it.
Passion: Anger is an energy that corrects and improves what’s unacceptable. “It’s primarily directed at myself and secondarily at others and the world at large.”
Virtue: Serenity appears when you become more accepting of things as they are instead of demanding that they meet your standards for how things should be.
DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
- Learn to relax – Take some time for yourself, without feeling that everything is up to you and that your absence will create chaos.
- Try not to be so critical of yourself and others – Work on your inner critic. When you begin to beat yourself up in your mind, talk back with something positive. When you notice yourself getting frustrated with others, remember that not everyone is wired like you and it’s okay.
- Manage your anger – You get angry easily and are offended by what seems to you to be the perverse refusal of others to do the right thing—as you have defined it. When you start feeling angry, practice the pause and do some deep breathing before you respond. If you notice yourself stuffing anger, do the work to bring it out and deal with it.
- Manage stress – Managing stress is important for all of the types. Walk, eat well and practice mindfulness! Planning can also help Ones manage stress.
TYPE EIGHT – THE CHALLENGER
AKA – The Asserter
MANTRA – To influence others
SUPERPOWER – Boldness and Energy
CORE FEAR – Being harmed or controlled by others
CORE DESIRE – To assert strength and control to mask vulnerability
OVERVIEW
- Self-confident, strong, and assertive.
- Desire to be self-reliant and strong and to avoid feeling weak or dependent.
- Their underlying emotion is anger. They act it out and don’t mind others doing the same.
EIGHTS AT THEIR BEST
- Independent and self-sufficient
- Direct
- Decisive
- Lots of energy
- Make things happen
- Strong
- Sense of honesty, integrity, and fairness
- Protective
- Courageous
- Confident
EIGHTS AT THEIR WORST
- Stubborn and headstrong
- Controlling
- Insensitive
- Demanding
- Aggressive
- Confrontational
- Intimidating
- Have trouble being vulnerable
- May not listen
SINS, PASSIONS AND VIRTUES
Fixation: Vengeance comes from balancing the scales of justice when others attempt to take unfair advantage.
Trap: Justice pushes to reveal hidden truths that you imagine others to be hiding beneath the surface.
Holy Idea: Holy Truth is knowing that each person has their own truth to live by and often it won’t be the same truth that seems so obvious to you.
Passion: Excess of expansive energy that needs to be released through activity and expression. “This energy feels natural for me but I may have to sit on it when others find it too much.”
Virtue: Innocence appears when you allow yourself to experience tenderness and vulnerability instead of habitually pushing out against the world.
DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
- Get in tune with emotions – Learn to recognize your emotions. Pause and sort out your thoughts/feelings before taking action.
- Learn that vulnerability is strength, not weakness – Work to show more vulnerability as this will enable you to connect more deeply with others and be most effective.
- Learn to monitor your intensity – Watch the eyes and body language of others you are interacting with and adjust accordingly.
TYPE NINE – THE PEACEMAKER
AKA – The Mediator
MANTRA – To be at peace
SUPERPOWER – See value in all perspectives
CORE FEAR – Loss or separation
CORE DESIRE – To be at peace
OVERVIEW
- Creative, optimistic, supportive, and go with the flow.
- The want to keep the peace, to merge with the agendas of others, and to avoid conflict.
- Their underlying emotion is anger. They deny it and, as a result, can be passive aggressive.
NINES AT THEIR BEST
- Calm, cool, and collected
- Good mediators
- Non-judgmental
- Accepting of different views
- Great listeners
- Optimistic
- Pleasant and likable
- Patient
- Inclusive
- Empathetic
NINES AT THEIR WORST
- Conflict avoidant
- Forgetful
- Indecisive
- Slow-moving and procrastinating
- Defensive
- Passive-aggressive
- Unassertive
- Have trouble saying no
- Care too much about what others think
- Unhealthy behaviors
SINS, PASSIONS AND VIRTUES
Fixation: Indolence is about resisting demands and expectations that disrupt a feeling of harmony and continuity.
Trap: A seeker of harmony and belonging that accommodates by going along with others and not rocking the boat.
Holy Idea: Holy Love is realizing that love comes to you not by negating yourself for the sake of others but by discovering and pursuing your own path.
Passion: Laziness is a difficulty with defining and accomplishing goals. “I tend to go along with what others are doing and lose myself in routine and comfort.”
Virtue: Action appears when you pursue what’s meaningful to you instead of simply going along to get along or falling into habitual routines and comfort.
DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
- Learn to see value in conflict – Understand that conflict isn’t always bad and can result in deeper, meaningful relationships.
- Practice being more direct and assertive – Practicing with people you trust first may be helpful.
- Set goals with definite deadlines – Nines can be procrastinators so goals with deadlines are helpful in keeping them accountable.
