What is the Enneagram?

The Enneagram is a powerful psychometric tool used to help individuals gain insight into their individual personality and character strengths, weaknesses and motivations. It is an ancient map of the human psyche, providing a holistic and comprehensive view of the individual’s traits, abilities, and potentials. The Enneagram model is used by psychologists, life coaches, spiritual teachers, organizations, and leaders to help foster personal development, enhance leadership, and create strong working relationships.

Enneagram consists of nine distinct personality types, each with their own unique strengths, weaknesses, and outlooks on the world. As a powerful tool for self-discovery, the Enneagram provides insight into our core fears and desires, the motivations that drive our behavior, the patterns we’re constantly repeating without realizing it, and the core beliefs that influence our thoughts, our actions and our emotions. Knowing and understanding our Enneagram type is a powerful path to self-growth and development.

How Does the Enneagram Work?

Each Enneagram type has a distinct set of core motivations and values that lead to distinct ways of seeing, dealing with, and responding to other people and the world. With an understanding of the Enneagram, individuals can become aware of the patterns that they unconsciously follow, the natural strengths and weaknesses they bring to relationships and life in general, and the areas where they need to grow.

The Enneagram works by breaking down each type into three distinct parts: the core motivator, the motivating emotion, and the defense mechanism. By understanding the three distinctions of their type, individuals can get a better understanding of how their particular type functions, the types of environments and situations in which they may thrive or struggle, and the areas of their lives which may need the most focus.

Enneagram Types and Development

The Enneagram divides the nine types into three main groups based on the personality traits they share: The Feeling Types (2, 3 and 4); The Thinking Types (5, 6 and 7); and The Instinctive Types (8, 9 and 1). Every individual’s Enneagram type is unique, and this diversity is reflected in the many ways that people develop and progress through their lives.

The Enneagram provides an effective way to explore the different personalities and gain insight into yourself, as well as into how different types interact. It enables individuals to recognize their potential and take advantage of the gifts and lessons (both positive and negative) that their particular type has to offer.

We all know that life is ever-evolving, and the understanding and knowledge provided by the Enneagram can help greatly with navigating the emotions and experiences each type is likely to encounter throughout the many stages of personal growth and development. Ultimately, it provides an understanding of the different ways in which our dynamic personalities shape our perceptions, reactions, and interactions with the world and the people we encounter.