FOR AN INDICATION OF YOUR PERSONALITY TYPE,

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Learning about Who We Are

The Enneagram gives us a way of understanding who we are and why we do what we do. It also teaches us how we can change in healthy and appropriate ways to become a more complete, mature person. There are nine basic personality types, but only three basic ways of dealing with life. Some people are “heart” types, seeking approval from others and experiencing life outwardly; relationships are most important. Some people are “head” types, living inwardly out of their anxiety and experiencing life as separate from relationships. Some people are “gut” types, either living out of their anger or refusing to acknowledge their anger, and experiencing life by confronting, or refusing to confront, people in their relationships.

The enneagram has mysterious historical roots, going back centuries in mystical middle-eastern religious traditions. In the past hundred years, it has been developed more fully according to modern psychological theory. And the Jesuits adopted it for use with spiritual direction in the 1970s. In the past 20 years, there has seen a sudden surge in interest through many books and training programs.

Many personality theories are static. That is, once we identify our personality, we say to the world, “This is who I am; deal with me.” With the enneagram, identifying our personality type only begins the journey of self-awareness and movement. We are led into personal transformation through the enneagram.

The enneagram diagram is a circle, with nine points for each personality type. The points or types on each side of my point or “number” are my “wings.” Besides the characteristics of my type, I take on characteristics of one or both of my wings and can “move” to one wing or the other. I am also linked by lines to two other points/types on the circle, and I can take on characteristics of those personalities. Generally, moving toward one of the two is more healthy for me personally, and moving toward the other is less healthy.

The enneagram is about movement toward or away from people, movement within myself, movement toward or away from spiritual and personal wholeness. Knowing the enneagram gives me greater self-knowledge and understanding about why I do what I do and not only who I am but who I can be.

In our work through Life Listening Resources, we use the enneagram with spiritual direction, with couples counseling, with conflict transformation, and we teach workshops to give people a greater knowledge of the enneagram. Our introductory workshop is called “Peeking Behind the Mask,” designed to help you begin a journey into self-understanding, transformation, and compassion. It is normally a one-day workshop, but we also offer it in a format to fit the needs of a group wanting to do it in a retreat setting or for training of church leaders.