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What is the Enneagram?

The Enneagram is a circular model with nine numbers located on its perimeter representing nine “personality styles”. Each style tends to pay attention to different aspects of the environment and has particular habitual ways of thinking, feeling and acting in the world.

The nine styles are subdivided into three groups of three. These groups are known as “centres”. The three styles in each centre are similar in some ways, and very different in other ways. It’s like three members of the same family where all have the same surname but different first names; there’s a family resemblance, yet a definite uniqueness to each individual. Enneagram teachers name the centres in their own idiosyncratic way but they are commonly referred to as Head Centre, Heart Centre, and Gut Centre.

History of the Enneagram

The word “ennea” is a Greek word meaning “nine”. The word “gram” derives from the Greek word “grámma” and indicates “that which is written” or “that which is drawn” and it appears in words such as “diagram” and “anagram”. So the word Enneagram implies a “picture of nine”. The “nine” refers to nine personality styles and their related behavioural patterns. It’s worth bearing in mind that none of the nine styles is better or worse than any other. All can function exceptionally well and positively when they are operating at their best. Equally, all can be damaging and destructive when operating at their worst.

The Enneagram touches on something fundamental to the human condition. Evidence of this is that people from various cultural, national, and ethnic origins, and from a wide variety of spiritual and philosophical traditions, can recognise themselves somewhere in the nine characteristic styles.

The nine styles

Style 1 - Quality

Do it right the first time

With a keen eye for detail and a tendency to notice what is wrong and how it can be improved, people who have these characteristics may be rather critical of others while trying to avoid being criticised themselves.

They are rational, competent and reliable, doing what they believe is right in any situation, carefully following instructions and upholding standards all of which rests on their strong sense of responsibility and need to do things properly.

Style 2 - Service

People need my support.

Individuals strong on this point are caring and supportive towards others which gives them a sense of significance and purpose.

While they may tend to put their own needs aside which can result in some degree of personal frustration, they take pride in being able to meet others' needs in practical ways.

Style 3 - Delivery

A successful image attracts admiration.

Individuals strong on this point are driven by success and achievement and may work very hard to be recognised as capable and worthy of admiration. They are masters of appearance and adapt themselves to become what is perceived as successful in any given situation.

They tend to avoid becoming too close to others and fear intimacy because of the risk of exposure which can result in difficulties with personal relationships.

Style 4 - Creativity

Being authentic matters.

This point suggests strong original creativity and a tendency to present an image of uniqueness and difference, setting them apart from others and giving them a feeling of personal significance.

With a deep emotional sensitivity, they are able to sense others’ feelings and respond to these with depth and understanding while maintaining a safe distance.

Style 5 - Insight

Observe, reflect, understand.

Tending to keep apart from others and isolated to some degree, this suggests a person who feels more comfortable working alone or with a small group of people who have similar interests and approach.

They are often attracted to technical or academic fields of endeavour which allow them to accumulate information. They live in a world of concepts, theories and ideas.

Style 6 - Vigilance

Remain always vigilant.

This point is associated with a careful and sometimes over-cautious approach to life that may suggest difficulties both with personal decisions and taking quick, decisive action.

They are concerned about safety and quickly notice ways in which things can go wrong. This enables them to take preventative action well in advance of the problem actually arising.

Style 7 - Vision

Treat life as an unlimited adventure.

This point suggests individuals who are lively and enthusiastic in their approach to life and who tend to live in the future, often becoming engrossed in plans and schemes that keep them stimulated and excited.

Quite easily bored, they tend to be great starters of new projects but may try to avoid maintenance tasks, seeking something more adventurous.

Style 8 - Drive

Firm control prevents catastrophe.

This point suggests individuals who are naturally assertive and readily take charge of situations, provide structure and get things done with energy and drive.

Often outspoken with definite conservative points of view, they prefer getting their own way and overcome any obstacles they encounter by means of their forceful personal strength.

Style 9 - Harmony

Let there be love.

With a strong need for peace and harmony, people in this point are inclined to avoid confrontation and try to reconcile people who have differing opinions by providing them with ways of seeing things in a different way. They may avoid expressing their own opinions and remain neutral.

Yet, kind and gentle in their approach, they are willing to fairly consider any point of view and tend to accept other people without judgement or criticism.

HEAD, HEART AND GUT

HEAD This centre, associated with thinking, represents the degree to which you are inclined to use logic and reasoning in approaching the world. A strong focus here implies a tendency to be somewhat uncertain in your approach to the world which may result in hesitation before action and an inclination to keep people at a safe distance until you come to trust them.

GUT This centre is associated with power, action and an intuitive approach to the world. A strong score here is taken to indicate a forceful and directive approach to life and a tendency to rely on your sensitive intuition in setting a way forward for both yourself and others. Some people who are strongly dominant in this centre, paradoxically, appear to lack forcefulness because it is not always expressed outwardly.

HEART Associated with feeling and emotional sensitivity, this centre represents the degree to which you use a sensitive and emotionally aware approach to the world. A strong score in this centre may suggest that you create a mask which you present to the world in place of your genuine self which is designed to provide you with the personal significance, otherwise, may feel that you lack.

Integration / Disintegration

We each display aspects of all nine Enneagram styles, and different contexts or environments may draw out certain behavioural patterns that are not usually characteristic of us. For example, our behaviour may change when we’re feeling stressed relative to when we’re relaxed. Each of the nine styles in the model is connected to two other styles by lines which indicate how our behaviour can change under certain conditions.

This highlights an important point – if we want to understand why people behave in a particular way, we can’t look at their behaviour in isolation. We have to consider the context within which the behaviour occurs, because people tend to adjust their behaviour in response to the context. Context refers to the external environment as well as the individual’s internal experience.