Enneagram Part 2: You Don't Need Another Label
The Enneagram is a robust and complex system that accounts for the many nuances of our humanity.
The point is not to discover what number you are and then label yourself to explain why you do what you do. (For example: “Of course I do that, I’m a 9!”) If we do that, we’re missing the point.
Instead, if we can learn what box we are in, it will empower us to get out of that box!
Beware of completing an online assessment and simply taking the results at face value, as many factors go into determining your particular core type.
We all have a single core type: a single thing that motivates and moves us through the world. It consists of a basic fear and a basic desire. Something we focus our attention that drives us—unique to each particular number in the Enneagram system. Other aspects influence your movement, too, including the instincts that drive you and how those combine with the passion of your number. All of these factors determine your type.
Sure, you can take an assessment, (some of the free online tests out there are quite good) but realize that it’s just a starting point. Better yet—do a typing interview with a trained professional who can guide you. But remember, no test or report can tell you who you are better than you!
The purpose of the Enneagram is to expand your self-awareness and ability to self observe, especially those parts of yourself that have been in the shadow, your blind spots. It’s a place to begin. You might discover that you’re a particular type and it will open up a whole new world where you can dig around and learn new things about yourself that you haven’t seen before.
It’s more valuable to be in the inquiry than to figure out what type you are and put it on a label.
If you do that too quickly, you’re short changing yourself. It’s better to be asking the question continually than to feel like we have found the answer and move on.
We all have aspects of all the types within us but we each have a core driver.
I encourage you to investigate:
What type might you be?
What subtype?
Where might you recognize the various types within yourself?
How do you see them presenting?
Get curious about the fundamental thing that drives you. Let yourself inquire and see what you discover before getting too hung up on finding your particular type.
Coming up, we’ll explore the various components that make typing tricky and why it’s important to work with someone who knows the system well.
See you soon!