basics of the enneagram

I have recently become obsessed with the enneagram. I have always loved learning about personalities and think it's so amazing that everybody thinks about and does things so differently. I heard a lot of people talk about the enneagram on instagram and in podcasts I listen to and was really confused at first. I had no idea what it was, but once I learned it was a personality "test" I knew I wanted to look into it. I found this test online (which may or may not be super accurate. My friends and I have found that it is fairly accurate, but maybe don't trust it 100%.  I think you should do your own research on each number first to get an idea of what you think you are before trusting that your test results are true.) and took it and then started following a lot of enneagram accounts on instagram and became obsessed. Some of my favorites are @randomenneagram, @enneagramandmemes, @enneagramandcoffee, and @justmyenneatype. The first two are funnier accounts that post a lot of memes for each number that are so relateable that they're hilarious, and the last two post more serious things about each type which I also really enjoy. I highly suggest you check each of them out if you are interested in learning more about your enneagram or just how it works in general. In this post I just want to go over some of the basics of each number, and basics of how the enneagram works as a whole. 

*All of my information is from either the book The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile, or the @justmyenneatype instagram page. 


TRIADS

• anger or gut triad: (8,9,1) these three enneagram types are driven by anger: eights externalize their anger outwards to others, nines forget about their anger all together, and ones internalize their anger inwards onto themselves. They respond to life instinctually and use their gut feelings for a lot of things in life. They tend to express themselves honestly and directly; you get their true selves, they don't pretend to be anything they aren't.
• feeling or heart triad: (2,3,4) these three types are driven by their feelings: twos focus outwardly on the feelings of those around them, threes have trouble recognizing their own feelings and the feelings of others, and fours concentrate their attention inwardly on their own feelings and are one of the most emotional of all types. These three relate to life from their heart and base decisions on their emotions and feelings rather than their head or gut like the other six types. 
• fear or head triad: (5,6,7) the last three types are driven by fear: fives externalize it onto those around them, sixes internalize it, and sevens try to forget about it. They all relate to the world through their mind, causing them to think and plan carefully (and sometimes slowly based on personal experience haha) before they act. 

TYPES

• one: the perfectionist (or reformer). ones tend to be ethical, dedicated and reliable. they are motivated by a desire to live the right way, improve the world, and avoid fault  and blame. 
  

• two: the helper. twos tend to be warm, caring, and giving; they are motivated by a need to be loved and needed, and to avoid acknowledging their own needs.
  

• three: the achiever. threes tend to be success-oriented, image-conscious, and wired for productivity; they are motivated by a need to be (or to be seen as) successful and avoid failure. 
  

• four: the individualist. fours tend to be creative, sensitive, and moody; they are motivated by a need to be understood, experience their strong feelings, and to avoid being normal or like everyone else.
  

• five: the investigator. fives tend to be analytical, detached, and private. they are motivated by a need to gain knowledge, conserve energy (mental, emotional, and physical), and avoid relying on others. 
  

• six: the loyalist. sixes tend to be committed, practical, and witty. they are usually worst-case scenario thinkers who get anxious about many things. they are motivated by fear and their need for security. 
  

• seven: the enthusiast. sevens tend to be fun, spontaneous, and adventurous. they are motivated by their need to be happy, to plan stimulating experiences, and to avoid pain. 
  

• eight: the challenger. eights tend to be commanding, intense, and confrontational. they are motivated by a need to be strong and avoid feeling weak or vulnerable. 
  

• nine: the peacemaker. nines tend to be pleasant, laid-back, and accommodating. they are motivated by a need to keep the peace, merge with others, and avoid conflict.
  
  *pictures are from pinterest*

"PASSIONS" THAT DRIVE BEHAVIOR

• one: anger. ones feel a compulsive need for themselves and the world around them to be perfect. because they set such high standards that are almost always impossible to be met, they often experience anger in the form of resentment.
• two: pride. twos direct all their attention and energy on meeting the needs of others, and ignore the fact that they have needs of their own. their belief that they alone know what's best for others and that they're indispensable reveals their prideful spirits. 
• three: deceit. threes value appearance over substance. they often live as someone they're not: someone who they think is a more crowd-pleasing and likable version of themselves. they tend to buy their own performance and often deceive themselves, along with others, into thinking their acts are really their true selves.
• four: envy. fours constantly believe they are missing something essential; something that will make them complete once they find it. they often envy what they perceive as the wholeness and happiness of others.
• five: avarice. fives hoard the things that ensure they can live an independent, self-sustaining life. this can often lead to their holding back of love and affection from others.
• six: fear. sixes are always imagining the worst-case scenarios and question their ability to handle life on their own. they turn to authority figures and belief systems rather than God for their security and support they desperately need in their life.
• seven: gluttony. sevens so desperately want to avoid pain and sadness, so they gorge themselves on positive experiences. since they are never satisfied, the pursuit of their distractions eventually escalates to the point of gluttony. 
• eight: lust. eights lust after intensity. they present a hard, intimidating exterior to hide vulnerability. 
• nine: sloth. nines are not only physically, but spiritually lazy. they fall asleep to their own priorities, personal development, and responsibilities for becoming their own person. 

AN INSIGHT INTO EACH TYPE

• one. people have told you you can be overly critical and judgmental. you beat yourself up when you make mistakes. details are very important to you. you compare yourself to others a lot. you have a lot of self-discipline. forgiveness is hard for you. you like routine. you notice when things are wrong or out of place. you worry a lot. 
• two. you don't know how to say no to others. you are a great listener. people tend to share deep stuff about their lives to you. you want to be acknowledged and appreciated for you contributions. you think that people should automatically know what you need. you are more comfortable giving than receiving. you care a lot about what people think of you. you love when people you love do something unexpected for you. you want people to think you love everyone. you are very emotional. 
• three. it's important for you to come across as a winner. you love making a good first impression. you'd rather be a leader than a follower. you are competitive to a fault. you are really good at multitasking. you like for other people to know about your accomplishments. you love setting and accomplishing goals. you don't know when to stop working.
• four. you never really feel like you belong. you wait for people to approach you in social settings. you don't like being like everyone else. you are very sensitive to criticism. you try to explain yourself a lot. you are fairly stubborn. you are self-conscious. people think you are intense and your feelings overwhelm them. you pull people in, but then get nervous and push them away. you worry about abandonment. 
• five. you are independent and think others should be too. you feel awkward around other people. you don't like when people pry information out of you. you need time alone. you think thoughts are more reliable than feelings. you would rather observe than participate. you are a good listener. you get tired when you're with people for too long. being generous is hard for you. you don't like big social gatherings. you don't like being uninformed in a group. 
• six. you always imagine and plan for the worst. you don't trust people. you are never sure if you've made the right decision. fear dictates many of your choices. it's hard for you to finish tasks because you have so much to do. you are overly pessimistic. you like order. you are skeptical of new and unknown things. 
• seven. you love last-minute adventures. you are an optimist. you suffer from FOMO (fear of missing out). you love variety and spontaneity. it's hard for you to finish things because there is so much you want to do. you avoid heavy conversations and confrontations. you have a lot of friends. you think other people worry more than they should. you don't like when people have expectations of you. 
• eight. you've been told you're too aggressive and blunt. you can't do things halfway. you enjoy a good argument. it's hard for you to trust people. saying no is easy for you. you make decisions fast. you know you're respected, but you often yearn to be loved. you have no problem confronting people. your exterior is tough, but underneath it is a warm, loving heart. 
• nine. you do almost anything to avoid conflict. you usually don't start things on your own. you are happy to go along with what others want to do. you tend to procrastinate. you like routines. you don't think of yourself as being very important. you don't enjoy big social gathering as much as you like small intimate get togethers. being outdoors is soothing for you. 

I love the enneagram. For one, because I love learning about new things (I am a five and fives love knowledge haha) and think personalities are so cool. It's amazing to me how everyone can think so differently and live their life so differently. The things that drive me to to do something are completely different than the things that drive my friends and family to do things. I also love how a lot of people have researched the enneagram and written books about it from a Christian perspective. God created each of us differently and perfectly in His image. Our personalities play a big role in that. A lot of people, myself including, sometimes get annoyed that their personality is the way it is. I wish it was easier for me to be social, and to enjoy talking, but for whatever reason, I would rather just sit and listen to other people talk about something, only adding into the conversation when I feel I have something really important to say. But God made me that way, so I shouldn't be ashamed of my reserved personality or want to be something I'm not. My favorite quote from the book The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery is in the last chapter when Ian Morgan Cron is talking about how we should be proud of our personalities because each one shows a different character of God that we all need. He says, "Ones show us God's perfection and his desire to restore the world to its original goodness, while Twos witness to God's unstoppable, selfless giving. Threes remind us about God's glory, and Fours about the creativity and pathos of God. Fives show God's omniscience, Sixes God's steadfast love and loyalty, and Sevens God's childlike joy and delight in creation. Eights mirror God's power and intensity, while Nines reflect God's love of peace and desire for union with his children." Wow. How powerful is that? When God made us, He never made a mistake. We are all made in His image. We were made to reflect Him and to reflect His light into this dark world. I pray that each and every one of you reading this can use whatever gift you have and whatever personality you have to shine God's light into our world that is in desperate need of a little glimpse of heaven. I pray that we can all use the enneagram to learn more about ourselves and those we love, and how to work on our weaknesses and make ourselves better people without disliking ourselves in the process. 

As I learn more about the enneagram I plan to make more in depth posts about it, but in the meantime, if you're at all interested in learning more, I highly suggest you check out the instagram pages I mentioned in the beginning of this post or any other good accounts or websites you find.