The Enneagram of Personality & Nine Types Summary

The Enneagram is a system of 9 personality types combining traditional wisdom with modern psychology - a powerful tool for understanding ourselves & the people in our lives - with three major applications:

• Personal & spiritual growth.

• Successful relationships at home & at work.

• Leadership development, teambuilding, & communication skills for business.

A Brief History

This nine pointed diagram (Ennea is Greek for nine) has apparently been used for centuries in esoteric Christian and Sufi traditions as a map of human consciousness and archetypes. It was first brought to the public in 1915, in Moscow, by George Gurdjieff, a philosopher and teacher who used it in his program of human development. Then in the late 1960's, Oscar Ichazo, the founder of the Arica School, placed nine types of personality on the Enneagram. Shortly thereafter, Claudio Naranjo MD. and other psychologists in Berkeley combined the Enneagram with the latest developments of modern psychology. While each personality type can be found in psychological literature, the Enneagram brings them together in a unified system and shows their inter-relationships. This combination of ancient symbol and modern psychology continues to be developed today by psychologists, business consultants, educators, and spiritual directors.

A Non-Denominational System

From its early roots in Berkeley, the modern Enneagram has spread around the world with over a million books sold and Enneagram programs or  institutes in most countries in Europe and East Asia, as well as parts of Africa and South America. While the Enneagram itself doesn't suggest a particular ideology, theology, or set of techniques, it serves as a very effective conceptual framework for both secular practitioners and religious clergy in their work with clients or congregants.

Unlike most psychological systems and diagnostic tools which focus on the neurotic or problem side of people, the Enneagram not only talks about the problems that people face, it also describes the strengths and potentials of each personality type. No personality type is any better or worse, and the highs and lows of human development can be found in every type.

While most people know the Enneagram as a profound system of personal or spiritual growth, in recent years it has also been adapted for use in the classroom and the business environment. In addition to providing crucial "people skills," the Enneagram supports self awareness, good decision making, and continual learning which is vital for success in today's workplace.

Personality and Essence

A key idea underlying the Enneagram is that people have two important aspects - essence and personality. Each person has a unique "essential self" that can't be reduced to a number or category. However, the Enneagram describes nine patterns or themes by which people form a personality, and a social persona, to meet the challenges of love and work. Ideally, personality is an effective way to express ourselves in the world. But problems arise when personality covers up the inner self, or our point of view becomes stuck and rigid.

Putting the Enneagram to Work

Working with the Enneagram offers a way to manage personality through the practice of self awareness. It supports us in becoming more effective in our lives, and it offers a path of opening our hearts and developing personal presence. One of the most practical ways of using the Enneagram is in our relationships at home and at work. By understanding our own patterns, defensive reactions and blind spots we are able to become more flexible and skillful with the people in our lives. When we understand how others think and feel, we become more tolerant and compassionate. (And we don't have to take it so personally when we bump into other people's edges). The Enneagram describes both our higher potentials and our limitations. It makes specific suggestions for how each personality type can become more skillful in love and work.

Three Centers of Intelligence

The Enneagram describes three centers of intelligence and perception: Head, Heart, & Body. While every individual has all three of these centers, each of the nine personality types has a particular strength in one of them. Our internal character structure as well as our way of being in the world is based in this leading, or main center. Understanding our primary center is an important key to developing our personal and professional potential and overcoming our blind spots.

1) The Intellectual Center: using the mind for language and rational thinking, ideas and images, plans and strategies. Located in the head.

2) The Emotional Center: using the "heart" for positive and negative feelings, empathy and concern for others, romance and devotion. Located in the area of the chest and diaphragm.

3) The Instinctual Center: using the body for movement, sensate awareness, gut level knowing, personal security, and social belonging.

The Nine Personality Types:

Point One - the Perfectionist

Ones are a body-based type with an emphasis on personal integrity and self control. Their attention goes toward seeing and correcting what is wrong, and doing the right thing. They are known for their honesty, dependability, and common sense. Ones are very responsible, so much so that they may resent other people who don't take life as seriously as they do. They have high standards and tend to see things in black and white, right and wrong. It's easy for them to be critical, of themselves and others. They work hard at being right all the time. They are idealistic and will exert great effort to improve the world around them, which often puts them in the role of social reformer. Their crucial elements of growth are to learn to accept their imperfections and tolerate other people's points of view.

Strengths: Honest, responsible, improvement-oriented.

Problems: Resentful, non-adaptable, and overly critical.

Speaking style: Precise and detail-oriented, with a tendency to sermonize.

Lower emotional habit: Resentment, which results from getting angry but holding it in.

Higher emotion: Serenity, which comes with letting go of anger about the way things are and accepting imperfection.

Archetypal Challenge: To change what can be changed, to accept what cannot be changed, and to develop the wisdom to know the difference.

Psychological defenses: Ones use the defense mechanism of reaction formation to avoid their anger (and other feelings and impulses) and maintain the self image of being "right." (Reaction formation is feeling one thing and then doing the opposite, such as feeling resentful but acting nice).

Somatic patterns: As body-based types, Ones are usually grounded and practical, good at ordering the tasks of daily life. The pressure to be right and the need for control leads to physical rigidity and tension, particularly in the jaw, neck, and shoulders. The face can take on an expression of angry judgment or resentful martyrdom.

Tips for relating to Ones:

To create rapport: Respect their integrity and take things seriously.

Try to avoid: Making agreements that you may not keep; neglecting proper procedures or good manners.

Join them: In seeing how things can be improved.

To handle conflict: Ask them to be direct with their anger and get past their resentment; admit your mistakes; speak with personal conviction and

authority. Challenge them to see more than one right way.

To support their growth: Help them be less critical of themselves and more accepting of their mistakes and imperfections; ask them to mediate their judgment with fairness and forgiveness; remind them to share responsibility with others; encourage them to have fun.

Point Two - The Helper

Twos are a feeling-based type with a focus on relationship. They excel at making connections and empathizing with the needs and feelings of other people. They are usually good at supporting others and helping bring out their potential. However, turning their attention toward themselves and knowing what they themselves need is much more difficult. They want to be accepted and liked by others, and they will adapt or change themselves to earn this approval. A bit like emotional sponges, Twos have to be very careful what they absorb from the people around them. Getting angry or setting personal boundaries can be very hard to do, although they may have emotional outbursts to relieve the pressure. While being a special person or earning the approval of others has its advantages, it doesn't substitute for being loved for oneself.

Strengths: Caring, popular, communicator.

Problems: privileged, naive, dependent.

Speaking style: being nice and sympathetic, giving advice. Sometimes militant for the cause.

Lower emotional habit: Pride about being special, important, or indispensable in relationship. Or poor self esteem when approval is not forthcoming.

Higher emotion: Humility, which is being able to know and hold onto the experience of self-worth without either self-inflation or excessive self-judgment.

Psychological defenses: Twos use the defense mechanism of repression to avoid their own needs and feelings and to maintain the self image of being "helpful." (Repression is putting one's unacceptable feelings out of awareness and converting them into a more acceptable form of emotional energy).

Somatic patterns: As feeling types, Twos experience a buildup of energy, and sometimes tension, around their chest and diaphragm. Although full of energy in their upper bodies, it's hard for them to sense their lower bodies and stay grounded. They tend to discharge their anxiety thru talking and emoting. It's easy for them to "somatize" or convert hidden feelings into physical symptoms.

Tips for relating to Twos:

To create rapport: Step forward to make contact; give approval or appreciation when possible.

Try to avoid: Hurting their feelings by being too critical or not taking them seriously.

Join them: In valuing warmth, personal contact and partnership.

To handle conflict: Ask them to take responsibility for getting what they want rather than indirectly blaming others or evoking guilt. Head off outbursts by bringing out their dissatisfaction or resentment.

To support their growth: Help them pay attention to their own needs and feelings and to set boundaries with other people; encourage them to take time out for themselves; remind them to breathe into their belly and feel their feet on the ground.

Point Three - The Performer

Threes are feeling-based types, but they channel their emotional energy into getting things done. They take the initiative and work hard to accomplish their goals. They are highly adaptable, and they excel at "feeling out" and meeting the expectations of others when that will lead them to success. They like to stay active and on the go, so it's hard to stop or slow down. Their focus on keeping up their image and achieving results can get in the way of personal needs and health. American business is a particularly strong Three culture where performers get a lot of positive reinforcement for being productive and efficient. A danger for Threes is concentrating on external praise or material rewards while losing contact with who they are inside. It's difficult for them to step out of their roles, feel their own feelings, and decide for themselves what is important.

Strengths: Successful, energetic, high achiever.

Problems: Over worked, impatient, competitive.

Speaking style:  Enthusiastic, motivating themselves and others for success.

Lower emotional habit: Vanity, based on keeping up a good image and always being successful.

Higher emotion: Truthfulness, which is the willingness to go beyond appearances and develop personal authenticity.

Psychological defenses: Threes use the defense mechanism of identification to avoid failure and maintain a self image of being "successful." (Identification is a kind of pervasive role-playing and losing oneself in image).

Somatic patterns: As feeling types who put everything into productivity and results, Threes can accrue a lot of tension around their chest and heart. They are the original "Type A's" and need to watch out for early heart attacks or a weakened immune system. Underneath a strong layer of chest tension there is usually deep sadness from loss of contact with the inner self.

Tips for relating to Threes:

To create rapport: Appreciate their work; speed up in talking to them.

Try to avoid: Getting in the way of their forward momentum or taking too much of their time.

Join them in: Being active, getting results, earning recognition.

To handle conflict: Allow for aggressive exchanges while staying on track with goals. Remind them that successful results can come with many different styles, and that people are important. Challenge their rhetoric or propaganda while allowing them to save face.

To support their growth: Help them look inside and tell the truth about who they really are; support them in having feelings, especially about their failures; encourage them to slow down and pay attention to their health. Value them for who they are, not only for what they accomplish.

Point Four - The Romantic

Fours are feeling-based types who often experience a sense of longing and melancholy. Something is missing for them, which can lead to a quest for wholeness through romantic idealism, healing, or aesthetics. When they compare themselves to others, Fours experience feelings of envy. They seek meaning and depth in their relationships, their work, or in a quest for personal creativity. Many Fours are artists who excel at expressing universal human emotions in dance, music, and poetry. While they seek to have a good image, it's most important for them to be authentic. Often passionate, sometimes overly emotional, their attention moves back and forth from empathizing with others to their own inner experience. They need time alone. The key to healing and growth for Fours is to balance sadness with the capacity for happiness and satisfaction, even if the relationship or the experience seems flawed or incomplete.

Strengths: Compassionate, idealistic, emotional depth.

Problems: Moody, withdrawn, uncooperative.

Speaking style: Sometimes warm and feelingful, sometimes flat and dry; they tend to be subjective, and they try to be aesthetically correct. Often a tone of sadness or dissatisfaction.

Lower emotional habit: Envy or melancholy arising from the experience of disappointment or deficiency.

Higher emotion: Equanimity, which means keeping the heart open, welcoming all feelings yet staying in balance.

Psychological patterns: Fours use the defense mechanism of introjection to avoid being ordinary and to maintain a self image of being "authentic." (Introjection is the attempt to overcome deficiency by bringing in value from outside oneself as well as the habit of internalizing blame for what goes wrong).

Somatic patterns: Fours tend to swing from contact to withdrawal, from having lots of feelings that spill out into the environment to becoming resigned and depressed. Their energy often collects in the middle of the body and can be withdrawn from the periphery (eyes, hands, and feet). Self-expression through music, dance, writing, creative work, or parenting helps create an emotional flow and a balanced state.

Tips for relating to Fours:

To create rapport: Appreciate their emotional sensitivity and their creativity.

Try to avoid: Insisting on being rational, unemotional, or conformist.

Join them in: Valuing style, individualism, and depth of feeling.

To handle conflict: Challenge them to avoid wounded withdrawal on the one hand and angry outbursts on the other. Stay in the middle ground. When they are upset, don't take everything they say too literally since it may be only the feeling of the moment.

To support their growth: Support Fours in achieving emotional balance and staying on track. Encourage them to express their feelings safely and directly rather than getting caught in chronic negative attitudes or depression. Help them fight their inner critic and resist internalizing blame. Get them to watch what they say and consider their impact on others.

Point Five - The Observer

Fives are mental types who focus on intellectual understanding and accumulating knowledge. They are often scholars or technical experts because of their keen perception and analytical ability. Privacy and personal autonomy are very important to them, and other people may be experienced as intrusive. The ability to detach from other people and from emotional pressure confers personal freedom, but may also create loneliness. Some people of this type may be intellectually brilliant or knowledgeable, while feelings and relationships present an enormous challenge. For others, family and friends are very important, but they will still need lots of time alone to pursue their own interests and re-create themselves. Fives need to balance their tendency to withdraw or withhold from people by reaching out to others, even if this involves discomfort or conflict.

Strengths: Scholarly, perceptive, self-reliant.

Problems: Isolated, overly intellectual, stingy.

Speaking style: Rational and technical, most comfortable in their area of expertise. Not big on "small talk."

Lower emotional habit: Avarice or hoarding, which means holding back and holding on to information, time, and other resources based on the fear of scarcity, either in oneself or the environment.

Higher emotion: Non-attachment, which is letting go in order to be available for replenishment.; trusting that there is enough. 

Psychological defenses: Fives use the defense mechanism of isolation to avoid feelings of emptiness and to maintain a self image of being "knowledgeable" and self sufficient. (Isolation can be physical separation, but it also means being cut off from one's emotions).

Somatic patterns: Fives tend to get stuck in their heads. It takes effort to bring attention to the body and the emotions. Energy is withdrawn from the periphery of the body and collects in the middle. Very sensitive to sound, touch, people, etc. they hold most of their tension in the gut rather than in the musculature, although the rib cage can be quite rigid depending on the level of fear in the body. Fives tend to "go away" behind their eyes.

Tips for relating to Fives:

To create rapport: Approach them slowly and thoughtfully. Give them room to think things over.

Try to avoid: Pressuring them for immediate contact or fast decisions.

Join them in: Talking about ideas and valuing the inner life.

To handle conflict: Don't make assumptions about what's going on with them. Ask them for direct communication. Agree to disagree. Emphasize the importance of relationship. Watch out for control by withdrawal. Challenge them to be more warm and generous. Give them lots of information.

To support their growth: Support Fives in getting into their bodies and accessing their instinctual energy. Make it safe for them to share themselves, especially their feelings. Remind them to let others know that they care, and that they will return to the relationship or project after a break. Help them deal with feelings of emptiness.

Point Six - The Loyal Skeptic

Sixes are mental types who use their perception and intellect to understand the world and figure out whether other people are friendly or hostile. They focus on guarding the safety of the group, project, or community. Sixes are good at anticipating problems and coming up with solutions. Knowing the rules and making agreements with other people is important, yet at the same time they tend to doubt themselves and question others. They can oscillate between skepticism and certainty, rebel or true believer. Some Sixes are in the "cautious" mode; they hesitate, they worry a lot, and they procrastinate. Other Sixes prefer to stay in the "strength" mode: they rush into action and they seek to brace themselves physically or ideologically as a way of overcoming their fear. As Sixes learn to trust themselves as well as other people, they become more flexible and they develop the courage to act even in the presence of doubt or ambivalence.

Strengths: Loyal, courageous, attentive to people and problems; often strategic thinkers.

Problems: Suspicious, pessimistic, doubtful.

Speaking Style: Setting limits on themselves and others, having serious questions, and playing devil's advocate. Sometimes ideologically zealous.

Lower emotional state: Suspicion or distrust, which can lead either to fearfulness and holding back or an aggressive and pushy attitude.

Higher emotion: Courage, which is not bravado but rather means feeling the fear and moving forward anyway.

Psychological defenses: Sixes use the defense mechanism of projection to avoid personal rejection and maintain a self image of being  "loyal." (Projection is a way of attributing to others what one can't accept in oneself, both positive and negative qualities.

Somatic patterns: The cautious or phobic Sixes have fear covering their aggression and their body-based instincts. They tend to worry and hesitate. By contrast, the counter-phobic Sixes have aggression on top of their fear. They tend to rush forward, bracing themselves physically or mentally to prepare for the risks. (Many Sixes go back and forth from cautious to counter-phobic). In terms of body armor, the eyes can be suspicious and guarded, or fearful and protruding. Myopia is common. The diaphragm can hold a lot of tension, resulting in a staccato or halting style of speech and movement.

Tips for relating to Sixes:

To create rapport: Appreciate their attention to problems; agree on rules and procedures.

Try to avoid: Changing the rules abruptly, withholding information, or discounting their concerns.

Join them in: Acknowledging what can go wrong before moving ahead.

To handle conflict: Put your cards on the table as much as possible. Don't be ambiguous. Challenge them to take responsibility for their reactions instead of coming up with external reasons. Refuse to take on their projections. When they feel threatened, they may be antagonistic or withdraw. At times they are testing others to see if they will prove reliable.

To support their growth: Help Sixes to face their fears directly, get reality checks, and ask for personal support. When possible, get them to see the humor in situations. Provide enough safety to get them to relax their mental scanning operation and get more into their bodies and feelings.

Point Seven - The Positive Planner

Sevens are mental types who are forward thinkers and forward movers. They usually bring an optimistic and positive attitude to all of their activities. They are interested in many different subjects. They don't want to be limited to doing one thing and they prefer to keep their options and possibilities open. Although they can be excellent communicators, they are less concerned with image and other people's approval than other types. It's most important to have fun (or get to do one's own thing), whether that's found in travel and adventure or more intellectual pursuits. They are enthusiastic consumers of new ideas, new technology, and pleasurable experiences. However, too much of a good thing can be a problem for them. Because their attention shifts so quickly, it's challenging for them to go into things in depth and to stay the course in work and relationships. Slowing down, being in the moment, and learning to tolerate their own and other people's suffering - all can bring needed balance.

Strengths: Adventurous, fun loving, quick thinking.

Problems: Self-absorbed, dispersed, uncommitted.

Speaking Style: Personal storytelling, which can be either very entertaining or simply self-absorbed. They also focus on the positive, and tend to ignore or quickly "reframe" the negative.

Lower emotional habit: Gluttony, which is not just about food but rather a kind of intoxication or over consumption of ideas, fun experiences, or substances.

Higher emotion: Sobriety, which means both limiting consumption and calming the mind in order to be present in the moment.

Psychological defenses: Sevens use the defense mechanism of rationalization to avoid suffering and to maintain a self image of being "OK." (Rationalization is a style of explaining or justifying in order to keep away pain or refuse to take responsibility).

Somatic patterns: For Sevens, energy and attention tend to go "up and out" rather than "down and in." In contrast to the Fives, energy moves to the periphery of the body and away from the core. Sevens tend to stay over-stimulated with ideas, substances, or adventures depending on their body type. They are known as big talkers. They are often quite loose and flexible physically. Instead of muscular tension, their challenge is "being in" their bodies and becoming grounded.

Tips for relating to Sevens:

To create rapport: Appreciate their stories and positive ideas.

Try to avoid: Being too negative or insisting on one way of doing things.

Join them in: Having fun and envisioning new possibilities.

To handle conflict: Challenge them to take responsibility for their actions, while staying as positive as possible. Get them to stop talking and listen. Let them know what you or others need from them. Repeat it often.

To support their growth: Encourage their sobriety. Help them to get more "down and in." Support them in staying grounded, balancing their good ideas with common sense. Stress the importance of feedback. Be there for them when they begin to feel their pain.

Point Eight - The Protector

Eights are a body-based type who tend to take charge of situations and step into a leadership role. They are energetic and intense, and they can be intimidating at times to other people. Impatient with rules and regulations, they like to do things their way. By asserting control over their environment, they do their best to protect themselves and anyone else who is part of their family or group. Fairness or justice is a high priority. If they feel wronged, they will fight back since in their experience weakness or vulnerability will precipitate an attack from the outside world. The strength (and aggression) that are generated in this mission can be admirable, but also misapplied. The challenge for Eights is to combine assertion and control with interdependency and cooperation, as well as learning how to curb their often excessive appetites.

Strengths: Enthusiastic, generous, powerful.

Problems: Excessive, angry, dominating.

Speaking Style: Eights usually speak assertively and exert strong leadership. They tend to be bossy and when things go wrong, they often get angry.

Lower emotional habit: Anger and excessiveness, with a revengeful attitude  toward people.

Higher emotion: Innocence, which means to face life with an open heart and without cynicism.

Psychological defenses: Eights use the defense mechanism of denial to avoid vulnerability and maintain a self-image of being "strong." (Denial is a kind of forceful re-directing of attention and feeling based on willfulness and control).

Somatic patterns: Eights tend to keep a high level of bioenergetic charge in their bodies. They are attracted to intensity, and they get bored or impatient very easily. This can led to over-exertion and/or over-consumption. Quick to anger, they may have trouble with impulse control. Their armor shows up as tension or density more or less evenly distributed around the body. It's easy to be tough, hard to be vulnerable although softer feelings and needs are often present deep on the inside. Eights are known for the fierceness that they (may) express through their eyes.

Tips for relating to Eights

To create rapport: Make direct contact; be assertive and don't back down in the face of their strength.

Try to avoid: Controlling them without their agreement, making them sit still for long, or being disrespectful.

Join them in: Getting things moving in work or play.

To handle conflict: Stand up to them and confront them directly (in your own style). Accept their angry energy while challenging them to not go off the deep end. Be tough on destructive or threatening behavior, empathetic to underlying hurt feelings. 

To support their growth: Support them in using their energy in constructive ways. Confront them on unconscious aggression or their use of anger as a comfortable habit. Help them get in touch with their vulnerability. Assume that they need love and care even when they don't show it. 

Point Nine - The Mediator

Balanced at the top of the Enneagram, Nines are the most basic and most numerous personality type. They are the "salt of the earth" and the "glue" that holds the community together. People of this type come in all shapes and sizes, but they share a common problem with inertia (or momentum). Whether they are lazy in the traditional sense or hard workers continually on the move, "Nines" have a problem finding and staying with their own priorities. It's hard to change directions or shift attention to what is most important. They "forget" themselves. Nines excel at seeing all points of view. This can make it difficult for them to make personal decisions, but at the same time, they can be excellent mediators and peacemakers for others. Nines seek harmony in their environment and will go to great lengths to avoid conflict (although at times championing others). They are body-based types, with a strong gut sense of knowing, although they can also be out of touch with their bodies.

Strengths: Balanced, accepting, harmonious.

Problems: Stubborn, ambivalent, conflict avoidant.

Speaking Style: Inclusive and welcoming at their best, Nines may have trouble getting to the point. They can be linear and over-controlled, or they can be quite dispersed.

Lower emotional habit: Laziness of attention, accompanied by stubbornness, makes it hard for them to face priorities or necessary conflict.

Higher emotion: Right action, which is the willingness to do what needs to be done and use oneself well in the process.

Psychological defenses: Nines use the defense mechanism of narcotization to avoid conflict (from within or without) and to maintain a self-image of being "comfortable/harmonious." (Narcotization is using food and drink, reading, TV, or simply repetitive patterns of thinking and doing to put oneself in a state of reduced awareness and feeling).

Somatic patterns: Nines tend to stay comfortably undercharged. Good at belly breathing, they can avoid breathing into the chest. Low energy Nines suffer from inertia and physical laziness, while high energy Nines tend to constantly discharge in order to keep a safe equilibrium. The lower back is a particularly vulnerable area. Since Nines so easily blend or "merge" with other people or the environment from their belly center, they have difficulty establishing good personal boundaries.

Tips for relating to Nines:

To create rapport: Take the time to talk about things and establish a common ground. Listen to them; stay peaceful.

Try to avoid: Coming on too strong, getting impatient or creating pressure.

Join them in: Setting the context and looking at the big picture. Share body-based activities, including walking, exercising, cooking, eating, music, etc.

To handle conflict: Fairness is a crucial issue for Nines. Since they avoid conflict and anger, they are more likely to withdraw or become passive/aggressive, with occasional eruptions. Try to find out what's going on inside and let them know you won't abandon them. When and if they do blow up, help them set boundaries on their rage.

To support their growth: Give them personal attention. Help Nines create structures and schedules for their lives to keep them on track with priorities. Ask for their cooperation rather than trying to push them around. Challenge them on their need to be comfortable, and help them take risks. Be accepting, but persistent.