What is an Enneagram?

[Bones]

I'm brand new to this board and, while glancing through older messages, I came across references to Enneagrams?  This is a new concept for me as I have never encountered this before.  Can someone explain what is an Enneagram?

Thanks!

Bones

[WRITE]

it's a diagram like this:
http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/
to try to 'type' your personality.

Personality 'testing' has become popular for self-development and in human resources, though it is widely critiqued as 'pseudo-science'.

It all follows on from Jung's idea that we are not as Freud thought driven by the same primary instincts, but have fundamental differences & what is important is how we function. Our outstanding function levels determine our 'personality type'.


During WW2 a mother and daughter ( Katharine Cook Briggs & Isobel Myers ) developed a system for Personality Type testing
( see http://www.myersbriggs.org/ )

to learn about one's inborn traits is to create the opportunity to improve how one applies them in different contexts. In that sense, the MBTI can yield much personal change and growth.

I personally have found MBTI very illuminating.

There's another guy, David Keirsey, who has developed another personality type system http://www.keirsey.com/

[Bones]

it's a diagram like this:
http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/
to try to 'type' your personality.

Personality 'testing' has become popular for self-development and in human resources, though it is widely critiqued as 'pseudo-science'.

It all follows on from Jung's idea that we are not as Freud thought driven by the same primary instincts, but have fundamental differences & what is important is how we function. Our outstanding function levels determine our 'personality type'.


During WW2 a mother and daughter ( Katharine Cook Briggs & Isobel Myers ) developed a system for Personality Type testing
( see http://www.myersbriggs.org/ )

to learn about one's inborn traits is to create the opportunity to improve how one applies them in different contexts. In that sense, the MBTI can yield much personal change and growth.

I personally have found MBTI very illuminating.

There's another guy, David Keirsey, who has developed another personality type system http://www.keirsey.com/

Thanks, Write!

I'm familiar with the MBTI...even took it and came out an INFP.  I also recently learned about Keirsey.  I'll check out the website for the Enneagram.  Thanks, again!

Bones

[WRITE]

I am INFJ, and it was like a lightbulb going on for acceptance of my peculiar mix of needing to be out making a mark in the world and introversion!

[Bones]

And I just recently finished taking the free version of the RHETI and came out a Type 5.  Interesting!!!!!!!

Bones

[Certain Hope]

INFJ here... years ago, anyway. Wonder how the results would come out now ... post N ?  Since this is a free day for me, lookin up the RHETI now, to check that out, whatever it is 

Hope

on edit:  ahh, I see... that IS the enneagram test. Well, it came out a type 4, with type 1 a close second in score.

[Bones]

INFJ here... years ago, anyway. Wonder how the results would come out now ... post N ?  Since this is a free day for me, lookin up the RHETI now, to check that out, whatever it is 

Hope

on edit:  ahh, I see... that IS the enneagram test. Well, it came out a type 4, with type 1 a close second in score.

I'll need to look at my results again as I vaguely recall that a Type 4 was a close second to my Type 5.  Since this test is new to me, I'm still trying to figure out what it all means.

Bones

[Certain Hope]

Hey Bones,  That might be an interesting study, you know....  retesting people who've recovered following intimate exposure to N to see what changes might have occurred in personality structure ?

Hope

[Bones]

Hey Bones,  That might be an interesting study, you know....  retesting people who've recovered following intimate exposure to N to see what changes might have occurred in personality structure ?

Hope

That's an interesting question!!  I'm wondering if anyone has ever done such a study?

Bones

[thehive]

some thoughts on enneagrams...

just so you know, the predominating opinion is probably that type 3, includes the narcissist.

in terms of one's enneagram type, generally it is thought one does not change one's type,
but can become  a more  healthy and yet the same type in terms of the 9 enneagram types....

[pennyplant]

I turned out to be type 4, the individualist.  This is the first time since coming here that I could actually answer all the questions on any of the tests.  In taking the various tests that have been mentioned here, it was too hard for me to pick true answers.  It seems like I lost track of my own self for awhile there.

This is interesting due to the scale of healthy to unhealthy behaviors for each type.  I haven't checked with each type--on type four, the most unhealthy level listed Avoidant, Depressive and Narcissistic PDs.  That does make some sense for the Individualist:  expressive, dramatic, self-absorbed and temperamental.

To see the healthy levels kind of gives me something reasonable to shoot for.  I do like this particular test  !

PP

[Stormchild]

Tied. Types 1 and 5. An idealistic investigator. Who would have guessed?

[pennyplant]

    I knew this was a good test!!

PP