A while back, my therapist suggested I looking into enneagram studies as a method of self-analysis. I waved my hand around and said “sure!” and ignored her advice completely (which, alas, is something I tend to do a lot. It at least gives her many opportunities to say “I told you so!”). It sounded way too woo-woo for me.
Much later, through some conjunction of irreproducible results, I stumbled across the enneagram and decided to take the free quick test. First two times I took it, my results were a mash up, which upset me. I figured I was probably projecting issues like self-esteem or expectations into it, so tried a third time where I cleared my mind and just answered instinctively. I came up a solid Type 3 in the system, and read up on it.
Dead perfect match.
I was really surprised at how closely the Type 3 description mirrored so much of my life and thought processes. I usually have a mild disdain for personality type tests as they often tell us things we already know (me? Introspective? DUH! Thanks for noticing, Briggs Myers…) but in this case I found the enneagram analysis to have a more holistic insight into my “type”, revealing connections I had not previously been aware of by breaking things down into basic fears, basic desires, key motivations and (crucially, IMHO) the hows and whys of personality problems.
So now, you are wondering WTF I’m going on about, right? Here is the official description of what the enneagram is from the Enneagram Institute: “a geometric figure that delineates the nine basic personality types of human nature and their complex interrelationships.” The FAQ at the site gives a lot more information about it, and I highly suggest delving into it. There is also a page explaining at a very general level the nine types.
The reason I whole heartedly recommend taking the free test at the site is to sign up for the EnneaGram Thought for the Day, a daily email that contains ideas, concepts, suggestions and observations based specifically for your type. This little daily snippet has added a lot to my life, making me ponder and question and explore myself in light of my habits and beliefs. Some days it is not on the mark but most of the time, the EnneaGram Thought for the Day provides me applicable and useful ideas to contemplate or incorporate. It’s a great way to keep things dangerous!
If you try out the enneagram, let me know. It has proven very insightful for me, and I’d love to hear about other’s experiences with it, good or bad. 🙂
(Also: Enneagram on Wikipedia)
