Enneatype 1: characteristics and potential

The enneatype 1 makes up a personality as complex as it is striking. It is the “Perfectionist”, that profile that strives almost every moment to appear coherent, well-intentioned and always virtuous. However, it is common for him to hide a certain contained anger, certain erroneous areas that prevent him from reaching his full potential.

Claudio Naranajo points out, in the always interesting book Character and neurosis, that enneatype 1 is “an angry virtuous.” He is someone characterized by a desperate obsession with improving the things that surround him. without realizing that, with this desire, he worsens his own life and also that of others.

Now, we should not see this set of traits as something negative or limiting. Quite the opposite. We must remember that the ultimate purpose of the enneagram is to serve us precisely as a valuable tool for self-knowledge.. It is a way of knowing our “masks”, of delving into our needs, deepest instincts, emotions, mental processes and, also, our potentialities.

Enneatype 1 has great resources and interesting abilities in its hands that, according to this approach, it can develop to the maximum if it delves deeper into its character and consciousness, working on those most problematic aspects. In future articles we will delve into the rest of the enneatypes in detail, but on this occasion, we are going to learn everything about this personality known as “the perfectionist.”

Enneatype 1, the desire to lead a coherent and error-free life

Anyone who has seen or read “To Kill a Mockingbird” will have in their memory one of the most wonderful characters in the history of literature: Atticus Finch. His profile, his will, his high humanity and his balance perfectly symbolize the most luminous and developed enneatype 1, without erroneous areas or dark undersides to work on. His vital energy and sense of justice is the very imprint of the first of the enneatype characters.

Now before ascending to this pedestal, Enneatype 1 usually moves through turbulent seas, through complex contradictions and scenarios of high frustration. where their aspirations are not always realized. Let’s see below what characteristics this enneatype usually presents:

Obsession with details.They feel good, superior and that is what gives them the right.Need for make lists of almost anything, as well as outlines, reminders, etc. Every task they carry out must be perfect. However, this need is at the same time a source of continuous frustration because they never feel satisfied. This behavior reaches the point of exhaustion, and can involve others in this desire to the point of creating tensions and disagreements.They are conscientious, often inflexible and scrupulous.They have a high sense of justice, of what is right and what is wrong (according to them), of what is desirable and correct. In their internal dialogue, “shoulds,” “have tos,” and “musts” abound. They do not usually delegate tasks to other people, they find it difficult to form a team or trust others in work matters because they doubt that they can be as effective as them.They are very attached to their things, their possessions, their family… It is an often unhealthy attachment.They consider that they always know the best way to resolve a situation. Therefore, they educate, instruct and harshly correct others without them asking them to do so.They hardly feel satisfied; Because in his mind there is a severe internal judge and critic who corrects him and urges him to always do better.

Likewise, a detail that Claudio Naranjo points out about enneatype 1 is that It usually presents an emotional background inhabited by anger. This dimension is what gives his character such rigidity and lack of spontaneity. This anger is nothing more than the result of so much accumulated personal frustration, and the feeling that around him orbits an excess of injustice, sloppiness or wrongdoing that is beyond his control.

Type one: levels of development

According to Riso and Hudson (2017), 9 levels of development of enneatype 1 can be identified. Let’s see what they are.

Healthy levels

Level 1 (accepting, judicious): They abandon the idea that they can evaluate everything objectively and are able to face life without reacting so emotionally. They achieve their basic desire: to be whole and to be good.Level 2 (reasonable evaluator): He concentrates on the commands of his superego to guide him in life and defend himself from “disordered” aspects.Level 3 (principled, responsible): They reinforce their image by trying to live in accordance with their conscience and reason. They are highly ethical and disciplined, and possess a strong sense of purpose and conviction. Truthful and eloquent, they lead by example, putting aside their personal desires for the greater good.

Medium levels

Level 4 (forced effort): They fear that people will be indifferent to their principles, therefore, they are always seeking to convince them of the correctness of their views. They become serious and energetic people, argue with others and solve problems.Level 5 (controlled, ordered): They worry that others will condemn them for some deviation from their ideals. After having defended their points of view, they feel obliged to live up to them, so they try to organize themselves and their world. They are punctual and methodical, but also irritable and tense.Level 6 (Critical Judger): They fear that others will upset the order and balance that they have achieved, and it annoys them that they do not take their ideals seriously. They respond by reproaching and correcting others for not living up to their values. They are perfectionists, dogmatic and sarcastic.Level 7 (inflexible self-righteous): He is afraid that his ideals are wrong. To save yourself, try to justify yourself and silence the criticism. They are closed-minded and do not allow concessions or negotiations in their positions. They are bitter, misanthropic and very self-righteous.

insane level

Level 8 (obsessive, contradictory): They are so eager to defend themselves against their desires that they become obsessed with those aspects of themselves that they wish to control. They begin to make their repressed desires come true, while they are still publicly condemned.Level 9 (condemning, punitive): They have lost control of themselves. They try to get rid of the apparent cause of their obsessions, with the possible consequence of self-mutilation, murder or suicide.

Strengths and weaknesses of enneatype 1

Each personality has strengths and weaknesses, which are manifested and amplified in different contexts: family, work, social, academic, professional… Each environment can be a trigger for certain behavioral, cognitive and emotional patterns that the person has developed from their experiences. passed.

Strengths

Strengths Typically Associated with the Enneagram Personality 1 include:

Stand up for the rights of others.Conscientiousness and attention to detail.Idealistic and optimistic worldview.Be deeply motivated by personal values.Ability to connect with and care for your community.

Weaknesses

Weaknesses that are normally associated with enneatype 1 are:

Tendency to be a perfectionist. Difficulty accepting harsh realities. Being very critical of oneself and others. Possibility of becoming obsessive or self-righteous.

How enneatype 1 should be worked on to achieve personal fulfillment

When enneatype 1 works as it should, those problem areas such as their contained anger, their need for control or their extreme perfectionism, can become profiles with high discernment, wisdom and good judgment. They can become authentic Atticus Finch capable of inspiring others, guiding and influencing in an enriching way.

Now, how to achieve it? Becoming aware of your wrong attitudes or areas. Let’s see how.

Lowering his high idealism a few degrees.Lower the volume of that critical inner voiceso hypocritical, that they demand a moral virtuosity that, sometimes, not even oneself can achieve.Reduce “shoulds” and self-impositions that we often put ourselves as prisoners, surrounded by such limiting demands.Learn to delegateto trust others a little more. Understand that the world, People and many things around us cannot always be as we wish.. Living is above all “being and letting be,” and that means allowing others to act as they wish without taking away our breath, our calm, or fueling us with anger and more frustration.Accept yourself. Behind this need for perfection lies a deep fear of being considered bad, mediocre or defective. Therefore, an important job for this type is to work on acceptance and self-love, which involves recognizing one’s own strengths and weaknesses.The enneatype must make contact with their emotions and channel them, release them. All that pent-up anger must dissolve, all dissatisfaction must find better ventilated rooms where it is understood that perfectionism goes hand in hand with wear and tear, and iron discipline with exhaustion.

A healthy and fulfilled enneatype 1 is above all a person freer from his own mental ties. In that noble aspiration to achieve a more just world and a higher and more perfect being, there is an intermediate sphere where you can feel truly fulfilled as well as useful.

It is a psychological stratum where emotions are more adjusted and where there is a more humble acceptance of reality. Because When one stops being a “tracker of internal and external failures”, one begins to live with more calm and satisfaction to be more flexible and compassionate.

In future articles we will continue to delve into the rest of the 8 enneatypes of this very interesting personal knowledge tool.

Main image Gregory Peck in Kill a Mockingbird​ (1962)

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