The enneagram, nine personality types, who do you think you are?

Imagine having a useful technique, an internal compass that helps you evaluate yourself and unravel the threads of your own essence. We introduce you the enneagram, a tool of psychology that explains nine different ways of thinking, feeling and acting, closely linked with nine personality styles. Each of the nine enneatypes displays a unique window onto the world, through which we perceive and interpret our experience.

Its influence is not limited to a single domainbut extends to various contexts such as business management, and even the field of spirituality, self-awareness, self-understanding and self-development.

Immerse yourself in this adventure and discover what is the enneatype that defines you, forged in your childhood, and that today determines the masks you use to face the outside world.

Origins of the enneagram: debate and enigma

Nowadays, there are frequent calls on social networks for workshops on the enneagram. But where and how did it originate? Although the enneagram was influenced by oriental knowledgeits origin is still an enigma.

Some historical evidence indicates that it may have appeared in times as remote as the 4th century in Alexandria. However, the current enneagram, It would have as its original source the work done by Oscar Ichazo from Bolivia, an expert in the field of personal growth in the 50s.

It was from the 80s and 90s when the use of this technique spread thanks to many other references such as Helen Palmer, Don Richard Riso, Richard Rohr and Elizabeth Wagele. The objective of all these figures from the field of psychology, psychiatry and personal growth was the same: to offer a self-knowledge tool for work on weaknesses and limitations, thus reaching our maximum potential.

In addition to these functions, Borja Vilaseca tells us that our main type determines our most characteristic feature of behavior. Therefore, it is important to identify what our main enneatype is, that is, the one that determines our birth wound. So, for example, we can be perfectionists and that is our wound; When we connect with being, we connect to ourselves. Yes In one case or another, people can have a connection with the ego or with the self.

Later Claudio Naranjo, a Chilean psychiatrist, developed in depth and taught his own approach to the enneagram. So, in his book Character and Neurosisinvites us to delve into this tool in a detailed, scientific and exhaustive way.

In this way, the evolution of the enneagram as we know it today, It was formed from an amalgamation of cultural and conceptual influences from various parts of the world.. Its essence encompasses universal perspectives and has been enriched over time by the contributions of thinkers from different traditions and continents.

Enneagram factors: sensation and sympathy

As already said, the enneagram is a proposal that promotes self-knowledge. Now, there are different ways to interpret it. For example, according to its predominant center (mind, emotion or instinct), influencing how we interpret reality; or the classification that considers energy management to differentiate between introverts, extroverts and ambiverts.

However, one of the simplest is to consider the nine “eneatypes” or personality types as a product of the combination of two factors: sensation or self-concept and sympathy or empathic capacity. Each factor allows three possible values.

The first refers to the internal mental sensation that the person has, considering themselves “superior” (having something that others do not have); “equal”, or “inferior” (who lack something that others have been given).

In the case of sympathy, it informs us about how individuals approach their relationships with the world. The values ​​would be: “unfriendly” (that go against the world or against the current); “apathetic” (away from the world or in a position of external observer) and “empathic” (with the world).

That said, each enneatype would be defined as follows:

Enneatype 1 (perfectionist): inferior and unfriendly.Enneatype 2 (altruistic): superior and empathetic.Enneatype 3 (executor): equal and unfriendly.Enneatype 4 (romantic): inferior and apathetic.Enneatype 5 (observer): superior and apathetic.Enneatype 6 (soldier): equal and empathetic.Enneatype 7 (epicurean): inferior and empathetic.Enneatype 8 (boss): superior and unfriendly.Enneatype 9 (mediator): equal and apathetic.

The enneagram: 9 personality types

Each of these enneatypes represents a different type of personality, providing us with valuable information about attitudes and the way of processing the reality of each individual.

1. Perfectionist

The perfectionist builds his life and wins the affection of those around him by being perfect, dazzling through his knowledge and almost ideal dispositions.

He considers himself superior and pigeonholes others for mistakes made. He is worried about making mistakes. He is ethical, noble and principled, with a strong sense of right and wrong. He is meticulous and extremely critical of himself.He is compulsive and methodical.Irascible, with a predisposition to resentment and a tendency to extremist thoughts: black or white/good or bad.

2. Altruistic

The altruist obtains the affection of his environment by offering help, he does it generously. He avoids his own needs, sometimes confusing them with those of others.

You get satisfaction from feeling indispensable. You need freedom.Modifies your personality to meet the needs of others.Generate empathy as a strategy to gain or restrain the affection of others.

3. Executor

They are success-oriented individuals, concerned about their image and appearances. So much so that it assumes the fictitious image they want to give as real. They tend to stay away from the emotional and tend to be secure people.

Work is his main interest.He is competitive, efficient and fears failure.Your heart and feelings are protected by executing your work, (I am what I do). She assumes the fictitious image she wants to give as real.

4. Romantic

He desires the unattainable, the difficult to achieve. Avoid the ordinary.

Are reserved and quietThey tend to hide from others due to their low self-esteem, although they may also feel disdain for the ordinary way of life. They tend to feel vulnerable and tend to fall into self-pity.They live life as a theatrical performance (comedy, drama). They face life with little courage, they feel an affinity with the dramatic arts and art.They are melancholic, sensitive and emotionally deep people.

5. Observer

The observer needs privacy and not to get involved. He distances himself from affection and emotions.

They may be solitary and eccentric, but also avant-garde and visionary. Able to develop complex ideas.They need environments where they can protect themselves and limit contact.To survive, they are satisfied with having time and having space for privacy. They create compartments in which to divide plots of life.One of their needs is knowledgeknow how the world works.

6. Soldier

They are eager, loyal and reserved. However, according to the enneagram, There are two Type 6 personality types that are classified based on their reactions when experiencing anxiety.namely: the “phobics” and the “counterphobics.”

When phobics realize danger, they cower, act cautiously, and become docile. Counterphobics, on the other hand, act openly and aggressively, wanting to take care of the problem before it takes care of them.

Likewise, enneatype 6 (both phobic and counterphobic) usually:

Being full of fears and imagining the worst scenarios.Need authority or a guide, and in some cases they can run away from it.Be excellent assistants and friends.

7. Epicurean

The Epicurean wants to lead a wonderful life, so they are attracted to pleasure, are full of joy, and focus on enjoyment. Is dreamy, delicate and sensitive. They tend to fill themselves with plans with great enthusiasm, but when they get bored, they easily abandon them.

Look for pleasant jobs.They spread enthusiasmThey can flee from the present and not take charge of their long-term commitments, painful situations or their own suffering.ANDthey avoid suffering and conflict. His defense is to attack with charm and optimism.

8. Boss

Bosses are impulsive controllers. It is one of the most striking profiles of the enneagram.

They protect themselves with protection and powerThey demand contact and defense of their loved ones. They establish rules in their work and personal lives.They are concerned about justice and avoid weakness.They need to set limits. There is no middle ground in their actions.

9. Mediator

The mediator has the exquisite ability to relate to everyone.

They seek neutrality and avoid conflicts. They act out of routine. They feel uncomfortable with change and are reluctant to “say no.”They are patient, stubborn profiles, they do not like discrepancies and this is why they often choose to avoid problems or even to agree so that things do not get complicated.

Changes in the enneagram: integration and disintegration

Why do people disintegrate or decenter? According to Borja Vilaseca, it is a defense mechanism aimed at releasing all the accumulated pressure and discomfort.. That is When faced with an unhealthy, stressful or unfavorable situation, the person may present a disintegration«decentering/centering» of his attitude towards another well-defined enneatype.

Borja explains that we lose focus when we identify excessively with the ego. As a result, when reality does not fit our needs, desires, and expectations, we begin to react automatically.

For example, A type 8 person, when depressed, angry or tense, may take on some traits of a 5. (which, according to the enneagram, represents its disintegration). Therefore, in this case, she is likely to behave distant, detached and complaining.

Otherwise, Personal work and discipline lead each archetype to overcome some of its limitations, or abusive use of the typical traits of his enneatype, thus producing an integration of his attitude towards another well-defined type.

Continuing with the previous example, when enneatype 8 is happy and fulfilled, it is more likely to adopt positive attitudes of 2; Therefore, he will aim to proactively help others and take care of his loved ones. It is worth mentioning that enneatypes whose feeling is “the same as the rest of the world” are balanced in that aspect, and in their integration or disintegration only their type of empathy changes.

Enneagram Validations

Ultimately, it is important to highlight that the enneagram emerges as a very interesting tool. However, it is not an authentic psychological personality test, since its basis in pseudoscientific ideas, metaphysical concepts and esoteric beliefs results in an arbitrary classification. These elements limit their use in clinical psychology and…