By Virginia Angle

Have you ever been searching the Internet and ended up taking a personality test? Have you wondered how accurate they are, and if they really mean anything? There are all kinds of ways that people make observations about the various personalities around them. Many people are familiar with the Myers & Briggs Foundation and their Myers Briggs Personality Indicator (MBTI), a test that divides people into 16 distinct personalities and is often used in schools and workplaces. At Collegiate, everyone takes the test freshmen year in order to give the College Counseling office a better understanding of our personalities. A lesser known personality tool is the Enneagram. According to the official test website, the Enneagram is “a system of personality typing that describes patterns in how people conceptualize the world and manage their emotions.”

The Enneagram divides the personalities into nine different descriptions, with a nine-pointed map of how these personalities relate to each other. You fall into one of the nine categories, and this is known as your basic personality. However, the Enneagram is far more complex and in-depth than just the nine basic personalities.  According to the Enneagram system, the descriptions of the basic personalities are as follows:

Type Ones, also known as the Reformer, are principled perfectionists. They are characterized by their support for change, always wanting to improve things and be correct. Reformers have a constant need to improve, and when they fall short, they can become guilty and feel as though they are useless. Type Ones are “are willing to go the extra mile to ensure their work is top-notch and curated to perfection,” according to Truity, a developer and publisher of online personality and career tests.

Type Two is the Helper, or the Caregiver. Twos are compassionate, kind-hearted, and generous. They are highly invested in the well-being of other people, always wanting to help and get involved. “They’re ready to jump in and lend a helping hand whenever it’s needed, and actively search for ways to improve the lives of others,” according to Psychology Junkie, a site founded by Susan Storm, “a certified MBTI® practitioner, author, and an avid student of all things psychology-related.” People are drawn to Twos due to their generosity and their constant positivity and love. However, people with Type Two personalities can become over-invested in other people’s lives, and it is easy for them to feel useless. 

Everyone knows a person in their life that is always going the extra mile and striving for perfection. These people likely have the qualities of the Achiever (Type Three). Achievers are ambitious, always in pursuit of what they want, and have plenty of self-confidence. Simply put, “Their goal is to be remembered and appreciated for their discoveries and creations—to be the best.” Threes find lots of success in their life, which results in other people looking up to them. While the qualities of the Achiever are normally positive, they can also lead to Threes being egotistical and status-driven. 

The Individualist, Type Four, excels in environments where they are very much themselves, as opposed to following group or social norms. Individualists are authentically themselves, tending to create their own paths through life instead of doing what other people do. “Fours feel that they are unlike other human beings, and consequently, that no one can understand them or love them adequately.” An unhealthy Four can struggle with finding themselves, constantly feeling like something is missing. 

A person with characteristics of a Five, the Investigator, is curious and innovative and often shares the nonconformist traits of a Four. Type Fives are constantly seeking answers, developing their knowledge and understanding of the world around them. Fives are the people that always ask questions about why things are the way that they are. “Investigating ‘unknown territory’—knowing something that others do not know… allows Fives to have a niche for themselves that no one else occupies. They believe that developing this niche is the best way that they can attain independence and confidence,” writes the Enneagram Institute. While they are generally knowledgeable in many different subjects, they usually have a certain area of expertise in which they are dominant. Similar to Twos, Fives fear being useless and incompetent.

Sixes are loyal and committed to their loved ones and beliefs. More than any other type, Type Sixes are the friend that you can always rely on to stick by our side. Also referred to as the Loyalist, they find security in the support of others and are very detail-oriented. Despite their knowledge, “less-healthy Sixes have a tendency to worry excessively, fear letting down their defences and may be experienced as anxious, suspicious or doubting,” says Integrative 9, a South-African based company that specializes in the research and use of the Enneagram.

Optimistic yet undisciplined, playful yet scattered, spontaneous yet over-extended. These are all characteristics of a Type Seven, also known as the Enthusiast. The Enneagram Institute describes them “like ‘kids in a candy store’ who look at the world in wide-eyed, rapt anticipation of all the good things they are about to experience.” Sevens have agile minds that can be easily distracted. With this spontaneity comes issues with impulsiveness, and Sevens can become exhausted from all their activity. 

The Challenger, Type Eight, is the type of person who walks into a room and immediately takes control of every situation. They are tenacious, daring, assertive, energetic, self-confident, and love to be in charge. Eights have a tendency to protect themselves, resulting in defensive and intimidating characteristics. Psychology Junkie sums up their personality by saying, “When life throws Eights lemons, they leap on the opportunity, make the best-tasting lemonade, and execute a downright effective game plan to turn the incident into one which gives them an upper hand.” Although their willpower and perseverance is inspiring, when Eights feel threatened or unhappy, they can become confrontational, and they can be upset easily when taken out of their position of control. 

The last of the personalities are Type Nines, the Peacemakers. Nines yearn for environments without conflict, usually going along with what others want to keep the peace. They are easygoing, optimistic, and avoid anything that would disturb the harmony or create conflict. “They can easily see the many different sides to an issue and tend not to jump to conclusions quickly, if at all,” writes Truity. Due to their inability to cope with conflict, change is hard for Nines to deal with and makes them very uncomfortable. Another drawback of being a Nine is that they can become complacent and don’t voice their own opinion, because they are fearful that it will create tension and disagreement.

Although the basic personalities are a great way to discover new things about yourself, the Enneagram goes deeper than just the nine types. 

Another way that the Enneagram explores personalities is by using the Centers. The Enneagram map is split into three sections, each with three basic personalities in each section, or Center. The three Centers are the Feeling Center (Types Two, Three, and Four), the Thinking Center (Types Five, Six, and Seven), and the Instinctive Center (Types Eight, Nine, and One). Each of the Centers have personalities that share common strengths and weaknesses. Essentially, the three personalities in each Center share the same dominant emotions. 

According to the Enneagram Institute, “In the Instinctive Center, the emotion is Anger or Rage. In the Feeling Center, the emotion is Shame, and in the Thinking Center, it is Fear.” These Centers help people to better understand their personalities and why each Type acts the way that they do. 

Another element to the Enneagram is the idea of the Wings. It is nearly impossible to be just one personality type, so the wings provide a way to associate with more than one type. “Everyone is a unique mixture of his or her basic type and usually one of the two types adjacent to it on the circumference of the Enneagram,” explains The Enneagram Institute. For example, after taking the test, the results could be that you are a 6w7 (primarily a Six with a Seven wing). This would mean that your basic personality aligns with a Six, but you also have characteristics of a Seven. It is important to note that you can only wing to the adjacent numbers of your basic personality; there is no such thing as a 5w9 (Five with a Nine wing). With all of the different Wing types considered, there are actually 18 different personality types in the entire Enneagram system. 

On the nine-pointed map of the Enneagram, there are many inner lines connecting all of the different points. These lines indicate the directions of growth and stress for each type. Under stress, each type acts out in a way that resembles another type. This is specific for each personality and is yet another important component of the Enneagram. 

While it is a great tool for personal growth, the Enneagram is not solely used to help individuals develop a better understanding of themselves. The Enneagram is gaining popularity and being used in large-scale businesses to help with management skills, teamwork, and overall build stronger relationships. “Previously taught in the Stanford MBA program and used by organizations as large and diverse as Motorola, the CIA, and even the Oakland A’s baseball team, the Enneagram is one of the most cutting edge tools available today to enhance human potential and facilitate change in the workplace,” states Enneagram Explorations. There are all sorts of workshops, programs, and organizations that are helping others integrate the Enneagram into their businesses, such as Peter O’Hanrahan’s The Enneagram at Work. O’Hanrahan has taught about the Enneagram in the workplace since 1994, and he holds many workshops and counseling sessions to facilitate relationship and leadership skills by using the Enneagram. 

An additional place where the Enneagram has grown in popularity is in various Christian organizations. I heard about the test while at a religious camp a few years ago. According to Jonathan Merritt of Religion News Service, many evangelicals believe that the types are “less about nine ‘types of people’ and more about nine paths back to our true selves and nine paths to divine love.” To some Christians, the Enneagram is much more than just a personality test; they see it as a tool for spiritual growth and for helping Christians understand their sins. There are many books and podcasts that have been created to explain the spiritual connection that the test has, such as The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery, by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile. 

The origins of the Enneagram are said to be Greek, but it is very difficult to find written evidence of this. According to Religion News Service, “It started making gradual inroads [into America] in the 1970s as strictly an oral tradition, passed down from teacher to student but not recorded. Some teachers were afraid that if it were written down, the Enneagram would be trivialized and commercialized.” 

The Enneagram Institute explains its history by saying “The Enneagram of Personality Types is a modern synthesis of a number of ancient wisdom traditions, but the person who originally put the system together was Oscar Ichazo.” Wherever it came from, it is believed that the Enneagram is a very old, ancient tool for typology. As for the actual Enneagram Institute, it was founded in 1997 by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson. According to its website, “The Enneagram Institute® is currently engaged in presenting and sponsoring workshops and courses devoted to the many unique aspects of the Enneagram and their relationships to human nature.” The Institute’s main office is located in Stone Ridge, New York, but they also have many independently-owned affiliates across the globe. 

While they are popular and fun, personality tests usually aren’t grounded in scientific research, and they should not be considered as accurate as peer-reviewed psychological tests such as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). “Personality tests are used by psychologists and counselors. They are taught in psychology, education and business courses, and featured in textbooks… But some of the most popular personality assessments were produced by amateurs and autodidacts,” writes Merve Emre in The Washington Post. Personality tests such as the Enneagram are amusing and interesting, but it is important to acknowledge that they are not scientifically backed. 

While not a medical or scientific measure, the Enneagram can be a powerful and intriguing way to dive deeper into the personalities all around us. Gracie Clarke (‘20), an Enneagram enthusiast says that “the Enneagram gave me a lot of insight into some of my subconscious behaviors and personality traits. Through the Enneagram, I gained a greater understanding of myself – a tool which I later found very helpful within my relationships. Also, it has helped me to better navigate my spiritual journey.” Gracie is very passionate about the Enneagram, and even gave her Senior Speech about the concept on October 17, 2019 in an Upper School Assembly. 

Followers of the Enneagram have used it to type famous people, all by speculation of course. For example, Nelson Mandela is said to be a Type One, Tiger Woods a Three, Stevie Nicks a Four, Ellen Degeneres a Six, Martin Luther King Jr. an Eight, and the list goes on. The Enneagram has all sorts of layers and explanations and has many uses in daily life.