About a year and a half ago, I stumbled across a resource that, unbeknownst to me, would turn my world upside down in the best way possible. Once I discovered it I literally couldn’t stop talking about it (and, obviously, I’m still talking about it to this day). I talk about it so much that I’ve got friends asking me to repeat it, to spell it, and some that just look at me like I’m crazy. What is this resource you wonder?
The Enneagram.
(Pronounced En-ee-uh-gram)
The Enneagram, to put it incredibly simply, is a personality assessment. I know what you’re thinking…another personality assessment?! But we already have Myers-Briggs, DISC, Insights, “Which Harry Potter Character Are You Based On Your Sleeping Habits,” etc, etc, etc. But please hear me when I say that the Enneagram is the most thorough, insightful, and helpful personality assessment I’ve ever encountered.
A quick overview is that there are 9 distinct personality types that are categorized by a number. (Suddenly you’re remembering hearing that weird conversation between your colleague and their mom about how your colleague’s boss was being such a 3 today, right?…Now you know what they were talking about.)
Every number has three levels of functionality in which we operate out of—unhealthy, average, and healthy. Every number has a flaw, or a “deadly sin,” as it’s often referred to, that exposes what a person’s motives are behind why they do what they do. It all sounds perhaps a little unnerving at first (with phrases like “deadly sin” and all), but the reality is that it is the only assessment I’ve run across that takes not only the deepest dive into my personality type, but also the most accurate.
There are loads of resources that can explain the Enneagram far better than I’ll ever be able to and I’ll list those below. But before I do that, let me just give one more stamp of approval by saying that the Enneagram has, hands down, made me a much healthier version of myself. Once I discovered what my number was (I’m as Two as a Two can be) I was able to identify characteristics about my personality that I had never been able to figure out before. Suddenly I had words to explain so many of the things I’ve felt and experienced in my life. As I began to research the Two, I began to understand myself on a level that I didn’t know existed. The level of self-awareness it has brought has not only strengthened my relationships with friends and family, but also the one with myself. I’m so glad I discovered and my only regret is not finding it sooner.
Below are my favorite resources. I hope you’ll find them helpful as you embark on your own Enneagram journey.
1. Take the test to discover your number. The Enneagram Institute issues one for $12 here https://tests.enneagraminstitute.com/
2. Read The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self Discovery by Ian Cron and Suzanne Stabile
3. Listen to Ian Cron’s podcast Typology
