By: Michelle Richards

Its origin and history have been highly disputed but one thing we know about the enneagram is that it is not new to the party. Some say it has been around in some form since around the 1960s, while others believe the basis of it has been around for much longer, hundreds or possibly thousands of years. Either way, thanks in big part to social media, the enneagram is gaining traction and making its round once again. So, what is the enneagram, and why should we care about it?

The Enneagram is a typology system that describes human personality as a number of interconnected personality types. At its simplest, the Enneagram represents nine different personality types. Beyond the basic nine personality types, the system grows much more complex and includes different subtypes as well as three key “centers'' focused on action, feeling, and thinking.

According to the Enneagram theory, people are born with one dominant personality type that can then be shaped by environmental factors and experiences; two forces that tend to influence each other. While inborn traits and characteristics help shape how people respond to their experiences, their environment also plays a role in shaping how personality is formed and expressed.

The Enneagram system holds that although you may identify with more than one personality type, the dominant type is what is most important for each person. Our personality is a mix of your basic type as well as at least one or two adjacent types known as “wings.” These adjacent personality types may influence overall personality, but they do not change a person’s basic type. According to Enneagram theory, people do not change from one basic type of personality to another. However, not all elements of personality are always expressed. People will fluctuate depending on factors such as their health and habits.

Each of the nine personality types is characterized by a set of dominant behaviors, and motivations. The enneagram is a way for us to see and understand our own patterns, to use the gifts of our unique personalities, in order to grow, achieve our full potential, and have the life that we desire.

Different from other typing systems like Myers-Briggs, StrengthsFinder, and the Five Love Languages, the enneagram is not about our behaviors, but about what motivates our behaviors. The enneagram is a way to understand ourselves better, to understand our fears and desires, but can also help us to better understand those who are most important to us.

So let’s break down the 9 personality types of the enneagram:

Type One: The Reformer

Type Ones focus on following the rules and doing things the right way. They are motivated by their desire to live the “right” way and to always avoid fault and blame. They are so intent on being perfect that it can backfire, and they can often be too hard on themselves and on others.

Strengths: Ethical, dedicated, reliable, strive to help themselves and others be the best they can be
Faults: Very critical, especially to themselves; tends to see things in black and white
Basic fear: To be bad or corrupt
Basic desire: To be good or have integrity

Type Two: The Helper

As the name suggests, Type Twos are always there to lend a hand and act as a support system for family and friends. They are motivated by their need to be loved and needed at all times. They’re extremely giving—to the point of ignoring their own needs. They really want to be liked and have a strong fear of being disliked by others, so they will do anything to ensure that they fit in. They tend to ignore their own boundaries for the sake of others.

Strengths: Caring, interpersonal, warm, giving, values relationships, and service
Faults: Focuses so much on what others need that they don’t acknowledge their own needs; sometimes thinks they know best about the needs of others
Basic fear: Being unworthy of being loved; being unwanted
Basic desire: To be loved

Type Three: The Achiever

Type Threes are success-oriented and extremely driven. They are motivated by their constant need to be successful—or at least to look successful to others. They do everything they can to avoid failure. They never want to look like they don’t know what they’re doing, and they put a little too much focus on what others think of them.

Strengths: Adaptable and able to succeed in almost any situation; productive and image-conscious
Faults: Feels their worth lies in what they can do and accomplish rather than who they are
Basic fear: To be worthless or insignificant; to disappoint others
Basic desire: To be valuable and accepted

Type Four: The Individualist

Type Fours are motivated by the need to be as unique as possible—they never want to be ordinary. They are also very focused on feeling all of their emotions. Their moodiness can hinder them, and they have a fear of being flawed.

Strengths: Creative, sensitive, introspective, unique, understanding, empathetic
Faults: Desires to be seen and understood at all times; tends to be jealous and moody
Basic fear: To have no identity or personal significance
Basic desire: To be meaningful based on their inner experience

Type Five: The Investigator

Also known as scientists or professors, Type Fives love to learn. They are constantly striving to conserve energy and learn more about the world, and this tends to make them very private and detached. They can be secretive and not very social.

Strengths: Knowledgeable, curious, insightful, analytical
Faults: Struggles to connect with their emotions; very detached and tends to be a loner
Basic fear: To be useless, helpless, or incapable
Basic desire: To be capable and competent

Type Six: The Loyalist

Motivated by fear and the need for security, loyalists are the most common type. They value friendship and loyalty, but they are also worst-case scenario thinkers. They like to be prepared for the worst and feel anxious if they don’t think they’re prepared.

Strengths: Committed, practical, witty, great in a crisis, always prepared
Faults: Can be anxious and sometimes struggles with self-doubt
Basic fear: To be without security and support
Basic desire: To have security and support

Type Seven: The Enthusiast

A positive, fun-loving type, Type Sevens are spontaneous and motivated by a need to be happy. They never want to be tied down and are almost always full of energy. They never want to feel any kind of emotional pain or discomfort, so they do everything they can to keep themselves busy and have a good time.

Strengths: Adventurous, always planning something fun, love having new experiences
Faults: Struggles with recognizing limits and tends to overexert themselves; can struggle with doing fun things in order to avoid internal pain
Basic fear: To be confined or in pain
Basic desire: To be happy and satisfied

Type Eight: The Challenger

Type Eights are motivated by their need to always assert strength and control over everyone around them, and to never look weak and vulnerable. They can be described as defenders or protectors, and they always know what they want. They are leaders, but they are also obsessed with controlling everything around them.

Strengths: Commanding, direct, protective, very take-charge
Faults: Confrontational, always needs to be in control, always needs to get what they want
Basic fear: To be harmed or controlled by others
Basic desire: To be in control and protect self and others

Type Nine: The Peacemaker

Nines value harmony, comfort, and peace. They are motivated by a need to always keep the peace and avoid conflict at all costs. They go with the flow and tend to let others take control so that they can make other people happy.

Strengths: Pleasant, laid back, accommodating
Faults: Can explode with anger when keeping things in for too long; can be too complacent
Basic fear: To be disconnected, separate, and/or lost
Basic desire: To have peace and stability in their internal and external world

H3R’s tips for using the Enneagram.

We recognize that humans are unique, complicated, and do not fit into a box. It is simply an opportunity to learn more about yourself, understand your personality, and to self-reflect.
The enneagram is a great way to empower others based on individual strengths and to grow based on the areas where you are not as strong.
Don’t be too critical of the results. Everyone has strengths and areas where we can improve; embrace both.
The enneagram is a great way to connect with and understand your partner or friends a little bit better.
Have fun with it! □

About the Writer

Michelle Richards lives in Wilmington, Delaware with her husband and two daughters. When she isn’t writing for H3R, Michelle works as a Care Counselor with Cerebral. She believes that access to quality, affordable Mental Health services is essential and wants to help to break the stigma of asking for support. Michelle loves the beach, reading, writing, true crime, exercising outside, watching movies with her daughters, and date nights with her husband.

Article Credits

Michelle’s Linktree: @Shelldez

Photography: Mathilde Langevin

Making Sense Of The Enneagram