This post is the first one in a series I intend to do on presenting the possibilities of the enneagram. Right now I believe that the enneagram is a valid, and nonetheless pragmatic tool that can help you enormously in your personal development efforts. Actually it might come as a tool to fill the gap of a working framework for self development. If used and integrated properly, it can give you a wide variety of options in how to improve your own unfolding and actualized self development framework. Here is why.

It was almost 12 years ago when I first heard of the enneagram. Looking back, I can say that I was lucky to be introduced first to the process enneagram. The enneagram of the 9 personality types came afterwards. If this might have happened the other way, I guess I would have been rejecting it. By that time, I was all against typologies. Rejecting them and thinking of them as cheap entertainment. But fortunately, the enneagram showed up in a friendly way for my narrow mind. And now I am a believer in the enneagram’s amazing facets.

The drawing of nine

For those of you who don’t know what is the enneagram, I’ll give you a short introduction here. At its bare bones, the enneagram is a drawing. More than that, it is a symbolic drawing. So let’s call it a symbol. You can see on the picture above how it looks like. It is made of a circle on which there are the nine equally placed points all around. Inside the circle there is a triangle in the middle, and other lines uniting the points. This is the enneagram symbol as a drawing.

The 9 personality types

The enneagram symbol is created based on the properties of the number 9. This is why you can read about the 9 enneagram personality types. Those 9 types are placed on the circle, having the inner lines showing the relations between them. This is the most popular way to understand the enneagram.

The process enneagram

The other major usage of the enneagram is called the process enneagram. This approach to the symbol presents a map for a self completing process. You can think of the process of cooking for example, and picture the steps it takes from the kitchen until the food gets in your plate. This is a very simple process, the process of cooking, on which it is usually explained to beginners. The outer points here represent the order in time of the events of the process. Like buying food, cooking it, serving it etc. And the inner lines represent the feed-back mechanisms of the process. Enough of this for now. Will give you more details in as easy ways as possible later.

The enneagram is:

1. A system of 9 personality types, and

2. A system for mapping processes

Usually, people know only about the 9 types. There is a lot of good information, but also much irrelevant information on the system of the 9 types. Definitely, the good thing about it is that all, or most of it, is available now on-line. Even excellent tests are made to help you detect your own type. Here are two tests already recommended on Vertegram: the Duniho test and the Eclectic Energies test. The availability of those tests I think is very useful, especially for beginners.

What’s your type?

The first step in getting to know a personality types system is to identify your own type. After all, this is naturally the most attractive side of typologies. They give you quick information about yourself. The problem with quick information here is that it might get superficial. And now I give you my first point on why I think the enneagram stands out. Because it gives you hints, but it still keeps your curiosity alive. It lets you feel like there is always something more to it. And the fact is, that there is indeed always something more to it.

Symbols, by their nature, are giving room for endless interpretations. They carry endlessness within. And this is valid for the enneagram too. The more you learn about it, the more interesting it gets. I believe that the greatest potential of the enneagram lays in its dynamics. In terms of its mapping capabilities it is very plastic, thus it gives possibilities for its usage in so many fields.

After reviewing the two presented tests, I got some nice feed-backs from you. Some of you do not wish to share your thoughts here (hopefully you will change your mind), but had concerns about the results.In the near future I will present a few tips on how to recognize your enneagram type. Until then, maybe those of you who have experience with the enneagram, might want to share with us some of your thoughs. Happy enneagraming!

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