Enneagram Personality Type System Overview and Why It Is Useful

In this video, I’ll give you a top-level overview of the Enneagram Personality Type system and I’ll tell you why I think it can help you be a better person.

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Hi, everyone! This is Lara Hammock from the Marble Jar channel and in today’s video, I’ll give you a top-level overview of the Enneagram Personality Type system and I’ll tell you why I think it can help you be a better person.

I love personality tests. When I was in high school, I did a whole science project on whether the Myers Briggs Type indicator predicted employment plans — it sort of did. I have forced many people to test their introversion levels with this test that i keep on my phone. And I like to categorize people into foxes and hedgehogs based on my family’s unique take on those economic metaphors.

I know these tests aren’t usually data driven. In other words, there isn’t much evidence to support that people who are, for example, classified as ENFJs behave similarly in a given situation. The one personality description that IS based on statistical factor analysis is the Big 5 Personality Traits. Those are just 5 dimensional traits that are statistically predictive of behavior. The problem is — once you know that you are more conscientious than not, less agreeable than most, and high on neuroticism — it may be interesting, but there’s not much that you can DO with that information.

The enneagram is another personality system that doesn’t seem to have much evidentiary basis. In addition, it is a system that requires you to choose a category rather than one that allows you to place yourself on a spectrum. This is a big no no in modern social science, which sees experience as dimensional rather than categorical. Let me give you an example — in the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, which is a categorical typing system, you have to choose whether you are an extrovert or introvert. Up or down, black or white. That is tricky for someone like me who is smack down the middle. My experience would be easier to describe using the Big 5 Personality Traits, which is a dimensional system. I would be considered neither high nor low on the extroversion trait. There is actually a categorical word for people like me — I’m an ambivert.

That said, I find the enneagram system to be fascinating. The benefit to a system that requires you to pick a category is that you can be more prescriptive with the results. In other words it tells you what you can DO with that information. So, what makes the Enneagram fascinating?

For starters, it’s based on the idea that we all have a main wound or area of vulnerability. The nature people would say the wound is based on your genetics, nurture people would say it comes from your childhood. The real answer, like most things, is that it’s a combination of both. Your wounds or areas of vulnerability determine what coping strategies that you use in order to get through life. Most of these strategies will become habitual over time. So this points to our motivations — why do we do the things we do? And cool thing is, the wounds for the 9 Enneagram types are based on the 7 deadly sins plus 2.

I think it is a cool idea.

Let’s briefly go through the 9 types and I’ll fill you in on each of the main flaws or wounds as we go. Just a quick disclaimer — I am not an expert. I’ve read a couple of books and gotten some edits from my Aunt Mary, who has a longer history with the Enneagram system. People may quibble with my depiction of these types, but when I got started i went looking for some explanatory videos and, although there is a lot of really great stuff out there, I couldn't find anything that was as concise and direct as I wanted, so here goes.

Type 1 - Perfectionist/Reformer - These folks need for things to be done the right way and have highly developed notion of fairness. They hold themselves to high standards and have strong views on how things should be done. They are super responsible and dependable, but can come across as critical to others. Their wound is anger at not feeling good enough and their motivation is to be perfect to earn the respect and love of others.

Type 2 - Giver/Helper - these folks give a lot of themselves. They can see what others need and work hard to help them particularly when they can sense pain and unhappiness in others. They have a hard time saying no and they don’t always take good care of themselves. They put a lot into their relationships, but can become hurt and even demanding when they feel under appreciated. Their wound is pride of how loving they are and how they can ignore their own needs and their motivation is to be loved because they do so much for others. . .

[fellowcitizen]

As a teenager I was obsessed with personality tests, too, and I also had many friends take a certain test derived from Myers-Briggs, yet which required four additional tests to be taken by their friends and family. I think it was also for a project, though I may've just done so for kicks.

I've been thinking about the Enneagram, lately, and that I'd never delved into it as far as I wished to, so your video was really timely and handy. As I recall, I was a 5, and that does seem to remain accurate from your description, although I feel the impact of my experiences drawing in other poses.

Two other key things which I thought were interesting: the emphasis upon which mindsets work well with which other mindsets; and that historically, the Enneagram was derived from Gurdjieff's teachings.

By the way, your hair looks fantastic :)