It’s been said that we are the product of our upbringing. The way we speak, think, feel… is influenced by our environment. At birth, we inherit part of our parents’ temperament and character, but over time these change, influenced by the people around us. So why do two people brought up in the same way at the same time feel differently? What makes them behave differently? In short, why aren’t they the same? Even twins have different personalities.

The 9 personality types are defined by astrology. 9 typical behaviors represented by a 9-branch diagram called the enneagram. The Enneagram enables you to identify your personality and get to know yourself better. But that’s not all. It also enables you to get to know other people better, so you can understand them better and improve your social relations.

What is the Enneagram?

The Enneagram is a method for studying personality. It comes from the Greek “ennea” meaning “nine”, the number, and “gramma” or figure. So, literally, it’s a figure with 9 branches. The 9 personality types are the dominant personalities.

Already used and taught in the 14th century by the Islamic mystics of the Middle East known as Sufis, it spread throughout the world from 1870 onwards. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that it began to be used in psychology and psychiatry. Hundreds of thousands of books on the Enneagram were sold, and the method was used in management schools and in coaching and therapy within companies.

Why is the Enneagram useful?

The Enneagram is a method for discovering ourselves and others through the 9 personality types. By knowing what motivates us in life and what motivates others, we can not only better understand each person’s personality. We can also explain why we behave in a certain way when faced with a given situation.

In the professional world, the method is a communication tool that enables you to get to know your colleagues better.

In detail, the Enneagram enables you to :

Get to know ourselves better: gain a better understanding of how we operate, how we react…
Identify the motivations, strengths and weaknesses of each of the 9 personality types, in order to better understand those around us.
Create a collective dynamic within the company to achieve a common goal.

WHAT IS THE PRINCIPLE BEHIND THE STUDY OF PERSONALITIES?
Enneagram experts rely on several mechanisms to define an individual’s typical profile. These include :

Strengths and motivations.
The three centers.

Each individual possesses all 9 types defined by the Enneagram, but one profile in particular develops more than the others. This is the Basic Enneagram. This dominant force has been with us since birth. Nevertheless, the 9 basic personality types are linked to other personality types that are totally opposed to it. These are the secondary forces or “wings”. These define our behavior in situations of stress or serenity. So, the first secondary personality is the one we adopt when we’re under stress (we say we disintegrate it). The second appears when we are in harmony with ourselves and with others. We say we integrate it.

Strengths and motivations are represented by the 9 personality types. As for the three centers, they are :

The mental center, which refers to logic, reasoning, planning, choices, decisions and so on. Types 5, 6 and 7 belong to this center.
The emotional center: it controls our thoughts, our desires, our emotions, our feelings, our needs, our intuition, our relationships with others… It groups together types 2, 3 and 4.
And the instinctive center, which controls our reflexes, spontaneous actions, motivation to act, creativity… It includes types 1, 8 and 9.

The 9 personality types

Each personality type is characterized by 5 elements:

Orientation, or what the type seeks to bring to the world.
Preferred center.
Compulsion, which builds the ego.
Passion, which expresses what the personality type feels under compulsion.
Virtue, which expresses how the personality type feels when mastering compulsion.

TYPE 1: THE PERFECTIONIST
Perfectionists prefer the instinctive center. Their orientation is one of great personal rigor and high ideals. Perfectionists like to set the bar high for themselves and others. Sometimes, the first of the 9 personality types sets unrealistic and unachievable goals. This can take as long as it takes, and he prefers to make sure there are no mistakes in what he’s doing before validating anything. Constantly under pressure, he lives with a perpetual sense of uncertainty.

Thanks to this quest for perfection, the perfectionist or reformer stands out and is noticed in the professional world. In fact, they are always on the lookout for perfection, and will do anything to achieve it. This perseverance is perceived as self-esteem or tyranny. But in reality, the first of the 9 personality types shuns anger more than anything else in the world. In fact, even though his goal is always to do well, he’s constantly afraid of being bad, or even evil.

Type 1 is associated with wings 9 and 2. So, when the perfectionist is stressed, he disintegrates and becomes melancholy and irrational. On the contrary, when he’s at peace, the person who constantly criticizes others becomes a joyful, spontaneous person.

TYPE 2: THE ALTRUIST
According to specialists, the altruist is the spitting image of the Jewish mother: benevolent, kind and full of love. In fact, the second of the 9 personality types is so keen to protect his or her loved ones that he or she can sometimes become invasive.

The altruist’s worst fear is rejection or not being worthy of love. That’s why they’re always doing others a favor. Indeed, to be indispensable so as to have a special place in the hearts of those dear to him is his goal.

The altruist’s character traits are: generous, empathetic, compassionate, caring, benevolent, merciful, helpful… For him, being able to help others and be part of their lives is a privilege. Even if it means intruding on their privacy. For some Type 2s out of the 9 personality types, this desire for self-sacrifice is so strong that they become indiscreet, even possessive in some cases. Others end up believing themselves superior because they’re always there for others, and become arrogant and condescending. In the worst cases, they become self-righteous.

Type 2 is connected to secondary personalities 1 and 3. As the altruist disintegrates, he becomes aggressive and domineering. When in harmony with themselves and others, they become aware of their feelings and flourish.

TYPE 3: THE FIGHTER
The fighter is the third of the 9 personality types. Pragmatic, they are also image-conscious. Their goal is to be successful in everything they do, both in their professional and personal lives.

The battler’s greatest fear is not measuring up or being worthless. On the other hand, like the altruist, they like to feel useful. What’s more, the Battler has a heart of gold. Benevolent, gentle and charitable, they like to feel valuable.

But that’s not all. Battlers have a high opinion of themselves and their abilities. Self-confident, Type 3 of the 9 personality types adapts to any situation. That’s why they’re exceptional. In fact, all successful people are achievers. Concerned with performance, the fighter constantly improves to be the best.

Type 3 is associated with wing 2 when he’s integrating, and with wing 4 when he’s under stress. In other words, they become careerists and invest in excellence.

TYPE 4: THE ROMANTIC OR INDIVIDUALIST
Sensitive and creative, Romantics are constantly inventing and reinventing themselves. They tend to be inward-looking, and use art to express themselves. Constantly in search of their true selves, the fourth of the 9 personality types is highly intuitive, both towards themselves and towards others. He is whimsical, living in an imaginary world and incapable of spontaneity.

Also hypersensitive, the romantic or individualist is honest and gentle. At times, they can become melancholy dreamers. Their greatest fear is not having a personality. That’s why they’re always renewing and regenerating themselves.

Type 4 is connected to types 3 and 5. When under stress, the romantic becomes invasive and possessive. When he’s comfortable in his own skin, the fourth of the 9 personality types is objective.

TYPE 5: THE OBSERVER OR INVESTIGATOR
Perceptive, open-minded and curious, the observer is a visionary. They love to discover everything. What’s more, his great capacity for concentration enables him to get to the bottom of things. Once he’s got something in mind, it’s hard to tear him away. Indeed, he’ll do anything to master it. That’s why most Type 5s are experts in a field or innovators.

Others can step out of reality and live in an imaginary world. Moreover, attracted by the esoteric and the mysterious, they repel others.

The fifth of the 9 personality types is afraid of becoming an incompetent or useless person. Their most cherished desire is to be competent in their field of interest, and will do anything to improve their knowledge.

Type 5’s secondary personalities are 4 and 6. In periods of disintegration, they become scattered and hyperactive. But when he’s integrated, he’s self-confident and makes decisions easily.

TYPE 6: LOYAL
Loyal people are responsible and anxious. In fact, their greatest fear is not being attached. In fact, even if Type 6 of the 9 personality types is independent, it needs others to thrive. In fact, it’s the very example of a person who needs to be attached to others. Throughout their lives, loyal people want to create bonds with those around them. Indeed, their greatest desire is to have the support of others. To achieve this, they don’t hesitate to build communities where security and stability reign.

Type 6 has both a 5 and a 7 wing. He becomes arrogant, even aggressive when disintegrating, and optimistic and more at ease when integrating.

TYPE 7: THE EPICUREAN OR ENTHUSIAST
They like to indulge themselves, and will do anything to please. In fact, he’s open to all experiences and stimuli. Happy, cheerful, lively and outgoing, the Epicurean or Enthusiast marvels at the simple things in life. Their greatest fear is to be deprived of pleasure and to suffer. When he can realize all his desires, he is the happiest person in the world.

Sometimes, the Epicurean is so obsessed with the pleasures of life that he/she no longer knows what he/she needs. In fact, they’ll take anything that comes their way. So, the seventh of the 9 personality types can sometimes fall into cerebral hyperactivity without realizing everything he’s saying.

Type 7 is connected with types 6 and 8. Under stress, the Epicurean can become critical and perfectionist. When he’s in harmony with himself and others, he becomes much more fascinated with life.

TYPE 8: THE PROTECTOR
Protectors need to be in control of everything in order to thrive. They are tenacious, strong-willed and self-confident. What he wants is to have control over his life and destiny. Thus, the eighth of the 9 personality types often lives in excess. Confident and strong, Type 8 is always ready to fight, sometimes becoming a superhero. Indeed, thanks to their passionate energy, they easily win the support of others.

On the other hand, the protector fears being controlled or hurt. To avoid this, they don’t hesitate to get into trouble.

Enneagram 8 is with the 7 and 9 wings. In stressful situations, it hesitates and is afraid to put itself forward. When he’s at his best, he opens up to others and listens to what they have to say.

TYPE 9: THE MEDIATOR
The last of the 9 personality types is the easiest to live with. He seeks peace of mind and soul in order to develop healthy relationships with others. As such, they tend to avoid conflict and create a calm environment. In addition, mediators and peacemakers know how to control their emotions. They are also reassuring and supportive of those around them. However, this desire to reassure all the time means that the mediator tends to minimize problems.

Type 8 is associated with wings 8 and 1. Stressed, it’s worried, fulfilled, it’s energetic.

The 9 personality types: how to find your own?

Finding your personality type is one way of understanding why you react to a situation in a particular way. It also helps us to understand how we behave when we’re under pressure or in harmony with ourselves.

The Enneagram is one of the methods used to understand your personality. It has long been used with proven results. Others are also available, such as the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test. One of the most famous personality tests. To find your personality, you need to answer the various questions as honestly as possible.

Which of the 9 personality types is yours? Do the results of the tests you’ve taken really define you?