What is the Enneagram?
Don Riso has defined the Enneagram as “a geometric figure that delineates the nine basic personality types of human nature and their complex interrelationships.” While the Enneagram suggests that there are nine basic personality types of human nature, there are, of course, many subtypes and variations within the nine fundamental categories. Nevertheless, the assertion of Enneagram theory is that these nine adequately map out the territory of “personality types.” The Enneagram is also a symbol that maps out the ways in which the nine types are related to each other. This is the aspect of the Enneagram most people are familiar with because it offers them a framework for understanding themselves and everyone they deal with. As a psychospiritual typology, the Enneagram helps people to recognize and understand an overall pattern in human behavior. External behaviors, underlying attitudes, one”s characteristic sense of self, conscious and unconscious motivations, emotional reactions, defens
Don Riso has defined the Enneagram as “a geometric figure that delineates the nine basic personality types of human nature and their complex interrelationships.” While the Enneagram suggests that there are nine basic personality types of human nature, there are, of course, many subtypes and variations within the nine fundamental categories. Nevertheless, the assertion of Enneagram theory is that these nine adequately map out the territory of “personality types.” The Enneagram is also a symbol that maps out the ways in which the nine types are related to each other. This is the aspect of the Enneagram most people are familiar with because it offers them a framework for understanding themselves and everyone they deal with. As a psychospiritual typology, the Enneagram helps people to recognize and understand an overall pattern in human behavior. External behaviors, underlying attitudes, one’s characteristic sense of self, conscious and unconscious motivations, emotional reactions, defense
The Enneagram (pronounced ANY-a-gram) in its entirety is a spiritual pathway for understanding the human dilemma, but for the purposes of Lotus Flower Living I primarily use the personality typing aspect of this amazing teaching. According to this system there are nine personality types. Each type has its own worldview, behaviors and strategies for seeing, analyzing and coping with life. Once we know our type, we can use this information to help us in our self-discovery work. The Enneagram Made Easy by Renee Baron and Elizabeth Wagele is my preferred quick reference book for the Enneagram. Any works by Helen Palmer are my preferred means of in-depth study of the Enneagram. You may also enjoy reading The Wisdom of the Enneagram by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson and The Spiritual Dimension of the Enneagram by Sandra Maitri.
