Are you like me and love taking personality tests with your friends? This is the enneagram, a system that categorizes individuals into nine distinct personality types, each representing a specific set of characteristics, fears, desires, and coping mechanisms. Derived from the Greek words “ennea” (nine) and “gramma” (figure), the Enneagram delves deep into the underlying motivations that drive our thoughts, actions, and relationships. Read below to find out which number you are.
2, 3 and 4
Dominant emotion: Shame
Dominant intelligence: Heart
Type two: The mothers/ givers of the enneagram, twos need to feel needed and go out of their way to be helpful to others. They are very open people and tend to be popular amongst their friends and classmates! They try to make themselves central to other people’s lives and are naturally very empathetic and nurturing. Due to this however, if they do not feel needed, they can have trouble with boundaries and attach to people, becoming very needy and controlling. A healthy type two is one who knows how to balance their love for others with some basic self-care!
Type three: The achievers/presidents of the enneagram, threes are extremely charismatic and boast an impressive range of accomplishments. They are natural leaders and can be “social chameleons”, changing their personalities to fit those around them. They hold themselves to high standards, powered by the type A mentality to get things done. At their worst, type threes can be jealous and push aside others in order to feel better about themselves and get ahead. They can also lose touch with their inner selves after trying so hard to create a persona. A healthy type three is one who is in touch with their inner-self while still being able to motivate and uplift those around them.
Type four: The artists/romantics of the enneagram, fours need to be different and unique from those surrounding them. They feel things deeply and are comfortable with any and all emotions, leading them to be very empathetic towards others and excellent artists. They enjoy amplifying what is different and/or unique about themselves and finding their niche. They tend to be highly dramatic and could occasionally be described as whiny. At their core, fours believe they are flawed and missing something that everyone else has, and this leads them down a moody, perpetual quest for a soulmate, seeking to complete themselves in some way.
Five, six, and seven
Dominant emotion: Fear
Dominant intelligence: mind
Type five: Being introspective introverts, fives seek knowledge and wisdom and are very comfortable being by themselves. They are insightful, independent, and have seemingly unlimited knowledge on the topics that interest them! Fives thrive off of being alone which leads them to excel at subjects such as math, research or science and become great thinkers. If not careful, fives can fall into the trap of cutting everyone off around them, believing that they are best off with no one around, leading them to become bitter and spiteful.
Type six: Dedicated and responsible, sixes seek security by making allies and identifying with a group. They are responsible and tend to be well-liked, making them excellent friends along with the most common enneagram number! Their lives are defined by the relationships they have with others that grant them an inner sense of security. Sixes have a sort of perpetual low-grade anxiety, and this keeps them always planning and always preparing for the worst that could happen. At their worst, they can become skeptical and push away those around them, becoming intolerable from their constant worrying and anxiety.
Type seven: Another well-liked number, type sevens are always on the go! They are constantly upbeat and optimistic, preferring to always look to the next fun thing on the horizon rather than focusing on problems at hand. They are explorers and love to take on new challenges. When stressed, sevens can become highly delusional, manipulative, and narcissistic- they fail to come to terms with reality as their fantasy world comes crashing down around them.
Eight, Nine, and One
Dominant emotion: Anger
Dominant intelligence: Gut (Body)
Type eight: The strong, “alpha male” heroes of the enneagram, eights emerge as leaders. They are fierce, intimidating, and love to argue! They have their minds set on goals and will do anything to achieve them, especially if it means going against authority. Rather than wanting to be liked by their peers, they crave respect and subordination and take pride in their intelligence and strength. These traits can lead the eight to become emotionally constipated and challenge anyone who questions them or their motives.
Type nine: Nines are the peacemakers of the enneagram, preferring to maintain harmony around them than fulfill their needs. They are calm and collected, being able to see multiple perspectives in a situation and able to get along with people individually. Due to these characteristics, nines make great friends and have wide circles of friends and acquaintances! They tend to submit to others’ demands in order to avoid being needy. If pushed to their limits, nines become passive-aggressive and can believe they are worthless.
Type one: As perfectionists, ones have the unique talent to look at any problem or situation and figure out what is wrong and how to make it better. They hold themselves to high standards and work hard to avoid making mistakes, even going as far as to correct others’. They are practical and diligent, motivated by a fear of being seen as imperfect. They are excellent people to have on a team and essential members for any project! Sometimes, though, ones can heap criticism onto others, forcing people away. However, the criticism they put onto others is only a drop in the bucket compared to that they put on themselves, which can lead them to become out of touch with reality and focus on irrelevant things.
Still don’t know which one you are? Take one of these quizzes to find out!
https://openpsychometrics.org/tests/OEPS/
