There are more than eight billion people on the planet. And yet, each one of us is different than the other. Have you ever wondered what makes us all unique individuals? Have you ever wondered what distinguishes us from one another so much, even though we belong to the same species? Well, the answer is our personalities.
Your personality is a set of unique patterns of thoughts, feelings, attitudes, and behaviors that are inherent to you as an individual. As such, your personality speaks louder than your words. It tells other people who you are and what they can expect from you.
Now, everyone is born with a dominant personality type. Even though there are billions of us, most people can be classified into one of the main personality types. But here’s the tricky part – it is very hard for you to figure out which personality type you belong to unless you have a degree in psychology! And that is where personality models come into play. In this article, we are going to look at the Enneagram personality types and what they can reveal about you.
What Is The Enneagram System?
The Enneagram model describes nine different types of personalities, with each one having its own characteristics. This model is used to help people better understand who they are and their unique strengths and weaknesses. This can be especially important for leaders who can use these Enneagram types to not only understand themselves better but also the people they work with. It can also help them understand why other people do what they do. These insights can then help leaders better guide their peers and teams toward a common objective.
So, what are the nine personality types in the Enneagram system? Let’s take a look.
1. Type One – The Reformer
The Reformers are people who are driven by a strong sense of morality and a passion for perfection. As such, they not only believe in the values of justice and fairness but also want to improve the world in whatever ways they can. However, they can also be judgmental at times because of their ethical values. They also tend to see the world with a binary lens, which can limit their perception to a great degree.
2. Type Two – The Helper
As the name suggests, these people love helping other people. In fact, they have this powerful desire to be needed by others. They are incredibly kind and want to care for people around them and bring a positive change in their lives. Naturally, you can tell that they value relationships a lot. But as they say, too much of a good thing can turn out to be bad. The Helpers put so much focus on other people’s needs that they completely forget about their own.
3. Type Three – The Achiever
These people are characterized by their strong passion for success. They want to be admired and acknowledged by other people, which gives them a greater sense of achievement. As you can probably guess, these people tend to be highly ambitious and fiercely competitive. But this can have some downsides. Their focus on achievements can make them feel like their worth is entirely dependent on the success they receive and not who they are as people.
4. Type Four – The Individualist
These people have a strong sense of uniqueness. As such, they are creative and focus a lot on self-expression. They also tend to introspect more than usual and can easily understand people on an emotional level. The downsides with this personality type are that they want to be understood all the time, they can be moody and they also tend to be jealous.
5. Type Five – The Investigator
This is an interesting personality type as they can always be seen trying to gather knowledge about something or the other. They have this intense urge to get to the bottom of things and can spend countless hours chasing mysteries. These people are analytical, logical, thoughtful, and critical. However, this nature of theirs can make them very detached from other people. They also find it hard to connect with their emotions and express themselves on a deeper level.
6. Type Six – The Loyalist
As the name suggests, the Loyalists are the committed type, whether it be people, goals, or habits. They are also intelligent and always prepared to take action in times of crisis. Their practical nature helps them come up with solutions to even complex problems. However, they tend to suffer from a lack of self-belief and get frequent episodes of anxiety.
7. Type Seven – The Enthusiast
The Enthusiast is characterized by a strong desire for excitement and adventure. They are usually the first ones to come up with plans for vacations or weekend getaways. People with this type of personality are also often spontaneous and energetic, and they value freedom and enjoyment. This nature of them keeps them from recognizing their limits, and so, they often overexert themselves. They also try to avoid feeling emotional pain by covering it up with fun activities.
8. Type Eight – The Challenger
The Challenger is marked by a strong need for control and power. People with this type of personality are often assertive and confident, and they value strength and independence. However, their commanding nature often makes them confrontational and that can lead to arguments and disagreements. Also, since they always want to be in control, they may often drive people away or have strained relationships.
9. Type Nine – The Peacemaker
The Peacemaker is characterized by a strong desire for harmony and peace. People with this type of personality are often easy-going and accepting, and they value cooperation and compromise. As such, people like to be around the Peacemakers. However, they can also explode with anger at times since they tend to bottle up their emotions instead of expressing themselves freely. They can also be easily overwhelmed in times of conflict.
What’s Your Enneagram Type?
If you’re looking for an insightful framework to explore your emotional landscape, the Enneagram is a great place to start. It will give you a greater sense of connection and understanding with yourself and those around you. Understanding your core motivations can provide profound insight into yourself and help you build meaningful relationships with those you encounter. With this free enneagram test, you can learn more about yourself and discover new possibilities today.