The enneagram (Greek 'enneas' = nine) describes nine personality types. It's very old, and comes to us from the Near East. It's based on the assumption that each of us develops various compulsive, defensive approaches to life in our early years. One writer explains it this way: 'A person retains the purity of essence for a short time. It is lost between four and six years of age when the child begins to imitate the parents, tells lies, and pretends. A contradiction develops between the inner feeling of the child and the outer social reality to which the child must conform.' The basic idea of the enneagram is that there are nine ways of adjusting to life, nine basic life strategies, and therefore nine different types of people. This way of understanding ourselves helps us appreciate our distortions - and the gift that has been distorted. It is only by acceptance of the distortion that we come to that particular giftedness to which we are called. (Some might say this approach is 'negative': the enneagram would rather call it 'realistic'.) So we are invited to free ourselves from this distortion, this wound, and become more of a whole person. If your fundamental psychological orientation is towards FEELING, the emotions, you are either a helper (2: encouraging, possessive, manipulative), status seeker (3: ambitious, pragmatic, narcissistic), or artist (4: sensitive, introverted, depressive). If it's DOING, then you're either the thinker (5: perceptive, analytic, reductionistic), the loyalist (6: committed, dutiful, passive-aggressive) or the generalist (7: sophisticated, hyperactive, excessive). In the RELATING triad we find the leader (8: self-confident, aggressive, confrontational), the peacemaker (9: receptive, easy-going, complacent) and the reformer (1: rational, orderly, perfectionistic). Remember, these describe your basic, essential self, and you'll 'wing into' other types: particularly the two either side. (Adapted from Riso: Personality Types: Using the Enneagram for Self-Discovery). 1. I work hard, and expect the best in myself and others. I am right and most others are wrong. Because I cannot easily live with imperfection I am frustrated or angry when I or others don't measure up. However, anger is wrong or it's useless, and so I control myself as much as possible (and don't recognize the buried anger that still simmers below the surface). I have the feeling that if can achieve more, be more 'perfect' I will be loved or respected more by myself and others. I see God as all perfection. 2. I'm a 'doer', a very caring person. I want to 'be there' for others. When I am not helping others I feel worthless. I have few or no needs; it's not good to have needs; I don't like the thought of being needy myself; (in fact I don't see that my 'helping' stance is really a need to be needed -helpaholism). I see God as loving and compassionate. 3. I see myself as efficient, a super-organizer. People who constantly make mistakes are stupid: I'm not like that. I am always on the go, always active, always achieving. I like to be known for my accomplishments, so I'm concerned about my public image - I like to be thought of as a successful organizer. So I don't like exploring feelings much: navel-gazing's not my thing. I want to get things done. I see God as organizer, manager of the universe, law-giver. 4. I feel I am a unique, special person, sensitive, cultured, refined. I feel things deeply, and therefore suffer more deeply than others. I often feel that others have that something special I don't have, so I feel left out, and this depresses me. Nobody knows the trouble I've seen. In fact I have lots of highs and lows in my mood swings. I often ask 'why?' questions. Art is special to me: I understand the sensitivity of poets. God is unique, the Source, the Holy Origin. 5. I'm very observant: life is fascinating to watch. I'm a wise person, and I love ideas. I can't be bothered with too much small- talk: you don't learn much that way. Life is an inner thing - ideas rather than feeling or action. In fact feelings aren't reliable: you shouldn't trust them. I love ideas so much I 'hoard' them - in my library, filing system, etc. I don't have many if any friends because I don't want to waste time in idle chit-chat. The idea of 'experiencing my own emptiness' is foreign to me. God is all-wise, all-knowing. 6. I am a loyal person, obedient, dutiful, doing what I have to do. I like to be approved of by someone in authority: if I'm the 'favourite' all the better. I'm a 'God-fearing' person, doing and believing what I should. I'm most comfortable when I have a strong leader: life can be pretty fearful and threatening. Indeed, to face my fear is the most difficult thing of all. Perhaps I don't trust others because I don't altogether trust myself, and I can be rebellious. God, however, is faithful. 7. I'm an 'OK' person. I appear happy even when I don't feel happy. I'm an optimist, smile a lot, cheery most of the time (and chide others for being gloomy). I enjoy good times, good experiences. I keenly anticipate good times to come and vividly remember good experiences in the past. I enjoy stories. If something's awefully wrong, or painful, I try not to notice. Catastrophes are God's will so why worry? God is joyful: so let's have fun. 8. I'm a 'can do' person, strong and powerful. We live in an unjust world and you have to fight to get anywhere. Weakness is pathetic: it's just not on. I just don't understand why the poor and outcast don't fight to pull themselves together. If someone is unjust stomp on them! I suppose I have an instinct for power, and gravitate to where the power is. Tenderness is weak ('sissy' if I'm male): I'm sometimes accused of not showing warmth. God being weak or vulnerable is a thought I can't live with: he's strong, all-powerful. 9. I'm a settled sort of person: I hate conflict, so I avoid conflict within me, and outside me as much as possible. As a result I don't explore within myself in case I might be disturbed at what I find there. However I work hard, and frankly, if I'm encouraged I work really well. To be honest, I really need to know I'm loved to feel more secure. I'm threatened by problems, and by excessive enthusiasm. So I try to play everything down (make molehills out of mountains). God is a God of peace and love. Shalom! Rowland Croucher [Director, John Mark Ministries] - counseling seminaring, preaching, writing, for Christian pastors/leaders/& spouses [Telephone: 613 9729 2517] [Email: ] http://jmm.aaa.net.au