The Enneagram has been featured in your podcasts, brought up on social media by friends, and even mentioned at work, but what is it? What does it mean to “be a 1” or to “be a 4?” What the heck is a wing and why are people so excited over it all?

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Great questions.

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The Enneagram is a tool that has been around for decades (if not longer) used to help people know themselves better and experience personal growth. Traditionally it is used in spiritual circles helping people connect to God’s love and to help them live to be the people God created them to be; however, it has been proven useful in counseling, group and business settings to help people understand themselves and one another.

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Made up of nine Main Types, the Enneagram is depicted by the symbol of the circle seen above.

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The lines going across the circle show the different paths of growth and stress, depending on how a person is doing at any given time. But this is a more in depth interpretation. Perhaps the most helpful thing to know is that each person has one Main Type that influences everything in their day to day lives from morning routines, to relationships, to the type of work they choose.

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While most temperament and personality typing systems focus on how people behave, the Enneagram focuses on why people do what they do. Each Main Type has unique persuasions which influence them. These persuasions include key fears, desires, and weaknesses.

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How does knowing the Enneagram help a person grow?

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The Enneagram can help people grow because it helps them observe their own lives, challenge their belief systems that keep them stuck in patterns of thinking or behaviors, and grow to understand themselves as lovable, valuable people.

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It helps them discover themselves as God created them, wholly and dearly loved.

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Do you need to be a Christian for the Enneagram to be beneficial to you?

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Absolutely not. While the Enneagram is often used in spiritual settings it is not restricted to those settings. Anyone can benefit from greater understanding of themselves, especially those hidden parts of ourselves.

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What is a wing?

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You may hear people talk about their wings. “I’m a 7 with an 8 wing.” “I’m a 2 with a 3 wing.” A wing is simply the number to the right or the left of the Main Type that the person identifies as the one she uses most. We access the characteristics of our wings in different ways throughout our lives depending on our need, our maturity, and even our desires. Sometimes these traits have been encouraged in us. Other times we simply find them useful.

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Enneagram wings further the nuance of the Enneagram itself. Like colors on a color wheel, each person is unique.

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Why are the types identified as numbers and not names?

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Great question. Many teachers prefer to keep the numbers because one word can never summarize a person entirely and may lead to caricatures of any given type. However, the following are some pretty classic titles for the nine types and I will include them so they can help you begin to see the differences.

Type 1 – The Perfectionist

Type 2 – The Helper

Type 3 – The Performer

Type 4 – The Romantic

Type 5 – The Investigator

Type 6 – The Loyalist

Type 7 – The Enthusiast

Type 8 – The Challenger

Type 9 – The Peacemaker

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How can I learn which type I am?

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I’m glad you asked. There are many different tests out there as well as many books one could read. Some people believe the best way to determine your type is to read up on the different types and the one that resonates most is your Main Type. I have put together a list of some of my favorite Enneagram books.

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No time to read? Sign up for one of my free hour long Enneagram webinars: Knowing You: Understanding Yourself and Others through the Enneagram. My next webinar is July 23rd. Sign up on Eventbrite!

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People often ask about tests and while I think tests can be helpful, I would still advise a person to read up on the top 3 types in the test in their test results, just to help narrow it down. The top type is probably your type, but it may not be. So if something doesn’t ring true for you, listen to your gut!

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I would recommend the RHETI which costs $12 and is utilized by The Enneagram Institute. If you are needing a free test, then I would recommend Your Enneagram Coach’s free test.

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When answering the questions, go with your gut response. Try not to overthink your answers. But if you’re truly stuck, think about what you were like as a 20-something, when your ego was at its purest (not necessarily healthiest).

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Help! I can’t figure out my type!!

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Take a deep breath, this is perfectly normal. For many people discovering their Main Type is as much part of their journey to self-awareness and understanding as anything else.

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If you are interested, I offer coaching to help you arrive at identifying your type. I cannot tell you what type you are, but I can help you discern. This is called a “Typing Session.” I will simply need what you believe are the potential 2 or 3 types (either from your own reading or test results) and an hour or so of your time to go over some basic needs and desires of those types.

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I can also offer a teaching session where we individually go through all of the types.

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Simply contact me to let me know what you need!

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I know my type, now what?

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May I suggest finding an Enneagram coach? When I was learning my type, I was overwhelmed with not truly understanding what it meant to be a “4” or what that meant for my life. I found some virtual coaches who I followed on Instagram, but had to do a lot of legwork on my own to discover how the Enneagram could be valuable in my person growth.

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As an Enneagram Coach, I offer 5 Knowing You sessions to go through an in depth study of your type and how your type has influenced you. Knowing yourself more fully through the Enneagram can break you free from negative thought patterns and behaviors and allow you to further pursue your goals.

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Schedule a free consultation today to determine if Enneagram Coaching is right for you!