There are many different tools out there to support a better understanding of ourselves. Myers-Briggs, Ayurveda, introvertion vs extroversion, etc. For me the most useful tool or system I've ever found has been the Enneagram.
"The Enneagram is a powerful tool for personal and collective transformation. Stemming from the Greek words ennea (nine) and grammos (a written symbol), the nine-pointed Enneagram symbol represents nine distinct strategies for relating to the self, others and the world. Each Enneagram type has a different pattern of thinking, feeling and acting that arises from a deeper inner motivation or worldview."
Sorry for the copy and paste 👆🏼, but I don't know how to say that part better. Source: https://www.enneagramworldwide.com/the-enneagram/
You may wonder, "So what type am I? "
Here is a quick and simple 5 minute test for you to begin discovering your type:
If you want something more thorough please download and test yourself using my favorite enneagram app:
"Now I know my enneagram type, but what do I do with this information? "
Good question. There's nothing you need to do with the information or need to do differently in your life. It doesn't "put you in a box." But knowing your type can help you begin to see certain patterns in your mental chatter and make more sense of certain recurring challenges you might be facing.
The enneagram is just a tool to help you see life with more clarity. Basically, it supports a faster verification process of reality as you begin to see which of your thoughts are just part of your processing program vs truth or real concerns.
We all want to feel safe and secure in life. Right? Of course! To protect ourselves in our struggle for safety and security our thought patterns typically manifest into certain predictable ways to deal with our fears and doubts.
Kind of like auditory, visual and kinesthetic learners...we mostly all have these same capacities for hearing, seeing and experiencing, but typically one of those senses will function a bit better and will become the dominant way in which we learn.
The enneagram helps us see that we all have 3 main centers, we call them triads, through which people process our life experiences: the head, the gut, and the heart. Typically, whether the way we are wired from birth or from childhood experiences, one of those centers will develop into the dominant way we process and experience life just like our dominant learning style develops. Then there are 3 subtypes (inward, outward, and conflicted) within each triad and those make up the 9 enneagram types.
Head Types 😳🤓
The head triad, types 5, 6, and 7, are the types I know best because we have these three in my family. (5-my son, 6-me, 7-my daughter) We process life experiences mainly in our heads or through thinking and analyzing. We can be great planners and can foresee and offset danger, but we can overthink things and as a result often these types struggle with fear and anxiety. In fact fear and anxiety are our go to emotions! When under stress we will resort to fear, anxiety, and hyper thinking to find a way back to feeling safe.
Within the thinking triad we have 3 different ways of dealing with this overthinking/fear/anxiety tendency. 5s focus inwardly by wanting to withdraw from the world, have lots of alone/quiet time to seek answers and study. 7s want to avoid the fears and worries in their heads by focusing outwardly and want to seek fun distractions, trips, excitement, more, more, more and "what's next?!" 6s are conflicted and can vacillate between diving deeply inward like a 5 and trying to outthink their overthinking (analysis paralysis) and then other times trying to escape their own thoughts and worries with fun distractions like a 7.
Gut Types 💪🏽😤
Folks who are types, 8, 9, and 1, process life experiences mainly at an intuitive level, or from their gut instincts. They have strong gut feelings and hunches and will act upon them, but struggle at times coming across as too strong, too decisive and sometimes rigid. Anger is their go to emotion. When under stress they will use their anger and decisiveness to bring themselves back to feeling safe. They are generally unafraid to start a conflict, because for them it motivates them to action and they project that expectation onto others. Type 8 projects their gut instincts outwardly through decisiveness and anger to get change done. When healthy and balanced they make great leaders (
The inward side of the anger and gut instinct is a 1. They usually outwardly deny that they are ever angry , because that's "wrong" or "bad" to them, and they hide it/project it inwardly...and then have periodic blow ups. They are typically black-and-white thinkers, respect for and follow the rules people, hell...often they are the ones that wrote the rules, and by god they "should" (fave word of a 1) be followed. The middle type of this triad is a 9, The Peacemaker, who is typically the least in touch with their innate instinct and anger. When healthy 9s can relate all sides of an issue and can be powerful arbitrators. When unhealthy they are conflicted and fearful anger avoiders (can't we all just get along!?) who lack a centerness.
Heart Types 😍😞
The 3rd triad is the heart centered folks, types 2, 3, and 4. They process their life experience predominantly through their feelings and as a result develop very strong emotional responses. They can be loving, emotive and empathetic. However shame is their go to emotion. When under stress they will use shame to bring themselves back to feeling safe. They are generally unafraid to express their emotions because for them it motivates them to take action and they project that expectation onto others. Type 2, The Caretaker, outwardly tends to others emotions and needs, but their motivation is usually to get some care in return. Type 4, The Individualist or Lonely Poet, inwardly tends (okay basks) in their own emotions. 4s can at times project such a pitiful state of need such that surely someone will tend to them so they feel safe and comfortable again. Type 3 is conflicted...they too process their life experiences mainly through their emotions, but they are so resistant to appearing emotional that they deny it and focus instead on the opposite - looking nonemotional and "successful." Achievements, degrees, titles are what are type 3s uses to protect the pain of their tender hearts from the world.
There's more and more to share on each type. Like what actions each type can take to help themselves restore balance and wellness. How you can support your relationship with each type. Etc Just wanted to share my summary here in case it's useful to anyone else out there. Please let me know if this stuff interest you, what you think your type is and why.
Grateful to connect with open minded friends here on Steemit 🙏🏽