Enneagram of Personality

also identied eight remedies to these thoughts.[7]

For other uses, see Enneagram.

G. I. Gurdjie is credited with making the enneagram

gure commonly known[9] (see Fourth Way enneagram).
He did not, however, develop the nine personality types
associated with the Enneagram. Oscar Ichazo is generally recognized as the principal source[9] of the contemporary Enneagram of Personality. Ichazos Enneagon
of Ego Fixations, together with a number of other dimensions of personality mapped on the enneagram gure,
forms the basis of the Enneagram of Personality. The
Bolivian-born Ichazo began teaching programs of selfdevelopment in the 1950s. His teaching, which he calls
"Protoanalysis", uses the enneagram gure among many
other symbols and ideas. Ichazo founded the Arica Institute which was originally based in Chile before moving
to the United States[2] and coined the term Enneagram
of Personality.[3]

The Enneagram of Personality, or simply the Enneagram (from the Greek words [ennea, meaning
nine"] and [gramma, meaning something written or drawn[1] ]), is a model of human personality
which is principally understood and taught as a typology
of nine interconnected personality types. Although the
origins and history of many of the ideas and theories associated with the Enneagram of Personality are a matter
of dispute, contemporary Enneagram understandings are
principally derived from the teachings of Oscar Ichazo
and Claudio Naranjo. Naranjos theories were partly inuenced by some earlier teachings of G. I. Gurdjie. As
a typology the Enneagram denes nine personality types
(sometimes referred to as enneatypes), which are represented by the points of a geometric gure called an
enneagram,[2] which, it is believed, also indicate some of
the connections between the types. There are dierent
schools of thought among Enneagram teachers, therefore
their ideas on some theoretical aspects are not always in
agreement.[2]

Claudio Naranjo is a Chilean-born psychiatrist who rst

learned about the Enneagram of Personality from Ichazo
at a course in Arica, Chile. He then began developing
and teaching his own understanding of the Enneagram in
the United States in the early 1970s, inuencing others,
including some Jesuit priests who adapted the Enneagram
for use in Christian spirituality. Numerous other authors,
including Helen Palmer, Don Richard Riso, Richard Rohr
and Elizabeth Wagele, also began publishing widely read
books on the Enneagram of Personality in the 1980s and
1990s. Ichazo disowned Naranjo and the other teachers
on what he felt were misinterpretations and uses of the
Enneagram. Among Naranjos early students there are
also diering understandings of Enneagram theory.[2]

The Enneagram of Personality has been widely promoted in both business management and spiritual contexts through seminars, conferences, books, magazines,
and DVDs.[3][4] In business contexts it is generally used
as a typology to gain insights into workplace dynamics;
in spirituality it is more commonly presented as a path to
higher states of being, essence, and enlightenment. It has
been described as a method for self-understanding and
self-development.[3]
Critics have characterized the Enneagram as
pseudoscience, saying that it is too vague to be scientically tested or veried.[5][6]

History

2 Enneagram gure

The origins and historical development of the Enneagram of Personality are matters of dispute. Wiltse and
Palmer[7] have suggested that similar ideas to the Enneagram of Personality are found in the work of Evagrius
Ponticus, a Christian mystic who lived in 4th century
Alexandria. Evagrius identied eight logismoi (deadly
thoughts) plus an overarching thought he called love of
self. Evagrius wrote, The rst thought of all is that of
love of self (philautia); after this, [come] the eight.[8]
In addition to identifying eight deadly thoughts, Evagrius

The enneagram gure is usually composed of three parts;

a circle, an inner triangle (connecting 3-6-9) and an irregular hexagonal periodic gure (connecting 1-4-2-8-57). According to esoteric spiritual traditions,[10] the circle
symbolizes unity, the inner triangle symbolizes the law
of three and the hexagon represents the law of seven
(because 1-4-2-8-5-7-1 is the repeating decimal created
by dividing one by seven in base 10 arithmetic).[11] These
three elements constitute the usual enneagram gure.[12]
1

4 CRITICISM

3.2 Connecting lines

9
8

3
5

For some Enneagram theorists the lines connecting the

points add further meaning to the information provided
by the descriptions of the types. Sometimes called the
security and stress points, or points of integration
and disintegration, some theorists believe that these
connected points also contribute to a persons overall personality. From this viewpoint, therefore, there are at least
four other points that can aect a persons overall personality; the two points connected by the lines to the core
type and the two wing points.[17][18] These ideas, however, have now largely been rejected or modied by most
Enneagram teachers, including Claudio Naranjo who rst
developed them.

3.3 Instinctual subtypes

Enneagram gure

Nine types

The table below gives the principal characteristics of the

nine types along with their basic relationships. This table
is based on Understanding the Enneagram: The Practical Guide to Personality Types (revised edition) by Don
Richard Riso and Russ Hudson.[13] Other theorists may
disagree on some aspects. The types are normally referred to by their numbers, but sometimes their characteristic roles (which refers to distinctive archetypal characteristics) are used instead.[14] The stress and security points (sometimes referred to as the disintegration
and integration points) are the types, connected by the
lines of the enneagram gure, that are believed to inuence a person in more adverse or relaxed circumstances.
According to this theory, someone classed as a One type,
for example, may begin to think, feel and act more like a
Four type when stressed, or more like a Seven type when
relaxed.

3.1

Wings

Most, but not all, Enneagram of Personality theorists

teach that a persons basic type is modied, at least to
some extent, by the personality dynamics of the two adjacent types as indicated on the enneagram gure. These
two types are often called wings. A person of the
Three personality type, for example, is understood to
have points Two and Four as their wing types. The circle of the enneagram gure may indicate that the types or
points exist on a spectrum rather than as distinct types or
points unrelated to those adjacent to them. A person may
be understood, therefore, to have a core type and one or
two wing types that inuence but do not change the core
type.[15][16]

Each of the personality types is usually understood as

having three instinctual subtypes. These subtypes are
believed to be formed according to which one of three
instinctual energies of a person is dominantly developed
and expressed. The instinctual energies are usually called
self-preservation, sexual (also called intimacy or
one-to-one) and social. On the instinctual level, people may internally stress and externally express the need
to protect themselves (self-preservation), to connect with
important others or partners (sexual), or to get along
or succeed in groups (social).[19] From this perspective,
there are 27 distinct personality patterns, because people of each of the nine types also express themselves as
one of the three subtypes.[20] An alternative approach to
the subtypes looks at them as three domains or clusters
of instincts that result in increased probability of survival
(the preserving domain), increased skill in navigating
the social environment (the navigating domain) and increased likelihood of reproductive success (the transmitting domain).[21] From this understanding the subtypes
reect individual dierences in the presence of these
three separate clusters of instincts.
It is generally believed that people function in all three
forms of instinctual energies but that one usually dominates. According to some theorists another instinct may
also be well-developed and the third often markedly less
developed.[22]

4 Criticism
In 2000, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Doctrine produced a draft report on
the origins of the Enneagram to aid bishops in their evaluation of its use in their dioceses. The report identied aspects of the intersection between the Enneagram
and Roman Catholicism which, in their opinion, warranted particular scrutiny and were seen as potential areas of concern, stating that While the enneagram system

3
shares little with traditional Christian doctrine or spiritu- [7]
ality, it also shares little with the methods and criteria of
modern science... The burden of proof is on proponents
of the enneagram to furnish scientic evidence for their
claims.[23] Partly in response to some Jesuits and mem- [8]
bers of other religious orders teaching a Christian understanding of the Enneagram of Personality, a 2003 Vatican
document called Jesus Christ, the Bearer of the Water of
[9]
Life. A Christian Reection on the 'New Age' says that the
Enneagram when used as a means of spiritual growth introduces an ambiguity in the doctrine and the life of the [10]
Christian faith.[24][25]

Wiltse, V.; Palmer, H. (July 2011). Hidden in plain sight:

Observations on the origin of the Enneagram. The Enneagram Journal. 4 (1): 437.
Harmless, W.; Fitzgerald, R.R. (2001). The saphhire
light of the mind: The Skemmata of Evagrius Ponticus.
Theological Studies. 62: 498529.
International Enneagram Association - History. internationalenneagram.org.
Palmer, The Enneagram, p.36

The Enneagram has been criticized as being

pseudoscience and subject to interpretation, making it dicult to test or validate scientically[5] and as
an assessment method of no demonstrated reliability
or validity.[6] The skeptic Robert Todd Carroll has
characterized the Enneagram as an example of a pseudoscientic theory that can't be tested because they are
so vague and malleable that anything relevant can be
shoehorned to t the theory.[26] [dead link]

[11] The Theory of Process and The Law of Seven.

rahul.net.

[15] Riso, Wisdom of the Enneagram, p.19

See also

[12] Wagele, Enneagram Made Easy, pp. 111

[13] Riso, Don Richard; Hudson, Russ (2000). Understanding
the Enneagram: The Practical Guide to Personality Types.
Houghton Miin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0-618-00415-7.
[14] Baron, Renee. What Type Am I: Discover Who You Really
Are. p. 162.

A.H. Almaas

[16] Wagner, Wagner Enneagram Personality Style Scales, p.26

Personality psychology

[17] Riso, Wisdom of the Enneagram, pp. 8788

Riso-Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator

Tritype

[18] Wagner, Wagner Enneagram Personality Style Scales, p.

30.
[19] Palmer, The Enneagram in Love and Work, p. 29

References

[1] Strongs Greek: 1121. (gramma) -- that which

is drawn or written, i.e. a letter. biblesuite.com.
[2] Ellis, Albert; Abrams, Mike; Dengelegi Abrams, Lidia
(2008). Personality theories: critical perspectives. SAGE.
ISBN 978-1-4129-7062-4. Ichazo has disowned Naranjo,
Palmer and the other Jesuit writers on the Enneagram on
the grounds that his descriptions of the nine types represent ego xations that develop in early childhood in response to trauma.
[3] Clarke, Peter (2004). Encyclopedia of new religious movements. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 0-203-48433-9.
[4] Kemp, Daren (2004). New age: a guide : alternative spiritualities from Aquarian conspiracy to Next Age. Edinburgh
University Press. ISBN 978-0-7486-1532-2.

[20] Maitri, The Spiritual Dimension of the Enneagram, pp.

263264
[21] The Instincts: Taking a Broader View, by Mario Sikora,
Enneagram Monthly, June 2007.
[22] Riso, The Wisdom of the Enneagram, pp. 7071
[23] A Brief Report On The Origins Of The Enneagram,
Draft from the U.S. bishops Secretariat for Doctrine and
Pastoral Practices, 10 October 2000, corrected 23 October 2001
[24] Richard Smoley, Jay Kinney (2006). Hidden Wisdom: A
Guide to the Western Inner Traditions. Western Mystery
Tradition Series (revised, illustrated ed.). Quest Books.
p. 229. ISBN 978-0-8356-0844-2

[5] Kaluzniacky, Eugene (2004). Managing psychological

factors in information systems work: an orientation to emotional intelligence. Idea Group Inc (IGI). ISBN 978-159140-198-8.

[25] Jesus Christ, the Bearer of the Water of Life. A Christian Reection on the 'New Age'", Pontical Council for
Culture, Pontical Council for Interreligious Dialogue

[6] Dr. Bruce A. Thyer; Monica Pignotti (15 May 2015).

Science and Pseudoscience in Social Work Practice.
Springer Publishing Company. pp. 64. ISBN 978-08261-7768-1.

[26] Robert Carroll (11 January 2011). The Skeptics Dictionary: A Collection of Strange Beliefs, Amusing Deceptions,
and Dangerous Delusions. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 306.
ISBN 978-1-118-04563-3.

Further reading
Almaas, A. H. (2000). Facets of Unity: The Enneagram of Holy Ideas. Shambhala. ISBN 0-93671314-3.
Goldberg, Michael J. (1999). 9 Ways of Working.
Marlowe & Company. ISBN 1-56924-688-2.
Ichazo, Oscar (1982). Interviews with Oscar Ichazo.
Arica Press. ISBN 0-916554-02-3.
Maitri, Sandra (2005). The Enneagram of Passions
and Virtues: Finding the Way Home. Tarcher. ISBN
1-58542-406-4.
Naranjo, Claudio (1997). Transformation Through
Insight: Enneatypes in Life. Hohm Press. ISBN 0934252-73-4.
Naranjo, Claudio (1994). Character and Neurosis:
An Integrative View. Gateways/IDHHB, Inc. ISBN
0-89556-066-6.
Palmer, Helen (1991). The Enneagram: Understanding Yourself and Others in Your Life. HarperSanFrancisco. ISBN 0-06-250683-8.
Palmer, Helen (1996). The Enneagram in Love and
Work: Understanding your Intimate and Business
Relationships. HarperOne. ISBN 0-06-250721-4.
Riso, Don Richard; Hudson, Russ (1999). Wisdom
of the Enneagram. Bantam. ISBN 0-553-37820-1.
Wagele, Elizabeth; Ingrid Stabb (2010). The Career
Within You. HarperOne. ISBN 978-0-06-1718618.
Riso, Don Richard; Hudson, Russ (2000). Understanding the Enneagram; the practical guide to personality types. Houghton Miin Company. ISBN
0-618-00415-7.
Fauvre, Katherine Chernick (1995). Enneagram Instinctual Subtypes. Enneagram Explorations. ISBN
978-1-930054-00-4.
Fauvre, Katherine Chernick, David W. Fauvre
(2010). The 27 Tritypes Revealed: Discover Your
Life Purpose and Blind Spot. Enneagram Explorations. ISBN 978-1-930054-18-9.
Daniels, David (2000). The Essential Enneagram.
HarperOne. ISBN 0-06-251676-0.
Jaxon-Bear, Eli (2006). From Fixation to Freedom:
The Enneagram of Liberation. Leela Foundation.
ISBN 978-1-893840-26-3.
Gilbert, Eleonora (2015). Conversations on the Enneagram. Cherry Red Books. ISBN 978-1-90945434-7.

EXTERNAL LINKS

8 External links
Enneagram at DMOZ
International Enneagram Association website

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

9.1

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Enneagram of Personality Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enneagram_of_Personality?oldid=744299126 Contributors: Twilsonb,

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