{"id":29758,"date":"2015-11-03T16:08:01","date_gmt":"2015-11-04T00:08:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?page_id=29758"},"modified":"2015-11-03T16:12:38","modified_gmt":"2015-11-04T00:12:38","slug":"enneagram","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/enneagram\/","title":{"rendered":"Enneagram"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-29764 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/ennegram-with-numbers-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"A figure of an enneagram with numbers\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" data-id=\"29764\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/ennegram-with-numbers-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/ennegram-with-numbers-200x200.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/ennegram-with-numbers.jpg 592w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/>The <strong>enneagram<\/strong>\u00a0is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/psychpedia\/personality\">personality<\/a> typing model\u00a0that has been used since ancient times. The word enneagram, which has Greek roots, refers to a nine-pointed symbol, and the\u00a0model itself posits that all\u00a0individuals can be categorized into one of nine personality types.<\/p>\n<h2>History of the Enneagram<\/h2>\n<p>The enneagram was originally rooted in Sufism, a type of Islamic mysticism. According to this tradition, human life involves a journey toward wholeness.\u00a0Although the enneagram has spiritual origins, it is not a religious symbol.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The Russian philosopher Gurdjieff brought the concept of the enneagram to Western civilization in the early 1900s.<\/li>\n<li>In the 1950s, a Chilean psychiatrist named Ichazo linked the enneagram to Pythagorean mathematics, thus making\u00a0the enneagram more accessible to Western culture.<\/li>\n<li>The ennegram&#8217;s incorporation into modern personality psychology in the 1990s led to its increased popularity in the United States.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>The Nine Personality Types<\/h2>\n<p>The enneagram symbol displays the numbers one through nine, each of which is attributed to one personality type. No personality\u00a0type is considered to be\u00a0inherently &#8220;better&#8221; than the others, and some believe that one&#8217;s personality type may be genetically determined or already decided\u00a0at the time of one&#8217;s birth.\u00a0<div class=\"content-fatwidget align-right\">\n\t<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/find-therapist.html\" target=\"_blank\">Find a Therapist<\/a><\/h2>\n\t<form action=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/search-redirect.html\" method=\"get\">\n\n\t\t\t<input required name=\"search[zipcode]\" placeholder=\"Enter ZIP or City\" class=\"inline-input\" type=\"text\" \/>\n\n\n\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" name=\"TOS agreement\" value=\" \" class=\"inline-btn\" title=\"Search\" onclick=\"ga('send', 'event', 'FAT Widget', 'Submit Search', 'Sidebar', {nonInteraction: true});\" \/>\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/advanced-search.html\" title=\"Advanced Search\" onclick=\"ga('send', 'event', 'FAT Widget', 'Advanced Search', 'Sidebar', {nonInteraction: true});\" >Advanced Search<\/a>\n\t<\/form>\n<\/div><\/p>\n<p>The specific names given to each type vary slightly in the \u00a0literature, but the characteristics of each type remain largely the same throughout descriptions of the system:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>The Paragon\/Perfectionist:<\/strong> This person is generally conscientious, orderly, and very principled. The Paragon, also known as the Reformer, may be wise and accomplish tasks quickly and thoroughly. However, the Paragon might also have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/learn-about-therapy\/issues\/perfectionism\">perfectionistic<\/a> tendencies and be critical, both of the self and of others.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Helper:<\/strong> This type of person is likely to be empathic, understanding, and warm. A Helper\u00a0values acts that involve helping and caring for others and is likely to be giving and unselfish. Some individuals with this personality type may tend to place the needs of others before their own.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Achiever\/Performer:<\/strong>\u00a0A person with this personality type\u00a0may feel\u00a0pressure to stay busy and focus on achievement. Attributes might\u00a0include efficiency, ambition, and determination. An\u00a0Achiever may be challenged by\u00a0competitiveness, lack of work\/life balance, and\u00a0a strong desire for validation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Individualist:<\/strong>\u00a0A person with this personality type may feel unique and different, seek\u00a0emotional depth from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/learn-about-therapy\/issues\/relationships\">relationships<\/a> with others, and is likely to be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/psychpedia\/creativity\">creative<\/a> and sensitive. However, those considered to be Individualists\u00a0might also experience periods of moodiness\u00a0and self-indulgence and may at times find it difficult\u00a0to accept things that\u00a0are seen as ordinary or mundane.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Investigator\/Observer:<\/strong>\u00a0An Investigator\/Observer may be described as\u00a0perceptive, curious, and interested in knowing more. While Investigators\u00a0might\u00a0be described as visionaries or said to be ahead of their\u00a0time, they might also come across as\u00a0intense, withdrawn, and uncompromising.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Guardian\/Loyalist:<\/strong> The Guardian strives to feel safe. They may frequently anticipate problems and develop\u00a0effective methods of problem-solving. Individuals with this personality type are often\u00a0thought to be responsible and trustworthy.\u00a0They may also be described by others as cautious, suspicious, or insecure.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Enthusiast\/Dilettante:<\/strong> This type of person might be described as\u00a0spontaneous and adventure-seeking. Others may think of an Enthusiast as optimistic and exciting. However, an\u00a0Enthusiast might\u00a0also be impulsive, impatient, and positive to the extent of\u00a0denial when considering\u00a0the possibility of a negative outcome.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Challenger\/Controller:<\/strong>\u00a0Those with a\u00a0Challenger personality type are often considered to be assertive and powerful and may find it easy to\u00a0lead\u00a0others and take\u00a0control of the surrounding environment. These qualities can be used to benefit others, especially because they may often be used to stand up for those in need, but they\u00a0might be seen as domineering and intimidating to some.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Peacemaker:<\/strong> Peacemakers tend to be\u00a0easygoing, accepting, and supportive of others. While they are often agreeable and may be good\u00a0at bringing people together, those with this personality type generally avoid conflict\u00a0and might\u00a0go\u00a0along with others too easily, which may make it difficult for them to address problems realistically.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Criticism of the Enneagram<\/h2>\n<p>Research attempting to develop consistently valid and reliable scales for the nine personality types has yielded\u00a0mixed results, and empirical validation of the system&#8217;s use as a measure of personality is limited.\u00a0 The nine personality types of the enneagram are not associated with any specific psychological personality theory, and in some instances,\u00a0the enneagram has been viewed\u00a0as a way to label and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/psychpedia\/stereotype\">stereotype<\/a> people. Because people are complex, many feel that it may be overly simplistic to label an individual\u00a0as a specific \u201ctype.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, proponents of the enneagram generally do not assign individuals a specific type but typically consider multiple factors in the assessment of personality. They also believe people have the ability to move among types and consider\u00a0all of the different personality types to be\u00a0interconnected.<\/p>\n<p><strong>References:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<div id=\"copy-target-97854062\" class=\"bibliography-item-copy-text content col-md-12\" data-clipboard-target=\"copy-target-97854062\" data-redirect-target=\"http:\/\/www.citationmachine.net\/apa\/cite-a-website\/copied\">Berkers, E. (2003). Introduction to the Enneagram. Retrieved from http:\/\/www.eclecticenergies.com\/enneagram\/introduction.php <small><\/small><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>Bland, A.M. (2010). The enneagram: A review of the empirical and transformational literature. <em>Journal of Humanistic Counseling, Education and Development, 49, <\/em>16-31.<\/li>\n<li>Matise, M. (2007). The enneagram: An innovative approach. <em>Journal of Professional Counseling: Practice, Theory &amp; Research, 35<\/em>(1), 38-58.<\/li>\n<li>Newgent, R.A., Parr, P.E., Newman, I., &amp; Higgins, K.K. (2004). The Riso-Hudson enneagram type indicator: Estimates of reliability and validity. <em>Measurement &amp; Evaluation in Counseling &amp; Development, 36<\/em>(4), 226-237.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The enneagram?is a personality typing model?that has been used since ancient times. The word enneagram, which has Greek roots, refers to a nine-pointed symbol, and the?model itself posits that all?individuals can be categorized into one of nine personality types. History of the Enneagram The enneagram was originally rooted in Sufism, a type of Islamic mysticism. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2924,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"psychpedia.php","meta":{"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-29758","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29758","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2924"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29758"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29758\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29758"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}