Myers-Briggs vs. Enneagram: A Self-Typing Story, Part 2

When you open up the Wisdom of the Enneagram book at the beginning, the first thing the authors (Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson) suggest that you do is take their Quick Enneagram Sorting Test. This basically involves choosing which of the first three paragraphs (A, B, or C) fits you best, then which of the next three paragraphs (X, Y, or Z) fits you best, and then putting together the letter initials of your two choices, which leaves you with one out of nine different possible letter combinations. Then you look up that letter combination and it tells you which of the nine Enneatypes you may be.

I took this test (which they call the QUEST for short) blithely and easily, going with my instant gut-level feeling in choosing the paragraphs that best described me (which is the way they tell you to do it in the instructions), and lo and behold... it typed me as a 9. A bit startled by that result, I went back and took the test over, giving more conscious thought to my paragraph choices, and this time around I did get Type 7 as a possible alternative type.

So then I went on to read about those two types -- and all the others.  I could still relate very much with certain things about Type 7, but other things were as different from me as day from night.  The descriptions of Type 9, on the other hand -- especially 9 with a 1-wing, social instinct first -- for the most part fit me absolutely to a T.  I had to admit that if the descriptions in this book were to be the entire basis on which I made my decision, I'd have to consider myself a Type 9 for sure.  However, I still hesitated, because I'd heard so much about how in the Enneagram system, it's the question of what motivates you that counts most in determining what your type is... and I simply didn't feel like I could relate better with the descriptions of Type 9's motivation than with Type 7's.

Type 9 was said to desire peace above all: neither too much excitement nor too much distress, but for things to remain on an even keel.  To me this sounded terribly boring!  Type 7, on the other hand, was said to seek excitement, euphoria, and fun.  I've got lots of passionate spirit, and I just love it when I get excited about something.  I felt like I could completely relate with Type 7's desire to have tons of fun and help other people have fun too!  On the other hand, though, it's extremely hard for me to get to the point of doing something big that I've gotten all excited about.  It takes me years to find enough time to get something done that I've internally been hankering, burning to do.  And this was very much in line with the so-called "Deadly Sin" of Type 9, which is Sloth.  I felt a chill of recognition when I read that word.  Oh yes, that's me, all right... as much as I hate having that nature!!  Type 7's "Deadly Sin" is Gluttony (not just for food, but for any type of fun experience).  I can relate with that too, but not as much.  Nowhere near as much.

Type 7 is described by Riso and Hudson as often being hyperactive, living life at high speed and getting way more done in a short time than others can do in a long time.  Is that me?  I wish!!!!  I have SO many ideas that I want to turn into reality, but nope -- I am the opposite of Type 7 in this respect.  I have tons of energy, but it just animates my heart and mind and almost never translates into real-world action.  I feel tormented as I watch life passing me by while I cross very few things off my list of long-cherished goals.  How could I possibly be a Type 7 in this case?

After researching on many Enneagram websites, I finally came to the point of concluding that I was a Type 9 with a 1-wing.  The vast majority of everything pointed to that.  Yes, I still felt that I had a more passionate heart than 9s generally do, but what of that?  We are supposed to have some of each of the types within us, so it was natural that I wouldn't relate exclusively with Type 9.  All the Type 9 descriptions were continuing to fit me perfectly otherwise, and the Type 9 problems were by far my biggest problems.  The pieces of advice given for Type 9 were by far the most important for me to hear.  Whatever I might be at heart, I was certainly a Type 9 in practice.  And I'd begun to doubt my own analysis of my motivations, too.  Perhaps my most deeply-buried, fundamental desires were 9ish, and I just didn't realize it.  How else could you explain the fact that, all my life, I had acted like a textbook 9?  That type of behavior, according to all the years of research the Enneagram authorities had done, was supposed to flow as a natural result from a deep desire for peace.  And it's not as though peace sounded so terrible to me!  I preferred it by far over the melancholy that Type 4 sometimes likes to wallow in.  The more I thought about it, the more I realized, "Hey!  Yes, I do love it when things make me feel thrilled or ecstatic, but it's certainly true that I don't like it when things are TOO loud and neon and flashing and over-stimulating; and upon thinking about it... now I remember that when I was deciding which of the books I'd read were my favorite of all, my criteria were which ones were the most pleasant for my conscience... i.e., stories that made me feel morally nurtured and guided/encouraged on the right path... because they enabled me to feel what?  PEACE OF MIND!"

I was glad to have my Enneatype decided on.  I didn't have that same sense of excitement, astonishment and "oh wow, you guys TOTALLY nailed me!!!" regarding my Enneatype that I'd felt on reading the INFJ and INFP type descriptions, but after all, that wasn't surprising.  There are 16 Myers-Briggs types and only 9 Enneatypes!  OF COURSE you'd be described more specifically, "pegged" more perfectly, when yours was one out of 16 different types rather than one out of 9.  So my first reaction was to conclude that the Enneagram was OK, but I personally preferred the Myers-Briggs system.

As the days wore on, though, I began to notice something.  After reading so much about each of the 9 Enneatypes in the course of my research, I could now see them in action in my attitudes and behavior.  My core type, 9, as well as both its wings, the more prominent 1-wing and the lesser 8-wing, came up to influence me now and again; but also I regularly observed Types 4, 5 and 7 showing up in my dealings with the world.  It was extremely fascinating and exhilarating to be able to "step outside myself" in this way and notice objectively what I was thinking or doing while I was thinking or doing it.  This new level of awareness enabled me to question whether or not it was truly in my best interest to use that particular strategy of dealing with the world -- to ask myself, "Is this really the best way to get what I want in this situation?" -- rather than simply falling prey to long-standing habit, or "going along with my programming."  In other words, it gave me POWER over myself!  Rather than remaining controlled by the compulsions of my own personality, by noticing what was really going on, I could become the conscious controller of my choices!  Suddenly I understood why both my counselors had recommended the Enneagram system so highly.  True, I thought -- the same shock of recognition might not be there for me that I experienced when reading about my Myers-Briggs type; but, the Enneagram system is so much more amazingly useful in helping you get in control of yourself and your life!  I was officially won over.  I still love Myers-Briggs, but from that point on I decided that the Enneagram system was indeed very exciting, too!

And so things stood, until one day this year... when I saw the word TRITYPE for the first time.

I was immediately intrigued and knew that I had to find out more.  I decided to join PersonalityCafe.com, the site where I had seen that first reference to the concept, and began investigating the subject on there.  What I eventually found out completely and utterly blew me away.

To be continued...