The Enneagram and Relationships

The Enneagram and Relationships
by
September 25, 2019

On Wednesday nights, we are starting a brand-new series with Hunter Mobley focusing on “The Enneagram and Relationships.” Dinner will be at 5:30 and his talk will begin at 6:15 pm. This will take place on Wednesday nights, September 25th, October 2nd, and October 9th. The Enneagram is an ancient personality typing system that helps us better understand ourselves and each other. It is over 2000 years old but it was not thoroughly written down until the 1970’s and has become very popular in recent years. It helps us to come to terms with our own personalities and “why we do what we do.” Our personality is the way we cope in the world and it often hides our true essence, who God created us to be. Everybody has one number and it was basically determined by the time we were five years old. However, we may resonate with one or two other number and have a hard time determining exactly what our number is. The Enneagram also shows us where we go in times of stress and in times of health. Here are the NINE PERSONALITY TYPES along with the core sin of each.

TYPE 1: The Perfectionist – Ethical, dedicated and reliable, they are motivated by a desire to live the right way, improve the world, and avoid fault and blame. (core sin – anger)

TYPE 2: The Helper – Warm, caring, and giving, they are motivated by a need to be loved and needed, and to avoid acknowledging their own needs. (core sin – pride)

TYPE 3: The Performer – Success-oriented, image-conscious and wired for productivity, they are motivated by a need to be (or appear to be) successful and to avoid failure. (core sin – deceit)

TYPE 4: The Romantic – Creative, sensitive and moody, they are motivated by a need to be understood, experience their oversized feelings, and avoid being ordinary. (core sin – envy)

TYPE 5: The Investigator – Analytical, detached, and private, they are motivated by a need to gain knowledge, conserve energy and avoid relying on others. (core sin – greed)

TYPE 6: The Loyalist – Committed, practical, and witty, they are worst-case scenario thinkers who are motivated by fear and the need for security. (core sin – fear)

TYPE 7: The Enthusiast – Fun, spontaneous, and adventurous, they are motivated by a need to be happy, to plan stimulating experiences and to avoid pain. (core sin – gluttony)

TYPE 8: The Challenger – Commanding, intense, and confrontational, they are motivated by a need to be strong and avoid feeling weak or vulnerable. (core sin – lust)

TYPE 9: The Peacemaker – Pleasant, laid back, and accommodating, they are motivated by a need to keep the peace, merge with others, and avoid conflict. (core sin – sloth)

– (Cron and Stabile, “The Road Back To You” pp.25-26)

In recent years, I have personally found the Enneagram to be incredibly helpful when it comes to self-understanding, spiritual growth, and relationships. It gives us profound insight into how we interact with and understand each other. We can all admit that we live in a world where people need to understand each other better. We are all different, with various experiences, and we all see the world through our own lens. We can be quick to judge and slow to listen. The Enneagram is a tool that can help with that. It will open our eyes in many relationships and give us a better understanding of ourselves. I invite you to come join us and be a part of this series.

share

Recommended Posts