Lately, I've been getting a lot of questions about the Enneagram, what it means, and how to use it properly. It seems to be enjoying a resurgence.
And there's a problem.
Here's the problem: there's way to much bad information out there about the Enneagram, which is only contributing to confusion in the way it's understood.
As a monk, we studied this tool ENDLESSLY under recognized experts who went well beyond the past 30 years, down to the more ancient roots of this tool. And I can tell you with certainty, just about everyone I've seen lately doesn't seem to understand the nuances, details and intricacies of the Enneagram.
And I can't stand seeing this happen.
The Enneagram is NOT a personality profile after taking a test. That is not how it works. While there are such tests out there, I know of only one other person in the country who sees how to evaluate someone's Enneagram triad.
Yes, triad.
The most dangerous use of the Enneagram is to reduce your personality to a single number. And that's what I see all the time, especially on social media.
The Enneagram often gets lumped in as a personality tool with a single number, or a single number with a "wing" for your personality. This is not correct. The Enneagram is like a chemistry set, with dynamic and changing levels of the nine elements, combining to form a unique profile. There are three predominant influences, but ALL NINE are in play, which is how everything gets far more complicated.
Will I teach a class on this? Maybe, but not yet. There are so many moving parts to the Enneagram, and it takes years to really understand it. Boiling it down takes time, and then releasing it on a public level invites more people to reduce it to an overly simplistic and inaccurate level.
So be careful about the Enneagram information out there. It's not a quiz and a number. It's really an ever-changing dynamic of personality influences that can be very beneficial to personal and spiritual development. When used properly by someone who has spent decades with it.
And there's a problem.
Here's the problem: there's way to much bad information out there about the Enneagram, which is only contributing to confusion in the way it's understood.
As a monk, we studied this tool ENDLESSLY under recognized experts who went well beyond the past 30 years, down to the more ancient roots of this tool. And I can tell you with certainty, just about everyone I've seen lately doesn't seem to understand the nuances, details and intricacies of the Enneagram.
And I can't stand seeing this happen.
The Enneagram is NOT a personality profile after taking a test. That is not how it works. While there are such tests out there, I know of only one other person in the country who sees how to evaluate someone's Enneagram triad.
Yes, triad.
The most dangerous use of the Enneagram is to reduce your personality to a single number. And that's what I see all the time, especially on social media.
The Enneagram often gets lumped in as a personality tool with a single number, or a single number with a "wing" for your personality. This is not correct. The Enneagram is like a chemistry set, with dynamic and changing levels of the nine elements, combining to form a unique profile. There are three predominant influences, but ALL NINE are in play, which is how everything gets far more complicated.
Will I teach a class on this? Maybe, but not yet. There are so many moving parts to the Enneagram, and it takes years to really understand it. Boiling it down takes time, and then releasing it on a public level invites more people to reduce it to an overly simplistic and inaccurate level.
So be careful about the Enneagram information out there. It's not a quiz and a number. It's really an ever-changing dynamic of personality influences that can be very beneficial to personal and spiritual development. When used properly by someone who has spent decades with it.