ENNEAGRAM Flashcards
What is the Enneagram?
How the Enneagram works
The enneagram of Nine Personalities is a system that describes nine basic personalities.
It’s like an owner’s manual that shows you how your personality works,
how it was formed and
exactly where you need to look to uncover your most self-defeating behavior patterns.
The enneagram includes both the psychological and spiritual aspects of an individual giving you instant insight into the motivations and beliefs behind your actions.
What does the Circle symbolize?
How the Enneagram Works
The circle symbolizes the whole of life.
What does the Triangle symbolize?
How the Enneagram Works
The triangle represents the Law of Three
which is two opposing forces and a middle point that connects them
— like black/gray/white/ or up/center/down.
What does the Hexad symbolize?
How the Enneagram Works
The hexad represents the Law of Seven,
the process or stages of change in the universe.
It’s always drawn in the sequence of 1 4 2 8 5 7 1.
(The sequence of numbers comes from converting the fraction 1/7 to a decimal.)
What are the stages of change?
How the Enneagram Works
The stages of change are:
1 - idea,
4 - creative/imagination,
2 - consensus,
8 - strength/movement,
5 - thought/problem solving,
7 - inspiration/celebration,
1 - and idea to start the process again.
Where can these three concepts – the Whole, law of three and law of Seven – be found?
How the Enneagram Works
These three concepts – the Whole, law of three and law of Seven – can be found:
in the behavior patterns
in the nine personalities
and how they relate to each other.
What is the so-called Primary Type?
How the Enneagram Works
The enneagram maps nine personality types
and the way they interconnect and relate to one another.
You have qualities from each of the types,
but one more than any other best describes your personality as a whole.
This is called your Primary Type.
What are the two qualities of each type?
How the Enneagram Works
• Happiness Qualities
— these are the qualities that describe your ennea-type when at its best, relaxed and open to challenges.
You are at your happiest and most effective when your behavior reflects these contructive traits.
• Stressed/Unhappiness Qualities
— these are the qualities that describe your ennea-type when you are stressed, fearful and trying to protect yourself.
You’re unhappiest when behaving with these qualities.
Who is Type One and what are his/here qualities?
How the Enneagram Works
Type 1 — The Ethical Idealist
Happiness Qualities:
+ Principled, discerning, idealistic.
Unhappy/Stressed Qualities:
- Can also be a perfectionist and abrasive.
Who is Type Two and what are his/here qualities?
How the Enneagram Works
Type 2 — The Nurturing Caretaker
Happiness Qualities:
+ Compassionate, empathetic, affectionate.
Unhappy/Stressed Qualities:
+ Can also be a flatterer and meddler.
Who is Type Three and what are his/here qualities?
How the Enneagram Works
Type 3: The Determined Achiever
Happiness Qualities:
+ Success-oriented, adaptable, motivated.
Unhappy/Stressed Qualities:
- Can also be driven and image conscious.
Who is Type Four and what are his/here qualities?
How the Enneagram Works
Type 4 — The Sensitive Individualist
Happiness Qualities:
+ Original, artistic, romantic.
Unhappy/Stressed Qualities:
- Can also be melancholy and self-absorbed.
Who is Type Five and what are his/here qualities?
How the Enneagram Works
Type 5 — The Objective Intellectual
Happiness Qualities:
+ Curious, insightful, pioneering.
Unhappy/Stressed Qualities:
- Can also be cynical and stingy.
Who is Type Six and what are his/here qualities?
How the Enneagram Works
Type 6 — The Loyal Supporter
Happiness Qualities:
+ Committed, reliable, compassionate.
Unhappy/Stressed Qualities:
- Can also be suspicious and a worrier.
Who is Type Seven and what are his/here qualities?
How the Enneagram Works
Type 7 — The Thrill-Seeking Adventurer.
Happiness Qualities:
+ Spontaneous, versatile, fun-loving.
Unhappy/Stressed Qualities:
- Can also be distracted and undisciplined.
Who is Type Eight and what are his/here qualities?
How the Enneagram Works
Type 8 — The Protective Leader
Happiness Qualities:
+ Confident, decisive, generous.
Unhappy/Stressed Qualities:
- Can also be controlling and confrontational.
Who is Type Nine and what are his/here qualities?
How the Enneagram Works
Type 9 — The Passionate Peacemaker
Happiness Qualities:
+ Receptive, reassuring, passionate.
Unhappy/Stressed Qualities:
- Can also be stubborn and disconnected.
How is the information of the Enneagram organized?
How the Enneagram Works
The information about each of the nine ennea-types is organized by system of:
Blocks,
Triads,
Arrows
and Wings.
What do the Blocks describe? Name the main Blocks!
How the Enneagram Works
The Blocks describe the behavior patterns and qualities of the ennea-types:
- Natural Center
- Connecting Virtue
- Separating Vice
- Helplessness Belief
- Helplessness Fear
- Happiness Desire
- Missing Connection
What does the Natural Center Block describe?
How the Enneagram Works
• Natural Center:
Your genetic qualities of temperament are your abilities, talents and strengths.
The closer you live your life connected to your center, the happier you are.
What does the Connecting Virtue Block describe?
How the Enneagram Works
• Connecting Virtue:
This higher quality summarizes your ennea-type at it’s best, and when developed, connects you to lasting happiness.
What does the Separating Vice Block describe?
How the Enneagram Works
• Separating Vice:
This is the quality that your ennea-type uses to avoid fear.
It’s the behavior habit that most interferes with your happiness when you are stressed and off center.
What does the Helplessness Belief Block describe?
How the Enneagram Works
• Helplessness Belief:
This is a belief formed early in your life that affected the development of your social intelligence and still interferes with your adult relationships until you observe it, challenge it and make a choice to change it.
What does the Helplessness Fear Block describe?
How the Enneagram Works
• Helplessness Fear:
This fear is at the root of all your fears.
What does the Happiness Desire Block describe?
How the Enneagram Works
• Happiness Desire:
Trying to satisfy this desire in some way is the motivation for all of the actions of your ennea-type.
What does the Missing Connection Block describe?
How the Enneagram Works
• Missing Connection:
This is a quality that is absent or weak in your ennea-type and the source of much of your self-defeating behavior. If it’s developed, a much higher level of emotional intelligence results and more happiness.
What do the four basic triads describe and what are they?
How the Enneagram Works
The triads describe how the personality works through motivations and beliefs for each ennea-type.
The Enneagram has four basic triads describing a different aspect of the emotional style for each of the types.
The enneagram triads are:
- The Intelligence Triad
- The Coping Triad
- The Essential Drives Triad
- The Disappointment Triad
What does the Coping Triad describe?
How the Enneagram Works
The Coping Triad describes each ennea-type’s social style and how that type copes with social fears.
Much of our social interactions are rooted in the fear of how we will be seen and treated by others.
Your fear reactions formed the behaviors you use to interact with other people.
There are three coping styles:
assertive,
withdrawn
controlled.
Your coping style corresponds to the survival reactions of fight, flight or freeze.
The assertive types (THREE, SEVEN, EIGHT) react to fear by fighting with others in some way.
This can be lashing out, yelling, being confrontational or competitive.
The withdrawn types (FOUR, FIVE, NINE) take flight and avoid conflicts with others when they are afraid.
This can be withdrawing from relationships or avoiding challenges.
It can also be “zoning out” around others.
The controlled types (ONE, TWO, SIX) freeze by suppressing their fear reactions.
This coping style tends to deny their emotional reactions by calling them something else, or pretending to feel things they don’t.
What does the Intelligence Triad describe?
How the Enneagram Works
The intelligence triad describes how the three intelligence functions of instinct, emotion and cognition (or higher thought and reason) affect your personality.
These intelligence centers are the neurological tools you use to perceive and experience the world.
- Types FIVE, SIX and SEVEN are in the Thought Center, and formed behavior patterns around their thoughts and ability to reason.
- Types TWO, THREE and FOUR are in the Emotion Center, placing their priority on the satisfaction of their emotional needs
- Types EIGHT, NINE and ONE are in the Instinct Center, focusing their attention on their physical surroundings and security.
In that center, you will find both the strength of your type and the source of your self-defeating behavior.
When the three intelligences are balanced they create a personality that is adaptable, resilient, flexible, creative, organized, emotionally stable and focused.
These qualities are found in the happinest and most successful people.
What does the Disappointment Triad describe?
How the Enneagram Works
Our happiness is largely based on getting the things we expect.
How we react to disappointment shapes our personality by affecting our outlook on life and our happiness.
The three styles of managing disappointment are:
2, 7, 9 Avoiders
4, 6, 8 Defenders
1, 3, 5 Performers
The avoiders, types TWO, SEVEN and NINE, have a very positive outlook on life, but tend to manage disappointment by avoiding it with some form of denial.
The defenders, types FOUR, SIX and EIGHT, are guarded and often distrustful in their outlook. They manage disappointment by assuming they can only rely on themselves never fully trusting others.
The performers, types ONE, THREE and FIVE, are pragmatic in their outlook managing their disappointment with perfomance, becoming highly competent and organized. They try to prevent disappoint from happening by preventing mistakes or controlling the rules and standards.
What does the Essential Instincts Triad describe?
How the Enneagram Works
The Essential Instincts Triad describes the survival needs that we all have of:
self-preservation,
intimacy
belonging.
Self-preservation is the need to be safe and free from hunger and pain.
This need is satisfied when your survival and safety is assured.
Intimacy is the need for pleasure and closeness.
It’s satisfied when you feel emotionally connected to someone or to a small group.
Belonging is the need to have a secure place within a group of people.
This need is satisfied when you know your contribution matters to others.
Of course, you have all three instincts, but the one that is dominant in your personality is the one that had the most unmet needs in early childhood.
Describe how the enneagram uses Arrows.
How the Enneagram Works
The enneagram uses Arrows to show how your personality moves to adapt to stress and challenge.
Each type has two Arrows, an expansion Point and a Stress Point that is found in the traits of another ennea-type.
The Expansion Point shows you how your personality will react when things are going well in your life. You can use this information to manage the positive challenges and opportunities you choose for your life.
The Stress Point shows you how your personality will react to fear and the difficulties of life. You can use this information to create healthy, constructive strategies for managing stress.
The happiest people are the most adaptable and flexible.
The key to a happier life is learning how to respond to your challenges instead of reacting to them.
The enneagram Arrows not only point out self-sabotaging behavior habits, but how your personality will change and grow if it’s strengthened by certain positive traits.
What are your Wings?
How the Enneagram Works
The ennea-types to the left and right of your ennea-type are your Wings.
The Wings are another way your personality expands and adapts to be more flexible with greater emotional intelligence.
Your Energizing Point to the right of your Primary type, shows the traits you need to develop to become more motivated or inspired to take on new challenges.
Your Grounding Wing to the left of your Primary type, shows the parts of your personality that are weaker or under-developed.
Your personality formed trying to avoid behaving with these traits.
Ironically, these are the very qualities you most need for greater emotional intelligence.
Many people have a personality with a strong Wing influence blending qualities of the two types, though one type remains dominant.
Explain Focus of Attention.
Helen Palmer
ENERGY FOLLOWS ATTENTION.
YOUR FOCUS OF ATTENTION DETERMINES WHERE TIME AND ENERGY WILL BE SPENT.
When your type’s focus is engaged, it automatically initiates an unconscious scan of awareness that includes data relevant to your psychological welfare, while excluding equally relevant information.
THE FOCUS DETERMINES WHAT APPEARS IN YOUR CONSCIOUS MIND AND WHAT GETS LEFT OUT.
Explain The Inner Observer.
Helen Palmer
The observer-object relationship is a guiding theme in contemplative practice. Our focus of attention is at first directed to the activities of the external world – what attracts us and what we want to avoid. This outer focus masks the presence of a self-reflective capacity to witness the contents of our own mind.
When attention is turned to reflect upon our inner condition, we recognize the pattern of thoughts, feelings, and sensations that determine our Identity. The witnessing faculty remains hidden, in the sense that we do not recognize its function as an inner guide to spiritual experience.
An observing state of mind reflects the objects that appear within it. It initiates nothing, but objectively reflects our patterns of thought, emotion, and sensation that arise in the inner space.
What are the properties of the inner witness?
Helen Palmer
- It is permanent.
- It never becomes wired into the type structure.
- It is always present in the “Now.”
- It is neutral - without opinion or bias.
- Our capacity for witnessing matures with spiritual practice.
What are the stages of witness development?
Helen Palmer
- Can recognize categories and separate from automatic patterns
- Can discern between categories
- Can unite with or disengage from objects of attention.
What are our instinctual responses and how do they play out?
Helen Palmer
We are each born with 3 instinctual responses that ensure physical survival.
Fight, Flight and Freeze are part of out mammalian heredity - and these play out in relationships as Anger, Fear and Panic at loss of contact.
Instincts are hardwired into our nervous system, with each type having a first tendency instinctual response that infuses their cognitive/emotional pattern.
What is the Cognitive/Emotional Pattern of the Body-Based Panel and which first tendency Instinctual Response is supported?
Helen Palmer
Body-Based Panel, 9 – 8 – 1: Express Anger (Fight) as a first tendency response.
Type Nine: Indolence - Sloth (Self-Forgetting)
Type Eight: Vengeance - Lust
Type One: Resentment - Anger
What is the Cognitive/Emotional Pattern of the Head-Based Panel and which first tendency Instinctual Response is supported?
Helen Palmer
Head-Based Panel, 6 – 5 – 7: Express Fear (Flight) as a first tendency response.
Type Six: Doubt- Fear
Type Five: Detachment - Avarice
Type Seven: Planning - Gluttony
What is the Cognitive/Emotional Pattern of the Heart-Based Panel and which first tendency Instinctual Response is supported?
Helen Palmer
Heart-Based Panel, 3 – 2 – 4: Express Panic (Freeze) at loss of contact.
Type Three: Vanity (Vainglory) - Deceit
Type Two: Flattery - Pride
Type Four: Melancholy - Envy
Type One
Helen Palmer
The Perfectionist
Basic Proposition:
Only perfect people are worthy of love and respect.
Primary Avoidance:
Error
Focus of Attention:
What is right or wrong. Correct or incorrect.
Cognitive Habit:
Resentment. Worried irritation at a world gone wrong.
Emotional Vice:
Anger
Corresponding Virtue:
Serenity Idealized Self-image: “I am good”
Quality of Higher Being:
Perfection
Strengths:
Honest, Responsible, Improvement-oriented
Challenges: Overly Critical, Rigid, Judgmental
Type Two
Helen Palmer
The Giver
Basic Proposition:
Love and survival depend on giving to get.
Primary Avoidance:
Own needs
Focus of attention:
Needs of others
Cognitive Habit:
Flattery. How to impact others by supporting their needs.
Emotional Vice:
Pride
Corresponding Virtue:
Humility
Idealized Self-image:
“I am helpful”
Quality of Higher Being:
Serving Higher Will
Strengths:
Helpful, Caring, Relationship-oriented
Challenges:
Intrusive, Overly Dependent on Approval
Type Three
Helen Palmer
The Performer
Basic Proposition:
Love and recognition are only for champions
Primary Avoidance:
Failure
Focus of Attention:
Tasks, Roles and Image
Cognitive Habit:
Vanity (Vainglory). Presenting a winning facade.
Emotional Vice:
Deceives self and others
Corresponding Virtue:
Honesty
Idealized Self-image: “I am successful”
Quality of Higher Being:
Hope
Strengths:
Energetic, Adaptable, Achievement-oriented
Challenges:
Competitive, Overworked and Impatient
Type Four
Helen Palmer
The Romantic
Basic Proposition:
Others enjoy the happiness that I have been denied.
Primary Avoidance:
The commonplace
Focus of Attention: Best in what’s missing. Worst of what’s here.
Cognitive Habit:
Melancholia. The sadness of life.
Emotional Vice:
Envy
Corresponding Virtue:
Equanimity (Emotional Balance)
Idealized Self-image:
“I am unique and special”
Quality of Higher Being:
Spiritual Absorption
Strengths:
Creative, Empathic, Idealistic
Challenges:
Envy, Moodiness, Self-Absorption, Unrealistic
Type Five
Helen Palmer
The Observer
Basic Proposition:
Love and respect are gained by practicing self-sufficiency.
Primary Avoidance:
Intrusion
Focus of Attention:
What others expect. To blocking intrusion and detaching to observe.
Cognitive Habit:
Detachment
Emotional Vice:
Avarice
Corresponding Virtue:
Non-attachment
Idealized Self-image:
“I am wise”
Quality of Higher Being:
Omniscience
Strengths:
Scholarly, Analytical, Self-Reliant
Challenges: Withholding self from others, Emotionally detached, Isolated
Type Six
Helen Palmer
The Loyal Skeptic
Basic Proposition:
Love and protection are gained by vigilance and endurance.
Primary Avoidance:
Uncertainty
Focus of Attention:
Hazard
Cognitive Habit:
Doubt
Emotional Vice:
Fear
Corresponding Virtue:
Courage
Idealized Self-image:
“I am loyal”
Quality of Higher Being:
Faith
Strengths:
Bonded, Attentive, Perceptive
Challenges:
Procrastinating, Reactive, Doubtful
Type Seven
Helen Palmer
The Epicure
Basic Proposition:
Frustration can be avoided by attending to positive options.
Primary Avoidance:
Discomfort and Pain
Focus of Attention:
Positive possibilities in all things
Cognitive Habit:
Planning
Emotional Vice:
Gluttony
Corresponding Virtue:
Constancy of purpose
Idealized Self-image:
“I’m OK”
Quality of Higher Being:
Participation in the full spectrum of being
Strengths:
Optimistic, Fun-loving, Positive Visioning
Challenges: Scattered, Impulsive, Self-Referencing
Type Eight
Helen Palmer
The Protector
Basic Proposition:
Love and respect are gained by being strong and just.
Primary Avoidance:
Vulnerability
Focus of Attention:
Power and control
Cognitive Habit:
Balancing the scales of justice. Vengeance.
Emotional Vice:
Excess (Lust).
Corresponding Virtue:
Innocence (Receptivity)
Idealized Self-image:
“I am powerful”
Quality of Higher Being:
Truth
Strengths:
Bold, Assertive, Action-oriented
Challenges:
Domineering, Excessive, Controlling
Type Nine
Helen Palmer
The Mediator
Basic Proposition:
Love and belonging are earned by blending in with other people’s agendas.
Primary Avoidance: Conflict
Focus of attention:
Environmental distractions. Primary distraction is other people’s wants & needs.
Cognitive habit:
Indolence. Considers all sides of a question. Obsessive inner rumination.
Emotional Vice:
Self-Forgetting (spiritual listlessness).
Corresponding Virtue:
Right Action
Idealized Self-image: “I am peaceful”
Quality of Higher Being:
Love
Strengths:
Accepting, Calming, Steady, Bonded
Challenges: Ambivalent, Forgets own agenda, Self-deprecating, Passive-aggressive
TYPE ONE - VIRTUE/ PASSION DESCRIPTION
Helen Palmer
Serenity:
The automatic side effect of allowing all feeling impulses into awareness without deflecting the unacceptable ones. . . the interplay of all the positive & negative feelings is allowed to move through the body without inhibition from the thinking self.
judging mind recedes.
Anger:
There is a great attraction to expressing anger through the vehicle of righteous action.
Attention locks on the right way to fix what’s gone wrong, and anger fuels your conviction.
TYPE TWO - VIRTUE/ PASSION DESCRIPTION
Helen Palmer
Humility:
The recognition of one’s exact needs and the natural inclination to take no more & no less than what is necessary.
A person who knows his/her own needs will be likely to extend just the right measure of help to others. . . the quality of giving will be in just the right proportion to what is required.
Pride:
The belief that other people are dependent upon what they choose to give or to withhold.
Twos live the ongoing assumption that help emanates from themselves to others, and that w/o them, the rest of the world would be impoverished… their sense of self worth is dependent upon others.
TYPE THREE - VIRTUE/ PASSION DESCRIPTION
Helen Palmer
THREE
Honesty:
…. recognize the difference between what their body is really feeling and the habit of shifting presentation in order to get a win.
Do I go with what I feel or do I stay with my habit of knowing what to do?
The risk in following feelings is that Threes inevitably lose the recognition that achievement guarantees; and the risk of not following feelings is that threes live out life as a fraud.
Deceit:
. . . aware of the manipulative possibilities of deliberately projecting an image that will generate trust and project success.
They also say that they get so immersed in their role that they deceive themselves by paying selective attention to support and discarding negative feedback. . .
