Identifying your Personality Type

There are many personality assessment tools available to us. You may have heard of the Myers Briggs Test or the Strengths-Finder assessment. The Enneagram is also a tool that seems to be up and coming, growing in popularity. While some are more recognized than others in the psychological world, many of them have proven to be of great use if applied correctly. Of course most of us can agree that social media games such as "Which flavor of ice-cream are you?" do little to nothing for us on our journey of trying to understand ourselves, but still seem very entertaining and widely used. This is often due to the fact that we have such a great longing for a sense of self and understanding where we come from and who we are.

When it comes to understanding which personality assessment is best, I have heard the metaphor that where the Strengths-Finder Test can be compared to how you decorate your room, and the Myers-Briggs Test is like the type of room you are staying in (i.e. the living room, the bathroom or the kitchen, etc.), the Enneagram is comparable to the type of house you live in (for example, a cabin, versus a beach house, or a mansion, etc.).

While all of these assessments can have great value in understanding your character traits better, I have found the Enneagram to be the most useful and in depth, due to the fact that it looks at your core fears and desires, the "why" behind what you do and who you are. In addition, it ultimately aims to help you let go of these traits we so easily over-identify with, in order to get back in touch with who you were really created to be, versus finding ways to excuse who you are.

Opponents of the Enneagram may express that the reason why these types of schools of thought, if you will, are effective, is only due to subjective validation and confirmation bias, meaning we identify with whatever confirms what we already thought, what we can relate to; we look for something relatable, always finding ways to see ourselves in one category or another. While this a valid point, we must also remember that the Enneagram is a tool, not the answer to all things, and can be useful for personal and relational growth and awareness.

Others may claim it is invalid due to genetic fallacy, since it has questionable origins in esoteric and new-age. However, it is important to note that there are genetic fallacies in almost, if not, everything, due to things being lost in translation over the course of history. Where something originally comes from does not always dictate where it is headed. Even within Biblical Scriptures we can see where writers and church leaders took non-Christian resources and pulled truth from them, in order to point back to God, as Beth McCord explains on yourenneagramcoach.com (For Example: It appears Psalm 29 is a Baal worship song that was adapted for God).

Ultimately we can find very valid and interesting points on both side of the spectrum. I personally find great value and practical ways for growth when using the Enneagram as a tool. I believe it can contribute greatly to identifying an individual's personality, looking deeper into his/her core desires and fears and begin to unlock insight into what drives our thoughts, feelings and actions.

The Enneagram (Greek for nine (ennea) and gram, meaning graph) states that there are nine personality types, and while everyone has only one main type, we move along the graph (see image below) depending where we are at in growth or stress. Our character traits and how our main type shows up, is also dependent on the neighboring "wings", the numbers to the left and right of your core type.

Understanding more about yourself, can help you to be more aware of your blind-spots, know where your work can begin and why you interact with others the way you do. Doing the hard work of growth in these areas can positively benefit your professional and personal relationships, as well as how you relate to yourself, which is ultimately where it starts - with you.

Don't be afraid to do the work to heal and grow.