The Enneagram: What it's like to be a One

I woke this morning to another chilly autumn day on the coast and, after brewing a cup of hot Peet's coffee, settled down with my Cavalier Spaniels Gracie and Jazz and opened my laptop. I like to review my recent blog posts and think about if I have anything that I'd like to write about and today several past posts on the Enneagram jumped out at me. I wouldn't consider myself an expert on this but I do appreciate the system that gives us insight into how we respond under stress, showing us the roots of our fear based responses as well as how we can bring more joy into our lives.

So today Im going to talk about being a One on the Enneagram but would first like to give you a link where you can read about the system including it's history:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enneagram_of_Personality

Years ago when I was first introduced to the Enneagram I studied it to determine where I fit in. It is a very complex system, and I didn't find it easy to see my place in it although I understood the concepts. Finally I decided to ask my friend Jach Purcel, the Lazaris channel, if Lazaris could shed any light on it for me and they were happy to oblige: "You, Victoria, are a One." I could see that this was true! I then set out to understand the nature of the One archetype and realized soon that the glaring signal that allowed me to validate this piece of channeling was that it is true, I always look at what is out of place in any situation first. If I walk into a room, I will notice if the flowers are wilting, if the carpet needs vacuuming, or if there is dust on the tabletop. But, this is true only if it is MY room, not someone else's. My perfectionistic viewpoint applies (usually) only to that which I am in control of, and not of someone else. I look for error because the ideal of the One is perfection. Let me tell you this is a lot of work to keep everything perfect!  I'm kidding of course, but the desire or perhaps the compulsion of the One is to control his or her environment. And when this isn't possible, when others don't live up to this perfection ideal then resentment builds.

Once I understood the nature of the One in myself, then I could validate how I respond to stress and how I respond when in joy. The One disintegrates to the number Four when under stress, withdrawing into melancholy. I am not a depressed person in general, but under stressful situations I do see this tendency in myself. In fact, when people look at the Enneagram for the first time, sometimes they see the number of disintegration first as it is a powerful influence in their life. Also useful here is noticing the Enneagram number which is demonstrated when a person is healthy, which in the case of the number One is Seven.  When I am experiencing the energy of seven, I feel social and outgoing, fun loving and enthusiastic, not looking for perfection or noticing error. What a relief! Noticing the stress and health points are very useful and can help you to move out of fear responses and toward integrated health.

Take a moment or two today to look at the Enneagram, it may bring new insights into your day.

The Enneagram: Health and Stress

The Enneagram:  Health and Stress

from The Enneagram Blogspot online

Healthiness
"One of the wonderful things the Enneagram personality theory does is to analyze nine different levels of healthiness for each personality type. It is amazing how people of the same personality type can be so different when one is functioning on a healthy level and the other is functioning on an unhealthy level. That is why this personality study is just as applicable to, lets say, criminals, as it is to models of society.

The nature of healthiness levels is generally the same over time. A person may fluctuate during the day between healthy, average, and unhealthy levels, but generally they "live" in one state. This state can change only over long periods of time. For instance, a person who is depressed most of the time may have an hour's worth of reborn hope and excitement about the world, only to return after that brief moment to the state in which she normally operates. It is only over long periods of time that she can actually move from functioning at an unhealthy level to functioning at an average level."

Direction of Integration (Growth)	Direction of Disintegration (Stress)

"An interesting way the Ennegram analyzes stages of health is in the Directions of Integration, when a personality type is experiencing growth to a healthier level, and the Direction of Disintegration, which is the opposite. These directions are the reason for the enneagram shape. A type 4, for instance, behaves like an healthy 1, objective and principled, when she is improving in her level of psychological health. But she becomes like an average 2, over-involved and clinging, when she is under stress, decreasing in her level of psychological health. These directions are indicated by the arrows.


Besides the Direction of Integration and Disintegration, there is an in-between level of movement known as a "Security" point. When a type 4, for instance, feels secure with her situation, but she is not actually undergoing a period of growth in her psychological health, she still becomes more like a type 1, but not on a healthy level; she instead becomes like an average type 1, critical and demanding. The descriptions on Udit Patel's page describe the process for each personality well."


Question: What is my Enneagram type and what point does it move to under stress and in health?

The Enneagram: Groups

The Enneagram

Coping Styles or Harmonic Groups (how we defend against loss and disappointment)

            

Positive Outlook Group:

2: I am caring and loving. Avoids seeing their own neediness, disappointment, anger. Overemphasizes needs of others.

7. Enjoys excitement and fun. Avoids seeing their pain and emptiness. Cant see how they create suffering. Overemphasizes their own needs.

9. Idealize their own world. Avoids seeing problems in loved ones. Feel overwhelmed by all needs and avoid dealing with them.

            

Competency Group

1. I am organized and sensible, know the rules. Feelings are channeled

into activity and held in the body. Try to be “good” and work in systems.

3. I am efficient and capable. Goal focused. Manages feelings through activities also and achievement. Bend the rules. Find shortcuts                       

 5. I am the expert and have information. Split off from feelings and stay in thinking. Reject the system and isolate.

           

Reactive Group

4. Seeks a rescuer, want to be seen and cared for. Fears abandonment. Keep others at bay by playing games and limiting access.

6. Seeks independence and support. Want to be strong. Fear being without support and dependence. Try to be committed AND independent.

8. Seeks independence and no need of others. Fears being controlled by others. Keep their guard up, remaining tough and unapproachable.

Question: How do I respond in stressful situations?

The Enneagram: Basic Principles

The Enneagram  Basic Principles

This is the first part of a series on the Enneagram

The Enneagram is a complex system dating back some 10,000 years. It has most recently been explored through the work of Helen Palmer who brought it into the mainstream, making these teachings available to many. The types are essentially our chief feature reactions to external events, our response under stress but the system also denotes how we can move away from our fears toward more joy. For example a "one" would tend to respond to the world through maintaining perfectionism and control, would "dissentegrate" to "four" when under stress, becoming withdrawn and melocholy, but when feeling safe and secure would move to "seven", becoming more outgoing and social. 

The first step is identifying your own primary point.

* There are nine points on the Enneagram. We usually choose one of these points

prior to incarnating, although they may not solidify until the third monad when

the chief features fixate. (and stress points are chosen)

* The Enneagram is a system of personal discovery that allows us to see beyond

our fear based responses and to understand our truest essence.

The types are divided into categories:

Major Triads

1. Body/Instinctive Triad Anger (8-9-1) concerned with maintaining resistance to reality

            “I must maintain a felt sense of self”

Eights tend to act out rage, nines tend to deny rage, ones tend to repress rage.

2. Heart/Feeling Triad : Shame (2-3-4) concerned with self image

            “I must maintain a personal identity”

Twos are rescuers, fours are rescuees, and threes don’t need rescuing.

3. Head/Thinking Triad  Fear (5-6-7)  concerned with anxiety, want more safety/security

            “I must find a sense of inner guidance and support”.

Fives fear the outside world, sevens fear their inner world, sixes fear both (and pingpong)