Introduction to the Enneagram

I realized that some people may not be familiar with the Enneagram so many of these blog posts will be a little like reading a foreign language so I thought writing a brief intro to the system and the Nine types would be beneficial for those not acquainted with the system.

The Enneagram has unclear beginnings that can be traced back as far as ancient Babylon and ancient Egypt which makes theoretical attribution difficult due to its inherently oral nature. The word Enneagram is translated into “nine diagram” which points to the geometric figure that represents the system as a whole (see figure “a”). With nine equidistant points drawn inside of a circle, the symbols use as a theoretical model are likely mathematical and were discovered by mathematician Pythagoras (Riso and Hudson, p.12 1996). The symbol was thought of as a pictorial/geometric representation of the “process of renewal” and was likely passed down generationally from the Greeks to the Arabs and Moslems in the early 14th and 15th centuries (Riso and Hudson, p.12 1996). 

The distance between the points forms the characteristic “movement” through the symbol that represents the dynamic quality of the Enneagram; for example the hexagon 1-4-2-8-5-7 and the inner triangle; 3-6-9. Early in the discovery of the geometric theoretical implications of the system various mathematical proofs were tested using the equidistant points of the symbol which convinced early mathematicians of its universal properties.  As time wore on the Enneagram’s uses became more widespread and was passed through various narrative traditions such as Sufi Indian cultures and Jesuit priests. It was the Jesuits who translated the geometric complexities of the symbol and began to conceptualize the use of the Enneagram in understanding the process of spiritual evolution and eventually as a typology for different types of spiritual dilemmas; in addition, they found that each point on the symbol represented the expression of a seven deadly sin and two “minor sins” corresponding to a number on the equidistant circle; “1-anger, 4-envy, 2-pride, 8-lust, 5-avarice, 7-gluttony, and the inner triangle; 3-vanity, 6-fear, and 9-sloth (Becker in Ebert et. al, 1991). The Enneagram model was adapted as a personality typology and rediscovered by George Gurdjieff who claimed to have discovered it from the Sufi’s in his travels in the early half of the twentieth century, however due to the various tall tales told about Gurdjieff’s life and his reputation amongst some scholars as a Charlatan there is no precise way of knowing how he came to understand the Enneagram model as a psycho-spiritual typology (Riso and Hudson, p. 14 1996).

The Enneagram as a psychological personality typology was finally developed more fully by Oscar Ichazo founder of the Arica institute in Chile. Ichazo teaches that the Enneagram was translated to him through various Kabbalah influences and was meant to represent nine different “ego fixations” which caught the interest of various psychologists including Chilean psychiatrist Claudio Naranjo in the late 1960s. The psychological Enneagram was developed with a decidedly Freudian viewpoint that presupposes that each of the nine types has a characteristic ego fixation that would be detrimental to the development of an individual. These various ego fixations centered mainly on the original assertion of the Jesuit’s surrounding the “sins” but eliminated the primarily Judeo-Christian bias situating it more firmly in psychoanalytic territory. From Naranjo’s detailed expositions in books like Character and Neurosis and Enneatype Structures modern researchers like Don Riso and Russ Hudson penned larger volumes outlining the Enneagram’s nine types and various variations on type, such as their seminal work on the personality Enneagram model, Personality Types. So, from the theories relatively esoteric and mysterious beginnings an in depth psychological system was born that, with all it’s various permutations and variations, boasts nine types and over fifty four subtypes.

The Enneagram is divided into triads; three groups of three. The Head Triad (types 5,6,7) are characterized by mental energy or head energy issues of anxiety, fear, authority and seeing to know the world. The Heart Triad (types 2,3,4) are characterized by emotional energy so these types typically have issues surrounding their relationship to the world and others, shame, grief, sadness, and image. The Gut or Instinctive Triad (8,9,1) are characterized by a focus on their ability to instinctively move through the world and the space to exist, they typically have issues surrounding anger, resentment, repression and appetite. 

Due to the inherent complexity of the system and its growth in popularity in the early 1980s and another surge of interest in the early 1990s the Enneagram was adopted to many disciplines including organizational communication and business development. Authors like Michael Goldberg and Helen Palmer have focused on uses of the Enneagram in team building to help managers and peers understand work habits and motivational goals more to assist in business growth (Goldberg, 1996; Palmer, 1995). In addition to organizational communication, helping disciplines have adopted the model in interpersonal modes of communication however primarily in a clinical atmosphere. Due to the Enneagram’s inherent focus on motivation and behavioral presentation it gained some popularity from marriage and family counselors and corporate and life coaches to assist in producing methods for conflict resolution and relational maintenance (Baron and Wagele, 1995). Since the popularization of the Enneagram several Enneagram personality tests and scales have been validated including the Essential Enneagram Test validated by Dr. David Daniels at Stanford University and the WEPSS (Wagner Enneagram Personality Style Scales) developed by Jerome Wagner, Ph.D of Loyola University (Daniels and Price, 2000). In addition to the aforementioned tests Don Riso and Russ Hudson have conducted several private validation studies through SHL, an independently owned occupational testing facility based out of the United Kingdom, and found statistical correlation between the RHETI (Riso Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator) and SHL trait based personality test as well as the more widely known Myers Briggs and Big Five personality systems (Enneagram Institute, 2005).

The Enneagram also has a dynamic quality that means that there is movement within the system. The types move against lines of connection or arrows in which they sort of "pick up" both positive and negative traits of the type in the direction of the arrows.

So for example the 1 who is  normally rational, tempered, measured and disciplined MOVES WITH the arrow toward 4 where they can become moody, temperamental, entitled as well as more creative, in touch with their feelings, intuitive and aesthetic. 1s can also MOVE AGAINST the arrow toward 7 so they can learn to stop focusing on work so much and relax and have fun, be more spontaneous and allow their imaginations to "drive the bus", alternately they can become more scattered, permissive with themselves, gluttonous, and unrealistic about their expectations. It used to be believed that a type moved one way toward health (integration) and the other way toward pathology (disintegration). However, I have found that this isn't true, and other teachers have confirmed this. Some have a stronger connection one way or another. Typically it is harder to move against the arrow (against the grain, if you will), so it was believed in order to find psycho-spiritual stability one should try and integrate the type behaviors against the line of connection.

The lines of connection look like this:

It can be written this way:

WITH the line of connection: 1-4-2-8-5-7-1     and 3-9-6-3

AGAINST the line of connection: 1-7-5-8-2-4-1  and 3-6-9-3

The Enneagram as most people use it today has evolved into a highly dynamic system and for my purposes I find it most useful when synthesized with other systems to help get a clearer picture of the totality of the individual. There are some teachers who utilize this method best, In my opinion Katherine Fauvre and David Fauvre's synthesizing method a good mixture of both scientific logic and intuitive insight. Tom Condon's approach is also appealing as he recognizes the elasticity of the system and does some really interesting work with hypnosis and NLP terminology as it relates to how we conceptualize our types.

My personal research with the system is geared toward how it relates to communication (both interpersonal and intrapersonal) in addition to some critical issues regarding the types and how cultures conceptualize individuals of certain types. In other words; how we support certain personality types in our culture and chastise the behavior of others. The positive and negative effects of that social pressure on those individual types and how they mitigate those societal expectations is also of interest to me and something I hope to explore in my research.

*Citations available upon request.

I will write blog post briefly describing each individual type to compliment this.

Exploring the sexual Nine/Beyonce & Janet Jackson

I thought it might be interesting to discuss two singers that have similar energy. I see both Janet Jackson and Beyoncé as sexual 9w8. 

Thomas Condon says this of the 9 with an 8 wing:

"...have a modest, steady, receptive core. They are charged by the dynamism of 8-when focused on goals they often have great force of will. Get things done, make good leaders. May have an animal magnetism of which they are only partly aware. Can seem highly centered, take what they do seriously but remain unimpressed with themselves...Relatively fearless and highly intuitive. Generally not intellectual unless they have it in their background"-Enneagram Movie and Video Guide (1999), Thomas Condon

With that in mind I want to explore these two artists:

Beyoncé

Beyoncé is sort of the embodiment of the visceral, firey energy of 8 mingling with the subdued and complacency at 9. The sexual subtype gives her a certain "sass" that allows the sexual energy to bubble up during performance. She has that sort of shy, innocent countenance off stage that explodes into a consummate, highly sexualized performer while on stage. She has been given the title of "diva" and even calls herself a "diva" but I just don't buy that she fully believes that label herself. There's something removed about her, a sort of disembodied ego that she's able to access while performing but seems relatively unphased when she's not. There is an odd mixture of seeming centered and grounded while simultaneously seeming dreamy and light (9 mingling with 8 again).

Her music is begs the question as to whether she is even singing about her own experiences. She has many songs that relate to heartbreak and love relationships but when interviewed reveals that much of her music is not about her personal experience. In fact, much like other 9 artist, she is very protective of her personal life and highly private. Some might be incited to place her in the heart triad (due to her glossy, Pop-Soul Diva image, but image management is a mainstay of the industry). Her lack of personalized association with her music puts her more in the gut triad, and more specifically in the sleepy, ego detached space of 9. She wrote an entire album from the point of view of a character she merged with for the film Dreamgirls. 

I get the sense that she might conceptualize a lot of her success as a dream, however I do think she enjoys her career and the success she's derived and might be able to occasionally inhabit the princess space that one typically sees with 2s. However I think that the 9 will take on the princess/prince persona as a sort of replacement for actual embodiment. I think her mother is a 2w3 and very much wanted her daughter to be successful, a sort of vicarious development of talent that I see alot with image type parents (2,3,4) therefore Beyoncé has a bit of that "pageant child" orientation that will often produce a pretty strong superego voice (likely her mother's) telling her to succeed. She's positively identified with both parents and allows them to manage most aspects of her career (her father was the manager of both Destiny's Child and manages her solo career). I think to some extent she might be living the unexpressed dream of her parents (which isn't uncommon for 3s and 9s). Whatever the case Beyoncé has a pretty developed connection to healthy 3.

She seems to have slightly slow processing (double gut energy), and when someone asks her a question you can see it takes her a moment to come back to earth so she can answer. I think she maintains an energetic tether to the earth but probably inhabits a pretty vivid dream world. The slow tempo, breathy, raspy voice is very much indicative of the sexual subtype mixing with the 9 space, and the naive, sometimes childlike, wide-eyed wonderment usually says 9 or 7 to me.

In the following clip she mentions having to learn "to have boundaries" and then corrects herself and says she meant to say she needed to learn  "to have balance." I found this particularly telling as it speaks to the feeling Beyoncé gives me of being very willing to merge. I think she embraces the merging process and you can occasionally see this come up in some of her lyrics; "dangerously in love," and  "Halo" as examples, and probably is aware of a need for boundaries.

She speaks about her stage persona, "Sascha Fierce" and have noticed that a many 9 performers will split themselves in order to inhabit the assertiveness that is needed to be a public figure. Janet Jackson did the same with "Damita Jo", or "Miss Jackson".  At about 7:21 in the video above she speaks to her shyness and vulnerability and the necessity stage persona is necessary in order to work.

The ferocity of her suppressed aggression comes out in various songs and music videos like Ring the Alarm;

"Ring the alarm
I been through this too long
But I'll be damned if I see another chick on your arm
Won't you ring the alarm?
I been through this too long
But I'll be damned if I see another chick on your arm"

or the larger the life expression of her 8 wing and sexual subtype coming to a head in songs like "Diva"

"..When he pull up, wanna pop my hood up,
Bet he better have a six-pack in the cooler
Gettin money, divas gettin' money,
If you ain't gettin' money, then you ain't got nothin fo' me
Tell me somethin', (tell me somethin'): Where yo boss at? (Where yo' boss at?)
Where my ladies up in here that like to talk back? (that like to talk back)
I wanna see her (I wanna see her), I'd like to meet ya (I'd like to meet her)
What you say? (NOT TO ME!), she ain't no diva (she ain't no diva!)..."

Conversely we see the softer side, which she claims is more her (not realizing they are both expressions of her) in videos/songs like "Halo"

The dichotomy is obvious.

One can see the thread of aggression that shows itself periodically in the music of the 9 as it seems to be a safe place to express the anger that they try to keep hidden from themselves and others. She explored her 8 wing further in her portrayal of Etta James in the film Cadillac Records. Beyoncé told Tyra Banks that she had to "search hard" to inhabit a place of anger all the time and that it "was scary". On the same broadcast she alluded to being a positive person (9 joins 7 and 2 in the positive outlook triad) and that accessing that kind of deep anger was a challenge.

Beyoncé attempts to vocalize the sort of existential loneliness that can often come up for the 9 and desire for a rapturous union that one finds with all  sexual subtypes in her song "Scared of Lonely":

"I need your strength when nobody is around
'Cause I'm tired of this emptiness, I think I'm drowning
I can't be lonely no more
Cause I'm lost in this dream, I need you to hold me

I'm scared of lonely
And I'm scared of being the only shadow I see along the wall
And I'm scared the only heartbeat I hear beating is my own
And I'm scared of being alone
I can't seem to breathe when I am lost in this dream, I need you to hold me
I'm scared of lonely
I'm scared of lonely....."

All in all I think Beyoncé nicely personifies the sexual 9w8 who has galvanized into action, finding her strength through the support and guidance of ambitious, supportive parents. Despite her success I think she remains fairly humble and seems to have found safe harbor in her husband Jay Z (whom I see as a self preservation 2w3...yeah...we'll get to that some other time). I see Beyoncé has having both 3 and 7 in the tritype which personifies her ability to steam roll toward success (with the support of the two assertive types and the 8 wing).

Janet Jackson

Janet Jackson has many of the same qualities of Beyoncé but the seem to be undercut by a relatively strange childhood that casts a slightly darker shadow across Jackson's enneagram style (as opposed to the more overtly positive Beyoncé). While I do believe that Jackson is positive above all else, she seems to personify the sexual 9s similarity to 4. Her lyrics have a sort of melancholy about them that can accompany the sexual 9 (which frequently leads to mistyping). However, underneath the sadness of Jackson's lyrics one gets the sense that ultimately she can endure it. In fact, in her darkest album "The Velvet Rope" many of the songs express sadness about the world at large (prejudice, abuse, etc.) and not her own personal experiences (although due to her privacy one can not be sure). All in all Janet writes fairly personal music but maintains a distance from her art that makes her seemingly less affected by her own personal demons.

Jackson also presents a bit shier and more delicate and childlike than Beyoncé. Perhaps a bit more cloaking of the self due to growing up in a high profile family and being the youngest (not an uncommon birth order for 9s). I believe she might have phobic 6 and 4 in the tritype which exacerbates her withdrawn nature. The quiet, coquettish, little girl vibe, very much sexual 9, 6w7, 2, 7, or sometimes 4.

She seems even more dreamy and floaty than Beyoncé and I think this is due to the characteristic shyness that most members of her family have. She talks about how she rarely gets nervous or stressed out and appears to maintain a relatively even keel. When there is emotional expression it's typically sadness or anger which primarily is expressed through her music. She is humble and I get the sense that she has difficulty watching herself interview or perform (as it reminds her of the giant presence she has in the eyes of others).

As with many 9s when she is interviewed one gets the sense of being sleepy. Sometimes their relaxed manner has a lulling effect that can by quite hypnotizing to the viewer. I found this French interview with her has a languid quality. She doesn't really ever seem to embody herself unless she's performing (much like Beyoncé).

Janet Jackson, l'interview
by madmoiZelle

Janet pretty clearly outlined her personality early in her career as she recognized the need to separate herself and outline her own path in life. Songs like "Control", and "What have you done for me lately" show a young 9 trying to find her footing amongst the pressure from her controlling 8 father attempting to direct her career.

"This is a story about control, my control
Control of what I say, control of what I do
And this time I'm gonna do it my way
I hope you enjoy this as much as I do
Are we ready?
I am
Cause it's all about control
and I've got lots of it

When I was 17, I did what people told me
Did what my father said, and let my mother mold me
But that was long ago."

Janet Jackson also understands the state of loneliness that plagues many people, however the song "Lonely" shows Jackson's willingness to be a friend and listen to those who need her. I get the sense that many of Jackson's songs (which have this theme of being a gentle listener) are a sort of plea to the lonely, withdrawn, broken people that might be listening to her music, the sort of plea she might have made to her own brother, Michael to ensure them/him know she's always there to listen:

"So don't isolate yourself
Every time that I come around
A person all alone
Is an unhappy one
We need somebody near to love us
Someone who cares
Living life all by yourselves
Impossible to do and I'll be there for you
Anytime you feel the need
Call me when you're lonely
Cause everybody needs a friend
And I'll be yours if you're lonely
(And if you're all alone)
If you're all alone
And a friend you need
Like a river flows
You hurt, I'll bleed
If you can trust in me
We can find a way
Take away the pain
Time heals all things
Even a lonely state of mind
Cause happiness is oh so hard to find
If you're lonely I will be there..."

I'm particularly struck by the line "you're hurt, I bleed" which sums up the ability of the 9 to heavily empathize with others, a sort of boundary free existence. So you get the dichotomy of merging and boundary definition that often personifies the fickleness of the sexual 9. A sort of, "I want to merge with you but I can't lose myself."

Janet explored the darkness of her youth and her own negativity and anger in the album The Velvet Rope. Many of the songs are filled with dark, and sometimes violent imagery. However, I'm particularly struck by the mingling of 9 and the 4 in her tritype with the song "Velvet Rope." The desire to feel "special", the velvet rope metaphor in which everyone can come into her accepting den and feel the warmth of specialness she believes everyone should experience. So here we can see the desire for inclusion of the 9, and the craving for uniqueness of the 4. The album was not only for her but for her misfit fans (likely the LGBT movement that supported her so wholeheartedly). She also explored her own sexuality and sexual confusion. The video to The Velvet Rope shows the melancholic tone of the album.

Despite the melancholy tone there is still a sense of the complacency and gentleness of the 9.

"We have a special need
To feel that we belong
Come with me inside
Inside my velvet rope

We have a special need
To feel that we belong
Come with me inside
Inside my velvet rope

We all wanna feel special...

This special need
That's within us
Brings out the best
Yet worst in us."

 Janet's 8 wing comes out fiercely in songs like "Son of a Gun" in which we get the visceral imagery of the 4 in her tritype mingling with the 8. The song and video are decidedly more assertive although paired with her characteristic whisper. I think the 4 in her tritype makes the expression of her anger more understated compared to that of Beyoncé's.

 

Janet has a pronounced connection to her 1 wing and it seems to come out in the expression of her need for discipline, a concept worthy of her 2008 album entitled Discipline. There's a sexual ferociousness that is kept fairly hidden in interviews but rears itself in her music and performances which are notoriously provocative...anyone remember the Super Bowl "wardrobe malfunction" which in my opinion might have been a bit of the 9 and 7 (Justin Timberlake) trickster archetypes coming out. She has a mixture of shyness and raw sexuality that translates most explicitly as she dances which for me seems characteristic of this 9w8 performer archetype...(Rhianna is another example of a 9w8 with this dichotomy). However Jackson's dance style is more crisp and technically polished compared to Beyoncé purely soulful movements.

Here's a good example of the coquettish 9 mingling with the rawness of the sexual instinct and 8:

Janet Jackson SO EXCITED video
by hitme1tyme

 

Because Jackson's career spans such a long period of time it would take forever to cite all the examples of her 9ness. However, I trust I've somewhat made my point. I found it difficult to find interviews in which she talks about her personal life because she is so intensely private, so much of my analysis is based on her career, music, and of course, how she feels to me.

The word of the day on this post is: mingling

Final Weigh In:

Beyoncé 9w8 sx/so (9w8-3w2-7w6 tritype).

Janet Jackson 9w8 sx/sp (9w8-4w3-6w5 tritype)-Now that I think about it I think she might have pretty balanced wings but the 8 seems to be a little more prevalent.

My take on the Tritype/Trifix theory

Some may not be familiar with the notion of tritype. The term "tritype" was coined by enneagram research team Katherine and David Fauvre who took the original idea of Oscar Ichazo, who previously postulated that individuals used 3 fixations (two in conjunction with the dominant type) but didn't really expand much past that original hypothesis. However as the Fauvre's differentiated their research from that of Ichazo they renamed it as "tritype" to distinguish their findings from that of the original Arican concept. Tritype states that we posses one type in each center. One of those types is our dominant type, while the other two are employed as necessary when the strategies or defenses of our dominant type are no longer effective.

What the Fauvre's say about tritype: http://enneagram.net/tritype.html

What good does this do me?

Some take issue with the notion of tritype because they find that it complicates the purity of one's enneagram type and takes focus away from the main type issues. I disagree. I do believe that one should work primarily on their primary type issues (especially when discovering the system), but for some who have done a good deal of self work, like myself, I ran out of ways to approach growth. There were some issues that weren't covered by my main type, wings, or arrow connections, I became stuck. In many respects my 4,5 and 3 issues have been worked to death. Since the enneagram is a trialectic system (a system of 3s) the notion of having a type in each center only makes sense mathematically and can aid one in their spiritual or psychological growth. Some conceptualize the enneagram as a process, in which we all move around the whole enneagram througout our lives. Tritype is another way to approach all of the types and help better to explain how one might move around the whole circle.

I think of it this way: just because we are a head type doesn't mean we don't utilize the gut and heart centers. Tritype seeks to explain movement to these other centers that are not as organic as arrow connections and from my experience helps people to identify their primary type much easier. For example how does a 7 move to the heart center? They naturally connect to 5 (head) and 1 (gut) but have no access to the heart center either through wings or arrows. Surely they use the heart center, and use it in a specific way (via types 2,3 or 4).

Another example; if someone is a 3, they may have a tritype of 3-5-9. This means that once the 3 has exhausted their main type strategies (image maintenance, solution orientation, efficiency, self promotion, etc) they will move to the head center and utilize the strategies of the 5 (cerebral reflection, theorizing, withdrawal, and avarice, etc.) in order to gain the results they need. If 5 strategies don't work they may move to the strategies of the 9 (placating, merging, passive aggression, etc). It has been my experience that the tritype seems to play itself out most obviously in relationship with others.

In our interpersonal relationships (whether they be work relationships or personal relationships) we tend to utilize our egos more readily. We may cycle through our tritype in order to yield a specific result, or rather to incite a specific result in others. More research is necessary to determine when people actually employ their tritype strategies.

I find tritype a useful construct in understanding and expanding the dynamism of the enneagram. I think some people are more comfortable with the system as a closed; main type, lines of connection, wings, subtype that's it. However, if you believe the enneagram really is a dynamic system and that it is a trialectic system than entertaining the notion of tritype shouldn't be too threatening. It adds even more color to individuals and helps to explain differences of people of the same type, wing and instinctual stack, while still maintaining the laws of the enneagram (the continuity of the triads and trialectic movement).

Whatever the case, recognizing how and when you employ the tritype strategies can be useful in understanding how you relate to the world in addition to the basic enneagram type. I finally understand why I seem less tolerant of negativity in other people than other 4s and my issues with boredom and incompletion when I discovered the 7 in my tritype and now I have a conceptual framework for understanding how to approach those issues.

Another way of looking at it...

Another way I like to conceptualize tritype it is to think about the energy of the center and how we embody the energy of that specific center. So asking yourself when you feel the emotional energy of the heart triad how that manifests. If you had 4 in the tritype you might experience shame, grief, feel great sadness, enjoy melancholic reverie of the past, or feel the need to differentiate yourself emotionally from others. If one had 3 in the tritype they may experience the shame/grief issues of the triad as a need to mask or adapt your feelings to be more acceptable and reflect positively on you, and not want to wallow or reflect to heavily to avoid being unproductive. The anger of the gut center may be experienced in an explosive 8ish way, in which you may have a very strong temper that has a formidable and blustery quality or conversely experience the anger like that of a 1 and seethe and seek to reform that which angers you. In other words you may be irritable and testy (1) as opposed to forceful and blunt (8).

I think the extent to which  you use your tritype is a highly personal issue. Some may bounce back and forth between the first two types in the tritype others may require a good deal of stress to start galvanizing those other types into action.
It's important to remember that one type is in charge and remains in charge, so whether or not you move to another type in your tritype you will not live there for too long because we all return to our default primary type. I do believe that there is a general overlay of the tritype types in an individuals personality map, 2's with 5 in their tritype configuration are visibly more contained and cerebral than 2's with 7 in the tritype, which tends to support the joyful, boyant quality one might expect with 2s. There also seem to be some rules with what tritype types show up with what type and wing. For example, Katherine Fauvre has shared that it is more common for 4w3 to have 7 in their tritype than perhaps a 4w5, but these rules are not hard and fast as I myself am an exception, this can cause some difficulty in pinpointing the right tritype (it took me almost a year to finally land on the right combination). However, the Enneacards test on enneagram.net is the only test available that assists in pinpointing tritype.

Line of connection, wing, or tritype?

There's some confusion about whether a tritype type is just a line or connection or a wing. I know that the Fauvre's state that it has more to do with the degree to which that type shows up in your personality. For example, if you are a 4 with a 5 wing, you may or may not have 5 in your tritype. Katherine Fauvre states that those 4w5s with 5 in their tritype will have a exacerbated 5 issues and will generally feel more 5ish than other 4w5 that might have 7 or 6 in their tritypes.

For example I have 7 in my tritype but have a 5 wing. For me, understanding the 7 in my tritype helped to explain a lot of tendencies that don't fit with 4 (or my lines of connections or wings). I have a lot of 7ish traits that cannot be explained simply through my main types movement through the system. However, I originally believed I had 5 in my tritype due to a 5 wing. Upon meeting more 4w5 with 5 in their tritype I saw the compounded 5ishness that played out in their general demeanor and couldn't figure out what the difference was. I present a little more optimistic, sociable (I am social first so that was a bit confusing) and generally a little more flippant than other 4w5s I knew.

How does it develop?

I believe the other types in the tritype can develop out of environmental or parental expectations. I have absolutely no factual basis for this hypothesis but in my case there is compelling evidence to suggest that my mother conferred the other two types of my tritype onto me, and I'm starting to hear this from others as well. I am 4-7-8. Mygrandmother is a 7w8 (self preservation) and my grandfather is an 8w9 (social subtype). I have always been a bit distractable, "busy," and had a monkey mind, however I believe the protectiveness of the 8 developed out of having to take care of a lot of things in my home to help my mother. My parents divorced when I was 7 and I was left with my mother who struggled occasionally to keep things afloat. I developed the sense that it was up to me to make sure she was okay, that the house was okay, and a fierce protectiveness over her (and my other friends and loved ones). I'm not entirely convinced that her projection of the original authority onto me didn't imbue me with the 8 that show up in my tritype. As a result I have a tendency today to be quite bossy to people when it comes to taking care of essential things. I yell at or push others when I'm concerned with them. I feel a need to maintain strength around others and show less vulnerability than some other 4s I know and will fiercely protect and defend my close friends/family if somebody is "messing" with them. I have a temper, but it takes me a minute to access it.

To wing, or not to wing?

Some others also question the use of wings when using the tritype and I think that if your type has a wing, then it would behoove one to use wings when doing the tritype. If the enneagram really is trialectic than wings would have to be utilized when doing tritype according to Katherine Fauvre.

For example I believe I am 4w5-7w6-8w9. Some may prefer not to be that specific with their tritype orientations but I believe it adds even more clarity when trying to determine one's own tritype, because each type and wing has a specific coloration. Before I discovered the 8 in my tritype I was sure that my head fix (7) had to be 7w8 because I had such strong identification with 8, however now that I've delved deeper I have more of the double head energy in the mental center (anxiety is very difficult for me, and I can get so stuck considering options that I overwhelm myself) as opposed to the more grounded, impulsive and more audaciously selfish qualities that might come out with the 7w8. Conversely the gut energy has a more languid quality for me, I'm a little slower to anger than an 8w7 might be. I completely loose my mind and act like a complete meat-head and have that double gut quality of not thinking. I like to relax and prefer a slower pace, and am not quite as enterprising as 8w7 might imply.

Final weigh in.

With that said it's not for everyone, but I will frequently refer to it in this blog. Further research is needed but the Fauvre's provide the most cutting edge research of this endeavor and I personally believe that as they develop this line of research it will become integrated into the mainstream enneagram literature. It was hinted at by Ichazo himself but he did not develop it to it's full degree. As people begin to identify how they utilize the energy at each center it will undoubtedly become more clear.

For more information contact Enneagram Explorations as they are the leading researchers with this particular concept and are a great resource.

The Real Housewives of Atlanta

I really enjoy the Real Housewives series on Bravo. As my blog has already exhibited I watch a lot of Bravo. However I think the Real Housewives series is particularly enlightening. You get to see exaggerated egos which is always good for typing. I understand that many of these people are to some extent playing a character but I believe the characters are based on their own personality structure in most, if not all, cases. While the Atlanta cast isn't my favorite I think an analysis of their enneagram types would still be fun.

Sheree

Sheree is undoubtedly a 3w4 in my opinion. I believe she's probably sexual or self preservation first. She seems to have a fair amount of narcissistic entitlement that was present before the show even began filming according to sources. She is concentrated on the bottom line which for her is to be in the spotlight and treated like the queen she believes herself to be. She has a sort of hard exterior shell, and a defended body style which indicates to me that she is a formidable opponent and probably one of the assertive types (3,7,8). She is competitive, assertive, and vain but seems to posses a fairly strong connection to low 9 as she often doesn't want to put in the effort to achieve the success she believes she deserves. "Designing" a clothing line and wanting just to get it on the runway without the proper attention to details personifies the 3 rushing to the end in order to get the recognition, the sort of the ends justify the means approach. 

She wants to promote the illusion of being a "designer" but her design input and knowledge is limited. However as a competency type she wants everyone to believe she knows everything about fashion and the fashion industry.

I got the impression she was really only concerned about people seeing her name in lights rather than the actual construction or product that she produced. It has always been about Sheree and she even possess enough narcissism to believe herself to be too good for most (if not all) of the men who try to court her (yeah, I said court).  It appears to be very important for her to maintain appearances and at the beginning of Season 2 when she told of her "downsized" home there seemed to be a bit of shame as she thought it indicative of her failure. I think much of the second season following her divorce and financial fluctuation was an attempt to save face in the eyes of the public. However the veil falls periodically to reveal a more aggressive version of the polished, sophisticate she'd have audiences believe.




Notice in this video Sheree is oddly disconnected from what's going on and would rather spend attention to how she will look the day of the show (both the narcissism and possible sexual subtype focus coming to a head).


She also has a strong connection to counterphobic 6, as well as 8 in the tritype which gives her a pretty pronounced temper. Here she is in the infamous season 2 fight with a party planner who wasn't delivering the goods.



NeNe

NeNe is an interesting character and seems to be the viewers' favorite. She possesses a strong personality and occupies the most dramatic space on the show. As for type, she's a little bit harder to call for me because of a few contradicting character nuances. I originally believed that NeNe could be a 2w3, social subtype. She has the effusiveness of the 2, relationally focused, image conscious, (sometimes more status/image conscious than the 3's, which is not uncommon for the social 2) flattering as well as incredibly concerned with her family and friendships. She seems to always find her way to drama and is frequently at the epicenter of the drama. She is known for her gossiping and occasionally "uppity" attitude. However, she is extremely concerned with loyalty and honesty in friendships, and she herself is often honest to a fault (which could be 2 or 6). She is definitely confrontational when necessary and doesn't feel the need to default to positivity when something needs to be addressed (which would typically place her outside of the positive outlook triad of 2,7 or 9). She feels a compulsive need to be honest (as she defines it) and wants everyone to be "real" (which she feels she often is despite a fair amount of image construction), which I see alot with 6s.



Her issues compounded around being adopted and not knowing her real father could indicate 6 or 2 for me. I notice a fair amount of 6s (especially women) who have compounded father issues as this represents the original authority in their lives they believe they've lost. She seems distrustful due both to early broken trust in her relationships with parental figures (both of her parents were largely absent in her life) and seeks structure and stability in her relationship with her husband (2 or 6). She does like to refer to herself as a "queen" and has that sort of bossy countenance you get with 2's quite frequently. She's outrageous and extremely extroverted and concerned with helping others with her foundation to assist abused women (due to her experience with abuse) which is again a tough call between 2 and 6.

Here's a more organic interview with NeNe:


The more outrageous NeNe:

Kim:

 
 Kim is another outrageous character. In the first season I really found her (at first) to be much more raw or at least seemingly raw. I was working with limited information about 8s at the time and thought she could be one. However as the season drew on, and I saw her response to conflict it became clear to me that she is a 9w8 social or sexual subtype.  She is a really good representation of how the 9 can develop a really defined line to 3 and play into image management. Kim has low self esteem and covers it through the big hair, makeup, and plunging necklines. She is a merger, meaning that she latches onto friendships in an effort to merge to reduce conflict. Her friendship with NeNe is tumultuous and is a constant backdrop to the show. Her relationship to "Big Papa" is largely undefined however she seems hopelessly tied to him  but unsure of the connection. I think Kim wants to spend most of her time spending money, socializing, and drinking wine. She has a leisurely demeanor about her despite her apparent brassiness. I think she hides her vulnerability and passivity behind the loud brassy 8 wing and most of the time does a pretty good job of projecting that image. However when we can see Kim in relationship with another one of the housewives there is a tendency to drop borders and want to merge. 8's tend to have pretty defined boundaries, whereas with Kim it's not clear that she knows where she ends and the other begins. She wants to avoid conflict and when she does engage it lacks the bite of an 8. She ultimately secedes to prevent further fighting or drama. She also has a sort of 9ish naivety and falls back into toxic relationships and friendships (whether it be with NeNe or Big Papa). She's a good example of the Princess 9 that you can get with the social and sexual subtypes; where they project an air of superiority, confidence and an almost 2ish entitlement socially or in relationship but underneath you can see the lack of awareness of the ego. She has built an ego out of superficial concerns but really might see herself as unassuming, quiet, passive Kim. I believe she worked as a nurse which probably expresses more of her general tendency which would be to suspend the self in order to stay happy. She seems relatively unaware of her true self (her thoughts of being a country or pop singer despite an ability to sing) to me shows the 9 being asleep to the self and a developed connection to low 3. She has replaced a developed sense of self with an aggressive, narcissistic image that isn't very well maintained and uncomfortably disconnected from who she really is.

You can see the lack of ego and passive demeanor when she's not around the other loud, assertive housewives. You can see her search others' eyes for approval (strong 2 in the tritype) and an attempt to merge for conversation.





Here you can see Kim's tendency to retreat and flee in conflict (9)...Surges of anger and aggression (8), and her self perception as a relatively drama free, nice, harmless person in the famous Season 2 fight with Sheree:




Lisa

Lisa is one of the more subdued housewife characters and to me is a really good representation of a 3w2 (most likely sexual subtype). She is bright eyed, friendly, and seemingly interested in other people.  She is very much in love with her husband and seems to put that relationship above all others in her life. However, underneath the friendly mask I can sense that 3ish steelly resolve. She is a shrewd business woman and very competitive and driven.  I believe that networking and the maintenance of friendships is mostly important to her to keep important relationships afloat that might serve her in the future. I do believe that her love relationship is most important, and that is probably her most cherished. 

Lisa stays relatively clear of drama and tends to engage in more active image management and face saving so that she keeps the appearance of being just a "friendly, successful woman". The 3w2 for me seems to be constantly seeking approval through gestures of kindness or helpfulness but with less concern for the actual maintenance of the relationship and more concern for needing others to see them as the perfect person or an all around good person. Lisa's involvement with the other women on the show seems to stay pretty surface and she possesses a less intense approach than her 3w4 counterpart Sheree. I think Lisa keeps her competitiveness fairly hidden but that winning is of paramount concern for her. She engages in sly competitiveness as we saw with the creation of her fashion line as an alternative to She by Sheree.  What is interesting about Lisa is watching her when others become emotional, she will patiently listen but you can see her discomfort with the emotional expression (as well as the discomfort with her own emotional vulnerability as we saw when she processed feelings about her dead brother). She knows how to give an appropriate response to emotional output but doesn't seem to want to really deal with the emotional authenticity. However she's a smart business woman and is willing to do the necessary work needed to make something successful (whether it is a relationship or a job.)

Here's an introductory video of Lisa. You can see the 3 dropping accomplishments paired with the 2 friendliness. She's charming, positive and self aggrandizing. This video nicely sums up my typing of her:

Kandi

 
Kandi is the newest housewife so it's been difficult to get a solid read on her because she has been laying low on the radar. However, I'm not entirely sure that her lower profile on the show isn't indicative of her personality. She's proclaimed quite obviously that she doesn't like to engage in drama. She's very much dedicated to her music career. She has a permanent smile on her face which for me typically indicates (3,7 or 9-positive outlook). However the question is why the smile is pasted there in the first place. At first exposure she seemed like a 3w2 (probably self preservation). She is mostly concerned with working and maintaining a certain position in the music industry (which has been primarily behind the scenes). As the show picks up with Kandi she is trying to ramp up a comeback as a solo artist (after years spent in the group Xscape and writing songs for other musical artists). I can see that she is a hardworker and genuinely cares about those in her sphere. Her relationship to her fiance AJ was important as was her mother's approval of the relationship. I saw the approval seeking of her mother as very 3ish, however 9s (and occasionally 6s) can engage in that kind of parental approval seeking although the motivation clearly differs. I can't discern whether she's motivated to gain approval from her mother of her success, to avoid conflict or to avoid punishment. Her mother seems to be a 6 or 2 and definitely feels the need to bestow her opinion.  Kandi is probably the least dramatic of the show and tried desperately to keep herself clear of dramatic altercations, however with the always saucy never quiet NeNe (who incidentally seemed to have a hard time accepting the new girl) steering clear of drama is not always possible. She seems to have taken to Kim early on in the show and they became fast friends. I believe they see eye to eye on the avoidance of drama (however due to Kim's enmeshment with the other ladies she has a harder time staying out of drama).  Despite Kandi's avoidance of drama she seems confident of her assertiveness which to me places her more in the 3 space.

Kandi's personality may become more clear as time goes on so for now I'd have to go with self preservation 3w2 or 9. She feels a bit more like a heart type as she wants people to see her as a nice, down to earth, hardworking individual, not that she's not those things but the maintenance of those qualities to others seems important. I think she felt a responsibility toward empowering Kim when she recorded the "Don't be Tardy for the Party" track, which to me is a great example of the relatively healthy 3 trying to inspire others to greatness and confidence. She is relatively private (as is Sheree and Kim) but more guarded and contained which could be that self preservation energy at work.


Here's an interview:




Dwight:

The 6th housewife is the fabulous Ms. Dwight. He's often OOC but a very interesting character nonetheless. I'm not going to go too in depth of a discussion of Dwight but he seems to be a pretty good representation of a 7w6 or 4w3. I definitely think he's the social subtype. He is flamboyant, creative, honest, assertive, grandiose, witty, and elegant in presentation. He's certainly knowledgeable about all things tasteful, and even has a tendency to dip into tacky (something both 4w3s and 7s can have a tendency to do). It's difficult to tell whether he's motivated by the need to maintain options and avoid anxiety or to distinguish himself from the ordinary. He has a 2ish element to his personality that comes out in his belief that he is bestowing his help and taste on others (which would indicate 4 moreso than 7) however the social 7 can often see themselves as martyrs who are helping others to step outside of their limited vision and see the possibilities.  He likes to dispense advice to others and maintains a stark honesty and bluntness in his presentation. He's certainly an epicure an an artiste, but there is a certain amount of discomfort with the self (his plastic surgery indicating a disconnect between the fabulous image and the inner certitude of worth).




 Dwight dispensing advice:


Final Weigh In:

Sheree: 3w4 sx/sp 3-5-8 tritype
NeNe: 2w3 so/sx or 6w7 so/sx 2-6-8 tritype
Kim: 9w8 so/sx or sx/so 9-2-7 tritype
Kandi: 3w2 sp/so 3-9-7 tritype
Lisa: 3w2 sp/sx or sx/sp 3-7-1 tritype
Dwight: 4w3 so/sx or 7w6 so/sx 4-7-1 or 7-4-1.

Tabatha's Salon Takeover

Okay, I admit it...I watch a lot of Bravo Reality Television. However one of my favorites is Tabatha Coffey from Tabatha's Salon because I love strong, unrestrained, and feisty women (that includes everyone from Pink, Madonna, Janice Dickinson, Rosie O'Donnell).  Tabatha made her television debut on Bravo's Shear Genius. Her type wasn't apparent to me as much on Shear Genius because the show didn't center around her. So while I got bits and pieces of type I couldn't really put my finger on it. She initially registered to me as some kine of 1 or possibly 3. As time went on I realized she was most likely in the gut triad as she didn't really seem to care too much what anyone thought of her and had a very self possessed and grounded energy that seemed to emanate from the visceral gut center.

Tabatha has a severe look about her that often reads 1 or 3 to me but as I became more acquainted with female 8s everything sort of clicked. Watching her last season on Tabatha's Salon Makeover helped to really solidfy my typing of her as a 8w7. She is strong, decisisve, blunt, in your face, but relatively controlled and fair. She's described as everyone that crosses her path as a "bitch". She's still a relatively unaware 8, so she has yet to learn tact or diplomacy which causes problems for others. Tabatha often pushes others to their limits until they crack and utilizes this sort of confrontational style to effect lasting transformation in both the salons and the salon's employees.. She seems to be very sure of herself and as enneagram researcher Katherine Fauvre (an 8w7 herself) says of 8's, if someone's got a problem with her, it's their problem. She doesn't seem to take much personally (even personal attacks), and doesn't take kindly to people challenging her on much. However, I have noticed that her respect of someone will increase if they stand their ground. She is aware that she intimidates others and often walks around these salon's she's trying to transform like a general inspecting a barrack.


Last season on Salon Takeover she would frequently get annoyed when people cried stating that seeing people vulnerable like that made her uncomfortable. Conversely, she would often push others to be more "honest" and to stop bullshitting themselves about their situations which would often bring them to tears. I think she wants the emotional rawness of burning the old salon and way of working away and creating a stronger foundation in its place. It's sort of an abrasive "tough love" approach, where the love is buried under a good deal of "F" bombs and sharp tongued retorts.

 She has that laconic "go to hell" look constantly glued across her face but underneath that steely, tough exterior I can see her hiding very real vulnerabilities. Another important feature for 8 is the ability to fall indifferent to others, which really personifies many of the gut types. Tabatha's ability to say; "f-you, you deal with it" and walk away from others and their drama indicates another feature of the 8. While there is some image construction because she is playing a caricature of herself on television, however I think much of that is really her personality.

Here's some snippets of an interview with Coffey:


AE: Your persona in Shear Genius is quite demanding and direct. How much of that translates into your everyday life? Are you like that in everyday life or is that just a job thing?
TC: It is me, you know, I'm not acting any way whatsoever. I am direct. I'm honest. I think I'm assertive, and it comes out when it needs to come out. Yes, it does come out at work a lot because I need to take charge of a situation, and it comes out personally when it needs to come out as well. 

AE: Has that ever created any problems in your personal life?
TC: Look, when I'm honest, some people find they're uncomfortable with it … [but] if you ask me for my honest opinion, I'm gonna give you my honest opinion. And it's not to hurt people, it's not to be rude, but I prefer to be honest with people and tell you what I really think, especially if you're asking me that. But my friends know me. My friends, my family, they all know me, it's who I am, so: no.

AE: Do you get this question a lot? Do you think it's because you're a woman in business as opposed to a man in business?

TC: Yeah, absolutely. I think unfortunately still there is a big difference between a woman and a man in business — or if they're strong. It's a shame, but I still think people are very quick to label a woman a bitch if she's a strong, kind of forthright, honest woman. And I have a definition of what I think bitch stands for. 

AE: What is that?
TC: It's brave, intelligent, tenacious, courageous and honest. And if take those traits, I'm definitely a bitch, because I am all of those things. But I think you need to be to survive in business, and to be a woman in business you need to have those qualities, and people sometimes misinterpret it for meanness. It's just taking care of yourself and doing what you need to do. 

AE: I've met a lot of women in successful businesses and they often have those personalities, and I do think the perception that they're mean is because of sexism.

 TC: Yeah, absolutely. I think there's definitely a stigma. … Sometimes if a guy does a certain thing, everyone's like, "Ooh!" You know, "Great for him, he's a go-getter." And a woman does it and they're like, "Ugh, she's mean," or she's this or she's that, and it's unfortunate but it does still exist.

At the end of the day I need to make sure I take care of myself, and I'm honest with myself and take care of my business. They're the important things to me. 

AE: As a hair stylist, you're part of the fashion and beauty industry. Do you feel that there's more of a tendency to be mean in this industry?
TC: No, and again I don't think it's meanness. I think it's honesty.

When I'm dealing with a client I want to be honest with you, because I want to make sure that … I can help you to look a certain way. … If something isn't going to work for you, why would I say, "Oh yes, OK, I'm going to do that haircut," and know in the back of my mind it's never going to work on your hair type, it's not going to suit your face, it's not going to suit your lifestyle. That's not fair to you. You're going to walk out and hate your hair, and then you're going to think I'm a crap hairdresser.

So you need to be honest with people. In the case of the show, I have to be honest with them because I only have a week to spend with them. So for me to go in and not be really honest up front and get to the bottom of their problems and the crux of it, I'm genuinely not going to help them. And that's what I want to do, is help them.

http://www.afterellen.com/people/2008/8/tabathacoffey

I think she personifies the experience of the female 8 in the above interview. Frequent use of the word "honest" is something I've noticed with 8s, and the attribution of "bitch" and owning that label because of the female 8's aggressiveness is often a source of both pride and pain for this often misunderstood type.

I have great respect for the female assertive types, and especially the female 8 because of the stigma of assertiveness in American culture. They often report feeling misunderstood and misjudged due to their personalities and I think strong, honest women like Tabatha really help to create positive role models for the little 8 girls out there ready to bust into the world.

Final Weigh In:

Tabatha Coffey 8w7 self pres or sexual 8-7-3 tritype.

"8-7-3: Focused and innovative. Most Assertive 8. Mover and shaker, especially if extroverted and/or social subtype. Most energetic 8. Entrepreneur."-Enneagram Explorations