Understanding the Enneagram

By Lavern Nissley
​Encompass Relationship Facilitator

When I first began hearing about the Enneagram approach to understanding personality some ten years ago, I remember blocking it out, almost as if it were some dreaded disease to just stay away from. It was numbers-based, which felt strange to me, in contrast to other approaches like Myers-Briggs and DISC that use textual descriptions, or The Primary Colors personality approach that uses the colors red, orange, yellow, green, purple, and blue to represent key behavior characteristics. 
 
What turned my heart (and my head) was two trusted relationships in my life that talked quite positively about the Enneagram. One was our daughter and son-in-law, Kevin and Kristen Frank, who had found it helpful to understanding dynamics in their marriage. The other was a clinical counselor, Chris LeMaster, who had become a sort of "expert" on the Enneagram and used it frequently and successfully with clients. 
 
I thought, "Well, if these people are speaking so highly of it, I should check it out!" I did and came away with the same conclusion they had - that it is another helpful tool for self-insight and relational health. What follows is a brief introduction, accompanied by additional resources for optional follow-up. ​

The Enneagram of Personality is a psychological and spiritual framework that describes nine distinct personality types and how they relate to one another. It’s widely used for personal growth, relationship development, and even in organizational settings for team dynamics and leadership development. 
 
The Enneagram has ancient roots, with influences from Sufi mysticism, Christian mysticism, Neoplatonism, and Greek philosophy. However, its modern psychological form was developed in the 20th century: 

• George Gurdjieff (early 1900s): Introduced the symbol of the Enneagram to the West, though not yet as a personality system. 

• Óscar Ichazo (1950s–60s): A Bolivian philosopher who linked the Enneagram symbol to nine ego fixations and spiritual growth. 

• Claudio Naranjo (1970s): A Chilean psychiatrist who integrated Ichazo’s ideas with modern psychology and brought the Enneagram to the U.S., influencing many contemporary teachers. 

 
Each of the 9 Enneagram Types has a core fear, desire, and motivation 

1. The Reformer - Core Fear: Being corrupt or defective; Core Desire: To be good, ethical, and right. 

1. The Helper - Core Fear: Being unwanted or unloved; Core Desire: To feel loved and needed. 

1. The Achiever - Core Fear: Being worthless; Core Desire: To feel valuable and worthwhile. 

1. The Individualist - Core Fear: Having no identity or significance; Core Desire: To find themselves and their significance. 

1. The Investigator - Core Fear: Being helpless or incapable; Core Desire: To be competent and self-sufficient. 

1. The Loyalist- Core Fear: Being without support or guidance; Core Desire: To have security and support. 

1. The Enthusiast - Core Fear: Being deprived or in pain; Core Desire: To be satisfied and content. 

1. The Challenger - Core Fear: Being harmed or controlled; Core Desire: To be protect themselves and be in control. 

1. The Peacemaker - Core Fear: Loss of connection or conflict; Core Desire: To have inner stability and peace of mind 

 
A common way to identify one's Enneagram Type is to say, for example, "I'm an Enneagram 9, Wing 1". (This happens to be mine.) 
 
Each of the 9 Enneagram types is flanked by two neighboring types. These are called wings, and they influence your core type by adding complementary traits. 

• You don’t become another type. 

• Instead, your core type remains dominant, but you may express characteristics of one or both of your wings. 

• Wings can balance or intensify traits. 

• Some people have a dominant wing, while others may draw from both wings more equally. 

• Wings can shift over time, especially with personal growth or life changes. 

 
Hopefully, this will get you started. You now know about the 9 Types and the Wings. 
 
Two helpful resources to take a deeper dive include the following: 

• The Enneagram Test from Crystal Knows - a free test to discover your type, fears, and motivations that drive your behaviors.

• The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Ian Morgan and Suzanne Stabile - "a practical, comprehensive way of accessing Enneagram wisdom and exploring its connections with Christian spirituality for a deeper knowledge of ourselves, compassion for others, and love for God."

Most personality typing systems help us understand ourselves and others better - why we behave the way we do. However, while they all explain behavior, they don't ever excuse bad behavior. All of our words and actions are subordinate to the example of Jesus Christ, who gave essentially two commandments: "Love God" and "Love your neighbor." ​

Check out these resources!

Take Enneagram Test

Road Back to You