Becoming Self Aware Using Enneagrams

This brilliant system boosts personal growth.

(Ground Picture / Shutterstock.com)

If you want to do a deep dive inside and understand yourself better, the Enneagram system is a wonderful tool. Akin to a map, it focuses on self-growth, unlocking unconscious behaviors and offering self-awareness. Discover which Enneagram personality type you are, then explore this system’s insights for personal growth. Enneagrams divide people into nine numbered personality types. Each type has a specific character description and offers details into one’s relationship to the universe, fears, desires, temptations, vices, and passions. 

Each type is placed on a geometrical point and there are relationships between the various points on this chart. Understanding the diagram creates a system of self- growth to help achieve goals, according to Medium. The system easily shows you what may be holding you back and offers a path of empathy towards people you may not understand. 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Jackie Brewster (@enneagramwithjb)

Tips for development for your Enneagram type
A very brief look at each Enneagram type illustrates a precise path of self-growth, including ideas of how to improve, according to the drdaviddaniels website:

Type 1, the perfectionist, needs to be less critical, appreciate mistakes, and work on instinct as opposed to the rational.

Type 2, the giver, should try to overcome the desire to constantly meet the needs of others.

Type 3, the performer, could learn how to slow down and appreciate living in the moment as opposed to being goal oriented. 

Type 4, the romantic, needs to focus on life as it is now as opposed to what they perceive is missing.

Type 5, the observer, should be aware of how much they are withholding and withdrawing.

Type 6, the loyal skeptic, could work on trust of their own self and of others.

Type 7, the epicure, can learn to accept that life contains adventure and pleasure, as well as pain and boredom.

Type 8, the protector, can learn how to be less impulsive and more vulnerable.

Type 9, the mediator, needs to learn to value their own personal needs.

Grow with the wings
Each of these personality types sits beside two other types on the Enneagram chart. These are called wings, and people usually are a blend of their dominant type plus one of the wings. Understanding your wing may offer further insight into your own personality and how you channel your energy, according to mindbodygreen. After taking the Enneagram assessment, you will learn which wing is more dominant.

Know your subtype
In addition to wings, each personality has a subtype. There are three subtypes, or instincts, including self-preservation, one-on-one bonding, and social relating, according to interfgrative9. One of these is dominant and guides our way of being.

Reflecting on a subtype may reveal ruling emotions, life-long patterns, and insecurities, according to Enneagram Central, as well as a path to spiritual growth. 

The three triads
The nine personalities are also divided into three triads: heart, head, and gut. This explains how you deal with stress, according to mindbodygreen. Heart types use feelings, while head types withdraw, and gut types tend to express outwardly. Understanding the triads can also offer insight into your motivations and interactions with others.

Dive into the world of Enneagrams and expand. As life is a complex journey and is often hard to navigate, Enneagrams offers a welcome roadmap for seekers. The system illuminates a clear path filled with insights and suggests behavioral changes to help people move forward.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
Use Ikigai to Find Your Purpose
7 Traditions From the Far East That Help People Find Life Balance
How to Find Your Purpose