1
Getting Started with the Enneagram
IN THIS PART …
Explore the Enneagram basics
Prep for the journey
Learn about types
Look at the narrative tradition
Chapter 1
The Enneagram in a Nutshell
IN THIS CHAPTER
The personality types in the Enneagram are denoted by numbers: Type 1 to Type 9. In other symbolic designations, the number 0 stands for … the jester, or the dummy! Here's the good news: When you look into the meaning of 0 as a symbol, you see that it stands for the original completeness, the paradisiacal original state, and for connection, a new or repeating cycle — one you can enter into without needing any experience.
The 0 is also the basis of the Enneagram’s symbol. The Enneagram serves as a development path to completeness, connecting with yourself and with others, and getting to know the unrevealed state within you. In short, the Enneagram is all about becoming aware of what is dormant and subconsciously present within you. The 0, or the dummy, is also called “the spirit who wants to gain experience” and is guided by curiosity and desire. Without a preconceived plan, they spontaneously travel along paths that are full of surprises — carefree and open. They’re like the lovable child in you. They're not basing everything on reason, so they can play, laugh, dream, and just have fun as a totally free person. In other words, if you want to have more fun in your life, make friends with your inner dummy.
Think of Enneagram For Dummies as the Enneagram for those who want to be truly free — for people who want to have more fun in their lives and who want to avoid being hindered by their limitations. Or perhaps I’m talking about people who are simply fed up with spending more time struggling than having fun in life. The jester is often depicted with a knapsack, which symbolizes the package of untapped knowledge within you. The Enneagram is a tool for discovering and learning to benefit from the unused knowledge you carry inside.
Let’s Get Going!
Seeing the word Enneagram might bring to mind a complicated method, peppered with inexplicable terms. You start with an explanation of the Enneagram. What's the starting point? Where do you go from here?
What is an Enneagram?
The word Enneagram comes from the Greek words ennéa, which means “nine,” and grámma, which is translated as “writing” or “something written or drawn.” In its modern manifestation, the Enneagram is a symbol consisting of a circle on which nine points have been drawn (see Figure 1-1) and various meanings assigned. Some say that the Enneagram summarizes the progress of processes (the process model), and others use it to describe nine different states in which you can find yourself as a human being. To tell the truth, the Enneagram doesn't actually exist. (Well, it exists as a symbol, but not as an unambiguous system of meaning.)
FIGURE 1-1: The Enneagram.
The meaning of the Enneagram symbol covered in this book is as a model that summarizes nine personality structures. In Enneagram jargon, you refer to the personality structures as types. When I talk about the Enneagram in this book, I’m talking about the psychological and spiritual aspects of types.
Gaining an understanding of human differences
Every person is different, which is something you probably notice often when dealing with others. That's nothing new. The question is how people differ, which is more difficult to understand. The Enneagram provides insight into this aspect of your life. Many people already acquainted with the Enneagram have gained not only an understanding of how people are different but also a better understanding of other people — that is to say, a better understanding of others' differences. I think that's one of the fantastic things the Enneagram offers: It provides a bridge between people.
Nine prisms to view the world
The Enneagram distinguishes between nine personality structures. These can be seen as nine different prisms that are viewing the same reality — nine prisms through which reality is perceived differently. The prisms filter what is seen and what available information enters, and how it’s processed internally. In psychology, it’s called selective perception. You observe selectively. Once you realize this, you immediately understand the pointlessness of all the “is so!/is not!” conversations you may have experienced in your life (with yourself or with others). This is usually a matter of both people seeing different things due to looking through different prisms. As a result, it’s possible that what one person has perceived or experienced is true, and that what the other person has perceived or experienced is also true. The only conclusion you can then draw together is that you have perceived or experienced things differently. This is a first step toward understanding others and toward respecting them and what they have seen or experienced differently.
People like different things about the Enneagram
The model is perfectly designed, and the method is meticulous.
It helps me adapt even more to the needs of others.
It’s efficient and targeted.
It is profound and takes into account that every person is unique.
It’s structured and put together well, and it brings wisdom.
It provides security and a clear model, and it’s a reliable system.
It's a fascinating method that provides many options for perceiving people.
It provides truth about people and is a powerful method for growth.
It generates harmony
