A Map and Method
for Next Levels of Consciousness
A profound system from which we can come to understand ourselves and others in great detail and with great compassion.
Type 8s are truth-tellers, direct, exuberant, and magnanimous. They can also be challenging, provoking, “my truth is your truth,” and intimidating.
9s are amiable, accommodating, and non-confrontational. They are able to appreciate every point of view. They can also be indecisive, conflict-averse, and unclear about their own position.
1s are conscientious, responsible, and reliable. They live with high internal standards laser focused on doing the right thing. They can also be judgmental, blaming, and self-righteous.
2s are keepers of relationships. Their world is full of the other, responding to ever need whether stated or intuited. They struggle to know their own needs.
3s focus on tasks, results, and rewards. Failure is not an option. They are practical, efficient, and self-assured. They can also be impatient, unfeeling, and insensitive to other’s feelings.
4s live in a world with a purple backdrop. They long for what could be. They are unique and creative. They can also be emotionally intense, self-absorbed, and overly dramatic.
5s are self-contained and self-reliant. Thinking and analyzing are their focus. They can also be aloof, withdrawn, and distant.
6s are doubting, questioning, and vigilant. They can get stuck on the worst-case scenario thinking. They can also be warm, loyal, and protective.
7s are optimistic, spontaneous, and playful. Best case scenario thinking is their forte. They can also be easily distracted, superficial, and non-committal.
HOW TO BEST STUDY THE ENNEAGRAM?
First, it’s important to acccurately identify your own Enneagram type. Arrange for an Enneagram typing interview with a skilled Narrative Tradition-certified Enneagram practitioner. You can also take several online Enneagram tests and see what type continually shows up highest for you on various tests.
Tour this website and enjoy the video clips provided. Be sure to read the bullet-points as well as the quote for each type — reported by long-term students of the Enneagram. Do any of them sound familiar?
Register for one of Helen’s online courses, see ONLINE COURSES | CEUs on this website.
Visit our ONLINE STORE and choose from a variety of Enneagram audios extracted from Helen’s teachings.
Sign up for one of the many Enneagram trainings offered either in-person or online by THE NARRATIVE ENNEAGRAM (TNE), the Enneagram training school co-founded by Helen Palmer and David Daniels, M.D. in 1988.
For those of you who have studied the Enneagram system, these questions may have been answered long ago. But for those of you just now on the path, these and other very important questions are worth the asking, and the self-discovery that goes along with the answers is a valuable and worthwhile pursuit.