I had a fun moment today.

There’s a great gal who I know through social networking. I have had a theory for years that she’s a Five (she reminds me SO much of Tina Fey), and I’ve spent numerous hours trying to tell her about the enneagram. One night I even held a little mini class introducing people to the enneagram spontaneously at a bar. Three hours. Seriously. And this gal listened the whole time.
But still, apparently was unconvinced of the awesomeness of the enneagram.

(Sidebar: She and a type Seven both called me an evangelist today. That’s good, right? )

So today I ran into her and she told me she had a story for me. She and her spouse were hanging out and she frivolously made reference to the enneagram.
And her spouse asked her what that was about.
So she looked it up to tell him about what Type Five (which I told her she was) was all about.

And after they spent an hour and a half reading all about it, her spouse and her both being amazed at how much Type Five’s description DID describe her, now she sees that the enneagram is “actually pretty deep.”

So the tip on type here is to NEVER underestimate a Type Five’s need to discover things for themselves. You can tell them all you want about something, but until they do their own research, it won’t have much juice for them.

Ever wonder why some types tend to not get along?

One of our friends and Enneagram Lovers, Everett, started a topic about just that in our Enneagram Lovers Club.

From this thread came a great discussion about Type Ones and Type Sixes. I hadn’t heard about any issues between Ones and Sixes before, but Everett and James, a One, discovered they had similar issues with their counterparts.

Here’s a snippet:

James: …till this day most of the closest friends I have had, have been Sixes. But, when it comes to our belief structures, they always conflict with one another, and that tends to make for a lot of resentment in our friendships, or relationships at times. They are always clinging to their beliefs, and I am always the one challenging them. What I hope to be a debate, and exchange of ideas, turns out to be an argument. It upsets me when I am no longer a reliable source of security for that person.”

Everett: I have a friend who is a one and even though we have been friends for years there is always this tension between us. Like competitive brothers. Each trying to show each other how well we are doing (on a very subtle level). So even though we have been friends for years on some level I still wonder whether he ‘likes’ me or not!”

James: I have also been competitive with some of my Six friends at times! …I believe what it comes down to is that there is a huge lack of communication between these two types due to such a difference in the way we establish and express our belief structures. I can always make a connection with a Six, but when we start to delve into more personal or in depth topics, there is always confrontation. It really is great talking about this with you.”

To read their whole exchange, check out our budding community site at Enneagramlovers.ning.com.

If you’re an enneagram lover, you’re SO invited to join us!

What is the enneagram?

Every person is unique. And yet there are similar paths we walk along that determine our deepest desires, value systems, core motivators, and energy presence in the world.

These paths have been described by our ancestors who walked them hundreds of years before us. Their wisdom is encoded in this figure called the enneagram, which holds the energy of these nine paths, or types.

Not only does the enneagram tell us about ourselves, it also maps out how we connect with, intersect with, and often, miss each other.

To become familiar with the enneagram is to read the answers at the back of the book of Life. These answers are not the end of a journey but the beginning of an inner exploration that leads you to being more present to yourself and to the world.