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Enneagram Stereotype - Type 3's are deceitful

Type 3 seems to get a bad rap because of their chameleon-like ability to take on the identity valued by whatever group they're trying to become a part of. Three points I'd like to make about this:

President George W. Bush's Enneagram Type

People tend to type President George W. Bush as some combination of 6, 7, 8 or 9. Let's take a look at each of these Enneagram personality types to see why people may type him as they do.

Enneagram Stereotype - Type 5's don't have feelings

Don't confuse emotional expression and feelings. Lack of emotional expression on the surface can belie a richness of feelings within. Just because someone doesn't want you to see their feelings, don't assume they have none or that they're not very aware of them. Sometimes the most emotionally expressive people are those least in touch with their feelings.

Beyond the Enneagram Stereotypes

Stereotypes about the Enneagram types come about when only a narrow set of characteristics are taken as a representative generalization. This can easily happen to someone new to the system.  Here are some example type stereotypes:

Beyond the Enneagram Types

When I first started studying the Enneagram personality type system, what I noticed most was that authors couldn't agree on the Enneagram types of famous people. I remember reading one book that claimed Marilyn Monroe was a type 6 (seeking a father-figure), another said she was a type 2 (seductive), another claimed type 4 (depressive - committed suicide) and yet another had her as a type 3 (presenting a public image).

Common Enneagram Typings of Famous People

As a follow up to my post Bringing the Enneagram Types to Life, below is a list of famous people that seem to be typed consistently.

Martin Luther King, Jr. - Enneagram Type 8w9

Without justice there can be no peace...
- Martin Luther King Jr.

I can think of no more succinct way to describe the Enneagram 8 with a 9 wing style than the above quote by Martin Luther King, Jr. - type 9's desire for peace and type 8's desire for justice.

Bringing the Enneagram Types to Life

It's easy to fall into the trap of stereotyping with personality types. The problem arises when your understanding of the types comes from books instead of experience with real people.

For example, you think you understand what type 1 is about from the books and web material you've read. You determine a person is a type 1 from that same material. You then either try to tell the person about themselves or think about the person solely in terms of your limited understanding of type 1.

Freeing Yourself From Your Enneagram Type

The current Enneagram personality types evolved from Oscar Ichazo's ego types. These ego types refer to a number of Enneagrams describing such things as fixations, passions, traps, holy ideas and virtues. The purpose of these Enneagrams was to help an individual become free of mental, emotional and behavioral habits.

So, what does this mean exactly and how do you do that using the Enneagram personality types?

What exactly is the Enneagram?

I've found the Enneagram to be two very different things.

  1. A symbol used in the Gurdjieff tradition to understand universal processes.
  2. A system of nine personality types which takes the Enneagram symbol as its logo.

It's strange how often the two differences get mixed up into one.

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