Sunday, August 21, 2011

Enneagram of Personality



I previously mentioned on my blog that on the Myers-Briggs personality test, I am an INFJ (the rarest type, 1% of the world's population). I really like psychological personality assessments. I know myself extremely well, so my results are always accurate. If you have yet to take this test, I highly recommend doing so.

Another type of assessment that I appreciate is called the Enneagram of Personality. This uses 9 points of interest on an enneagram to represent the 9 different types of personality.

The 9 types of personality are defined as follows:

1. Reformer
2. Helper
3. Achiever
4. Individualist
5. Investigator
6. Loyalist
7. Enthusiast
8. Challenger
9. Peacemaker

I'm number 4, The Individualist
Ego Fixation: Melancholy
Holy Idea: Origin
Basic Fear: Commonness
Basic Desire: Uniqueness, Authenticity
Temptation: Self-castigation, Withdrawal
Vice/Passion: Envy
Virtue: Equanimity
Stress: 2
Security: 1

Type four is the bohemian of the enneagram world. They are artistic, creative and internally focused. They value understanding and being understood. They love romanticism and frequently lead dramatic lives. Their preferred style of dress is dramatic costume, frequently in black. Fours populate the arts. They can access their inner life in a remarkable way and convert that emotional turmoil into creativity. Fours are searching for their own authenticity and truth. They do so by sifting through the myriad emotional experiences they have each day. Our world would be less interesting, less artistic and less colorful without fours.

Taking into account the "wing" aspect of the chart, my personality is 4w5 (my wing is 5):
Enneagram Type 4 with the 5 Wing, you desire to be avant-garde. You see yourself as original, sincere, mysterious, subtle, artistic and independent. 4w5's have intellectual as well as emotional insights and can often synthesize experiences into something intensely personal yet timeless. Under stress, they can become alienated.

Note: Wikipedia has a great chart where I pulled some of this information from. You can read about all of the personality types by clicking here.

If you're interested in finding out where you fit into the spectrum, there are plenty of free tests available online! I personally enjoy filling out these types of questionnaires. It's very introspective and therapeutic for me.









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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
I'm living life in beautiful Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I hold a journalism degree from West Virginia University. I have worked in television news, fashion marketing, PR, and cosmetic sales. My love for writing and sharing with the world my various passions is strong. One of my many ambitions is to be published and continue creating in the fields of digital and print media, literature and film. In my free time, I enjoy listening to music, going to concerts, reading, following Pittsburgh sports and traveling as often as possible. Some of my favorite things include beauty, style, architecture, books, tarot and astrology, thrifting and my shih-tzu, Ireland. I’m engaged to the love of my lifetimes and we look forward to starting our next chapter together. If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you!