Introduction To The Enneagram

During this session you will learn about the main characteristics and mechanisms of this precise personality system. We will talk about its origins and inner dynamics. We will discuss the passions of each personality type and their respective fixations. These are necessary aspects to cover before presenting each of the enneatypes in more detail.

On day two we will begin with one of the characters from the instinctive triad, whose passion is anger and whose fixation is perfectionism. The tendency in these people is to act under very exalted and seemingly clear moral principles. When other people do not adapt to their subjective view of what is right, a feeling of anger or resentment is triggered in them.

On the third day we will start with the emotional triad, Enneatype Two, whose passion is pride and their fixation: false abundance. These people tend to give themselves to others, in an effort to help and take care of people around them. Nevertheless, they keep track of the favors they offer. It is not pure and altruistic love. In fact, helping others is their way of feeling “loved” and needed.

Continuing with the emotional triad, we will discuss Type 3. The passion of this character is vanity, and their fixation is deceit. These people base their worth on the external, on the approval of others. Therefore, they focus on the perfection of their image and in the achievement of goals and success. Consequently, they are disconnected from their own needs. They are extremely dedicated to work and very pragmatic.

We finish the emotional triad with a type of personality that tends to feel inferior to others. No matter how optimal their situation, there is an underlying feeling of insufficiency. Their sensitivity makes them feel special, because of their heightened connection with their pain and the incomprehension they experience.

We will start today with the intellectual triad. People with this character are usually very reserved and tend to go unnoticed. Their passion, greed, isn’t related so heavily to materials as it is to knowledge and social involvement. They are the most intellectual of all the enneagrams. They feel the world as invasive, and one could call them more observers of everyday life rather than participants. Commonly, they develop a minimalist lifestyle and reduce their needs to the minimum.

Today we continue with the second enneatype in the intellectual triad. People of this enneatype feel a deeply rooted sense of fear, shown in the form of doubt, worry, hypervigilance, and fear itself. They experience some underlying anxiety, grounded in the idea that "the world is dangerous".

People of this character tend to look for adventures and fun. They try to obtain as many diverse experiences as possible, and when they can't, they create them through fantasizing. In fact, this enneatype is usually future-oriented. They easily tire of the quotidian, and tend to avoid painful experiences at all costs.

We return to the instinctive triad. Today we will talk about a strong and energetic character. Uncomfortable with tenderness or signs of weakness, they are action-oriented, dominant, and controlling. In general, they seek intensity in an attempt to feel through the solid shield they once created to protect themselves.

We will finish our course with the remaining enneatype from the instinctive triad. This personality type does not tolerate conflict very well. They seek comfort, and often don't value themselves much. Despite their passion - sloth - they are very active people, but they have difficulty in self-awareness, and therefore, are unaware of their needs. Their wishes are overshadowed by their need to conform to their environment.