The Enneagram of Personality
(Part 1)

The Enneagram and Three Centres of Intelligence

The Tao gives birth to the One
The One gives birth to the Two.
The Two gives birth to the Three
And the Three gives birth to the Ten Thousand Things.
The Ten Thousand Things carry the Yin and enfold the Yang;
Kneading them gently, they create harmony.

Lao Tzu, “Tao Te Ching”, verse 42

In the beginning was the Word…

Gospel of John 1:1

The Enneagram is a nine-pointed symbol that has largely been used as a tool of personality typology, where each point on the figure represents a particular personality type. We use the word “type” to mean a somewhat coherent and stable set of traits that describe a person’s way of thinking, feeling, and acting. The Enneagram characterizes nine broadly defined personality types, each of which has a great deal of variation in how it presents itself to the world.

The Enneagram of Personality will help you function better in the world by teaching you to work better with your own reactions to life’s highs and lows. It also shows that other people have equally valid, but different, ways of responding to situations in their own lives.

However, the Enneagram is much more than just a static indicator of who you are. It is a dynamic symbol that can show the way to personal transformation and growth. The symbol is complex enough that you will never reach a full understanding of what it has to teach you. It has enough wisdom to last you a lifetime. Knowing your Enneagram type is one way to enter the spiritual life, but it is only the beginning, a starting point on a journey that will never end.

Structure of the Enneagram

The word “Enneagram” is derived from two Greek roots: Ennea, meaning nine, and gram, meaning line or drawing. Therefore, the Enneagram is a nine-lined drawing. It is composed of three structures: a circle with nine equally-spaced points along the perimeter, an equilateral triangle that fits exactly into the circle, and an irregular hexagram that also fits the circle exactly. The triangle joins three points: 3, 6, and 9. The hexagram joins the points 1, 4, 2, 8, 5, and 7, in that order.

Centres of Intelligence in the Enneagram

We can divide the nine spaces on the Enneagram into three triads, each relating to a different centre of intelligence in our physical being: Gut (Instinctual) Centre, Heart (Emotional) Centre, and Head (Intellectual) Centre.

Each centre is associated with an emotion that is expressed differently for each of the spaces in that triad. The Gut centre (8-9-1) is associated with anger, the Heart centre (2-3-4) with shame, and the Head centre (5-6-7) with fear.

In each centre, one of the three spaces expresses the associated emotion externally, directing it at others. Another space expresses the emotion internally, directing it at themselves. The central space in each triad, the one on a corner of the Enneagram triangle, represses the associated emotion and struggles to see it within themselves.

We can describe the centres of intelligence with a set of key words, shown in the following table. While not comprehensive, this set of descriptors aims to convey something of the essence of each of the centres.

Core Points of Each Centre

The points of the Enneagram triangle (3, 6, and 9) are the core points of each centre. In each of these spaces, the core emotion of the centre is repressed, that is, moved out of the conscious mind as a way of managing anxiety. In their unhealthy states, these types can be very other-directed:

• Three – “I don’t know what I feel. I’ll try to fake it for you.”
• Six – “I don’t know what I think. I’ll look to an external authority to tell me.”
• Nine – “I don’t know what to do. I’ll just follow your lead.”

Depending on the amount of inner work they have done, these types may not be highly aware of the core emotion of their dominant centre.

Points on the Hexagram

Types on the hexagram either externalize or internalize the core emotion of their dominant centre. Because of the way they express certain qualities, the descriptive words in the previous table may not immediately seem to fit.

For example, consider the word “reflect” in the Head centre. This seems to describe the careful, evaluating approach of types Five and Six, but doesn’t seem to fit type Seven’s spontaneity.

Spontaneity at Seven is not the same as it is in the Gut centre. In the Gut, spontaneity is an expression of bodily energy, an obvious action that does not need justification. At Seven, it is more about pushing back against fear in the Head centre. The Head says, “Think about it!”, but the Seven’s response is, “Nope!” In the Gut spaces, the question is not even relevant.

So, you might express a descriptive word in one of the centres by assenting to the quality described, by pushing back against it, or by being unaware of the described quality within oneself.

On the next page, we will see how the centres of intelligence give rise to each of the nine Enneagram types.

For Discussion

1. Do you find that any of the lists of Gut, Heart, or Head words describe characteristics within you? Does one of the lists make you say, “That’s not me!”? Do any of the lists feel like a blank space, something that seems like it might be important, but that you just don’t get?
2. Add a couple of words to the lists of Gut, Heart, and Head words. Look for some quality or essence behind them that really gets at the meaning of the centres you are describing.
3. If you know your Enneagram type, share a brief anecdote with someone that shows how one or more of the listed words plays out in your lived experience.