Enneagram Observation 2

I've discovered a fear about The Enneagram. I am afraid that The Enneagram, like many personality type tools, works largely on stereotypes. And that bugs me. Maybe those fears are unfounded, and maybe they're not. Only more research can reveal that. But, I'm afraid of being pigeonholed.

Let me tell you a story. The Seminary I attended was big on the Myers-Briggs personality inventory. I'm an ENFP. Anyway, they used the MB to the exclusion of just about everything else. I'm not sure about MB. To be sure, I do exhibit a good deal of the typical ENFP qualities. But, there are other times that I do not. Plus, I've taken the test several times, and have been identified as an introvert on a couple of those test-taking occasions. (Many of those closest to me would have a hard time believing that ANY introverted fibers exist in me at all.) At any rate, much of my discussions with that department was centered around this ENFP result.

How that relates to The Enneagram is this. I have identified myself as a 4 on The Enneagram. But, depending on what I read, there are characteristics of just about every other point in the device. Except for 1; there's no way I'm a perfectionist. But,I just wonder how rigid The Enneagram is. Plus,I haven't figured out what the connecting lines mean yet. So, maybe that will hold the key.

Like just about everybody else in the world, I don't like to be stereotyped. So, i hope The Enneagram doesn't to that. Still, The Enneagram is just a tool, nothing more.

Enneagram Observation 1

In my limited (to this point) study of The Enneagram, I have already identified myself as a Point 4 (see the post entitled Point 4). I will now elaborate on one of the items not mentioned in that particular posting. And that is this point: Fours tend to see the world aesthetically. I can certainly relate to that.

I tend to see the world aesthetically. This is why a good number of my sermons have an illustration form movies, TV, or literature at some point. This is also why some of my insights come in the form of expressions like, "This is just like that scene in (insert film title here)..."

Seeing the world in this manner has both its pros and cons. One obvious pro is that it makes it easy to establish connections with people. Just like the sermon illustration, it gives a handle for my message or facilitates that common ground with a listener. Another pro is that it gives me a way to either get more enjoyment out of a book or film, or to find some redeeming value to the work, even if, on the surface, it's terrible.

An obvious con is that is can seem that I do not live in reality. In conjunction with that, it can seem that I don't live in the present, but I focus more on a future which might or might not exist. I have been guilty of this in the past. And I'm working on it. However, this is typical of Fours.

So, what does all this mean? I think it's a good thing to have a well-defined sense of aesthetics, even if that aesthetic is only personal. In other words, a self should know what he or she likes in music, art, literature, style, even fashion. That also involves articulating why you like something. I've also been guilty of NOT doing this. The reason is not simply to make one a more interesting/well-rounded self. It can also tell us a great deal about ourselves and our worldview.

That's this 4's take on it.

Point 4

I've been doing some introductory research on The Enneagram. Apparently, it's a 9- pointed diagram, with each point representing a personality type. I am a Four. I haven't sorted everything out yet, but it seemed pretty accurate. here's a description:

"Point Four - The Romantic

Worldview: Something essential is missing from life. I'll be complete if I can just find it.

Unconscious Drive: Envy

Gift: Uniqueness and Emotional Intensity.

Fours have a singular ability to be present with life's more intense situations: grief, death, depression. Through their understanding of dark nights of the soul, they accompany others on the journey. Romantics model that you will eventually get through the difficult times, and illuminate the riches to be found in the depths. Fours brings originality and creativity to any enterprise. Often blessed with a strong sense of the dramatic and/or aesthetic, they prefer to make a unique contribution in life.

Dark side of the gift: Romantics crave emotional intensity and connection. Their highs and lows can be perceived as "too much" for the other types. A tendency toward dramatic presentation and affect can alienate other people. The Fours' attraction to melancholy and the "darker" emotions can seem like wallowing to the rest of us. At its worst, melancholy can slide into depression. Insistence on exhibiting their uniqueness or difference can be counterproductive to their own goals and offputting to others.

Internal terrain:
A Four feels that something is missing in his/her life. Other people have it and the Romantic envies them. The Four longs for the missing element that will make them whole. There is a bittersweet flavor to Four's longing and melancholy. They crave a deep connection where they will be met emotionally. Authenticity is found in intense feeling states. If Four can't find what will complete them, at least they will have intensity. Ordinariness is akin to a sort of death. Love and survival depend on being true to one's inner emotional terrain."

Source: http://www.9points.com/enneagram/types.htm#4
Image source: http://cbae.nmsu.edu/~dboje/teaching/490_psl/images_mb/myers_briggs_enneagram.jpg

Hopefully, I'll be able to explore this a bit further. Maybe I'll post more about this as I get further along.

Also, if it matters at all: I'm a ENFP on the Myers-Briggs.