Avery's Suspension

By now, this clip has been seen around the world. It features Dallas Stars hockey player Sean Avery making some off-color remarks regarding players who date his ex-girlfriends.

I felt like I had to comment on this. See, regular readers (going back to the old MySpace and Yahoo 360 days) know that I've had several relationship which ended badly. Some of my reactions to those badly-ended relationships ended up on those old blogs. And those comments have gotten me into varying degrees of trouble at times. So, in a sense, this post is really a plea for leniency for Sean Avery.

Is this much different than my old postings? (Don't worry, I beleive they've been taken down.) True, I didn't go the extreme that Avery does. But still. We all say dumb things. Sometimes those dumb things are said more publicly than at other times. I also have be a bit more careful about what I say, when I say it, and who I say it to.

It's no secret that Sean Avery is not well-liked by his teammates. And, it seems likely that Avery is probably being punished for his enitre body of work as a pest in the NHL. That's no original thought. But is this worth an indefinite suspension? Watch the clip and decide for yourself.

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.

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.