A fascinating personality discovery

I must confess, I am a huge fan of personality tests and types. As soon as I hear about a type, I take the test to figure out “who” I am. I am a Capricorn (but just baaarely, because I was born at 2 am on December 22, so I am a half-Sagittarius, as well) by horoscope, an ENFJ on the Myers-Briggs, a Blue-Orange on the Color Test, and a Ravenclaw (though given a choice between that and Hufflepuff, and I was raised by two Hufflepuffs, so that’s a lot of fun) in the Hogwarts Sorting Hat. So when my dear friend A told me about the Enneagram, I was like, SIGN ME UP. My friend D had gotten some free books at a convention, and Ian Morgan Cron’s and Suzanne Stabile’s The Road Back To You was an explanation about the Enneagram, and I was sold.

I’ll send you to the Wikipedia link if you’ve never heard of the Enneagram, because I don’t want to explain it all now. But suffice it to say that instead of talking about your personality type, this test explores what motivates and creates desire in you. It examines how you correspond to other personality types, particularly when you are feeling safe and secure or when you are not. I was confused for about the first chapter, but then it started to click and make sense. By the time I got to my section (I’m a 2 by the way, oh, lordy, am I a 2), I really understood how this whole thing worked. Cron and Stabile talk about how the Enneagram will stir up feelings of old hurt, and it certainly did for me. It was initially painful, but overall incredibly powerful.

I’ve already felt myself putting the test into practice. I have a fierce temper, shall we say, and there is a certain amount of student laziness or apathy that really triggers my resentment, especially because I spend a certain number of hours each week planning lessons and activities, and OMG WHY ARE YOU WASTING MY TIME WITH YOUR NUMBSKULLERY. You get the picture. The fourth essay was a collective flop, and I was feeling the injustice of it. But I reminded myself that being in an 8 space would not help, and I needed to be at a 4 (this makes sense once you read it). It really, really worked. I’ve also noticed a shift in how I’ve begun communicating in my own marriage. I highly recommend this book, as it’s sent me on a self-discovery journey that promises to be fruitful and productive.

Cross-posted to my blog.