The Structure of the Enneagram

The Enneagram is made up of nine points on a circle, each represented by a number from one to nine. The numbers are used to keep things neutral, and a larger digit doesn't mean a more superior personality type.

The nine points represent the nine basic personality types of course, and each type is connected to two others through the interconnecting lines. To have a better idea of how the Enneagram looks like, simply visit SuccessWithCommunication.com.

The lines show very clearly, the points a person will head towards when feeling good or under stress. In most cases, there will be arrows on the lines indicating the direction towards the integration or growth points, which means the particular personality type we would move towards when we are feeling good or empowered.

Moving in the opposite direction would indicate the particular personality type we would move towards when under stress. This is known as our disintegration or stress points. Moving towards these points doesn’t mean that we will adopt a new personality altogether, it simply means that we will exhibit certain characteristics of that particular personality type. When feeling good, we will show some healthy qualities of our growth point. Conversely, we will also show negative traits of our stress points when under stress.

Then there are also the wings. The wings refer to the two numbers beside each personality type. We will exhibit characteristics of one, or both wings. Though researches have shown that majority of us will have only one dominant wing, it is hard to rule out the possibility of people having two dominant wings, or none at all.

The nine personality types are also divided into different triads based on Instinct, Feeling and Thinking driven personalities. What this means is personality types eight, nine, and one are more instinct driven. They use a lot of their instincts, or referential experience in their behaviour. This group also have an issue with aggression, or anger.

Personality types two, three and four are feeling based people. They use a lot of their feelings, and this group have an issue with shame, or the way people look at them. Personality types five, six and seven are the thinking group. So unlike the feeling group, they are more thinking based, and have an issue with fear.

Though there are a few schools of thoughts with the Enneagram, the fundamentals remain constant throughout. In order to use the Enneagram successfully in improving your interpersonal communication skills, it is important to know the basics. This will ensure that the teachings from various sources can serve as add-ons, rather than distractions.