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[Type 1] Enneagram 1 descriptions: the least accurate?

EJCC

The Devil of TypoC
Joined
Aug 29, 2008
Messages
19,129
MBTI Type
ESTJ
Enneagram
1w9
Instinctual Variant
sp/so
Every type 1 I know (myself included) has gotten the wrong result on an Enneagram test and then mistyped for an extended period of time. I thought I was a type 6 for several months, and my type 1 roommate spent a while thinking she was a type 5.

I blame this on really, really bad descriptions of type 1, online. I initially ruled out being a One because of

1) the focus on "morality"*, which I don't relate to at all;
2) the idea that we are defined by "resentment"*, which I am not; and
3) the idea that our greatest fear is "corruption"*, which I am not all that afraid of.

There is no doubt in my mind that I'm a One. I may be one of the best examples of type 1w2 on the forum! And yet I don't relate to the basic tenants of the type??

Any thoughts from other type Ones on this? Or from people who know Ones pretty well? Is this a problem with most Enneagram descriptions, and I just didn't notice? Insert ideas/thoughts/bitching here. :D


* In order for the descriptions to represent me, I would replace the quoted words/phrases with, respectively, "fairness", "repression", and "hypocrisy". This may seem like small changes, but they make a pretty huge difference!
 
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Viridian

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Perhaps they're talking in more general terms, in order to apply to both healthy and unhealthy Ones to an extent? :thinking: I'd argue that "repression" and "resentment" are connected when it comes to the "average health" One's mindset, though.

Or perhaps it's more biased towards 1w9s?
 

Silveresque

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I know exactly what you mean. My dad is a 1w9, but if I showed him the descriptions I'm sure he would say they don't fit him, because they're too focused on morality and fear of being evil/corrupt. I think the descriptions should focus more on the need to be conscientious and the fear of being wrong (not necessarily in a moral context), which applies to a wider and more everyday context. Hmmm...You said "fair" instead of conscientious, and "hypocrisy" instead of wrongness. I suppose those could fit him too, though they're not necessarily the words I would choose.
 

Thunderbringer

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Enneagram texts like to make their descriptions more fancy and unique than they really are. A type One in the simplest sense is just a very opinionated individual.
 

Tiltyred

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It seems to me that people have a harder time finding their enneagram than on most other tests. It took me several tries over several years. I hate the way some aspects of 4-ness are described; i.e., 4 wants to be unique -- for me, it's more like I am over and over again told I am weird (unique), so I own that as a part of who I am -- it was never something I wanted and growing up, I didn't realize I was weird. It became apparent to me because people pointed it out. So yeah. I think it's a function of enneagram rather than 1s in particular.
 

AphroditeGoneAwry

failure to thrive
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It seems to me that people have a harder time finding their enneagram than on most other tests. It took me several tries over several years. I hate the way some aspects of 4-ness are described; i.e., 4 wants to be unique -- for me, it's more like I am over and over again told I am weird (unique), so I own that as a part of who I am -- it was never something I wanted and growing up, I didn't realize I was weird. It became apparent to me because people pointed it out. So yeah. I think it's a function of enneagram rather than 1s in particular.

Gawd i know. I wish I could get with the enneagram stuff but it just doesn't fit me well (imo), outside the stacking (which i really like). I've tested 1.2.4.5.and even 8.lol. with various wings. I don't know how well 4 even fits me either.
 

mujigay

Intergalactic Badass
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I always tested as an 8. You might be on to something there.

It's something about the "church lady" description that throws people off, I think.
 

EJCC

The Devil of TypoC
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ESTJ
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1w9
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sp/so
I know exactly what you mean. My dad is a 1w9, but if I showed him the descriptions I'm sure he would say they don't fit him, because they're too focused on morality and fear of being evil/corrupt. I think the descriptions should focus more on the need to be conscientious and the fear of being wrong (not necessarily in a moral context), which applies to a wider and more everyday context. Hmmm...You said "fair" instead of conscientious, and "hypocrisy" instead of wrongness. I suppose those could fit him too, though they're not necessarily the words I would choose.
:yes: You have a point here. Those are better words, probably. The reason why "hypocrisy" came to mind so quickly, for me, is that the past few times I've been verbally angry at myself in front of other people, I've vented about being a hypocrite; going against my values when my values are so important to me. But I think "wrongness" covers that too, as well as an umbrella of other topics.
Enneagram texts like to make their descriptions more fancy and unique than they really are. A type One in the simplest sense is just a very opinionated individual.
I agree with the first sentence but not the second -- since it's so, so much more than being opinionated. But if I were to simplify type One like that, I'd say that we are essentially just people with obscenely high standards, that we compare absolutely everything to. We are more in touch with Plato's concept of "telos" than any other type.
It seems to me that people have a harder time finding their enneagram than on most other tests. It took me several tries over several years. I hate the way some aspects of 4-ness are described; i.e., 4 wants to be unique -- for me, it's more like I am over and over again told I am weird (unique), so I own that as a part of who I am -- it was never something I wanted and growing up, I didn't realize I was weird. It became apparent to me because people pointed it out. So yeah. I think it's a function of enneagram rather than 1s in particular.
This makes a lot of sense. :yes:
I always tested as an 8. You might be on to something there.
Hey, I tested as type 8, too! :cheers: :solidarity:
It's something about the "church lady" description that throws people off, I think.
Seriously. :dry: I read it and I was like "I am so much more fun than this! And I'm not always up in people's grills!"
 

Cloud of Thunder

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1) the focus on "morality"*, which I don't relate to at all;
2) the idea that we are defined by "resentment"*, which I am not; and
3) the idea that our greatest fear is "corruption"*, which I am not all that afraid of.
It may be a matter of degree. I think of morality a lot, especially in the context of which action is the least messy or the one your conscience will give you the least grief over. I have a strong superego.

Personally, I find myself wanting to make sense of chaotic things and it's more universal than just being Mr. Manners (though I can do that). It's every thing from how clean a plate is in the laundry, whether the punctuation in a text I send is correct, to making absolutely certain I wipe cleanly.

Maybe that's why I enjoy organizing things...
 

Magic Poriferan

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I knew I was a One right away and have stuck with it ever since, so not all of us feel like it's a miss. However, as a rule, where MBTI profiles are too inclusive and vague, it seems Enneagram descriptions are usually to exclusive and specific. Accordingly, many people spend a while feeling they aren't any Enneagram type.

I've read some rather decent published descriptions for type One (particularly Helen Palmer's). It's only when I start reading the descriptions from people on random websites or on forums like these that are start wondering how they're supposed to sound like me.
 

Owlesque

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I test as a 5 more often than 1, but I'm pretty confident that I'm 1w9. Most of the online tests I've taken were hung up on the whole morality aspect of it, and the shame associated with being corrupt, neither of which I identify with... my interpretation of right vs. wrong is far more functional and relativistic than most descriptions take into account. I do, however, associate strongly with the underlying anger and resentment said to be characteristic vices of 1s.
 

Savage Idealist

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Tests as well as descriptions never tend to be all that good.
 

Hyacinth

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The basic gist of the gut triad is that they instinctively know how things should be and will act on it to make it so. Ones are particularly tuned-in to their superegos and so they have very defined ideas of what's correct and incorrect. Morality is one way to describe it, although the word is often loaded and people carry with it all sorts of definitions. Fairness is a more precise way to explain it, at least for you, and I'm sure others can explain it other ways: the basic idea is that it all falls under the category of what's right and what's wrong.
 

Fidelia

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Yeah, I found the same. Both the resentment and the corruption thing kind of threw me for a loop, as I don't identify with either.
 

Savitri

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1) the focus on "morality"*, which I don't relate to at all;
2) the idea that we are defined by "resentment"*, which I am not; and
3) the idea that our greatest fear is "corruption"*, which I am not all that afraid

I don't think the definitions are inaccurate. Hypothetically speaking, a type 1 individual would not be able to fathom being a resentful person since every action is meticulously inspected for any faults in morality or reason. The listed negatives are just what Type 1s are blind to about themselves.
---

I typically test as 3w4 or 8w7. I didn't think I was either of those and thought cp6w5 was the closest behaviorally (I may have idealized their passion/courage, 'fighting for the under-dog' stereotype). But 5w6 was suggested by others, which confused me for a couple of months until I read Maitri and Naranjo.

The three things you've listed are the reasons why I never associated myself as a 1. Ironically, I hated type 1s because they were described as self-righteous, resentful, and corruptible (hypocrites). My rejection of all 3 of those traits are specifically what makes me a One because it was what I unconsciously avoided.

And although I don't subscribe myself to morality, I did in the past fervently latch on to objectivity which resulted into moments of self-righteous indignation and hypocrisy. I thought I could never be wrong if only I adhere to objectivity (holy idea of perfection). It never occurred to me that my objectiveness was lost once I saw it as absolute.
 

Working On It

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Morality is nothing more than a standard for measuring values and principles. We all choose those values and principles we hold dear. Some of us find an established standard we choose to follow. Morality only begs the question of "How much integrity do you demonstrate in living those things you say are important to you?"

Fear of corruption, goes hand in hand with morality. Another word for fear is reverence. Does the 1 reverence the standard they have chosen to live by? Or do they live hypocritically? Avoiding a standard all together doesn't make sense, because it ignores any foundation on which to build a life.

As far as resentment, I don't chose to resent others. It goes against my standard. But I do make choices based on avoidance of regret. I don't want to live a life of regrets; the would've, should've, could've syndrome. My standards are the foundation, my reverence to my standard creates a livable framework, and avoidance of regrets plumbs and levels the framework thus keeping future possibilities open.
 

EJCC

The Devil of TypoC
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It's kind of funny that this thread got revived, as I have long since changed my stance on this issue. Yes, the online descriptions of Ones tend to use poor word choice and make us all seem like pontificating, self-hating religious people. But Savage Idealist (who seems to have been banned?) had the right idea -- online enneagram descriptions, in general, aren't that good. Threads abound on this forum about how some descriptions are better than others because of the natural biases of those who write them -- and how published typology authors are naturally much more qualified (and objective) than their online counterparts.

It is pretty cool to see other people's perspectives on this thread, though. :) It sounds, for example, like Working On It and Savitri experience their One-ness very differently than I do.
 

Savitri

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Yep but even the published authors on enneagram have their different takes on the types. Riso and Hudson would type me an 8; Maitri and Naranjo would type me a 1.

I went with Maitri and Naranjo since the holy idea of perfection was a prevalent theme in my past, which is basically to remove myself of all blame. Lol I configure my whole environment just to do that. Fortunately I am in the healthier levels of type one and seem to have let go of that instinct to control my environment. Family now thinks I'm 7-like hahahahahhah ;):D
 

Leila

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I have always seen One's need for perfection in general terms, so corruption will mean something different for each One. Ones who focus on moral perfection fear being evil, Ones who focus on intellectual perfection fear being dumb or ignorant, Ones who focus on technical perfection fear being incompetent, Ones who focus on health perfection fear being sick, ones who focus on physical perfection fear being ugly or defective, so on...
 

acronach

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sx/sp
for myself, I think I know 1s pretty well, and as someone who's not a 1, i wouldn't have any clue at all at how to even begin to describe the type, yet I do (think i) know a lot about them. one of those things that you have to learn about it by experience i guess.

one thing i'll say though, from what i've observed, your wings define you a lot, from an outward pov, almost more than your main type. like 1w9 and 1w2 are 2 different things imo, yet you're not completely 9ish or 2ish either.

EDIT: also, NT is kinda common with 1s and standard issue with 5s, but I consider them to be complete polar opposites (as far as ideas and philosophies go). yet a lot of ones are getting mistyped as 5s and somehow this doesnt surprise me at all
 
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