[Traditional Enneagram] Questions about Enneagram

[wolfnara]

I have some quick questions about enneagram and how it correlates with other personality systems. The majority of people seem to think there is a correlation between the functions and the ennea types, but I always thought of them as unrelated from each other. Why is enneagram used with MBTI? I thought it was more behavior related rather than cognitive.

Also, it has been questioned whether I am really a HSP because of my enneagram which was 5w6. Is enneagram actually related to sensitivity? I am not 100% about my enneagram types but the hsp descriptions seems really accurate and relatable.

 

[Virtual ghost]

I have some quick questions about enneagram and how it correlates with other personality systems. The majority of people seem to think there is a correlation between the functions and the ennea types, but I always thought of them as unrelated from each other. Why is enneagram used with MBTI? I thought it was more behavior related rather than cognitive.

Also, it has been questioned whether I am really a HSP because of my enneagram which was 5w6. Is enneagram actually related to sensitivity? I am not 100% about my enneagram types but the hsp descriptions seems really accurate and relatable.

There is a correlation between MBTI types and enneagram but it is not absolute. For example each MBTI type has a few enneagram types to witch it can be related without creating a contradiction and with which it can create closed and stabile whole.


Yes, 5s are often HSP people. (as 4s and some 6s and 9s)

 

[hjgbujhghg]

There is a generalized correlation between enneagram which is based on cognitive functions which might or might not be true, depends on what you believe, however I find it to be accurate.

1-Te, 2-Fe, 3-Se, 4-Fi/Ni, 5- Ti, 6- x, 7- Se/Ne, 8- Te/Se, 9 - Si

 

[HongDou]

There is a generalized correlation between enneagram which is based on cognitive functions which might or might not be true, depends on what you believe, however I find it to be accurate.

1-Te, 2-Fe, 3-Se, 4-Fi/Ni, 5- Ti, 6- x, 7- Se/Ne, 8- Te/Se, 9 - Si

I think it's a little looser than that though.

1 - any J type
2 - FJs (with the occasional FP thrown in)
3 - any E type
4 - INFx and ISFP (maybe some ENFPs)
5 - IxTx, more likely INTx
6 - any type really, but it's most prominent in ISxJs
7 - ExxP
8 - ExTx (ENTP is probably least common though)
9 - any I type but more likely an F type

I agree this format is a good way to see if you're in the ballpark. Like, if you identify as an ENTP 4 you're probably either not an ENTP or not a 4.

 

[Mal12345]

I have some quick questions about enneagram and how it correlates with other personality systems. The majority of people seem to think there is a correlation between the functions and the ennea types, but I always thought of them as unrelated from each other. Why is enneagram used with MBTI? I thought it was more behavior related rather than cognitive.

The attempt to correlate functions with enneatypes probably started with Don Richard Riso ("Personality Types"). In this work, Riso tried to reduce other common typologies to the enneatypes.

Riso's correlations from memory -
Type 1 = Te.
Type 2 = Fe.
Type 3 = no definite relationship.
Type 4 = Ni.
Type 5 = Ti.
Type 6 = Fi.
Type 7 = Se.
Type 8 = Ne.
Type 9 = Si.

I don't believe that Riso's correlations were based on any empirical statistical data whatsoever, but simply on his rationalistic, non-empirical approach to all things intellectual.

Since Riso let the cat out of the bag with his correlations chart, it apparently became necessary later on to pin it down with some empirical data. The first attempt that I know of was this small study in which I participated by giving some data to add to the chart:

Charts

So yeah, Riso started it and later studies kept it going.

 

[Desy234]

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[Seymour]

Here's an older thread here on the subject, that includes Blackcat's charts from back in the day, for example:

 

[deathwarmedup]

Why is enneagram used with MBTI?

Adding to earlier points, R&H also made the odd claim that your Enneagram health level is related to your Jungian functions. This loosely implies that the same person can morph into different MBTI types, which I doubt, but I think the underlying idea was that your functions begin to manifest from Level 2 health downwards, implying that they are as much about ego-identity as having any true substance of their own. This is why I sometimes feel that the best way to type yourself on the MBTI is to tap into the the kind of person that you identify as (I don't think it works so well with Enneagram, where motivations are buried under a pile of apparently unrelated behaviours, and which is why the answer-the-questions-quickly approach doesn't work so good for the Enneagram; it can take years of self-observation). Also, Naranjo attempted to link the systems, with results that are probably best disregarded.

The majority of people seem to think there is a correlation between the functions and the ennea types

There is, but I don't think it's meaningful. An Enneatype comprises an exclusive relationship between its three constitutory centers and depending on the ordering (and health level) of them, certain behaviours will arise that emulate certain qualities of the functions, but they are not synonymous.

I thought it was more behavior related rather than cognitive.

Motivation.