How do you decide on an enneagram type?

[Silveresque]

What if two types fit you? How do you know which one is more accurate? What is most important in determining your type: the characteristics, the motivations (basic fear/desire), the fixation, or the integration/disintegration?

 

[King sns]

I don't know. I fit both 4 and 7, and I don't obsess over it. I'm going to be the same way no matter what. I'll probably always have this tossup, if I can use one for therapy/ betterness of myself, I will. What is any other purpose of the labels but to just understand yourself and others better? If two work together, use two. I think it's counterproductive to try to continue to narrow down the labels exactly unless it helps you understand yourself better.

 

[animenagai]

I had this problem too, a lot of the tests for example aren't very good at helping yuou identify your type, especially if you believe in tritypes. It took me reading an article on common mis-typings for me to really get a hold of my type.

 

[Richardsen]

I dont know an especific way to determine your type, the best form is think what type you choose considering who you are and not who you want to be.
In my case was quiet easy, because in all the test that I took I scored with 4 as the highest with 5,6,8 and 7 following but far behind. In the other hand, Im 100% sure of my type. I try not to suggest myself with "what if Im a 6 or a 5??". Not now.
PD: I considered 6w5 too, but at the end I finnished in the beggining with E4

 

[VagrantFarce]

Consider your motivations, and your moment-to-moment tendencies - the many little reactions and decisions that you make in everyday life. A pattern will eventually emerge on its own.

Or, ask someone you trust. Other people know you better than you think.

Regardless of type, at least you'll get to understand yourself well.

 

[CCCXXIX]

The explanation for this is in tritype theory. This theory states that you have an enneagram type from each of the three centers Head/Body/Heart...


More on tritype:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tritype

http://www.enneagram.net/tritype.html

 

[CCCXXIX]

accidental double post...please delete

 

[VagrantFarce]

The explanation for this is in tritype theory. This theory states that you have an enneagram type from each of the three centers Head/Body/Heart...


More on tritype:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tritype

http://www.enneagram.net/tritype.html

This always felt like a cop out to me - the types aren't meant to explain away every facet of your sense of self. It's only natural to "see" yourself in many different flavours, when actually things are much simpler than you think.

 

[KDude]

6 seemed like the most catchall, generic one.

Good enough.

 

[Such Irony]

What if two types fit you? How do you know which one is more accurate? What is most important in determining your type: the characteristics, the motivations (basic fear/desire), the fixation, or the integration/disintegration?

I think the motivations (basic fear/desire) is the heart of the enneagram. I look deep down and ask myself, what the *real* reason I think/feel/want this? Sometimes the reason is masked by an even deeper underlying reason. I peel all the layers until I've reached the core. I know I've reached the core when I discover a desire that I essentially can't live without. I think the characteristics described by a certain enneagram type stem from the basic motivations of that type.

I don't put too much account into tests. They can be a good starting point and help you narrow it down but I wouldn't solely rely on them. Not all of them are that accurate.

If you're having difficulty deciding on a type, feedback from people who know you well can be useful. Sometimes they can see things you can't always see.

 

[EJCC]

I think the motivations (basic fear/desire) is the heart of the enneagram. I look deep down and ask myself, what the *real* reason I think/feel/want this? Sometimes the reason is masked by an even deeper underlying reason. I peel all the layers until I've reached the core. I know I've reached the core when I discover a desire that I essentially can't live without. I think the characteristics described by a certain enneagram type stem from the basic motivations of that type.

I don't put too much account into tests. They can be a good starting point and help you narrow it down but I wouldn't solely rely on them. Not all of them are that accurate.

If you're having difficulty deciding on a type, feedback from people who know you well can be useful. Sometimes they can see things you can't always see.

+1. I agree with this entire post. Motivations are definitely the most important, followed by fixation (although I feel like fixation and motivations are so closely linked that you could hardly separate them, but maybe that's just me). If you try to type based on anything else (e.g. external behavior, personal values), I can guarantee that you'll mistype. I would actually advise you, from my experience:

1) Don't trust any Enneagram tests (since each time I took it I got 8<3<1 (EDIT Whoops I meant 8>3>1 -- why do I always mess up those Vs?!), which is totally wrong), and
2) Regarding the bolded: make sure they REALLY know you well (since I made a "type me" thread and remained mistyped as a 6 for months!).

What I did was only rely on descriptions online -- and there are only certain ones that I like. The enneagram institute ones can be misleading, from my experience, but enneagram.net worked wonders for me.

 

[21%]

I always tested as a 9, but didn't identify with the description at all. Then, I read the 4 description and ouch, it hurt. I had a very strong emotional reaction to it and I knew instantly I was a 4.

 

[Silveresque]

I think the motivations (basic fear/desire) is the heart of the enneagram. I look deep down and ask myself, what the *real* reason I think/feel/want this? Sometimes the reason is masked by an even deeper underlying reason. I peel all the layers until I've reached the core. I know I've reached the core when I discover a desire that I essentially can't live without. I think the characteristics described by a certain enneagram type stem from the basic motivations of that type.

I don't put too much account into tests. They can be a good starting point and help you narrow it down but I wouldn't solely rely on them. Not all of them are that accurate.

If you're having difficulty deciding on a type, feedback from people who know you well can be useful. Sometimes they can see things you can't always see.

+1. I agree with this entire post. Motivations are definitely the most important, followed by fixation (although I feel like fixation and motivations are so closely linked that you could hardly separate them, but maybe that's just me). If you try to type based on anything else (e.g. external behavior, personal values), I can guarantee that you'll mistype. I would actually advise you, from my experience:

1) Don't trust any Enneagram tests (since each time I took it I got 8<3<1, which is totally wrong), and
2) Regarding the bolded: make sure they REALLY know you well (since I made a "type me" thread and remained mistyped as a 6 for months!).

What I did was only rely on descriptions online -- and there are only certain ones that I like. The enneagram institute ones can be misleading, from my experience, but enneagram.net worked wonders for me.

That's what I thought too. Everything stems from the motivations, which makes the motivations the core of the type. Everyone else thinks I'm a 9 because what they see are the surface characteristics. I may be agreeable and indecisive like a 9, but I have 5's motivations (I think, I'm still trying to work this out).

I found Timeless's descriptions on PersonalityCafe very helpful. Those descriptions emphasize the motivations that lead to the characteristics, which is something other descriptions I've read fail to do.

 

[EJCC]

I may be agreeable and indecisive like a 9, but I have 5's motivations (I think, I'm still trying to work this out).

My roommate had a conflict like this, when she was trying to figure out the Enneagram. She thought she was a 5 for a long time because she acted like one -- but she knew 100% that the reasons listed were not the reasons why she acted like that. Turns out she's a 1!

So -- you are definitely on the right track.

 

[Usehername]

I thought I wasn't idealistic enough and didn't have high enough standards to be a 1.

It turns out that's a sign for it, not against it, if your behaviour and argumentative focus suggest otherwise.

 

[Vizzy]

About motivation, everyone fears loneliness. But each type has a different focus in the way they deal with it. E.g. Twos help people so they feel needed, Nines try to avoid conflict as much as they can to keep the peace. Maybe.

I guess the reason why many think you're a 9 is because, apart from being reserved and detached, you don't relate to the qualities that 5s are well-known for - being critical (even if quietly), cautious, cynical, on the negative side, suspicious, and a strong (almost desperate) desire to challenge ideas and figure something out just for the fun of it.

What's the worst thing someone can say to you? What would really hurt you?

 

[Glycerine]

I picked one that felt the most correct to me. I related to the stress/growth/vice of the five. I listed as a 9 for over a year but I just thought I seemed way too critical/negative/suspicious/argumentative for a 9. Once I settled on a type, I went from to because they all kinda sound like shit after awhile.

 

[Lord Guess]

Look at the integration/disintegration points for each type, and then figure out which one sounds most like you when you get stressed or relaxed. It also helps to see which type fits you closest at your most natural, without any emotional issues getting in the way.

 

[Silveresque]

About motivation, everyone fears loneliness. But each type has a different focus in the way they deal with it. E.g. Twos help people so they feel needed, Nines try to avoid conflict as much as they can to keep the peace. Maybe.

I guess the reason why many think you're a 9 is because, apart from being reserved and detached, you don't relate to the qualities that 5s are well-known for - being critical (even if quietly), cautious, cynical, on the negative side, suspicious, and a strong (almost desperate) desire to challenge ideas and figure something out just for the fun of it.

What's the worst thing someone can say to you? What would really hurt you?

It's not what people say...It's what they don't say that hurts. In my experience, people are generally too nice to say what they really think if it's something negative. When I feel like I said something stupid or weird and nobody says anything, I'll start imagining what people must think, and it's probably worse than anything they would actually say. So I guess perceived or imagined disapproval from someone I respect is what hurts most.

A lot of my motivations seem to come from fear of being disliked, or of people having a low opinion of me, which may or may not be type related...

Wait a minute...

I guess the reason why many think you're a 9 is because, apart from being reserved and detached, you don't relate to the qualities that 5s are well-known for - being critical (even if quietly), cautious, cynical, on the negative side, suspicious, and a strong (almost desperate) desire to challenge ideas and figure something out just for the fun of it.

I'm VERY cautious. And I'm not usually cynical, but I'm not particularly optimistic either; I tend to be more of a realist. And about the last part...Am I not demonstrating that with the way I've been trying to figure out my type? I'm practically analyzing it to death all the time. How much more analytical do I need to get?

 

[VagrantFarce]

It's not what people say...It's what they don't say that hurts. In my experience, people are generally too nice to say what they really think if it's something negative. When I feel like I said something stupid or weird and nobody says anything, I'll start imagining what people must think, and it's probably worse than anything they would actually say. So I guess perceived or imagined disapproval from someone I respect is what hurts most.

A lot of my motivations seem to come from fear of being disliked, or of people having a low opinion of me, which may or may not be type related...

Wait a minute...


I'm VERY cautious. And I'm not usually cynical, but I'm not particularly optimistic either; I tend to be more of a realist. And about the last part...Am I not demonstrating that with the way I've been trying to figure out my type? I'm practically analyzing it to death all the time. How much more analytical do I need to get?

I can really relate to this. I found that the only way through this was to forcefully separate my thoughts from my actions and place in the world. It's all about choosing what defines you - your mind and your thoughts, or your body and your actions.

Or, in the immortal words of THE GOD-DAMNED BATMAN

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[youtube=ZG9UrjqyMzw]Get out of your head, and back in your boogie[/youtube]