What had happened was....(your enneagram type)

[Sparrow]

How do you think you became the enneagram you are? Please tell your story . Thanks!

 

[Savage Idealist]

I suppose my enneagram type was the result of external factors as far back an possibly infancy, if not very early childhood. Although I can't pinpoint exactly where I became fearful of the world, perhaps it was a natural aspect of my character from birth; although I'm not sure how much of personality is nature and how much is nuture; I'd imagine that both factors could play a role, but really there would need to be empirical data to completely confirm otherwise. Anyway, assuming that my enneagram type was the result of my environment, I beleive I developed it probably sometime around pre-school; the new change in the environment and being away from familiar people was frightening to me. I was scared and unsure of the school and didn't like being left on my own there. And over the years I encountered various forms of hostility or creulty from others, making feel even more unsafe. I suppose that is where the origin of my enneagram 6 lies hence from.

 

[VagrantFarce]

I am who I am - I don't think there is a clear-cut explanation. Subsequently, I think looking for an explanation through introspection will only result in red-herrings and convenient excuses. Just my opinion.

 

[Burger King]

Hmm. I may as well make this my first post. I'm an enneagram 4.

For as long as I can remember, I've always had this habit of escaping and indulging in fantasies. The fantasies, as described by many enneagram sources for 4s, typically involving an idealized version of myself. This is so natural, like breathing air, that I'm not exactly sure what made me this way. I suppose I can go about this by describing nature and nurture.

As a child, I was told that I was mostly quiet and appeared very aloof. I was very imaginative throughout elementary school and quite introverted, choosing to spend time doing things alone. I mostly lived in my mind.

In terms of nurture, I viewed my parents as a dismissive and critical. I don't want to get into specifics, but verbal and physical abuse was the norm growing up. There was some resentment growing up.

I don't think it's as linear as I'm making it out though. Seeing as the nurture explanation I gave could also result in an enneagram 6.

 

[VagrantFarce]

Hmm. I may as well make this my first post. I'm an enneagram 4.

For as long as I can remember, I've always had this habit of escaping and indulging in fantasies. The fantasies, as described by many enneagram sources for 4s, typically involving an idealized version of myself. This is so natural, like breathing air, that I'm not exactly sure what made me this way. I suppose I can go about this by describing nature and nurture.

As a child, I was told that I was mostly quiet and appeared very aloof. I was very imaginative throughout elementary school and quite introverted, choosing to spend time doing things alone. I mostly lived in my mind.

In terms of nurture, I viewed my parents as a dismissive and critical. I don't want to get into specifics, but verbal and physical abuse was the norm growing up. There was some resentment growing up.

I don't think it's as linear as I'm making it out though. Seeing as the nurture explanation I gave could also result in an enneagram 6.

I don't mean to poop on your first post (Welcome, by the way! ), but I think this points more to 5. Quiet, aloof, prefer to be alone, identifying with the mind...

Don't be put off by 5s being stereotyped as dry, academic types - 5s live in the mind, and are quiet and (seemingly) aloof and imaginative as you describe. 4s live and breathe their hearts. This isn't just a choice of words, it's a genuine experiential (maybe even physiological) distinction that lies at the centre of the enneagram. Be careful of alluring descriptions that paint you as how you'd like to see yourself, rather than what you are.

Anyway, welcome.

 

[Elfboy]

Hmm. I may as well make this my first post. I'm an enneagram 4.

For as long as I can remember, I've always had this habit of escaping and indulging in fantasies. The fantasies, as described by many enneagram sources for 4s, typically involving an idealized version of myself. This is so natural, like breathing air, that I'm not exactly sure what made me this way. I suppose I can go about this by describing nature and nurture.

As a child, I was told that I was mostly quiet and appeared very aloof. I was very imaginative throughout elementary school and quite introverted, choosing to spend time doing things alone. I mostly lived in my mind.

In terms of nurture, I viewed my parents as a dismissive and critical. I don't want to get into specifics, but verbal and physical abuse was the norm growing up. There was some resentment growing up.

I don't think it's as linear as I'm making it out though. Seeing as the nurture explanation I gave could also result in an enneagram 6.

this also sounds a lot like an introverted 7w6 (not trying to type you)

 

[wolfy]

I was a born and raised nine. Life beat the eight into me.

 

[ThatGirl]

I was raised like a spartan.

 

[Burger King]

I don't mean to poop on your first post (Welcome, by the way! ), but I think this points more to 5. Quiet, aloof, prefer to be alone, identifying with the mind...

Don't be put off by 5s being stereotyped as dry, academic types - 5s live in the mind, and are quiet and (seemingly) aloof and imaginative as you describe. 4s live and breathe their hearts. This isn't just a choice of words, it's a genuine experiential (maybe even physiological) distinction that lies at the centre of the enneagram. Be careful of alluring descriptions that paint you as how you'd like to see yourself, rather than what you are.

Anyway, welcome.

Thanks for the welcome

The interesting thing is this is not the first time someone has recommended/mentioned e5. I just don't see myself as detached. But then again, our perception of self is always biased. I probably shouldn't type myself yet seeing as I haven't read any books on the matter (only looked at various descriptions from various internet sources).

[MENTION=5684]Elfboy[/MENTION]

I'm not very confident with my typing. What about it sounds 7w6?

Edit: Nvm, don't want to derail this thread.

 

[animenagai]

The 4w3 is just how I've always been. Funny thing is that I think I looked a lot more like a 479 when I was younger. I did move from Hong Kong to New Zealand when I was in my teens. Perhaps the social anxiety made me more 6.

 

[NotOfTwo]

I have no idea.

 

[garbage]

My parents fought a lot, my sister got all the attention growing up, and my parents basically just didn't worry about me--almost to the point of not recognizing my existence, or so I felt. So, I suppose I felt that I had to be extremely capable and responsible in order to take care of myself and other people. I feel pulled to be responsible for my sister to this very day.

 

[Asterion]

I was always a clear E5, even at the age of 5. Highly independent and my parents never interfered with me too much. I withdrew from everything, and lived on escapism/fantasies. I had very little connection to anyone, especially not my parents. I liked school, but I hated the other kids, they were, and still are too restless, too aggressive, too chaotic. Burning people's hair is not my idea of fun, and neither is attacking bee hives.

 

[SilkRoad]

I come from a family which is both hyper-conscientious and highly loyal. I was shy and developed fears of loud noises and thunderstorms which have carried on to this day. My parents took us travelling (I'd been all over Europe by the time I was eight) but were also somewhat over-protective.

If enneagram is really more about nurture, those are some of the factors I'd point to.

 

[phthalocyanine]

hard to say.

if i had to guess, i'd say my home life brought out the 9 in me and my life with peers as a child brought out the 4 in me. the impersonal world at large brings out the 6 in me.

i think that being an Fi-dom child made these type orientations more likely for me to develop.