What is an Enneagram Test?
Heard about the Enneagram test but aren't sure what it is exactly or if you should take it? Here is everything you need to know.
The Enneagram of Personality (or simply Enneagram) is a trending personal development concept you may have come across. Though not formally accepted in the field of psychology due to limited research, it has still gained a great deal of popularity, particularly in spiritual and professional contexts.
The term 'enneagram' derives from Greek and is defined as a nine-sided figure. The Enneagram typology is modeled after this with nine personality types that are distinct yet connected to each other. Without getting into the complexities of the Enneagram symbol, a circle encompasses nine interconnected points that indicate wholeness and unity amongst all nine types.
In modern times, the typology is credited to a Bolivian-born philosopher named Oscar Ichazo, however he clearly was influenced by spiritual and mystical ideas and works that have existed thousands of years before him. Though rooted in esoteric schools of thought, researchers today are focused on understanding the psychological implications and the Enneagram model is often compared to other psychometric models like the Myers-Briggs personality test.
What is an Enneagram test?
The overall premise of Enneagram theory is that there are nine archetypal patterns that explain how people perceive, and behave in, the world. Every person has a dominant personality type which gives them a particular way of seeing and being. Despite having a specific personality type, a person can adapt and evolve — in positive or negative ways — due to internal and external circumstances, as well as the influences of other personality types.
Taking an Enneagram test is said to reveal your basic (or dominant) personality type as well as the two adjacent types that heavily influence you. Having this insight is believed to be highly instrumental in developing self-awareness and self-understanding.
What are the Enneagram personality types?
In the Enneagram system, there are nine personality types that represent archetypal human behavior. No type is better than the other — each has its strengths and weaknesses. Understanding your dominant and adjacent personality types may give you useful insight into how to improve yourself. These summaries are based on Understanding the Enneagram: The Practical Guide to Personality Types, a text which expands upon Ichazo’s ideas.
Type 1: The Perfectionist
Seeks to reform and perfect; desires goodness, integrity, balance and fears corruptness, imbalance and being bad. Their vice is anger and virtue is serenity.
Type 2: The Giver
Seeks freedom; desires loves and fears being unloved. Their vice is pride and virtue is humility.
Type 3: The Achiever
Seeks hope and law; wants to feel valuable and fears being worthless. Their vice is deceitfulness and virtue is authenticity.
Type 4: The Individualist
Strives to be uniquely themselves, and fears having no identity or significance. Their vice is envy and virtue is equanimity (emotional balance).
Type 5: The Investigator
Strives to understand and fears incompetence. Their vice is greed and virtue is non-attachment.
Type 6: The Loyalist
Desires support and guidance and fears not having this. Their vice is fear and virtue is courage.
Type 7: The Enthusiast
Seeks wisdom, satisfaction and contentment, and fears being unfulfilled. Their vice is gluttony and virtue is sobriety.
Type 8: The Challenger
Seeks truth and self-protection, and fears being controlled, harmed or violated. Their vice is lust and virtue is innocence.
Type 9: The Peacemaker
Seeks love, peace and wholeness, and fears loss and separation. Their vice is sloth and virtue is action.
How does an Enneagram test work?
There are no shortage of Enneagram tests available, most of which you can take online. Many of these tests work by guiding you through a series of prompts that you should answer as honestly as possible by reflecting on your personality. Though your response is subjective, you should attempt to see yourself as you really are instead of how you wish to be, so you can get the most accurate output as possible.
There are many institutes and companies that conduct Enneagram research and advocacy as well as issue tests. But to date, there are no formal governing bodies. However there are reputable assessment centers, such as Truity, that offer Enneagram tests. Viveura has an affiliate relationship with Truity based on our positive experience using their suite of high-quality tests.
Should you take an Enneagram test?
The field of psychology is ever-evolving because of the rather elusive nature of humans. In fact, understanding ourselves has proven to be one of the most difficult scientific disciplines. As such there are many promising but unproven methods — such as personality tests — that are rising in popularity. These methods will require much more research before they can definitively claim their benefits.
That said, personal development requires open-mindedness. To understand and develop yourself, it can be beneficial to experiment with ideas from both new and traditional methods across multiple disciplines. The Enneagram test won't explain every nuance of your personality nor solve all of your personal challenges. However, it can be one of many tools you keep in your arsenal in order to support your progress.
Recent Studies
A study published in the Journal of Adult Development found that participants in an Enneagram training program showed improvement in personal development.
A study by researchers Saville and Holdsworth found the Enneagram to be comparable to other well-known and more accepted theories such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).
A study in the Journal of Contemporary Family Therapy suggests that the Enneagram could be a useful counseling and therapy tool.
