THE ROAD BACK TO YOU: AN ENNEAGRAM JOURNEY TO SELF-DISCOVERY
BY
IAN MORGAN CRON AND SUZANNE STABILE
The Enneagram is an ancient personality typing system, and The Road Back to You explains how it works and applies it to the Christian life.
This is part three, the last of the Enneagram series. See part one here and part two here.
To review, there are nine personality types, divided into:
Heart personalities – Types 2, 3, and 4
Gut personalities – Types 8, 9, and 1
Head personalities – Types 5, 6, and 7
Today, we’re talking about the “head” personality types.
TYPE 5 – THE INVESTIGATOR
General characteristics:
More intellectual than emotional, value thoughts over feelings
Very private, independent, and socially withdrawn
Learn everything possible about subjects that interest them
Healthy Type 5’s:
Can balance between participation and observation
Engage with others comfortably
Have a lot of knowledge and are willing to share it with others
Average Type 5’s:
Tend to have a scarcity mentality
Hoard their time, space, affection, etc.
Observe and don’t participate
Unhealthy Type 5’s:
Are worried about their security, independence, and privacy
Don’t want to depend on anyone for anything
Become defensive and push people away
TYPE 6 – THE LOYALIST
General characteristics:
Loyal, understanding, funny, and compassionate
Anxious and insecure, don’t like unpredictability
Slow to trust but feel comfortable around people who are like them
Healthy Type 6’s:
Trust their own experiences and realize that certainty and accurate predictability are not likely
Are productive, loyal, honest, and reliable
Have come to believe that in the end, everything will be all right
Average Type 6’s:
Question everything and struggle to get the worst case scenario out of their head
With authority, can either be overly skeptical or overly subservient
Are very loyal and committed
Unhealthy Type 6’s:
Find danger in every corner
Have anxiety that borders paranoia
Think the world is unfair and that people cannot be trusted
TYPE 7 – THE ENTHUSIAST
General characteristics:
Fun, popular, optimistic, spontaneous, adventuresome
Not good at finishing things, get bored and move on to the next thing
Avoid heavy conversations, confrontations, and commitments
Healthy Type 7’s:
Are aware that the energy they invest in happiness is not the same as the gift of joy that comes from the Lord
Embrace all their emotions and accept life as it is
Can take disappointment and incorporate it into the whole of their life instead of just ignoring it
Average Type 7’s:
Avoid sadness and try to reframe almost everything that’s sad
Want everything to be painted through rose-colored glasses
Unhealthy Type 7’s:
Think they’ve been dealt an unfair hand and pity themselves
Are risk takers, always looking for the next thrill
Can get involved in irresponsible, harmful, or addictive behavior because they’re seeking instant gratification
This is just an abbreviated outline. Listen to the podcast for more detail, including tips for spiritual transformation and famous people of each personality type.
