Enneagram of Personality: Definition of 9 Eriksonian Psychotypes

Define your leading Ennea type from 9 subconscious motivations and your wings.

Enneagram: Depth Psychology of Unconscious Motives

The Enneagram is not just a personality typology or a test of “what kind of person you are.” This is a powerful psychological and spiritual model that studies the deep motives of our actions. Unlike other tests that describe your behavior (what you do), the Enneagram explains why you do it. It reveals the basic fears and desires that shape our character in early childhood as a defense mechanism of the psyche.

The Enneagram symbol (a nine-pointed star in a circle) comes from ancient spiritual traditions in the Middle East and was adapted for modern psychology in the 1970s (Claudio Naranjo, Oscar Ichazo). Today, this system is used by therapists, coaches, Hollywood screenwriters and HR specialists from the world's leading corporations to understand human nature.

Three Centers of Intelligence (Triads)

The nine types of the Enneagram are divided into three centers (triads), which show through which prism we perceive the world and what basic emotion underlies our defensive reactions:

Head (Types 5, 6, 7)

Mental center. Basic emotion: Fear / Anxiety. These types constantly analyze, plan and try to anticipate the future in order to feel safe in an unpredictable world.

Heart (Types 2, 3, 4)

Emotional center. Basic emotion: Shame. These types are focused on image, image, and relationships. It is critically important to them how other people perceive them and who they are in society.

Body (Types 8, 9, 1)

Instinctive (somatic) center. Basic emotion: Anger. These types rely on instincts, physical sensations and strive to control their space by setting strict boundaries.

Wings: Options for Your Type

There are no pure types. Your base type is always complemented by traits from neighboring types on the Enneagram circle - these are called Wings. For example, if you are a Type 3 (Achiever), your wings can only be Type 2 or Type 4. An Achiever with a 2nd wing (3w2) will be more charming, a team player who craves admiration. And an Achiever with the 4th wing (3w4) will be more introverted, focused on his professional uniqueness and quality of work.

The development of the second (less manifested) wing is considered one of the important steps towards psychological harmonization, as it expands your repertoire of reactions.

Dynamic Arrows ki: Integration and Disintegration

The Enneagram is not a static picture, but a dynamic map of your consciousness. There are arrows inside the circle that show how your behavior changes depending on the level of stress or psychological comfort.

Stress Line (Disintegration): When you are under great pressure or exhausted, you unconsciously “slip” into the worst manifestations of another type. For example, a peace-loving “Nine” (Type 9), under severe stress, suddenly begins to behave like an anxious and suspicious “Six” (Type 6). Knowing your stress line is a powerful signaling indicator: “Stop, I’m burned out, I need rest.”
Growth Line (Integration): When you feel safe, aware and resourced, you borrow the best qualities of another type. The same “Nine” (Type 9), in a state of comfort, integrates the features of a healthy “Three” (Type 3): she stops being lazy, gains purpose, confidence and begins to actively realize her potential in the world.

Development Levels

One of Don Richard Riso's most important contributions to Enneagram theory was the discovery of Levels of Development. They explain why two people of the same type can behave completely differently. Each type contains a range from healthy to pathological conditions:

Healthy levels (Freedom): A person is aware of his fears, but does not give in to them. The ego relaxes. We exhibit the highest virtues of our type (for example, the Eight becomes a generous protector of the weak).
Mid Levels (Autopilot): Most people live here. We are subject to our usual patterns of behavior, dependent on the opinions of others and often follow the lead of our ego mechanism in order to get what we want.
Unhealthy levels (Pathology): Basic fear completely takes over the psyche. A person behaves destructively both for himself and for others, losing touch with reality.

The Enneagram is not designed to lock you into one type. Its main goal is to show you your “box” (your blind spots and automatic reactions) so that you can finally get out of it.