Frequently Asked Questions

1) Where does the unusual looking Enneagram symbol originate, and what is its significance?

The word Enneagram (pronounced any-a-gram), is Greek for a nine-pointed star or graph, and appears to date back to Pythagoras. The Enneagram symbol is made up of three components: the circle, the inner triangle, and the outer hexagonal figure. For our purposes, we see that the Enneagram symbol acts as a blueprint for the way in which nine character archetypes common in the human family are organized — both by themselves (numerically) and in relationship to each other (intersecting lines). In The Power of Myth interview with Bill Moyers, Joseph Campbell defines archetypes as "expressions of the structure of the human psyche." These nine character archetypes are best understood as the building blocks of human character in all of its variations. Your character archetype, or archetypal relational style, is an expression of how your character operates at the deepest level of your psyche. Why the family of human character archetypes is organized so perfectly by this symbol, which reveals nine archetypes, each of which is related to two other archetypes, in the last analysis, remains an enduring mystery.

2) As a new archetypal discovery, what key purpose does the Enneagram serve?

One of the most important things that can be said about the Enneagram is that it functions very much as a "Rosetta Stone" of the psyche. The Rosetta Stone, a black basalt slab dated to March 196 BC, was unearthed in Rashid, Egypt in July 1799 by Napoleon’s army. The inscription on the stone was the key to deciphering ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. Two translations, one Greek, the other Demotic, accompanied the hieroglyphic text. All three languages contained the same messages. The stone, therefore, was a kind of "code book" that enabled scholars to translate among Greek, Demotic, and the lost Egyptian hieroglyphic script. The Enneagram functions in a similar fashion in that it serves to "decode" what we observe about human behavior, and how we categorize this behavior via modern psychology.

3) How does the Enneagram tie in with modern psychology?

For generations, giants in the field of psychology have through their clinical observations pieced together a tremendous amount of empirical data, and pioneered a number of very important theories. Sigmund Freud, the grandfather of psychoanalysis, set a new direction for modern psychology with his theory of the unconscious. Karen Horney made the discovery that human behavior fell into aggressive, withdrawn, and compliant classifications. Erick Erickson’s work revealed the theory of early childhood development. The DSM IV, the psychiatric diagnosis manual used in clinical practice, classifies human behavior into many disorders, or distinct forms of abnormal psychology. Taken as a whole, the nine relational styles of the Enneagram reveal the meta-theory that lies beneath these and other psychological theories, existing as a kind of graphic "blueprint" of our collective psychological infrastructure. As such, the Enneagram is not a system of nine “personality types” that has been artificially created based upon empirical evidence, but is instead a system of nine character archetypes, a new organic discovery about the workings of human nature.

4) Why is the Enneagram archetypal, and not psychological, spiritual or something else?

Although there are spiritual and psychological components to the structure and mechanics of the Enneagram, each of the nine relational styles is fundamentally archetypal in nature. This means they each exist within our psyches or basic human nature prior to typical consciousness. Each of the nine relational styles is to our individual psychological make-up as DNA is to our genetic structure. They are "pre-wired" before we receive our social identities from our families and society. In effect, they influence how our social identities are formed and lived-out. Depending upon the relative maturity of each individual, his or her relational style will reveal a full range of behavior from that which is virtually enlightened to that which is pathological. Simply put, the Enneagram creates a cohesive synthesis between the archetypal, psychological, and spiritual dimensions of human nature.

5) In simple terms, what is a relational style?

In order to better grasp what your relational style actually is, and how it functions, consider a modern metaphorical example, a computer. In order to work properly, a computer must have an operating system. Without it, the computer cannot successfully run its myriad applications. As a person, you function similarly in that your archetypal nature corresponds to the role of a computer operating system such as Windows, OS2, or Unix, a human operating system, if you like. Therefore, your archetypal relational style is analogous to the original, hardwired design of a computer that translates, interprets, directs, manages, and referees your individual responses to your life experiences, or how you choose to "run" your applications. You might have a "Unix" operating system, while a friend or family member a "Windows," etc. The intelligence that informs you about your archetypal relational style originates in your right brain, (prior to the technical, analytical thinking of your left brain), and acts as a powerful resource to help you to be yourself.

6) Is my relational style determined by "nature" or "nurture?"

In his edifying book, The Soul’s Code, James Hillman reveals what he considers to be truly innate about the form and unfolding of our individual selves. In chapter six, Neither Nature nor Nurture – Something Else, he points out the fallacy of polarized Western thinking that assumes our behavior can only be the result of either genetic inheritance or environmental influences. Although both play an important role in our psychological development, there is according to Hillman, much more to this story. To prove his point, he cites emerging data that supports the theory that identical twins are not actually that identical. Although they share a deep affinity for each other, twins often develop psychologically into distinctly different personalities. According to Hillman, there is obviously "something else" that determines this distinction. In our work, we have identified the relational styles of identical twins and found each set of twins to be comprised of two different styles. This clearly corroborates James Hillman’s theory that "something else" is at work within the formation and expression of the human psyche. Our experience in typing identical twins has proven to us that these nine relational styles are neither the product of nature, nor nurture, but "something else," which is best identified as archetypal or "prior" to our genetic make-up or environmental conditioning.

7) How complicated is it to learn about my relational style?

As each of these relational styles is both readily and clinically observable, their use has been widely accepted in psychological academia, clinical practice, business, and pastoral counseling. In our work, we propose that if you are interested in personal growth, you need not be an expert in understanding the Enneagram system in order to benefit tremendously from its wisdom. You need not be an accomplished racecar driver in order to perform essential tasks such as driving to work, or to the store. In our years of working with people, we found that nearly all responded very favorably to the straightforward, hands on approach that our work entails.

8) Why are there nine of these Enneagram relational styles, and not more or less?

There are nine for the same reason metaphorically speaking that there are seven notes in an octave, three primary colors in color theory, or a set number of elements in the periodic table. Interestingly enough, each of the nine types shares a relationship with two others. This means that each person’s relational style is actually a combination of three, a primary archetype, and two others that are dynamically related to this archetype. The Enneagram diagram illustrates how these patterns connect interactively.

9) What significance do the nine numbers have?

The numbers by themselves have no meaning — hierarchical or otherwise — and are not related to numerology or any other system. No single relational style is any more or less desirable than any other. The numbers simply serve as "place names" around the circle, with each number assigned to one place, which in turn represents one of the nine character archetypes. When, for example, we say a person has the Nine relational style, we are referring to its location between the Eight and the One, and the fact that the Nine also interfaces with the workings of the Three and the Six.

10) Why are the Relationship Renaissance names for each relational style made up of two words, whereas other Enneagram authors use one? Why, for example do you prefer the "Elated Reformer" rather than simply the "Reformer"?

The reason for the names we use lies at the heart of how we view the system. Rather than categorizing psychological behavior by classifying or reducing people, we derive our names from the high end of each relational style, and its self-actualized condition. Our approach conveys the humanistic premise that each of us is born whole, while tending to be socialized to qualities and behaviors that fall short of our true potential. For example, people with the "Elated Reformer" relational style are born with an innate capacity for joyous interaction as they go about their lives and relationships, rather than simply being "Reformers," who want to instill order and an ethical code. When each "Reformer" becomes aware via our coaching process that "Elation" is a natural part of their psycho/spiritual make-up, they can move much more readily to recognize, own, and successfully practice with the workings of their relational style toward personal integration and self-empowerment.

11) How do I determine my Enneagram relational style?

Some Enneagram authors provide an Enneagram test referred to as a “personality test” or an “indicator” to help people determine their particular styles. Our experience has shown us that these tests are far less accurate than verbal interviews, because people are not as accurate with their self-reporting as they need to be. After an interview that is designed to reach the heart of your personal psychology, we will provide you with a highly accurate "working theory" of which relational style is yours. All you need to do after that is to reflect upon the traits and qualities (using our materials and those of other authors we can recommend), until you get the "aha" of your particular style. There is a wealth of contemporary writing in print and on-line about the Enneagram – some excellent, some wanting. Our approach is designed to make your relational style as obvious as possible to you, which often happens during the initial interview process, but needs to be reinforced with self-reflection and study. The most important aspect of determining your relational style is making the process your own.

12) Does identifying my relational style "reduce me to a number," or "put me in a box"?

You will only end up in a box if you resort to stereotypical thinking about yourself via your left brain. If you reflect in archetypal terms via your right brain, you will find that rather than limiting your concept of who you are, you are actually expanding your range of self-awareness and your potential for growth and fulfillment.

To further understand what we mean, go back to the computer operating system analogy. What if you didn’t know the kind of operating system on your computer? Wouldn’t that make the job of selecting/creating the right applications virtually impossible? You bet it would!

The same understanding applies here. Asking whether the knowledge of your character archetype puts you in a box is like asking if knowing a computer’s operating system will prevent you from creatively using your computer, or writing original applications. The answer is — absolutely not! Similarly, understanding the workings of your particular relational style will not only make "writing software" and "running the applications of your life" more realizable, but also a lot clearer, and more fulfilling in the long run.

13) What’s in it for me?

The beauty of discovering your relational style is that the way in which you make use of its wisdom is completely up to you. Depending upon your own personal needs and interests, you will find you can apply your new awareness to improve virtually all of your relationships – whether they are professional, social or romantic. Working with your relational style, and learning about those of the most important people in your life will eventually serve you as a shorthand predictor of human behavior. By learning to recognize your own relational style, (or that of others with whom you live and work), you will also be able to foretell what behaviors will show up when you, (or they), are stressed, and how to position yourself, (or help them), to be at your (and their) best. These nine relational styles serve as a roadmap to ground our characters, and focus our responses to our lives along productive pathways—quite literally powering the light at the end of the tunnel of human relationships. For all of us who are deeply interested in self-help and personal growth, the discovery of our individual relational styles serves as an enduring map that helps to guide us back to our original selves, or our authentic Human nature.

Contact us now for a free session to determine your relational style, and how you can learn new ways to make the life you dream of and deserve come true.

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