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Enneagram

The Enneagram is a personality system that categorizes individuals into one of nine types, each representing a distinct way of viewing the world, managing emotions, and reacting to life’s challenges. By combining psychological insights with personal growth tools, the Enneagram helps people understand their core motivations and fears.

How the Enneagram Works

The Nine Personality Types

Each type has a core motivation (what drives them) and a core fear (what they avoid).
For example:

  • Type 1 (The Perfectionist): Seeks integrity and fears being corrupt.
  • Type 7 (The Enthusiast): Seeks freedom and fears being trapped in pain.

The Three Centers of Intelligence

The nine types are grouped into three Centers:

  • Instinctive Center (Types 8, 9, 1): Focused on instincts and control.
  • Feeling Center (Types 2, 3, 4): Driven by emotions and relationships.
  • Thinking Center (Types 5, 6, 7): Concerned with logic and security.

Arrows and Wings

  • Each type connects to two others via arrows, showing how individuals behave under stress or growth.
  • Types also have adjacent “wings” that add nuance and influence personality traits.

Core Motivations

The Enneagram emphasizes understanding the “why” behind behaviors, offering insight into personal growth by addressing core fears and desires.

Dynamic Growth

Unlike static systems, the Enneagram encourages movement between types through self-awareness, helping individuals balance their strengths and weaknesses.

Tritypes®

Katherine Chernick Fauvre developed the Tritype® system after extensively studying the Enneagram. The Tritype® approach incorporates three types-one from each of the main centers of intelligence:

  • Head Center (5, 6, 7): Thinking and analysis.
  • Heart Center (2, 3, 4): Emotions and relationships.
  • Gut Center (8, 9, 1): Instincts and action.

Each person has a dominant type in each center, forming their Tritype®. The first is the “core” type that drives their primary defense mechanisms and worldview. The combination of these three types creates a unique personality archetype with specific traits, values, fears, and blind spots.

Note: At Cosmic Faith Therapy, we provide an overview of Tritypes® for informational purposes based on Katherine Chernick Fauvre’s work. For deeper study, visit her official resources.

Why the Enneagram Is Useful

The Enneagram helps individuals explore not just what they do, but why they do it. This deeper understanding fosters personal growth, improved relationships, and greater emotional intelligence.

Ready to Go Deeper?

Curious how the Enneagram and other personality frameworks can support your self-discovery journey?
Join the Free Ofi Alignment™ Challenge or Explore More Self-Discovery Tools.