| "> | | | | personality number does not translate to being better |
| | | | or worse. |
| The Enneagram is a dynamic personality profiling | | | | You will come across different Eneagram teachings |
| system that allows us to dramatically improve the | | | | that use different words to describe the types. Do |
| way we communicate with others. When you are | | | | remember that the descriptions are really for |
| able to understand the personality type of another | | | | illustration and are meant to help you understand the |
| person, you know the motivation for their behaviours | | | | type better. Different sources will use different |
| and find it easier to understand and accept them. In | | | | words to describe each type, so you need not get |
| addition, you'll know what works for them, and you | | | | confused over that. |
| can phrase your words accordingly. The Enneagram is | | | | Each personality type has got nine levels of health, |
| one of the many personality profiling systems in the | | | | starting from the healthiest at level one, to the |
| world today. However, its origins remain relatively | | | | unhealthiest at level nine. So if you compute all |
| unclear. There are groups of people who believe that | | | | possible combinations using the wings and lines, along |
| the Enneagram first originated in the 10Th or 11Th | | | | with levels of health, you are looking at potentially |
| century among the Sufi, which is a mystical sect of | | | | four hundred and eight six variations of personality |
| Islam. There are also others who believe that the | | | | types. |
| Enneagram existed much earlier, back in 2500 B.C. in | | | | With so many possible combinations, how do you |
| Babylon, the middle east of today. | | | | accurately profile somebody? Unlike many other |
| Regardless of when the Enneagram was created, it | | | | personality profiling that requires the use of surveys |
| still remains a very accurate tool to profile people | | | | or questionnaires, you can actually profile somebody |
| today, simply because human nature has not really | | | | with the Enneagram simply through observation. |
| changed all these years. | | | | Of course, the length of time for your observation |
| The Enneagram is also one of the few dynamic | | | | will definitely affect the accuracy of your profiling. |
| profiling systems around. Instead of boxing people | | | | Though we will effectively be of only one basic type, |
| up, it describes how a person will behave when | | | | every one of us will react according to different |
| feeling good or under stress, and shows the way a | | | | situations and environments that we are in. |
| person should grow in order to achieve his or her | | | | Therefore, it is no surprise that we will display |
| potential in life. | | | | characteristics of all nine personality types throughout |
| In total, there are nine basic personality types, and | | | | our lives. So the best time to observe someone is |
| these personalities are described using numbers, | | | | during their down-time, or most natural state. |
| instead of words. The reason for using numbers is to | | | | You can still use a questionnaire to profile somebody, |
| keep things neutral. Words have a tendency to | | | | or to confirm your observations. However, with time |
| create meaning in our minds, and we might | | | | and practice, you will realise that you can make do |
| unknowingly become biased towards certain types | | | | without a questionnaire. That would give you a huge |
| because of cultural or societal influence. | | | | boost in improving your interpersonal communication |
| Thus, the nine types are denoted by numbers | | | | skills, and will definitely add greater value to you as |
| ranging from one to nine, and the numbers bear | | | | an effective communicator. |
| similar weights, which means that having a bigger | | | | |