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Your Type in Depth

Your primary type is Seven. In this section, we’ll dive deep into the Seven profile to understand how it drives your core emotions, fears, and desires, as well as how it impacts you in relationships and at work.

In a Nutshell

Sevens are defined by their desire to experience everything good and pleasurable that the world has to offer, while avoiding pain, boredom, and limitations. Although Sevens appear enthusiastic and fun-loving, deep down, they have a fear of getting stuck in negative emotions. Thus, they tend to disconnect from their deeper feelings, instead focusing on their imagination and zest for life to keep them moving forward and gathering new, pleasurable experiences.

Sevens aim to fill every minute with an activity. They approach life as an endless rollercoaster of fun, joyous experiences—and if not fun, at least not sad, bored, anxious, depressed or painful. Sevens use their charm, enthusiasm, imagination, and positive attitude to get as much enjoyment as possible out of every moment of life. Ideally, a Seven aspires to ride a continuous high, avoiding the drearier aspects of reality.

At their core, Sevens ultimately seek deep inner satisfaction, to live a truly meaningful and satisfying life. However, they can sometimes become confused about what it means to get the most out of life, becoming distracted by momentary pleasures rather than pursuing the truly meaningful. Sevens often get caught up in trying every option they have available, becoming frustrated when they run into limitations that stop them from exploring a potential path. Unless a Seven has developed a level of comfort with boredom and even pain, they will have a tendency to consume experiences without being satisfied by them.

Strengths

• Enthusiasm for life
• Optimism and positive thinking
• Ability to imagine possibilities and brainstorm many ideas
• Adventurous, playful, and spontaneous
• Future-oriented and able to generate excitement about possibilities

Challenges

• Struggle to focus and avoid distractions
• Find it difficult to deal with limits and constraints
• More easily sees what is imagined, rather than reality
• Fears commitment and the boredom that may come with it
• Has trouble staying in the present moment

Core Weakness

Gluttony: insatiable hunger for stimulating experiences of any kind.

Sevens are driven by the belief that they will feel satisfied when they have experienced all life has to offer. Instead of deeply digesting an experience, Sevens crave little bites of as many pleasurable experiences as possible, whether that’s food, conversation, travel or learning. Gluttony arises when they crave more and more but taste less and less, not realizing that chasing constant pleasure keeps them from deeper satisfaction.

Core Belief

“I can imagine a better reality.”

Core Fear

Being deprived, limited, or bored. Missing out on what life has to offer, and thus wasting they time they have on Earth.

Sevens move away from fear, anxiety, sadness and worry, instead moving towards whatever feels good. They would not describe themselves as fearful people, mostly because they are so good at disconnecting from any sort of fear or pain. Sevens are so focused on pursuing what they think will make them happy, they don’t stop to reflect on what they are fleeing from.

Core Desire

To feel deeply fulfilled with the life they are living. To be living joyfully in every present moment. To be satisfied and content.

Core Traits

Optimism. Sevens like to keep things positive and upbeat. Given their ability to imagine a better world, they easily pick up on the positive aspects of any situation. They are quick to find the silver linings in any situation. This is a great motivational tool but does allow a Seven to deny the existence or influence of any negative information, which can derail a project or relationship.

Need for Speed. Sevens are busy bees—walking fast, talking fast, and thinking fast. Physically they can be hard to keep up with, as they sandwich as much as possible into their schedule and any down time is quickly filled with an activity. Mentally, their mind is constantly at play, constantly distracted by shiny objects. In their need to stay busy, they can find it hard to focus on a particular goal. They may overlook important details and produce inconsisten results.

Future Focus. Sevens spend a lot of time thinking about the future. They anticipate what’s coming next and want to figure out how to make everything as fun as possible. They are excited by brainstorming, creative planning, creating visions for the future, and kickstarting projects. Sevens spend so much time looking forward, they often get stuck in a ‘grass is greener’ mentality, forgetting that real happiness can only be experienced in the here and now.

Resistance to Limits. Sevens need to feel free to indulge their imagination, creativity and enthusiasm whenever it strikes, and will seek a life that allows them to do so. They avoid having limits and constraints at all costs. Sevens see potential blockers everywhere: in people, processes, institutions, and society. They question authority figures, rules, and regulations that limit them, and will choose careers and relationships that provide them with more choices rather than less.

Paradoxically, this obsession with unlimited freedom can actually result in Sevens having very little actual freedom; by refusing to commit to anything, Sevens may sabotage their personal power and limit their ability to achieve their goals. For true freedom, the Seven must learn to choose commitments carefully and strategically, so that they create more options for themselves in the long run.

Emotional Life

Sevens seek to disconnect from their emotions. While they have emotions just like everyone else, Sevens don’t see the value in actually feeling them—they would rather think about them. Thinking about emotions creates distance from the true feeling, and allows the Seven to avoid being controlled by their emotional experiences.

Sevens are masters of rationalization and idealization. With rationalization, the Seven finds good reasons to justify their actions, perspectives and beliefs. Idealization, on the other hand, allows Sevens to see people and experiences as being better than they are.

Anyone can rationalize their behavior to not feel bad about their actions. However, for a Seven it is a double bind. Using their mental agility, it is both playful and easy for a Seven to create good reasons for how they wish to feel, think or act. But doing so hides their true feelings and intentions, keeping them from truly tuning in to their inner guidance systems.

Sevens are skilled at using their imagination to overlook the flaws or less positive qualities of a person, place or thing. While idealizing someone you love is quite normal, for a Seven these rose-colored glasses can mask how they really feel about a loved one. A Seven may focus only on how they imagine a person or a situation, never probing deeper—lest their bubble burst and they are bounced back to reality.

Sevens are very good at feeling positive emotions. They love to feel emotionally high, to experience the thrill of new adventures, new ideas, new romances, and intense experiences. Sevens are often more excited by the anticipation of an upcoming event than the event itself. They love to be in love—that moment in a relationship where nothing is fully known yet and everything is to be discovered.

Yet, deep down, every Seven knows that what goes up must come down. Behind the trademark smile and enthusiastic demeanor, Sevens can struggle with loneliness, grief and self-doubt—living with a terrible feeling that they just aren’t living life to the fullest. If Sevens do get stuck in a negative space for too long, they can become critical and pessimistic.

Childhood Origins

In childhood, most Sevens experienced a disruptive and painful event. Like someone pulling the ejection seat cord too soon, Sevens can feel like their childhood ended before they were ready. To cope, they revert to an earlier time when they felt happier, connected, safe and in control.

This retreat into positive thoughts, fantasies and plans leads the Seven to develop an active imagination, a positive temperament and an inventive mind, while also successfully avoiding the harsh realities of their situation.

Sevens will primarily recall their childhood as being a happy one, however, that is often an indication of their ability to look on the bright side of even the worst situations. Sevens learn to distract themselves from their childhood; the more difficult the childhood, the more skilled they are at imagining alternate realities.

Many Sevens often have a good relationship with one parent over the other. Typically, they prefer the overprotective, permissive parent versus the authoritarian one, as Sevens associate authority with control and quickly learn they dislike being told what to do. They learn that being imaginative, charming, a good talker and entertaining are ways to disarm authority and subtly undermine the rules, representing a way to avoid limitations and discomfort.

In Relationships

Sevens are energetic, adventurous and enthusiastic partners who seek a counterpart who will join them in experiencing everything life has to offer.

The Good:

• Fun-loving and enthusiastic, always planning the next adventure
• Energetic and engaged in exploring the world
• Optimistic and good at seeing the “silver lining”

The Bad:

• Tend to avoid calm, quiet moments
• Avoids conflict and painful conversations
• Flighty and distractible

Sevens are active romancers, forming deeper bonds through activities and conversations. Common interests are very important to a Seven relationship. In their ideal world, a Seven’s partner would join them in their favorite activities, making something they already enjoy even more fun.

Sevens measure a relationship by how much fun everyone is having. A Seven can commit to a relationship when they realize that fun and commitment aren’t mutually exclusive, and know they will continue to have options, variety and space to explore within the relationship. Sevens know relationships aren’t always conflict-free, and the mundane chores are a part of any living situation, but they need to feel confident that their partners will help them find a way to make the mundane as pleasurable as possible.

Sevens can help their partners do things they ordinarily would not have thought possible. They see the potential in people, and combined with their positivity and optimism, can help their partners in new and unexpected ways.

Sevens are very imaginative, and while that helps with planning adventures, it can lead to miscommunication. Their minds are readily flooded with associations and imaginative ideas, and can easily find themselves interpreting what others say in a way that wasn’t intended. Sevens can find themselves having two entirely different conversations unless they learn to articulate these associations.

Negative emotions and experiences are the Seven blind spots, and this is especially true in relationships. They will struggle to share their deeper fears and experiences until they have built a trusted foundation with someone who is emotionally self-sufficient. Their relationships would benefit from having an agreed process for sharing and discussing the negative feelings, stories and experiences that build up in a relationship. As this requires slowing down and listening, something a Seven struggles with, developing a safe space or process for the icky stuff will be key.

At Work

At work, Sevens want to have the freedom to pursue many different options, as they are never exactly sure what they will enjoy the most. They will automatically seek out whatever sounds fun, exciting or intellectually stimulating and will immediately start brainstorming a million different ways to achieve it, no matter how unrealistic.

What the Seven needs at work:

• The freedom to pursue their ideas
• A friendly boss and democratic decision-making process
• Respect and appreciation for their ideas
• Contact with interesting people

Sevens are very good at believing in their ability to tackle any project, and enjoy figuring it out as they go. Often seen as a jack of all trades who can turn their hand to anything, they are creative planners and visionaries who enjoy starting projects, but start to lose interest when things become too detailed, slow or boring.

Sevens are natural networkers and will have friends and acquaintances across the organization. They will charm the people above and below them on the organizational chart, often as a way to avoid being trapped or have someone in ‘power’ tell them what to do. For this reason, Sevens will feel more comfortable in flat, democratic organizations than hierarchical ones.

In their enthusiasm they may lose touch with what’s real, exaggerate their abilities and move so fast they skip over important details. If they find themselves tasked with a project they aren’t enjoying, or are required to follow a rigid process, they may well pass the project off to someone else or simply take a very long time to complete it.

Sevens will seek workplaces that provide them with multiples experiences and constant variety. Whether it’s the ability to travel, to tackle different projects, to constantly meet new and interesting people or always be learning new things, a Seven will want work to feel like a thrilling adventure or they will lose interest and try something new.

The Spectrum of Health

Like all types, Sevens express their characteristics differently depending on how well they are functioning. When Sevens are healthy, happy, and well-adapted, they will tend to display more of the positive qualities of their type. When they are less healthy and happy, they will show more of their characteristic weaknesses.

Stressed

When Sevens are psychologically unhealthy, they are some of the most reckless, out of control and manic of all the types. Because they are avoiding pain at any cost, they are like an unstoppable whirlwind, bouncing between activities that promise relief but never really deliver. They may cycle between a somewhat manic state and depression, leaving a trail of chaos and confusion in their wake. In the process they may physically or mentally burn out, neglect their finances, and wreak havoc on their physical health.

Stressed Sevens can be described as:

• Impulsive
• Irresponsible
• Reckless
• Erratic
• Out of control
• Panic-stricken
• Depressed
• Critical

Average

At average levels of psychological health, Sevens are keenly aware of what they might be missing out on. They maintain the appearance of having lots of options by keeping busy—whether that’s juggling multiple projects, entertaining many people, or keeping up with the latest trends. Their energy is scattered and unfocused as they seek distraction, stimulation, and gratification from outside of themselves.

Average Sevens can be described as:

• Restless
• Busy
• Excited
• Entertaining
• Distracted
• Unfocused
• Impatient
• Demanding

Thriving

At their best, Sevens can harness enormous enthusiasm and curiosity, yet still remain focused and deeply engaged with a task until it’s completed. They are creative and practical, producing work that reinforces their identity. They are appreciative for all of life’s experiences, able to digest them fully, and discover by doing so they are both satisfied with life and have all their needs met.

Thriving Sevens can be described as:

• Appreciative
• Joyful
• Deeply grateful
• Focused
• Prolific
• Innovative
• Versatile
• Optimistic
• Spontaneous

Transformations

Essential to the Enneagram is the idea of growth and movement. Rather than being locked into a static personality type, the Enneagram shows how we can shift and change, both under stress and in times of expansion and growth. The two primary ways our personalities undergo transformation is through wings and arrows.

Wings

In the Enneagram, each type is considered to have two potential wings. Your potential wings are the types which are adjacent to your primary type on the Enneagram diagram. For most people, their primary type explains the core of their behavior, while the wing drives secondary (and sometimes contradictory!) aspects of who they are. Learning about your wing will help you to understand your personality in more depth.

Wings are also a way to think about development. In studying the Enneagram, the first goal is always to understand ourselves as we are. The second goal is to understand how to move out of our patterns so that we may become more well-rounded, adaptable, and effective as people. Wings can help us to understand who we are, but they can also help us to see new behaviors that we might experiment with in order to grow and develop. Because our wings are adjacent to our own patterns, they can be easier to “try on” as compared with other, unrelated types.

As a Seven, you may have either a Six or an Eight wing, or a bit of both. These wings modify how you express your type, and add depth to understanding what drives you. If there are some aspects of who you are that do not seem to fit with your primary type, then understanding your wings may explain why.

Your wing expression:

40%96%0102030405060708090100SIXEIGHT

The Six Wing

Sixes are loyal, responsible and safety-conscious people who want to make the world safe and secure for the people they care about. At their core, they fear not being able to survive on their own, and so they rely on people, institutions and beliefs to provide them with support—while also being deeply skeptical and wary of those who may not deserve their trust. It takes them time to put their trust into someone or something, but when they do, they are exceedingly loyal.

A Six wing brings more courage, calm, and commitment to the Seven personality type. Where a Seven will constantly look for the next best thing, Sixes are evaluating all the risks of a situation, considering different options and developing a plan before taking action. A Seven with a Six wing is thus more likely to look before leaping, to pause to consider what might go wrong and be willing to compromise on the path forward. A Six wing can help to moderate the Seven’s desire to try everything first and worry about it later.

Developing a Six wing will increase a Seven’s ability to be uncomfortable. Sixes are deeply skeptical, continually questioning whether someone or something can be trusted. Once they do trust someone, Sixes are incredibly loyal to them. But that takes courage to get to know someone first, warts and all. A Seven with a Six wing will be loyal to a small group of people, who they have taken the time to get to know, while not feeling responsible for being the entertainment.

Contributions of a Six wing

• Able to face fears more easily
• Commitment to a course of action
• Take relationships more seriously
• See the negative possibilities along with the positive

The Eight Wing

Eights are independent, assertive and decisive, challenging themselves to shape the world they live in. At their core, Eights fear being controlled by others and adopt a strategy of strength, readily asserting their power by being fearless, opinionated and confident.

An Eight wing bring more honesty and realism to the Seven Personality Type. While Sevens tend to be overly optimistic about their capabilities, resources and accomplishments, Eights efficiently assess the resources they actually have, quickly getting to the bottom line. This allows them to produce more concrete results in their projects. For a Seven, developing an Eight wing helps them be more honest with themselves and focus on making things happen instead of imagining them.

Developing an Eight wing can increase a Seven’s confidence with conflict. Eights recognize pain as a normal part of life—theirs and others—and do not see conflict as a problem, but rather a normal part of getting things done. When Sevens develop their toughness, they become less afraid of being hurt. This enables them to be more focused and independent.

Contributions of an Eight wing

• Access to personal strength and power
• Assertiveness and ability to express opinions
• Honest assessment of abilities and resources
• Move quickly from planning to doing
• Focus on achieving concrete results

Arrows

Arrows in the Enneagram represent a path to development. Each Enneagram type is connected to two other types in the diagram, and each connection is marked with an arrow in a particular direction. These arrows can be thought of as pointing in the direction of growth. One arrow points towards your primary type, indicating that you must grow from this development point. The other arrow points away from your primary type, indicating that you will grow toward this development point.

In contrast with wings, which are somewhat related with our primary type, arrows point to aspects of our personality that may be completely neglected. We tend to access our arrow points during times of upheaval, when we are experiencing stress or profound personal growth. Accessing arrow points is often difficult and disruptive, but integrating these points with our personalities is an important part of becoming our highest selves.

Sevens connect with development points of type Five and One. The characteristics of these types represent key developmental stages in the growth of the Seven personality type. You may have already developed somewhat through your arrows, or you may find that your arrows present new opportunities for you to think about how to be more effective.

Your scores for each of your arrow points can give you some idea of how much you’ve already developed through these points. Higher scores indicate that you’ve already developed somewhat, while lower scores indicate an area for future growth.

Your arrow development:

83%64%0102030405060708090100FIVEONE

Developing Through Five

The origin point of the Seven is type Five. This represents a mode that is blocked or repressed for the Seven. For Sevens, the origin point represents a repressed sense of restraint. Sevens tend to assume the satisfaction they seek will be found in activity; talking to people, travelling to places, reading books, attending parties, changing jobs, and so on. In contrast, Fives tend to work toward minimizing external activity, limiting their needs and withdrawing into objective reflection. In essence, they seek to detach from the world.

So, a key development point for the Seven is to rediscover the joy of solitude. By withdrawing to a safe space where they can relax and mindfully take care of themselves, they can find space to disconnect from distractions and momentary pleasures and methodically reconnect to their inner sense of knowing.

Tasks for development through the origin point

• Create quiet time.Instead of aiming to fill every minute with an activity, build time into your schedule for nothingness, where you don’t have to entertain yourself or others. Create a space that’s just for you, for resting and taking care of you.
• Make decisions slowly.Learning to say ‘no’ can be tricky for a Seven. Instead, aim to make decisions slowly. Set a waiting time period, for instance, “I will make this decision in 5 days.” The bigger the decision, the longer the wait. This waiting period allows you to reflect on the situation and listen to your true feelings and intentions, enabling you to make decisions that align with your needs.
• Take a step back.Sevens are often at the whim of their mental impulses, whereas Fives practice detaching from their thoughts and simply observing them. Sevens will benefit from practicing meditation, mindfulness or concentration activities that build their ability to observe their mind rather than getting caught up in it.

Developing Through One

The growth point of the Seven is type One. This represents a mode that the Seven can move towards as they seek to grow into new ways of being. For Sevens who have developed their own characteristics into a healthy mode of being, discovering and adopting more of the healthy behaviors of Ones can open up their growth even further. This means discovering the routine, structure and responsibility that comes naturally to Ones.

Whereas Sevens focus on themselves and ensuring everyone is having fun, Ones are instinctively focused on working toward their ideas about what is right and serving a higher good. When a Seven starts to feel called to actualize their dreams, they can begin to benefit from the One’s appreciation for constraints, discipline and structure. While Sevens naturally shy away from what feel like limitations, adopting a One’s attention to frameworks can actually be very supportive and grounding. Using the One’s tendency to be perfectionistic, detail-oriented, and hardworking, Sevens can begin to strike the perfect balance between work and play.

Tasks for development through the growth point

• Choose your constraints. Sevens eventually discover they don’t need to have every freedom or option available to them, and that some are more important than others. Make a list of all the “freedoms” you can think of, then rank them in order of importance to you. For each, decide what kind of choices you want to keep open and what are willing to let go of.
• Develop playful routines.Healthy routines are key to remaining creative and productive. Review your current routines in four areas: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Which routines or habits are helping you, and which are hindering, to achieve your higher purpose? Choose one routine you need to achieve your goals and consider how to make fun, freedom or play a part of it.
• Commit to work and play. Turning your dreams into reality is hard work, and a Seven will naturally get distracted. Remain committed to the project by looking to bring playfulness into the project or relationship, rather than seeking it externally. Ask yourself, and your team, “How can we remain committed to this project in the long term while making it more enjoyable now?”

A Path Forward

Like all types, Sevens have patterns they act out unconsciously, based on their own core beliefs and fears. Sometimes these patterns work for us; sometimes they hold us back. In recognizing our patterns and how they limit us, we can begin to grow beyond the limitations of our unconscious fears.

Although the Enneagram can be extremely useful in understanding who you are and why you do the things you do, the real value of the system is uncovered when you begin to understand it as a way to grow and develop. The Enneagram can help us to see our patterns objectively, so that we can begin to understand that they are not inevitable—we can choose to take another approach if we need to. And, it can help us to understand what we need to do in order to grow and become happier, more effective, more actualized people.

Each type has particular patterns they must examine and overcome in order to move forward. Sevens must work to accept and appreciate pain and discomfort in the present moment, rather than seek to distract themselves from it. They must learn to recognise their impulses for fun and pleasure, as just that, impulses not as absolutes. Instead becoming conscious of whatever is real and true for them in the present moment, and think of their life’s journey as one focused on connecting with their inner guidance and instincts.

Growth tasks for Sevens

• Find the joy in the ordinary. Notice when you are seeking out a heightened version of reality and instead start to notice the joy in the seemingly mundane.
• Build deeper connections with people by being more consciously connected to yourself.
• Accept and allow all of your feelings, motivations and intentions.
• Be honest about the conflict or perceived criticism you are avoiding.
• Notice when you are living in your imagination, andlearn to distinguish between fantasy and reality.
• Work to get in touch with your deeper feelings, including fear, sadness and anger. Release past hurts.
• Be honest with yourself about your progress. Be sure that when you are working on a project or a relationship, that you aren’t just ‘working on it’ in your imagination.

When Sevens are operating at their best, they are an innovative powerhouse, overflowing with creative concepts while prioritizing their attention. They keep the people around them enthusiastically and inspired about life, while connected to a deeper sense of abundance. Although it is never easy to examine and overcome our old patterns, Sevens who do so will find that life can be ever fuller and exciting than they ever thought possible.

 

MANTRA FOR SEVENS

Every experience is valuable, worthy and extraordinary.

 

What Makes You Unique

Although your Enneagram type explains a great deal about you, it doesn’t explain everything! Within your type, you have reached a specific level of development and growth which is unique to you, and you have also had experiences that have required you to stretch into different modes and develop traits that are not necessarily typical for your Enneagram type. In this section, we’ll look at the traits that are unique to you—both those traits that can be used as super-strengths, and those which may be holding you back.

Below, you’ll find information on the top 3 traits you can harness as your personal superpowers, and the top 3 traits which may be stopping you from achieving what you desire. One important thing to remember is that personality traits are never all good, or all bad. Every trait has its possible benefits and potential downsides—it’s all in how you use it.

Your Top 3 Personality Superpowers

Which of your personality traits are your biggest assets? We all have our strengths and weaknesses, and many psychologists believe that the key to success is not in trying to overcome all your flaws, but rather in making the most of what you have going for you. Let’s look now at some traits that you may be able to deploy to your benefit.

As you read over this section, remember that even beneficial personality traits can work against you if they are overused. For each superpower below, you’ll see how it can benefit your life, as well as how it may backfire if not kept in balance.

2002468101214161820ENTHUSIASM

Enthusiasm. Your zest for life is obvious to everyone around you, and you find yourself driven by a relentless enthusiasm for what’s coming next. You keep your life exciting and moving forward, rarely letting things get dull. Other people find you exciting (and sometimes exhausting!) to be with, and you never have a shortage of fun ideas. Although you can wear yourself out with your boundless appetite for trying new things, for the most part, your enthusiasm brings you a life that is full of fun and adventure.

2002468101214161820OPTIMISM

Optimism. Your dedication to a glass-half-full mentality keeps you going when others might give up, and gives you the courage to try things that many might see as too risky. You genuinely believe that things usually work out for the best, and with your determination to make things go your way, this is often a self-fulfilling prophecy. You have a tendency to be optimistic even when things are dire, and sometimes this means that you gloss over the negative and are taken by surprise when problems arise. When it comes to important plans, be sure to take time to think about how things could go wrong, even if it feels unnatural and overly pessimistic. Once your due diligence is done, you can move forward with even more confidence that things will work out in your favor.

1902468101214161820ANALYSIS

Analysis. You wouldn’t dream of doing something without thinking it through, and you typically have a deeper understanding of the situation than the people around you—simply because you take the time to really think about it. While you may sometimes be accused of overthinking things (and in fact, you are prone to getting stuck in analysis when you should be taking action), for the most part, your thoughtfulness allows you to understand more deeply, predict more accurately, and set more detailed goals. Rather than react too quickly, you take time to ponder, with the result that your choices tend to be well thought-out and carefully considered.

Your Top 3 Personality Blind Spots

Now, let’s take a look at those aspects of your personality that are likely to get in your way, cause you stress, or interfere with you achieving what you want. These are traits that you need to be especially conscious of, as they can tend to sidetrack you if you are not paying attention.

As with your strengths, these traits are not always negative; in fact, by being aware of them, you’ll be more able to turn them to your advantage. The goal is not to eliminate these qualities from your personality; rather, you want to explore and master them so you can choose the most effective behavior for yourself in any given situation.

1902468101214161820IMAGE

Image. You are very aware of what people think of you, and you cultivate your image with care. This means that you often make choices that others admire, and are often well-liked. However, it can also lead you to be overly concerned with appearances over substance—in the worst case scenario, leading a life that looks good from the outside but isn’t fulfilling. Worse yet, your concern for image sometimes backfires, causing you to come off as inauthentic and creating distance in your relationships. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be admired, as long as you keep a sense of balance. Sometimes the right choice isn’t the one that wins you the most acclaim, and sometimes you have to be willing to ruffle a few feathers as you pursue what’s right for you.

1702468101214161820SUPERIORITY

Superiority. Although you may not freely admit it, the truth is, you believe that you are a bit better than other people—or that you should aspire to be. Although you may find that you produce excellent results simply because you expect more from yourself, your belief that you are superior creates a lot of pressure on you and can sometimes make you come off as arrogant. While there’s nothing wrong with aspiring to great things, the fact is that everyone has their flaws and weaknesses, you included. You may find more peace and contentment in life if your identity doesn’t depend so much on being “the best.”

1102468101214161820PRESENT

Present Focus. You are a grounded sort of person, tuned into what’s happening now. You don’t spend much time thinking about the future or imagining what might come next. You’re way ahead of those multitasking folks who struggle to “stay present,” but you can also be a bit blindsided by life. Without a vision for the future, your path through life can be haphazard, and you may make decisions based on circumstance rather than a cohesive plan for what you want. Although nobody can predict the future, that doesn’t make thinking ahead a waste of time. Making a point to think about how you’d like your life to go will make it more likely that you get what you want.

 

Making the Most of Who You Are

The Enneagram presents a rich opportunity to discover what drives us, what matters to us, and who we are at our core. You may have found that your Enneagram report confirmed some of what you already knew about yourself. You may have also found words for aspects of yourself that you were aware of, but didn’t know how to describe. And you may have also seen some sides to yourself that you were uncomfortable with.

Many people find that taking an Enneagram assessment and discovering their type helps them to get back in touch with important parts of themselves that have been obscured or pushed aside in daily life. Others find that the Enneagram helps them to understand the paths they might take to be more fulfilled and empowered in their goals. Whatever your purpose with the Enneagram, we thank you for allowing us to help you along your way. We wish you the best of luck in your journey to your higher self!