Basic Fears & Patterns – Enneagram Membership and Courses

Fixations by type

Posted on March 24, 2023March 24, 2023 by DrToni

ENNEAGRAM ONES – RESENTMENT – “IT’S NOT FAIR!”

Resentment is a complex emotion—but one ultimately driven by thoughts and beliefs. Resentment is thinking that you have to stay home and be responsible while everyone else goes out and has fun. It is that false belief that you, and you alone, shoulder the burden and take responsibility for getting things done, while others are slacking off – and that it’s just not fair, but you do it anyway.

ENNEAGRAM TWOS – FLATTERY – “I AM NICE TO PEOPLE”

Flattery is the act of complimenting others. As a fixation, flattery is the need to make others feel good, that your identity requires you to impact others positively. And this is done by being nice, giving compliments and making others feel special.

ENNEAGRAM THREE – VANITY – “I AM IMPORTANT”

Vanity is not about taking excessive pride in one’s appearance. It is the false belief that the person is more central to the situation than they actually are. That without them nothing would happen, and if they leave, everything would grind to a complete halt or simply fall apart. Like a business would stop running if they resigned.

ENNEAGRAM FOUR – MELANCHOLY – “SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH ME”

Again, this sounds like it’s a feeling but it’s a false belief. It is a continuing thought that something is wrong with me, that something essential is missing, and despite their best efforts it’s permanent. This creates a sense of sadness or nostalgia for the past self, making it had to ever be satisfied or content in the present.

ENNEAGRAM FIVE – STINGINESS – “I MUST PROTECT WHAT I HAVE”

This is a false belief that unless I hoard my time, energy and space, I will have nothing. That there is no such thing as abundance, only scarcity and that if I stop strategizing how to control my resources and environment, the world around me will suck up my resources for itself. This includes an insatiable thirst for knowledge and a reluctance to share it.

ENNEAGRAM SIX – COWARDICE – “IT’S NOT SAFE”

This is the fixed idea that life isn’t safe and people are not to be trusted. It is the false belief that everything that can go wrong will go wrong, and the only way to have a positive outcome is to question everything and plan for the worst. Thoughts of doubt and worry creep into everything, leading to anticipating all the bad things that could happen.

ENNEAGRAM SEVEN – PLANNING – “I PLAN FOR FUN”

This is the false belief that unless their schedule is filled with pleasant things to do, then they will suffer. This is the thought that life’s plan will only bring pain, limitation and restrictions, and the only way to avoid these things is to have a plan for as many enjoyable things to happen as possible.

ENNEAGRAM EIGHT – VENGEANCE – “I MUST EVEN THE SCORE”

Eights believe that only the strong survive. And they have taken it upon themselves to correct injustice committed against themselves and others. They believe they have to stand up and be strong to ensure that no crime goes unpunished and the people know there are consequences for their actions.

ENNEAGRAM NINE – INDOLENCE – “I’M NOT IMPORTANT”

This is the false belief that they are less important than others. With this fixation in place, the Nine devalues themselves, goes against their own interests and puts themselves last. They don’t express their thoughts and opinions, believing others’ opinions are more important and hold greater weight.

WORKING WITH THE FIXATION

It is easy to read these fixations from a distance and see how ridiculous they are. And yet, all of us have one of these stuck in our head. And, we can’t just grab some tweezers and pull the mindworm out through our ear.

Instead, we have to notice these thoughts and laugh at their absurdity. To make fun at how outrageous they are. Of course I can go and have fun! How silly I am thinking that the world revolves around me! Have you heard the saying, “man plans, god laughs” but I keep making them! Wow, who would have thought abundance and scarcity are so similar!

Working with fixations isn’t your first priority when using the Enneagram for your personal growth, so for now, it’s useful to know these exist and that they are influencing how you see the world and yourself.

Enneagram BASIC FEARS AND DISTORTIONS AND PATTERNS TO BE AWARE OF

Posted on September 1, 2022September 2, 2022 by DrToni

Type 1 – Fear of being bad, corrupt, evil, or defective.

The desire to have integrity (deteriorates into critical perfection).

Value-judging, condemning yourself and others.

Type 2 – Fear of being unworthy or unloved.

The desire to be loved (deteriorates into the need to be needed).

Giving your value away to others.

Type 3 – Fear of being worthless or without inherent value.

The desire to be valuable (deteriorates into chasing after success).

Trying to be other than you authentically are.

Type 4 – Fear of being without identity or personal significance.

The desire to be oneself (deteriorates into self-indulgence).

Making negative comparisons.

Type 5 – Fear of being useless, incapable, or incompetent.

The desire to be competent (deteriorates into useless specialization).

Over interpreting your experience.

Type 6 – Fear of being without support or guidance.

The desire to be secure (deteriorates into attachment to beliefs).

Becoming dependent on something outside yourself for support.

Type 7 – Fear of being deprived or trapped in pain.

The desire to be happy (deteriorates into frenetic escapism).

Anticipating what you are going to do next.

Type 8 – Fear of being harmed or controlled by others.

The desire to protect oneself (deteriorates into constant fighting).

Trying to force or control your life.

Type 9 – Fear of loss of connection, of fragmentation.

The desire to be at peace (deteriorates into stubborn neglectfulness).

Resisting being affected by your experiences.

Enneagram Virtues

Posted on August 5, 2022August 5, 2022 by DrToni

The Virtues

The Virtues represent who we are in higher emotional awareness. They are expressed when we let go of the emotional vices of our personality, which is who we are in lower emotional awareness. The virtues represent our truest, most authentic expressions of ourselves, and are always the complete opposite of the passions, which represent our less authentic, egoic selves.

The path between vice and virtue requires self-observation, self-awareness, and commitment to growth. Lifelong inner work helps us move toward our virtue.

Type One

THE VICE OF ANGER LOOKS LIKE:

· channeled into hostility toward what is imperfect

· directed at whatever is not ideal and trying to fix it

· marked by criticism, judgment, or a sense of tension in the body

THE VIRTUE OF SERENITY LOOKS LIKE:

· extraordinarily calm, relaxed, and filled with a sense of balance within the body

· allowing life to be exactly what it is, and without containment

· it is freedom

Type Two

THE VICE OF PRIDE LOOKS LIKE:

· a need to be important to people

· cycling through self-elevation and devaluation

· viewing the self as the one who can deliver help without needing anything in return (and yet using expectation as a manipulation tactic)

THE VIRTUE OF HUMILITY LOOKS LIKE:

· knowing how important they are without feeling the need to increase or decrease their self-worth

· letting go of the belief that others need them to survive and allowing the self to be exactly as important & worthy as they are

Type Three

THE VICE OF SELF-DECEIT LOOKS LIKE:

· an over-identification with the personality or outer persona

· believing they have to earn love by being worthy

· being the shape-shifting tendency itself

· taking on the ideas/desires of others as their own personal identity.

THE VIRTUE OF VERACITY LOOKS LIKE:

· being nothing but who they really are without regard of what others think

· pure authenticity

· slowing down and acknowledging their own personal feelings – content to just “be”

Type Four

THE VICE OF ENVY LOOKS LIKE:

· a sense of lack, especially having to do with believing they are missing something that others have, therefore others are happier, better, more deserving, etc.

· a sense of inner deficiency

· feeling inferior OR superior (comparison)

THE VIRTUE OF EQUANIMITY LOOKS LIKE:

· balance in how they see the self and others

· become detached from emotions in a healthy way – emotions exist but not in control

· become more grounded in their bodies and recognize that they have all that they need & nothing is missing

Type Five

THE VICE OF AVARICE LOOKS LIKE:

· withholding out of fear of depletion

· holding too tightly to what they already have (resources, energy)

· the heart shuts down for both giving and receiving

· compulsion to hoard (knowledge, energy)

THE VIRTUE OF NON-ATTACHMENT LOOKS LIKE:

· an open-handedness around emotion, energy, and resources, which leads to a sense of generosity

· in sync with the flow of life – no need to hoard time, knowledge, or energy, for there is no impending impoverishmen

Type Six

THE VICE OF FEAR LOOKS LIKE:

· subconscious need to protect the self from everything happening around them

· accelerating thoughts and conclusions as a result – this acceleration can feel like spinning in their minds

· hesitancy to do anything permanent

THE VIRTUE OF COURAGE LOOKS LIKE:

· taking responsibility for permanent action

· not delegating authority or power to others but taking charge and becoming the leader of their own life

· doing things with the heart open & vulnerable

· giving reassurance to oneself

Type Seven

THE VICE OF GLUTTONY LOOKS LIKE:

· indulgence of life

· a desire to sample everything life has to offer without limitation

· the pursuit of MORE – at least a little bit of everything

· jumping around from experience to experience

THE VIRTUE OF SOBRIETY LOOKS LIKE:

· being grounded in the moment; undistracted

· in touch with the self & with the present, rather than running to the next jolt of excitement or interest

· focused on what is in front of them & truly experiencing their lives

· coming home to a deeper part of the self

Type Eight

THE VICE OF LUST LOOKS LIKE:

· a passion for excess

· “anything worth doing is worth overdoing”

· can be about some sort of physical gratification, but it’s mostly about finding a more intense experience and getting more out of life

· often marked by reactivity

THE VIRTUE OF INNOCENCE LOOKS LIKE:

· responding in a fresh way to each moment without judgment, memory, or expectation

· an openness and vulnerability to be impacted by the moment

· often marked by non-reactivity

Type Nine

THE VICE OF SLOTH LOOKS LIKE:

· a “psycho-spiritual” laziness – the state of not being in touch with the core self

· asleep to the true essence – spend energy outside (to keep the outside world out and the inside world in) rather than paying attention to the self

THE VIRTUE OF RIGHT ACTION LOOKS LIKE:

· really refers to “right action”

· a sense of action that is ingrained in the core sense of self – total engagement with the self and a willingness to act on it

· full commitment of the self to doing what is needed

NOTES:

We (@eqenneagram & @ninetypesco) wrote this post based on our conversations, our individual understandings, and observations of the passions. If you want to learn more about this important piece of enneagram theory, we recommend listening to the Enneagram 2.0 podcast episode called “The passion, the virtue, and the path between them” (May 28, 2020). Uranio Paes and Beatrice Chestnut do an incredible job of explaining the passions in detail in that episode!