I am a huge fan of online personality quizzes. The amount of time that I have spent on buzzfeed is staggering. While they are never the end all be all, I find them a fun exercise in self-reflection. I like data, and such quizzes can help categorize people into categories based on various criterion. So, I was rather entranced when I heard about the enneagram. I became interested in my types and the types of my friends.
I have taken a variety of tests, and I have been told in all of them that I am a type 2 (which I agree with). Type 2’s are the kind of people who are nurturers. They want to care for others to the best of their ability which sometimes means not putting themselves as a priority. This is something that I can easily fall into. When my friends have something going on in their lives, it no longer matters to me whatever stuff I am going through. This is a danger of a type 2 that we can forget about caring for ourselves because we so badly want to care for others. Not all type 2’s are the same (obviously), but the main characteristic of a type 2 is truly wanting to care for others. Some type 2’s may exhibit healthier characteristics than others which can be used an example to help each other grow.
The enneagram typing system also has wings. Wings are types that are almost like your second type. For me, there is a bit of variation depending on tests, and that is because the percentages are so close together for me. I am commonly typed as a 2w1 or 2w3. The number before the w is the main type, and the number after the w is the wing. Therefore, I am often typed as a wing type 1 or wing type 3.
Type 1 is the hardworking, organized, ethical fundamentalist. These are people who are often seen as type A. They are organized and get their stuff finished on time. They care about responsibility and duty. These are core qualities of a type 1, and these are definitely true for me. I like finishing things on time (if not early). I love order and organization and efficiency. These are qualities that are very much me.
Type 3 is also very characteristic of me. I am someone who cares about the opinions of others. I want to be impressive and well-put together. The dark side to type 3 is insecurity and competition. Because there is a desire to be impressive, one can feel threatened by others who are better, or there can be a lot of insecurity from comparing oneself to one who is better. I am so someone who likes fashion and taking fashion risks for the sake of my appearance. I am definitely a type 3 in some ways.
Overall, I love the enneagram because it has helped remind me of some of my weaknesses and it points out some characteristics of myself that I am not always cognizant of. I recommend taking the enneagram test because it is really that good as a tool in self-reflection and growth.
Below is a link to an intense test (my favorite of the ones that I have taken) to find out your enneagram type. It is 120 questions which may seem like a lot, but more questions has higher accuracy in measuring your type. The enneagram does boast being a personality assessment that can be self-typed without a personality test because it is all about your motivations.
noteworthy 