Riso, Don - The Wisdom of the Enneagram

I’ve been fascinated by the concept of personality tests ever since taking the Myers-Briggs my first year of college. I couldn’t believe a certain personality could so accurately explain my struggles and strengths after only a few questions. The tendency for all children, I’m sure, is to believe their problems are unique, and my Myers-Briggs result explained two things: 1) that I wasn’t alone in having the struggles I face and 2) how I could build on my strengths.

I strongly believe everyone should understand their personality type, the personality types of their spouse or close friends. I’m not a father yet, but understanding my child’s personality type will also be a priority. Understanding the way I viewed the world could’ve helped my parents grasp why I couldn’t clean my room, or why I was so poor at homework.

There are a few sites you can visit for free personality tests, and one I know of that will give you free general analysis based on your scores. After taking the Myers-Briggs once for school, I took it again later with my girlfriend during relationship counseling, and Don asked all of us at the Burnside Writer’s Collective to take the test as a tool to find our strengths and to understand each other’s weaknesses.

I can’t stress enough the value of personality tests in understanding every relationship you may have, be it work-related, with your spouse or children, or even with your friends. In terms of becoming self-aware, the Myers-Briggs is invaluable.

Don Miller recently turned me on to another personality theory: the Enneagram. Where the Myers-Briggs is more recent, formed around the theories of Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, the Enneagram dates back to the fourth century. There are nine personality types within the Enneagram, each with two subtypes. The nine primary types are The Reformer, The Healer, The Achiever, The Individualist, The Observer, The Loyalist, The Enthusiast, The Challenger and The Peacemaker.

Both theories have their own merit. The Myers-Briggs seems more highly-pointed, where the Enneagram is broader in its scope. But the Enneagram is particularly focused on spirituality, an area where the Myers-Briggs falls short.

Every Enneagram test I’ve taken has been confusing. The final score the test-taker received is what percentage they scored on each type. Deciphering your actual personality type seems difficult, and that’s where reading through the personality types comes in.

The first book Don told me about was Richard Rohr’s Discovering the Enneagram, which address the Enneagram personalities through the lens of Christianity specifically. The second book was The Wisdom of the Enneagram, co-written by Don Riso and Russ Hudson. I didn’t have a chance to read the first…I think Don took it with him on his current stint through the Eastern states…but The Wisdom of the Enneagram has been eye-opening, a fascinating read that has given be, overall, more depth of insight than the Myers-Briggs seemed to.

First of all, you don’t need to be a psych major read it. Riso and Hudson do a great job of laying out an ancient personality theory as plain as day. Second, you will be confronted with some very difficult truths. It’s all well and good to know that you’ll never enjoy menial tasks around the house (as an ENFP, this is a defining characteristic), but the Enneagram goes into depth, and doesn’t spare the reader. For each of the nine personality types, there are also nine levels of health. I’m predominantly a Type Four (The Individualist), and here’s what The Wisdom of the Enneagram says would likely happen if I reached my lowest level of health:

“The realization that they have wasted their lives pursuing futile fantasies is too much for unhealthy Fours. They may attempt elicit rescue through self-destructive behavior or simply end their lives to escape their negative self-conciousness. In some cases, they may commit crimes of passion.”

You’d best not be stealing my woman! I’ll kill your ass!

Jealous homicide aside, The Wisdom of the Enneagram gives you ways to recognize when you’re slipping into unhealth and offers other personality types that will push you in the right direction.

Riso and Hudson’s book is a fascinating read, and it’s value as a tool for self-realization and for understanding the motives, fears and drives of the loved ones around around you is priceless. In order to truly understand your personality type, a test won’t do. You can get an idea of your type through tests in the book, but your best analysis will be when you’re reading through the types and you’re both horrified and encouraged by the type that fits you best.