9
Kinds of Quirky
Back Cover:
"Why are we SO different?"
Have you ever wondered that while
dealing with a friend, a life partner, or a random
stranger? Well, ponder no more! The Enneagram is a
life-changing personality system that explains your
motivations and behaviors through nine separate ways of
processing and dealing with the world.
Discover the truth of yourself in a
fun and easy to grasp format that will unlock the
mysteries behind your unique approach to life and give
you deep insights into yourself. What are the secrets of
your type? Who are you? And what can you do to make your
life easier!
This book is a fun and informative
way to glimpse your inner self and unlock your potential
in an exciting way. For the first time, read in-depth
center descriptions (are you an Image, Head, or Body
type?), wing descriptions, and much more!
Excerpt:
People have three distinct
and meaningful ways of existing in reality. Some trust
their instincts, others trust their mind, and the rest
filter everything through their identity. These are
called the “centers.”
I give a synopsis of each one
below. Some of you may know which method is yours right
away, while others won’t. If the latter, it’s okay. You
are on a journey of self-discovery. Let it take as long
as it needs to for you to find your correct type. There
are many ways you may mistype, such as being unable to
fully see or accept yourself, having a fantasy self
(your imagined self isn’t what you do in reality), or by
feeling pressured to reach a premature conclusion.
It’s important to go into
this with a transparent and open mind, which can be hard
to do, and to see every type as equally good/bad. You
will notice that some types, you dislike. You may find
your type and feel “this is awful! I got the worst one!”
If so, it isn’t true. No type is better or worse than
any other; each has its sins and virtues. This isn’t a
judgment about who you are, but a path into your soul.
If you still struggle to find
your number even after long reflection, you may be a 6
or a 9. Both easily see themselves in multiple types,
and those two types have the most diversity in how they
present. 6s are difficult to pin down in a profile,
because they imagine the self in many ways, and some 9s
(with 8 wings) feel more forceful, direct, and present
than their profile suggests.
Image types (2, 3, 4):
focus on a way of being seen and seeing if it matches
their authentic self. They filter everything through
their individual “value,” which can be
genuine/objective, and the pain that arises from that
authentic self not being valued or observed by others.
They self-edit to match the version of them they know
exists inside, and want others to see them as they
experience themselves. How they feel about the self and
others dictates their actions. Their focus is on
belonging and their sense of identity.
Head types (5, 6, 7):
experience the world and events through their mind by
thinking about and anticipating what may happen,
rather than to be merely present to what is really
happening. Their brains stay busy trying to
understand. They see life as a place that requires
them to strategize to ensure they avoid problems and get
what they want. Their focus is on doing (they “do” to
avoid living in fear), and on their quick mind and
constant stream of thoughts.
Body types (8, 9, 1):
experience life through their physical reactions to it
and trust what it tells them about what’s right and
wrong. They need their actions to align with how they
sense it in their body. This is automatic and
subconscious and it’s easiest to identify this not with
introspection but by noticing what you’re reacting to or
against instinctively. They’re aware of others’ attempts
to influence them, so they resist being infringed on by
asserting their boundaries. They focus on being present.
Body types “act before they think,” and rely on inner
guidance to make decisions.
The Individual Types
Here’s a quick overview of the types, in case you see
your center right away and want to jump to that section
to read more.
The Image Types:
Image types want love from
others, so they develop a way to get it built around
their self-identity.
2s are loving, warm, kind,
and generous. They feel their best self
brings happiness to or helps those they care about by
focusing on nurturing them with their unique gifts. They
want to be valued for their compassionate heart and
their selflessness. 2s are sweet, kind, and supportive.
They don’t need to try to be more selfless than you,
because they already are, which makes them worthy of
being loved.
3s are ambitious problem-solvers. They feel their
best self strives to self-improve, gets stuff done,
hones their sought-after skills, and comes out on top.
They are competitive, want to win, and work to improve
or develop their preferred qualities or nurture some
where none exist. 3s want to be valued for their
accomplishments, their adaptability, or their
contributions. Being impressive, gifted, highly skilled,
or important earns them the love they seek.
4s are emotional,
self-centered, and full of longing.
They build their identity around their own suffering,
because they feel that their most authentic self must
excavate their agony to find beauty in their pain. They
find value in identifying what no one else can
appreciate in the world (no one else understands it
the way I do). While others are blissfully unaware
of negative emotions, 4s feel they have no choice but to
sit with their suffering, shame, death, impermanence,
etc. Presenting you with a glimpse of their rare and
refined self is how they earn your love.
The Head Types:
Head types want to feel
confident in an uncertain world, so they use their minds
to interpret reality and plan what to do about it.
5s focus on a few areas of
interest in which they become in-depth experts,
but others may not know what those are at first, because
they’re private. They are observers rather than
participants. 5s dig deep to find an angle no one else
has found, and excavate it for their own enjoyment,
which means they don’t need to share their discoveries.
They pride themselves on their unusual perspective and
mental depth, even if no one else ever sees it.
6s use self-deprecating
humor to equalize themselves with others and look out
for everyone’s best interests. They cut
down people who are too arrogant and build up anyone who
is unfairly hard on themselves. 6s search for “the
truth” by asking questions to understand. Life feels
like an uncertain place full of conflicting opinions, so
they gather as much data as possible for comparisons.
They try to head off trouble before it starts by
thinking about it in advance, and pride themselves on
their analysis.
7s do not want to live in
a world full of hardships, so they look for the
potential in every situation by moving
past the bad so quickly
there’s no time to dive into or sit with it. They assume
they can act in a way which makes nice things likely to
happen to them, and their optimization will reap rewards
so they’re not at the whims of randomness. They are
lively, energetic, idealistic, and pursue their numerous
interests. 7s hate to feel trapped or bored, so they
hunt for excitement. They pride themselves on their
ability to get out of awful situations and on how they
attract positive attention.
The Body Types:
Body types want to be part of
the world without being intruded on, and to get what
they want without intruding on others.
8s use their abundant
energy to take up space and to power toward their goals.
They believe the way to guard themselves is to not allow
others to affect them on an emotional level without
their consent, so they give free rein to their
instinctual toughness. They’re assertive and do not
avoid conflict or stating their opinions. In their mind,
it is stupid to challenge them, because they defend
their turf and mow down any opposition. 8s are forceful
and strong-willed.
9s want to live a life
where everyone and everything is in total harmony,
and no one and nothing disrupts them or anyone else.
They notice tensions between the self and others and how
others getting what they want intrudes on them, and are
hypersensitive. 9s are easily overwhelmed or “go numb.”
Being “midrange” with their energy is the only way
they’re able to feel as if they’re not being too pushy
or rigid. 9s seek a state of internal calm by diffusing
tension, focusing on the good in others and in the self,
and by avoiding the things that upset them. They want to
meet others midway, so they compromise to keep the peace
without it changing their mind.
1s have an ideal version
of things in their mind they try to actualize in reality
by looking for ways to perfect it or
bring out the good. This makes them attuned to what is
wrong, bad, absent, or tragic, and prompts their desire
to “fix” it. They form judgments from a moral slant and
feel a need to live up to their high standard. 1s are
principled, opinionated about how to do things right,
and strive to make sure they are never out of alignment
with their ideals.
As you read about the
different types, you may notice some profiles possess
traits society would deem selfish. Those types either do
not judge themselves that way or see selfishness as an
asset. If you deem them self-centered, you may be a 1,
2, or a 6. Those are the only numbers with firm beliefs
on how others (and themselves) “should” behave, think,
or feel. If the “tone” of a type does not resonate with
you, consider whether it may be self-revealing about
your type. All the types have a preference toward
similar types to themselves, and a bias against other
numbers, because of what they value or dislike in
themselves or in others. This is also a clue about your
number.
