An Exploration of Definition Through the Enneagram
by Marisa Buhr Mizunaka
The Unicorn test result. Image courtesy of Marisa Buhr Mizunaka.
I love personality tests. I would binge personality tests as willingly as I would a good TV series. Whether it was Myers-Briggs, Strengthfinders, or random quizzes like, “Which Dog Breed are You?” I would pore over the test, my result, and then all other possible test results to compare accuracy. The idea of being known and the victory of enigmatism was addicting. The Enneagram was just another one of these tests for me at first. However, as soon as I read the preview description of my type, “Expressive, Dramatic, Self-Absorbed, and Temperamental,” I was found. And my passion began.
The question. Image courtesy of Marisa Buhr Mizunaka.
I believe humanity (in my context, America) is on a constant journey of “definition.” The most commonly reached for questions for conversation and reflection, all speak of the compulsion to name, define, and categorize our understanding of the world we live in. This hunger for understanding is not necessarily a bad one, however, it walks a careful line:
Definitions that expand worldview, growing one’s understanding, and definitions that simplify the world into predetermined limitations.
Definition defined. Image courtesy of Marisa Buhr Mizunaka.
I saw the latter end of this line while researching for this article; I came upon a number of disturbing conversations where actual humans told other actual humans something to the effect of,
“You can’t feel this way. (Particular Type)’s are only (Some Particular Trait).”
I found myself getting very angry. How can someone with their own complex history and emotion tell another human this kind of thing? To stuff another person into their understanding of the world? It is very, nearly inhumane. I realise that this misuse of the Enneagram is why there is so much doubt and mistrust of the system and the people that use it. At its best, the Enneagram is a lens through which your awareness and empathy for yourself and others grow. At its worst, it is a weapon to belittle others and assuage one’s ego while avoiding the true work of confronting the naked self.
There’s an important caveat we have to acknowledge about personality definitions: While systems like the Enneagram bolster our understanding of our instincts and innate inclinations, it was never meant to summate any human being—we are too complex for that. Truly, we have the potential to become anyone.
There is a reason why all nine types are relatable in some measure: Every type can be found within us.
Connected. Image courtesy of Marisa Buhr Mizunaka.
The Enneagram is a picture of humanity and divinity hand in hand; the possibilities of both the grandest and grossest expressions lay bare before us, a full spectrum of humanity. Our basest and our most beautiful are within our grasp, in growth and in deterioration. A deeper empathy starts to bud within in understanding the commonalities that inexorably bind us all.
Just as Jesus is able to empathize with us because He knew the human experience, we are able to empathize with each other when we recognize our commonalities--We are all much closer together than we know. We tend to judge ourselves by our intentions while judging others by their actions. In understanding the similarities between my own and other peoples’ interior worlds through the Enneagram, it has become easier to look past surface actions to deeper motivation. This imagining of others’ inner motives has provided me with the profound empathy of identifying with the pain of others.
While we are all unimaginably complex, we are also incredibly similar. We all begin at the same starting line, a neutral innocent fresh to the planet Earth. To navigate the world, as children, we build narratives (or schemas) that help us to interpret and understand our lives. This learned worldview is the base of our personality, and helped us cope with and survive into adulthood—but now that we are adults, we have to unlearn instincts that are no longer serving others or ourselves, “What helped you at the dawn of life is what kills you at the dusk of life.”
There is a responsibility to this revelation. Responsibility, I believe, is a principal reason that personality definitions are abused. A narrative forms, “If I was born like this, I was meant to be like this.” One sees themself only in caricature, with very little detail—But that is what’s comfortable. Once one has seen themselves, fully and naked, they can not turn back. The responsibility of growth has descended, and it demands to be fulfilled. How much more convenient is it to stay the same?
There is something innate within us all, the goodness and perfection of our Creator. The war has been waged against our inherent goodness, and the enemy would have us believe that our predisposition is to darkness. This is just not the truth. We are the Imago Dei, the Image of God, created from His image and likeness. The glory of God, the perfection of Christ, He is in our midst; He walks among us, He speaks within us.
The scariest confession is the reality that we can be like Him.
My gut reaction has always been, to Matthew 5:48,
Be perfect; therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
NOPE. Not possible. Not gonna happen. Not even close. Nope nope nope nope. As an intellectual, I have genuinely believed it was up to me to change myself with the power of thought: If I just think hard enough, shame myself enough, hurt my ego enough, scar myself enough, change will come, and I will be better... I have arduously learned not to fight for growth but instead to surrender to it. In our growth processes, our responsibility is not to force change, but to surrender and allow the Holy Spirit to heal, to move and to mold. I believe God uses human tools to do divine work, and through surrendering to truths found in work through the Enneagram, God has created avenues for deeper connection, made pathways for growth, revealed and confronted me to go from glory to glory.
1 Corinthians 3:6-8. Image courtesy of Marisa Buhr Mizunaka.
Ultimately the journey of humanity is one of love. We are participating in God’s grand narrative when we see ourselves fully, becoming aware of both our shortcomings and our victories. Still, self-awareness and personal growth is not the ultimate expression of a holy life. In modeling our journey after that of Jesus and the disciples, their care for themselves was a marvelous tool in caring for others.
The work of their lives was to include others into the scope of their awareness, to extend the love and grace of God beyond their redemption. After all, we were called to love others in the way He first loved us: Without condition and expectation of return. In the past hundred or so years, the advancements in our knowledge of mental health are astounding, and it has supported and helped so many people. But with the extensive knowledge available, it is easy to get lost in our own minds, desires, motivations, and so on, forgetting that our turning inward is not the end of the journey but just the beginning of a real, tangible love that speaks to the far reaches of God.
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
Together. Image courtesy of Marisa Buhr Mizunaka.
In the conclusion of this exploration, I wanted to offer some messages of healing for each one of you:
For my perfectionists, there is grace for your failures, a grace that requires nothing from you--You aren’t responsible for fixing the world, but your presence and contribution make a big difference.
For helpers, you are loved. Not for what you can do, but for who you are--you are not defined by your contribution to your family or community. You are enough as you are: Sit and let your heart be heard.
For the achievers, it’s okay to stop. To pause. To rest. To be seen. You are wanted, not for your performance, but for your true self. You are capable of being authentic, present, and sincerely loved.
For romantics, you are not an outcast; you are not a stranger; you are not alone. You can be understood, and that is okay; you can be both broken and healthy. You are seen. You are known. You are not found lacking.
For my observers, there is more. There is abundance. Energy will return, resources will replenish. Lean a little bit into what is not known and what cannot be quantified--Because knowledge will pass away, language will pass away, but love is of unending return.
For our loyalists, it’s okay to be afraid, but don’t let it consume you. You are not as alone as you think you are, and reality is not always what you believe it is--The truth is that your needs will be met, you are safe, you are more.
For the enthusiasts, it is okay to confront your darkness every so often; the light within is indefatigable, and pain is not final. Your freedom is not compromised by dependency. You will not miss out on what is meant for you.
For challengers, true strength is found only in vulnerability and giving up some aspects of control; surrendering control is different than losing it. Innocence is not beyond your reach.
For the peacemakers, you make a difference; your presence is not optional: Your perspective is needed. Your contribution to your world is a gift to those around you.
For us all, let us remember where we have been and appreciate how far we have come. Still, our journey is not yet done. In the tension of growth between surrender and attack, I hope we have the courage to simply show up with hope in hand and love in mind.
Your Enneagram Journey:
Overview of Healing/Hurting Messages
Pathways to Growth - The best, simplest recommendations for growth pathways I’ve found are at the bottom of each specific type description here or in The Road Back to You by Ian Cron and Suzanne Stabile. Observing Growth is an explorative article written from a 5’s perspective, but he only looks at types 4-8.
Resources
We’ve created a free downloadable PDF to explore the article deeper. It contains discussion questions about the topic in general terms that will give you a jumping-off point for beginning a conversation.
The second page contains a way to see the topic from a biblical perspective.
And finally, to go deeper into the subject, we have chosen a few curated resources to explore from other authors’ and thinkers’ research or perspectives.
Read. Engage. Enjoy!
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Depending on how a gem is held, light refracts differently. At B+PC we engage in Pop Culture topics to see ideas from a new angle, to bring us to a deeper understanding. And like Pastor Shane Willard notes, we want “…Jesus to get bigger, the cross to get clearer, the Resurrection to be central…” Instead of approaching a topic from “I don’t want to be wrong,“ we strive for the alternative “I want to expand my perspective.”
So, we invite you to engage with us here. What piqued your curiosity to dig deeper? What line inspired you to action? What idea made you ask, “Hmmm?” Let’s join with our community to wrestle with our thoughts in love in the Comment Section! See you there!