The ancient symbol of the enneagram has become one of today's most popular systems for self-understanding. It shows you how you can overcome your inner barriers, realise your unique gifts and strengths, and discover your deepest direction in life.
Don Richard Riso, M.A., is one of the foremost writers and developers of the Enneagram in the world today. The most-published and bestselling author in the field, he is president of Enneagram personality Types, Inc., and co-founder of The Enneagram Institute. He has been teaching the Enneagram for over twenty years and is a founding director of the International Enneagram Association. His four bestselling books are available in British, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Spanish editions. He was a Jesuit for thirteen years, holds degrees in English and philosophy, was elected to the Jesuit honor society, Alpha Sigma Nu, and was a Ford Foundation Fellow at Stanford in communication (social psychology). Russ Hudson is one of the principal scholars and innovative thinkers in the Enneagram world today. He is executive director of Enneagram Personality Types, Inc., and co-founder of The Enneagram Institute. He has been co-teaching the Enneagram Professional Training Programs since 1991 and is a founding director and former vice-president of the International Enneagram Association. He assisted Don Riso in writingDiscovering Your Personality TypeandEnneagram Transformations. He is also the co-author ofPersonality Types (Revised Edition),The Power of the Enneagram, and of their forthcoming book,Personality Types at Work. He holds a degree in East Asian studies from Columbia University in New York, from which he graduated Phi Beta Kappa.
Chapter 1: Identifying Your Personality Type The Enneagram (pronounced "ANY-a-gram") is a geometric figure that maps out the nine fundamental personality types of human nature and their complex interrelationships. It is a development of modern psychology that has roots in spiritual wisdom from many different ancient traditions. The wordEnneagramcomes from the Greek for "nine"--ennea--and "figure"--grammos; thus, it is a "nine-pointed figure." The modern Enneagram of personality type has been synthesized from many different spiritual and religious traditions. Much of it is a condensation of universal wisdom, the perennial philosophy accumulated by Christians, Buddhists, Muslims (especially the Sufis), and Jews (in the Kabbalah) for thousands of years. The heart of the Enneagram is the universal insight that human beings are spiritual presences incarnated in the material world and yet mysteriously embodying the same life and Spirit as the Creator. Beneath surface differences and appearances, behind the veils of illusion, the light of Divinity shines in every individual. Various forces obscure that light, however, and each spiritual tradition has myths and doctrines to explain how mankind has lost its connection with the Divine. One of the great strengths of the Enneagram is that it steps aside from all doctrinal differences. It has helped individuals from virtually every major religious faith to rediscover their fundamental unity as spiritual beings. The Enneagram can therefore be enormously valuable in today's world to show white and black, male and female, Catholic and Protestant, Arab and Jew, straight and gay, rich and poor that if they search beneath the surface differences that separate them, they will find an entirely new level of common humanity. With the help of the Enneagram, we will discover that Sixes are like all other Sixes--and that they share the same values as others of their type. Ones who are black are much more like Ones who are white than they could have imagined, and so forth. A new level of community and compassion emerges that obliterates old ignorance and fear. "The great metaphors from all spiritual traditions--grace, liberation, being born again, awakening from illusion--testify that it is possible to transcend the conditioning of my past and do a new thing." --Sam Keen The Enneagram is not a religion, however; nor does it interfere with a person's religious orientation. It does not pretend to be a complete spiritual path. Nevertheless, it concerns itself with one element that is fundamental to all spiritual paths:self-knowledge. Without self-knowledge, we will not get very far on our spiritual journey, nor will we be able to sustain whatever progress we have made. One of the great dangers of transformational work is that the ego attempts to sidestep deep psychological work by leaping into the transcendent too soon. This is because the ego always fancies itself much more "advanced" than it actually is. How many first-year novices have persuaded themselves that they are just about ready for sainthood? How many meditation students have been certain that they attained enlightenment in record-breaking time? Real self-knowledge is an invaluable guardian against such self-deception. The Enneagram takes us places (and makes real progress possible) because it starts working from where we actually are. As much as it reveals the spiritual heights that we are capable of attaining, it also sheds light clearly and nonjudgmentally on the aspects of our lives that are dark and unfree. If we are going to live as spiritual beings in the material world, then these are the areas we most need to explore. Presence(awareness, mindfulness),the practice of self-observation(gained from self-knowledge), andunderstanding what one's experiences mean(an a
The first definitive guide to using the wisdom of the enneagram for spiritual and psychological growth The ancient symbol of the Enneagram has become one of today's most popular systems for self-understanding, based on nine distinct personality types. Now, two of the world's foremost Enneagram authorities introduce a powerful new way to use the Enneagram as a tool for personal transformation and development. Whatever your spiritual background, the Enneagram shows how you can overcome your inner barriers, realize your unique gifts and strengths, and discover your deepest direction in life. The Wisdom of the Enneagramincludes: Two highly accurate questionnaires for determining your type Vivid individual profiles focused on maximizing each type's potential and minimizing predictable pitfalls Spiritual Jump Starts, Wake-Up Calls, and Red Flags for each type Dozens of individualized exercises and practical strategies for letting go of troublesome habits, improving relationships, and increasing inner freedom Revealing insights into the deepest motivations, fears, and desires of each type Highly accessible, yet filled with sophisticated concepts and techniques found nowhere else,The Wisdom of the Enneagramis a strikingly new fusion of psychology and spirituality. It offers an exciting vision of human possibility and a clear map of the nine paths to our highest self-expression.
The first definitive guide to using the wisdom of the enneagram for spiritual and psychological growth The ancient symbol of the Enneagram has become one of today's most popular systems for self-understanding, based on nine distinct personality types. Now, two of the world's foremost Enneagram authorities introduce a powerful new way to use the Enneagram as a tool for personal transformation and development. Whatever your spiritual background, the Enneagram shows how you can overcome your inner barriers, realize your unique gifts and strengths, and discover your deepest direction in life. The Wisdom of the Enneagram includes: Two highly accurate questionnaires for determining your type Vivid individual profiles focused on maximizing each type's potential and minimizing predictable pitfalls Spiritual Jump Starts, Wake-Up Calls, and Red Flags for each type Dozens of individualized exercises and practical strategies for letting go of troublesome habits, improving relationships, and increasing inner freedom Revealing insights into the deepest motivations, fears, and desires of each type Highly accessible, yet filled with sophisticated concepts and techniques found nowhere else, The Wisdom of the Enneagram is a strikingly new fusion of psychology and spirituality. It offers an exciting vision of human possibility and a clear map of the nine paths to our highest self-expression.
"The Wisdom of the Enneagramis a very important book. By combining the horizontal types of the Enneagram with a system of vertical levels of awareness, Riso and Hudson have produced one of the first truly integrated models of the human psyche. In addition to the importance of this pioneering work itself, it goes to point up the utter inadequacy of anything less than a full-spectrum model of human growth and development. Highly recommended." --Ken Wilber, author ofThe Marriage of Sense and Soul "I highly recommend this book, not only to anyone on the path of personal transformation, but to anyone who wants to understand the complex inner world of others, whether a spouse, family member co-worker or friend. The questionnaires were fun and illuminating. I received some very helpful information about myself, felt challenged to grow and experienced a deepening of compassion. Perhaps the most profound contribution ofThe Wisdom of the Enneagramis reflected in the word "Wisdom." The authors clearly communicate the complexity of human nature, the spiritual yearning resonant in all of us, and the ascending levels of our possibility. But they do not leave us there. They offer a clear path for personal and spiritual evolution." --Harville Hendrix, Ph.D., author ofGetting the Love You Want "Don Riso and Russ Hudson thoughtfully engage the richness and depth of the Enneagram, and conjure with its power as a tool of transformation.The Wisdom of the Enneagramis filled with its own wisdom and depth. You'll find yourself returning to it over and over again and discovering new treasures." --Tony Schwartz, author ofWhat Really Matters "The Wisdom of the Enneagramis not only a clear and comprehensive description and discussion of this ancient personality typology, but also a major and original contribution to its use and further development. Don Riso and Russ Hudson have designed simple practical guidelines and tests that make it possible to determine one's own personality type and use this knowledge for healing and psychospiritual transformation." --Stanislav Grof, M.D., author ofThe Adventure of Self-Discovery
" The Wisdom of the Enneagram is a very important book. By combining the horizontal types of the Enneagram with a system of vertical levels of awareness, Riso and Hudson have produced one of the first truly integrated models of the human psyche. In addition to the importance of this pioneering work itself, it goes to point up the utter inadequacy of anything less than a full-spectrum model of human growth and development. Highly recommended." --Ken Wilber, author of The Marriage of Sense and Soul "I highly recommend this book, not only to anyone on the path of personal transformation, but to anyone who wants to understand the complex inner world of others, whether a spouse, family member co-worker or friend. The questionnaires were fun and illuminating. I received some very helpful information about myself, felt challenged to grow and experienced a deepening of compassion. Perhaps the most profound contribution of The Wisdom of the Enneagram is reflected in the word "Wisdom." The authors clearly communicate the complexity of human nature, the spiritual yearning resonant in all of us, and the ascending levels of our possibility. But they do not leave us there. They offer a clear path for personal and spiritual evolution." --Harville Hendrix, Ph.D., author of Getting the Love You Want "Don Riso and Russ Hudson thoughtfully engage the richness and depth of the Enneagram, and conjure with its power as a tool of transformation. The Wisdom of the Enneagram is filled with its own wisdom and depth. You'll find yourself returning to it over and over again and discovering new treasures." --Tony Schwartz, author of What Really Matters " The Wisdom of the Enneagram is not only a clear and comprehensive description and discussion of this ancient personality typology, but also a major and original contribution to its use and further development. Don Riso and Russ Hudson have designed simple practical guidelines and tests that make it possible to determine one's own personality type and use this knowledge for healing and psychospiritual transformation." --Stanislav Grof, M.D., author of The Adventure of Self-Discovery