Introducing: The Enneagram College Series

Have you heard the buzz surrounding the Enneagram? Have you been asked, “what’s your number?” Have you been bombarded with hypotheses about which type your family and friends think you are? 

We recognize that there are differing views on the enneagram and its origins. Should Christians use it? Is it backed by legitimate research? Should we be wary of where it came from? Whether you are a hardcore fan, a skeptic, or somewhere in between, we can all agree that self-awareness is valuable. 

We recently had a conversation with the chaplain at Grace about the Enneagram. The tool of the Enneagram is one of several personality tools used in Student Affairs and taught to all student leaders on campus to help them grow in emotional intelligence or EQ. “We are after a healthy community,” he said, “and one of the greatest needs of college students is self-awareness.”  The Enneagram is taught alongside several measures of self-awareness allowing students to learn and grow from a variety of personality lenses. 

The truth is, learning who you are, the way you interact with other people and how that is received by others is one of the most worthy things for a person to pursue. Regardless of how old you are or what you do for work– becoming cognizant of yourself and others will make you more empathetic, more curious, and more genuine. People will enjoy working with you, living with you, and knowing you when you have an appropriate view of yourself, others, and God. In fact, that’s the purpose behind our core curriculum here at Grace.

Here are the nine types and brief descriptions:

1 THE REFORMER: The Rational, Idealistic Type: Principled, Purposeful, Self-Controlled, and Perfectionistic

2 THE HELPER: The Caring, Interpersonal Type: Demonstrative, Generous, People-Pleasing, and Possessive

3 THE ACHIEVER: The Success-Oriented, Pragmatic Type: Adaptive, Excelling, Driven, and Image-Conscious

4 THE INDIVIDUALIST: The Sensitive, Withdrawn Type: Expressive, Dramatic, Self-Absorbed, and Temperamental

5 THE INVESTIGATOR: The Intense, Cerebral Type: Perceptive, Innovative, Secretive, and Isolated

6 THE LOYALIST: The Committed, Security-Oriented Type: Engaging, Responsible, Anxious, and Suspicious

7 THE ENTHUSIAST: The Busy, Fun-Loving Type: Spontaneous, Versatile, Distractible, and Scattered

8 THE CHALLENGER: The Powerful, Dominating Type: Self-Confident, Decisive, Willful, and Confrontational

9 THE PEACEMAKER: The Easygoing, Self-Effacing Type: Receptive, Reassuring, Agreeable, and Complacent