About 2400 years ago Plato said, "Know thyself." But in the current manifestation of life on earth, with all its gadgetry and bustling and happiness-marketing, this simple truth is sometimes easier said than done.
I took the quiz, (take it, its fun) and after reading the descriptions of each Enneatype, and thinking I was perhaps an "Enthusiast" or Seven, came to the knowledge that I am an "Observer" or Five. Here's what it had to say about me:
"The Observer wants to be knowledgeable. Typical roles for Fives would be scientists, professors, research analysts, and librarians. The Fives are on a constant quest to learn as much as they can on a topic and to go as deep as possible with it. The Fives are the quintessential subject matter experts and the world looks to them to provide us with information. Fives enjoy conducting extensive research and studying systems—the more complex the better—for maximum intellectual stimulation. Fives make themselves invaluable to an organization by tackling vast amounts of data and making sense of it.
While you might on rare occasion meet an extraverted Five, almost all Fives are introverted, needing time alone for reading and thinking. Fives jealously guard their time and space. They usually prefer to meet briefly with others to discuss a problem, and then to be able to retreat to their own space to work on it. After they have worked out solutions to the problem, they can reconnect with people to share their findings. Alternatively, many Fives prefer roles in which the bulk of their communication with others is through writing, such as through research reports, medical journals, peer-reviewed publications, and best-selling novels. It is possible for Fives to be "on" in public settings, or even be stellar public speakers, but they still need their alone time for preparation for these events.
Fives especially excel in roles where they are valued as keepers and synthesizers of information. The ideal role for a Five allows plenty of alone time for research.
Under stress, the Five will act much like a Seven. When relaxed the Five can act like an Eight. While the skills of the Seven can help the Five excel in certain areas, developing the characteristics of the Eight can be extremely beneficial to the Five's career success and overall well-being."
Ingrid has mentioned that American coorporate life is geared towards the Enthusiast Seven. Accordingly, I've learned the behavior patterns of the Seven during my years in the workforce, and the "under stress" deferment makes sense. I can whip it out at game time, but it is not how I identify myself, you know, when reading books in bed.
Also, if you'd like, the developement of my "Asserter"/ Eight characteristics is something you can trace in this blog. The motivation towards Self-Reliance is something that as an Observer I realized could benefit me, and now something I strive for.
Based on the Enneatype's comparison to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, I also discovered that my MBTI type is INFP/ Healer.
Very intriguing stuff: I feel I know more about myself, feel better about my strengths, and no longer as bad about my weaknesses--- than before I partook in this soul-searching exercise.
The process of applying my new found knowledge will be ongoing no doubt, and I am not actively searching for a new job. Nevertheless, I feel like there are new arenas at my current job where I can apply my strengths, and areas that I will be weak, that I might no longer feel as frustrated from lack of efficacy.
In our era of too much information, its often hard to know exactly what to focus our energies on. But I encourage everyone to take a moment (truly) for yourself, and discover your Enneatype. Find out your Myers-Briggs Type while you're at it. I guaranteed you will feel empowered.
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