The Enneagram Part 6

This edition is going to be my last exploration of the Enneagram — at least for a while.  I want to explore what seems to me to be the great strength of the Enneagram — the goal and focus of maturity or spiritual development.  Richard Rohr and Andreas Ebert use both psychological terminology of maturity and the religious terminology of redemption in describing the process.  Rohr/Ebert identify what they term the Triple Continuum of Immature - Normal – Mature in process.  Within each of the nine types a person is somewhere along the continuum between Immature and Mature.  This is similar — in general terms — to the Integration process developed by Carl Jung.  It is a process or journey which all people can potentially travel and is to become the people that God intends us to become. 

There are attitudes/ways of being that are identified for each stage along the continuum for each type which I outline below.

The Immature Attitudes

Type 1   Know-it-all/Pharisaical/Corrosive	Type 6   Dependent/Aggressive/Cowardly
Type 2   Manipulative/Domineering/Symbiotic	Type 7   Excessive/Dilettantism/Opinionated
Type 3   Opportunistic/Deceptive/Career addicted	Type 8   Power-obsessed/Tyrannical/Violent
Type 4   Self-pitying/Decadent/Infatuated with death	Type 9   Fatalistic/Dosorirntrd/Stubborn
Type 5   Isolated/Nihilistic/Eccentric

 

The Normal Attitudes

Type 1   Perfectionist/Wavering/Scrupulous	Type 6   Duty-conscious/Careful/(Anti)-authoritarian
Type 2   Motherly/|Giving/Active	Type 7   Hyperactive/Hedonistic/Superficial
Type 3   Pragmatic/Status conscious/Role-oriented	Type 8   Controlling/Competing/Direct
Type 4   Aesthetic/Romantic/Stylish	Type 9   Conformist/’Requires little care’/Indecisive
Type 5   Analytical/Distanced/Abstract

 

The Mature Attitudes

Type 1   Critically aware/Composed/Ethically advanced	Type 6   Loyal/Courageous/Confident
Type 2   Caring/Friendly/Original	Type 7   Happy/Versatile/Sober
Type 3   Competent/Truthful/Reliable	Type 8   Generous/Strong leader/Protective
Type 4   Creative/Natural/Disciplined	Type 9   Accepting/Peaceable/Goal Oriented
Type 5   Inventive/Wise/Energetic

 

Rohr/Ebert note that ideally we go through the process of integration.  However, the journey even if consciously taken is not a direct steady path, “there are also phases in life of stagnation or relapse into the immature stage (regression and disintegration)”. We are of course going to have a mixture of mature, normal and immature attitudes at any time in our lives.  A good analogy is walking the labyrinth.  Sometimes we approach the goal but then there are turns and twists in life that seem to take us away from the centre.  However, if we stay faithful to the journey we will reach the centre — possibly not in this life but ultimately.  That is where faith and trust in God’s presence and guidance throughout our lives is our hope and assurance.  I hope this week’s journey is a fruitful — if not necessarily smooth one for you.