Like most people in our generation, I’m obsessed with personality tests. I’ve taken the Myers-Briggs a million times, I keep up with my Zodiac signs and take just about any Buzzfeed quiz I come across, but recently I’ve discovered the Enneagram test. The Enneagram test is similar to the Myers-Briggs, however, the two tests focus on separate parts of our personalities. The Enneagram results are representations of inner personality, motivation and how our emotions rule us while Myer-Briggs is purely a representation of how we act. The results are presented in very different ways, as well. The Enneagram has 9 possible results that are numbered, often followed by a nickname, while Myer-Briggs is the combination of four letters corresponding with certain traits.
The Enneagram test is super easy to find online and takes about five minutes to finish. The structure of the questions is much like a survey where there are statements and you choose if the statement is accurate or not on a scale from 1 – 5, 1 being not accurate and 5 being the most accurate. I took three versions of the test on different websites in hopes to find my ‘true type’ and surprisingly got the same results across all three.
I am Type Four or The Romantic. Before even reading the description I knew the results would be accurate as that is definitely something I already deeply identify with but nonetheless I read on. The website The Narrative Enneagram describes the Romantic as, “Romantics believe you can regain the lost ideal love or perfect state by finding the love or situation that is unique, special and fulfilling. Consequently, Romantics are idealistic, deeply feeling, empathetic and authentic; they also can be dramatic, moody […]” and emphasizes that type four people tend to focus on what’s missing in life rather than what they have. The author continues to highlight various parts of my personality, both good and bad, which resonated deeply with me. Each section dove deeper into the ways type fours think, love and react much like the ways Zodiac readings are laid out and I loved reading about my type. Another great feature of the Enneagram test is that they show other types that you are similar to and how big of a difference there is between ‘your type’ and other potential types. with this I found I’m also very close to being a type nine or the Mediator.
I always find value in learning about myself in hopes to find ways I can improve myself and live a better life. With that, I can confidently say the Enneagram test pointed out some flaws I hadn’t realized were damaging to myself in a way that was fun to reading and insightful. While I know that none of these tests are 100% accurate, they’re a lot of fun and with an open mind, you can learn a lot about yourself and those around you.