I don’t know about you, but something about taking online personality tests and receiving answers based on curiosities is fascinating to me. And, of course, learning more about my Type A personality and how impatient I can be is always a plus. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (otherwise known as the 16 Personalities Test) has been all the talk up until the Enneagram Test became entwined in our culture.
Just when we thought BuzzFeed quizzes that magically generated which Friends character we are (I’m Monica — who’s surprised?) said enough about ourselves, personality quizzes offer a new perspective. According to the Religion News Service, the Enneagram Test offers not only an insight into your personality and the roots in which you are planted but also spiritual guidance, a map of self-discovery and new awareness for your stances, virtues, and vices on an array of topics. And no, you do not have to be practicing religion to benefit from its results. In fact, Enneagram Type Six’s, The Loyalist, is linked with being anxious and self-doubting — the ones that may break the religion mold of their upbringing and start to awaken a new faith journey of their own.
As someone who is analytical (maybe too much for my own good…overthinking, I am talking to you), I may be the biggest fangirl of all things Enneagram. I love answering the questions authentically, even though it’s difficult to pigeonhole myself to a “yes,” “no” or “partly” answer. But, we’ll get into this later. For now, just know that I am a Type 2 on the Enneagram and, based on Enneagram’s personality explanation, my family and friends can attest that I fit the type ever-so-perfectly.
The Enneagram Test certainly changed my perspective. I have always been deemed a perfectionist (if all of my pens and pencils are not facing the same direction in my pencil case, wartime is coming). I have also been labeled ambitious, always writing out a long list of goals and working toward them. That is why I was a little surprised when I discovered I was not a Type 1 or Type 3, but then I realized that some people do not wear only one hat — the Enneagram Test has “wings” which are subgroups to your personality type. So, on my personality test, I am a 2w3 (in simple terms for Enneagram newbies, a Type 2, Wing 3), which is interesting to unveil. I am not only “the helper” with a caring and interpersonal charm but also I dip into the success-oriented and adaptable pool as well.
But more on being a Type 2, as detailed by The Enneagram Institute:
Two’s are “empathetic, sincere, and warm-hearted.” They are also described as “friendly, generous, and self-sacrificing” yet have a side of themselves that is also sentimental, flattering and people-pleasing (I’m working on it, people!). Some strengths of Two’s include being intentional and driven to be close to others but can “slip into doing things for others in order to be needed. Boy, can I testify after reading all of my friends’ papers as a journalism major…
But that is not all I have learned. Because being a Type 2 comes with the price of heavily investing my time in the lives of my loved ones, sometimes it is difficult to acknowledge my own needs. Hence, my unfortunate indecisiveness over which Netflix show to commit my two-week binge to or, more influential, my various “career epiphanies” I have had at the beginning of my college years, as my best friend Madison calls it.
At their absolute best, Twos are unselfish, altruistic and have unconditional love for others. Twos prioritize love, closeness, sharing, family, and friendship as the “really, really good” things in life. My identity of being a Type 2 is also that of Pope John XXIII and Eleanor Roosevelt, among others.
This personality test brought out the helper side in me. Interestingly enough, this altruistic heart position encourages me to be that perfectionist and ambitious type — helping others motivates me, who knew? Because I am not at all patient (especially on a Starbucks line), I would never have guessed I was a Type 2 or more emotionally-rendered than I had predicted. However, this makes perfect sense: I often get upset if I cannot solve someone’s problem. If I give more than I take in a relationship, and that same compromise and consistency are invisible, that upsets me more, which is exactly what makes me fall under the Type 2 category.
So definitely, my perspective has changed — but changed for the better. The Enneagram Test proves that you do not have to be ashamed of your personality result because that is what makes you, you! Appreciate the good and bad qualities that come with your result as you can learn appropriate ways to improve certain characteristics of your type. The Enneagram Institute even offers “personal growth recommendations” on the bottom of your results page so you can view how to realistically work on personal goals. Enjoy reading your personality type. Enjoy learning how your type meshes well (or doesn’t) with that of your best friend or someone you consider an arch-enemy. Who knows, maybe the Enneagram will change your perspective as well.