Enneagram Test - Discover Your Core Motivations and Fears

The Enneagram stands apart from other personality systems by diving deep into the core motivations and fears that drive human behavior. Rather than focusing on surface traits, this ancient system reveals the underlying patterns that shape how we see and navigate the world, making it a powerful tool for personal transformation.

The Wisdom of Nine

The Enneagram's origins are shrouded in mystery, with roots in ancient spiritual traditions from Christianity to Sufism. Modern psychology has embraced this nine-pointed system for its uncanny ability to capture the essence of personality patterns and provide clear paths for growth.

The Nine Types at a Glance

Type 1 - The Reformer

• Core Desire: To be good, right, and perfect
• Core Fear: Being corrupt, defective, or imperfect
• Key Motivation: Integrity and improvement
• At their best: Wise, discerning, noble

Type 2 - The Helper

• Core Desire: To feel loved and needed
• Core Fear: Being unwanted or unworthy of love
• Key Motivation: Being appreciated and indispensable
• At their best: Genuinely caring, generous, empathetic

Type 3 - The Achiever

• Core Desire: To feel valuable and worthwhile
• Core Fear: Being worthless or without value
• Key Motivation: Success and admiration
• At their best: Authentic, inspiring, competent

Type 4 - The Individualist

• Core Desire: To find themselves and their significance
• Core Fear: Having no identity or significance
• Key Motivation: Expressing individuality and uniqueness
• At their best: Creative, intuitive, transformative

Type 5 - The Investigator

• Core Desire: To be competent and understanding
• Core Fear: Being overwhelmed or invaded
• Key Motivation: Knowledge and self-sufficiency
• At their best: Pioneering, visionary, perceptive

Type 6 - The Loyalist

• Core Desire: To have security and support
• Core Fear: Being without support or guidance
• Key Motivation: Safety and belonging
• At their best: Courageous, reliable, team-oriented

Type 7 - The Enthusiast

• Core Desire: To maintain happiness and freedom
• Core Fear: Being trapped in pain or deprivation
• Key Motivation: Experiences and possibilities
• At their best: Joyful, grateful, present

Type 8 - The Challenger

• Core Desire: To be self-reliant and in control
• Core Fear: Being controlled or vulnerable
• Key Motivation: Independence and power
• At their best: Protective, heroic, empowering

Type 9 - The Peacemaker

• Core Desire: To maintain inner and outer peace
• Core Fear: Loss of connection and fragmentation
• Key Motivation: Harmony and stability
• At their best: Healing, natural, accepting

Taking the Test

Website: www.truity.com/test/enneagram-personality-test

Time Required: 10-15 minutes

Cost: Free basic results, paid comprehensive reports

Format: Questions about motivations, fears, and behavioral patterns

Beyond Basic Types: The Dynamic System

Wings

Each type is influenced by one of its neighbors:

• Type 1 with 9 wing (1w9): The Idealist
• Type 1 with 2 wing (1w2): The Advocate
• Wings add flavor and nuance to core type

Instinctual Variants

Three biological drives create 27 subtypes:

• Self-Preservation: Focus on safety and resources
• Social: Focus on group dynamics and belonging
• Sexual/One-to-One: Focus on intensity and connection

Integration and Disintegration

• Each type has specific paths of growth and stress
• Integration: Moving toward health
• Disintegration: Patterns under stress
• Creates a dynamic, interconnected system

Why the Enneagram Resonates

Depth Over Surface

Unlike systems that categorize behavior, the Enneagram reveals:

• Why you do what you do
• Unconscious motivations
• Childhood patterns
• Spiritual dimensions

Growth-Oriented

Each type includes:

• Levels of health (healthy to unhealthy)
• Specific growth recommendations
• Clear transformation paths
• Integration practices

Holistic Understanding

Addresses multiple dimensions:

• Thinking patterns
• Emotional habits
• Somatic experiences
• Spiritual development

Practical Applications

Personal Growth

1. Self-Observation: Notice your patterns
2. Compassion: Understand your protective strategies
3. Growth Practices: Type-specific exercises
4. Shadow Work: Face your core fears
5. Integration: Embody your best qualities

Relationships

• Understand partner's core motivations
• Recognize triggered behaviors
• Develop empathy for different worldviews
• Navigate conflicts with wisdom
• Support each other's growth

Workplace Dynamics

• Leadership development
• Team composition insights
• Conflict resolution strategies
• Communication improvements
• Stress management

The Science Question

Current Research

• Limited peer-reviewed studies
• Some validity in workplace settings
• Correlations with Big Five traits
• Growing academic interest

Practitioner Perspective

Many therapists and coaches find it useful for:

• Pattern recognition
• Client self-awareness
• Growth directives
• Relationship work

Common Mistyping Issues

Why Mistyping Happens

1. Idealized self: Typing who you want to be
2. Stress patterns: Confusing stress behavior with core type
3. Cultural conditioning: Social expectations obscuring true type
4. Wing influence: Strong wing mistaken for core type
5. Level of health: Unhealthy patterns obscuring essence

Finding Your True Type

• Read all nine types thoroughly
• Focus on core fears and desires
• Consider childhood patterns
• Ask trusted friends for input
• Work with qualified practitioners

Growth Paths by Type

Type 1: Release perfectionism, embrace serenity

Type 2: Acknowledge own needs, practice self-care

Type 3: Connect with authentic feelings, slow down

Type 4: Find beauty in the ordinary, practice gratitude

Type 5: Engage with heart and body, not just mind

Type 6: Trust inner guidance, cultivate courage

Type 7: Stay present with discomfort, find depth

Type 8: Embrace vulnerability, soften control

Type 9: Assert yourself, engage with life fully

Integrating Enneagram Wisdom

Daily Practices

• Morning check-in with core motivation
• Evening review of type patterns
• Mindfulness of stress reactions
• Gratitude for type gifts
• Compassion for type struggles

Long-term Development

• Therapy or coaching
• Meditation and contemplation
• Body work and somatic practices
• Community and relationships
• Spiritual practices

The Controversy

Criticisms

• Lacks scientific rigor
• Origins are unclear
• Can become limiting belief system
• Potential for stereotyping
• Spiritual elements may not resonate

Value Despite Limitations

• Powerful for self-reflection
• Creates meaningful conversations
• Offers specific growth paths
• Builds empathy and understanding
• Integrates well with other modalities

Your Enneagram Journey

The Enneagram is less about finding your type and more about using that knowledge for transformation. It's a map, not the territory - a finger pointing at the moon of your true nature.

Whether you're drawn to its spiritual dimensions or simply find it a useful framework for understanding yourself and others, approach the Enneagram with:

• Curiosity over certainty
• Growth over identification
• Compassion over judgment
• Integration over separation

Remember: You are not your type. You are a whole human being with access to all nine energies. Your type simply shows where you habitually focus attention and energy. True growth comes from expanding beyond these habits while honoring their gifts.

The Enneagram invites you not just to know yourself, but to transform yourself - and that journey is always worth taking.