One of the big considerations in the study of the modern Enneagram is mis-typing. You probably know someone who typed themselves based on a book or website and you might not agree with that they decided. And, as hard as this is to hear, many of us type ourselves based on who we hope or think we are instead of how we really are.

This Guide is meant to help you affirm your type, or help you discover your type for the first time while avoiding the common pitfalls that come with self-typing.

Without further ado, here are the…

7 Things to Consider When Finding (or Affirming) Your Type:

1. Make sure you have a basic understanding of each type before you delve into typing yourself.

Just like you need to know the premise of how a re car works before deciding if it’s the brakes or the radiator, you have to have an understanding of the nine types before you can know with certainty of your own type. I would suggest looking at www.EnneagramBook.com to get a feel for each type. While you are browsing, make sure to note any types that you feel are REALLY you, or REALLY NOT you.

2. Take the free Enneagram Test.

There are a few tests out there that will attempt to find your type by an online test. Although these are far from infallible, they certainly are a part of the process. I won’t recommend one in particular, but you can google “Enneagram Test” to find one that suits your needs.

3. Answer the questions on the test honestly.

Make sure you don’t answer the way you like to think of yourself, or want yourself to be! It’s so easy to do this, but the value in the Enneagram is only available to you if you get your correct type. So make sure to be honest!

4. Remember that all types are equal.

Many times people hear they are a 4 and wonder if that is less than a 1 or half of an 8. The numbers are just symbols. All of the types are different, equal, interesting, beautiful, and have something to offer. Love your type!

5. Find your wing.

Each Enneagram type has a wing. Wings can make a huge difference in your type. Although not everyone agrees on the authenticity of the wing, I have found it to be true more of the time than false, so I still suggest it. Your wing can be one of the two numbers sequentially adjacent to your type number. For instance, a type three could have a wing of a 2 or a 4. It would be written like this 3w2 or 3w4. A type 6 could have a 5 wing or a 7 wing. See the pattern?

In order to find your wing, I would look at Enneagrambook.com under your type number and find the wing section and see which one seems to fit you more. The wings are typically much easier to decipher than your type.

6. Remember that you might not see your type so clearly in yourself.

It is very hard to see ourselves with objectivity. You might not see the parts of you the make up your Enneagram type immediately, that’s why it is important to do step number 7…

7. Find a study group, student, or practitioner of the Enneagram to affirm your findings and help you take the next step.

Find a local Enneagram group that you can call or go to a meeting. It is very easy for someone to hang out with you for a couple hours and after having a few conversations let you know if you have found the right number. Someone’s type is a lot about their “energy”, and someone who has been practicing and studying the Enneagram for a while has honed their aim. Plus, a great many teachers think the “oral tradition” of the Enneagram is really the only way the lineage can be passed. So if you are truly interested, having a group of friends and a group to learn with and from is truly the most powerful tool you can have!

The Round-Up: Finding your type is just the start in your path down this amazing tool called the Enneagram. Make sure you find the right type and you have done yourself a great favor. As always, live well, love lots, and keep growing.
Bradley Spencer is a student of the enneagram and can often be found exploring the enneagram and blogging about it at his enneagram website, called The Enneagram Book: The only continually-updated enneagram resource anywhere. To learn more about the enneagram and your specific type on the enneagram, please come on over to my blog!

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