Well I thought about it more today and I'd have to say if you put a gun to my head & made me pick a type, I'd have to go with type the 4 stuff as being the general theme in my life (and that anyone would have to put a gun to my head to force to to choose just one & risk pigeon holing myself further leans me towards type 4..haha)
Also, I read a blurp from a site & it confirms that perhaps I use the type 1 behaviors as a defense, and I do feel baffled & least connected to type 8, and do tend to go to type 2s for help when stressed....
http://www2.cruzio.com/~zdino/psychology/enneagram.htm
Associated with each Enneagram Point is a direction of stress and a direction of relief.
When a person is under stress, one tends to react according to one's Stress Type. Also one tries to get consolation from any person whose main Enneagram type is that Stress Type, and this can turn out to be false consolations.
Vollmar suggests that the stress type expresses the Shadow of the type. He also suggests that one is especially baffled by the Stress Point of one's own Stress Point:
For Type 1 Stress direction is
Type 4.
The stressed Reformer or Entrepreneur might become the self-destructive critic. Relief direction is
Type 7.
The relaxed Reformer or Entrepreneur might loosen rigidity and become more cheerful and relaxed.
Baffled by
Type 2 (Helper or Planner).
For Type 2 Stress direction is
Type 8.
The stressed Helper or Planner might become destructive and aggressive. Relief direction is
Type 4.
The relaxed Helper or Planner might live without dependence and with a positive self image.
Baffled by
Type 5 (Thinker or Observer).
For Type 3 Stress direction is
Type 9.
The stressed Motivator or Magician might become deceitful and fraudulent, then bitterly passive. Relief direction is
Type 6.
The relaxed Motivator or Magician might develop integrity and loyalty to doing a job well.
Baffled by
Type 6 (Skeptic or Hero).
For 3, 6, and 9, this is odd, because their type of bafflement is also their type of relief!
For Type 4 Stress direction is
Type 2.
The stressed Artist or Afflicted Person might become moody and unpredictable; might try to get affection through service and love through manipulation; might become passive-aggressive. Relief direction is
Type 1.
The relaxed Artist or Afflicted Person might a structure, a security, and a base of reality.
Baffled by
Type 8 (Leader or Boss).
For Type 5 Stress direction is
Type 7.
The stressed Thinker or Observer might retreat, become aimlessly active, superficial, eccentric, and nervous. Relief direction is
Type 8.
The relaxed Thinker or Observer might go out into the world and do something with the accumulated knowledge.
Baffled by
Type 1 (Reformer or Entrepreneur).
For Type 6 Stress direction is
Type 3.
The stressed Skeptic or Hero might become presumptuous, suspicious, buried in work, authoritarian, and even sadistic. Relief direction is
Type 9.
The relaxed Skeptic or Hero might realize that "things can also work out even if there doesn't seem to be any security - indeed, that you can live ... more merrily and well without it." (
Vollmar.)
Baffled by
Type 9 (Peacemaker or Lover).
For 3, 6, and 9, this is odd, because their type of bafflement is also their type of relief!
For Type 7 Stress direction is
Type 1.
The stressed Generalist or Optimist might engage in lots of activities with an emphasis on lust and a striving for perfection; might lose lightness; might criticize and ridicule whoever appears to oppose the Optimist. Relief direction is
Type 5.
The relaxed Generalist or Optimist might first think and observe instead of dissipating energies; and then act in harmonious balance.
Baffled by
Type 4 (Artist or Afflicted Person ).
For Type 8 Stress direction is
Type 5. The stressed Leader or Boss might become violent and aggressive, then brood and withdraw. Relief direction is
Type 2. The relaxed Leader or Boss might soften will and power to recognize other people; might want to help others and do so.
Baffled by
Type 7 (Generalist or Optimist).
For Type 9 Stress direction is
Type 6.
The stressed Peacemaker or Lover might become passive, idle, and lazy, and then search for security. Relief direction is
Type 3.
The relaxed Peacemaker or Lover might develop effectiveness and delight in work.
Baffled by
Type 3 (Motivator or Magician).
For 3, 6, and 9, this is odd, because their type of bafflement is also their type of relief!
In addition to the above motion of stress and relief,
Vollmar emphasizes the dynamic nature of the Enneagram in solving life's problems by moving between types ordinally (1, 2, ... 8, 9, 1, ...)
- "Enneagram Points 1 and 2 describe the material basics of the process. ... the basic pre-conditions the consequences that result from these pre-conditions. On the economic level, these would be the means of production."
- "Enneagram Point 3 introduces ... the idea of where the process is to be steered to."
- "Enneagram Points 4 and 5 occupy themselves with the material that is to be altered. At point 4, laborious work is usually required. At point 5, what is achieved has to be organized toward the goal."
- "Enneagram Point 6, where the outside world as market and consumer comes into play"
- "Enneagram Points 7 and 8 show the result of the work. The goal of the process that you present to the outside world is evident at point 7. At point 8, the end-product of the work is sold to the consumer."
- "At point 9, ... start from the existing experiences and maybe begin a new, improved production series."
No matter what is your Enneagram type,
Vollmar (p.21) says that you can work through an issue by remembering yourself and being aware, and then moving through the point of the Enneagram:
- Enneagram Point 1:
"You are conscious of the fact that you have to change something."
"You notice your dissatisfaction and that you will become unhappy if you live against your true 'I.'"
- Enneagram Point 2:
"You inform yourself about how you can change yourself."
"You gather all kinds of information about what you can do in order to change. Through this process, the goal becomes clearer (since point 2 connects with point 8) and, as at point 1, you fear the impending emotional changes (point 4)."
- Enneagram Point 3:
"You come to the exercise of self-remembering." This is essentially Zen meditation.
"A new quality comes into play, which affects us from the outside and helps us take on the path of change toward our true self."
- Enneagram Point 4:
"The exercise of self-remembering [Zen meditation] causes more difficulties than expected. You realize that you are almost never conscious of yourself, which annoys you."
"You move into the field of the emotions, where Enneagram Point 5 also belongs. Here you suffer from the rigidity of your emotions "
The Emotional Hostage can help you make progress here.
- Enneagram Point 5:
"The difficulties of doing this exercise remain, but it becomes clear ... what this consciousness exercise boils down to. The frustration in this exercise is used to build up greater motivation for doing consciousness work in your daily life."
"You begin to understand you emotions at least once in a while [especially if you are reading The Emotional Hostage]. You begin to perceive them, but you do not identify with them. Through this, you see your goal (points 7 and 8) very clearly and seizably [sic] close."
- Enneagram Point 6:
"You meet a person [or book or other teacher] who shows you how to progress with this exercise."
"Again a strong impulse must affect us from the outside otherwise our goal would seem to be unattainable. Here again a teacher, who can be a person, an external situation, or a friend, helps us to continue with patience and willpower."
- Enneagram Point 7:
"You succeed in moving consciously and attentively through life."
"We have finally reached at least the lower step of our goal."
- Enneagram Point 8:
"You have reached your goal - to dedicate yourself fully to conscious work."
"We are capable of dedicating ourselves completely to our goal and of realizing ourselves."
- Enneagram Point 9:
"We start the whole process over again on a higher level."