Psychologists' Views on the Enneagram System

The enneagram is used every day by thousands of people across the world. But you may wonder if a psychologist would really use it, or if they would find it helpful. And they do! Read on to learn more about what psychologists think about the enneagram.

Helpful for Self-Growth

Many psychologists think that the enneagram is very useful for several different reasons, the first being that it helps you with self-growth and self-awareness. How so?

Well, when you figure out what your type is, you have access to a wealth of information about yourself that you may not have known before. When you begin to learn more about your type, you begin to appreciate your natural talents and begin to be more cognisant of the areas you struggle in.

As you apply the knowledge about your natural talents and your growth areas to your life more often, you will learn how to grow into a healthier version of yourself.

Helpful to Understand Motivational Factors

Another reason many psychologists find the enneagram useful is that it helps you to better understand your own motivational factors and the motivational factors of those around you.

What do we mean by “motivational factors”? Motivational factors are the reasons why you do what you do. Or the reasons why you react the way you react.

When something out of the ordinary or tragic happens, you may have wondered why the people around you don’t respond in the way you do. The enneagram can help you better understand why people respond the way that they do when they’re stressed or taken off guard.

Here’s an example, let’s say you were about to cross the street, and you see that a jogger gets hit by a car. If you’re an enneagram two (the helper) you may run over to help the jogger immediately, because you’re so motivated by helping those around you. If you’re an enneagram three, then you may stay right where you are but you will whip out your phone and call 911 because your motivation is efficiency.

Helpful as a Comparison to Personality Disorders

The final reason psychologists believe that the enneagram can be helpful is because it can be used as a comparison to personality disorders.

How would this work? Well, some psychologists suggest that the APA could use the nine types as “healthy personalities” and then take the unhealthy side of each type and compare it to a specific personality disorder.

For example, a type 4 is introspective and introverted. When they are living into their healthy side, there’s nothing wrong with that. But when they’re living on their unhealthy side, they can become depressed.

So, although you won’t see any psychologists running around diagnosing people as a type one or type eight, many psychologists do find the enneagram useful. Whether it’s for the purpose of self-awareness, for making comparisons to different personality disorders, or to help us better understand motivational factors, the enneagram is viewed by psychologists as helpful.

If you want to improve your personal and professional life, and often feel like you are standing in your own way – consider taking the Enneagram Queen test right now. This is the first step to a new and improved you!