I would like to start with a list of resources, and short opinions on each. I cover eight books and will mention resources for online research in my next note.

The thing I like best about the Enneagram is it’s unparalleled depth of motion and fluidity into the human psyche. I think that people hear ‘personality test’ and they instantly think, “You’re trying to box me in. I can’t be labelled.” And trust me, as the resident enigma, I feel you, and am here to tell you, the Enneagram does anything but. It goes as deep, and gets as complicated as you’re willing to take it. When all is said and done every person has a main type, which stays the same throughout your life and determines both of your wings (yes, you have two—so you can fly!), your stress type and your integration type, as well as your stacked instinctual variants, for a grand total of five types per person actively at work in the hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, etc. In addition to this there are nine levels of health to disintegration within each type, which are described in depth, and when you move within these levels in your main type, you move to the same level in all of your perip...

The most important things to remember when taking these tests is that they are only as accurate as you are honest. Do your best to answer the questions as truly as you can to how you are, not how you’ve been or how you want to be, or how you would like to be perceived. For example, if you have a short temper, but hide it really well, or it doesn’t manifest in outbursts, you still have a short temper, whether or not people perceive you that way. Also, be gracious with yourself, the heart of it is greater self-awareness, even if it’s painful, or hard to admit. Many people don’t see themselves for how they truly are, and may need help with that, which is another reason why the Enneagram is such a great tool. Sometimes you might honestly not know the answer to a question, and that’s okay, too. In those cases just go with your gut. Whichever answer sits better with you, or felt the most true when you first read it, is most likely the ‘right’ one. This test is not a matter of ‘rights or wron...