The Deceitfulness of Good Conclusion

The Unfolding Enneagram

The Passion for For type 1s is ANGER. Type 1s are often called the Reformers and hold themselves to very high standards which is a good quality, right? SO…the deceitfulness of the passions is that it seems GOOD to be conscientious and ethical, with a strong sense of right and wrong. And being ANGRY goes against what seems to be GOOD. So they resist being angry. And when others don’t seem to hold the same standards of goodness then that anger that they resist builds. But 1s are even harder on themselves so that anger turns inward so often if they believe they haven’t lived up to their own standards. The relentless demand of the inner critic to be good and do good at all times and to set the standard for what is good, replaces personal needs and shuts down feelings which, if left unaddressed will come out in the form of resentment.

Type 2s…The Passion is Pride …..This seems so opposite of what we see in type 2s who are so giving of their love, their time, knowing what everyone else needs. In fact, they are so focused on others that they take PRIDE in seeming to not have needs of their own. THEY see themselves as THE SOURCE of what others need. It seems GOOD to be so servant-hearted but when they resist acknowledging they have needs, having denied their own in service to others, they are actually denying others the gift of service.

For type 3s the passion is Self-deceit or conforming to what they think is necessary to be SEEN as successful or WORTHY. 3s are often called “Shape shifters” because they will take on the role of what they think OTHERS want them to be. It seems GOOD to be success-driven and even GOOD to be adaptable but they resist resting in their authenticity and resist knowing they are fully loved apart from any external success.

The passion of type 4 is Envy but this envy is a internal sense of a lack of being whole…like something about themselves is inherently missing. They tend to believe everyone else has that missing thing. They long for authenticity which leads to the desire to be unique because they actually believe they ARE unique because others have what they believe they are missing. 4s are SO in touch with this FEELING of deficiency that they seek value in an idealized external experiences or work or a relationship. It seems GOOD to BE AUTHENTIC and not conform but they resist knowing there’s nothing missing because they are so identified with that image. It becomes a never ending loop if left in an unhealthy stage.

Type 5’s passion is AVARICE but in Enneagram language it is not a desire for obtaining money or possessions but of resources .They retreat inward and hoard their time and energy. This inward focus allows the Type Five ample time to focus on ideas and acquiring knowledge. That doesn’t seem like a negative thing, right? I mean…isn’t it GOOD to know what you’re talking about - to gain knowledge and to not just throw your time and energy away? It can be good for sure. BUT…they worry that if they share too much of themselves, they won’t have enough left. SO…in resisting connection by retreating inward, but it also builds a wall between them and others. As they pull back from external connections, they also become detached from their emotional self.

The passion for type 6 is FEAR. They are sometimes referred to as THE LOYALISTS - great people to have on your team, right? Type 6s are so great at anticipating what could go wrong. They look for where danger could be lurking or what problems MIGHT occur at any time. We NEED these people who are cautious and security-oriented. If I’m going on a wilderness trek that’s who I want to go with! But they can become so focused on what could go WRONG that they become suspicious and filled with self-doubt. So what seems GOOD can be paralyzing.

For Type 7s the passion is Gluttony. In this context it’s a almost insatiable craving to experience ALL THE THINGS. 7s see the positive in most things and are typically focused on being joyful and happy. 7s deepest fear is being trapped in emotional pain so they try to avoid anything that causes pain or sadness. In fact, they see their worth is in BEING the positive person. It seems GOOD to look for the positive, to be Joyful, to NOT dwell in pain. And so....they resist what is actually before them in the present and deny that they experience pain. This also makes them emotionally unavailable to anyone else who might need them in time of grief. And what happens? They disconnect from their heart and my body, rationalize away the pain and escape to a place in the future where there is no sadness. But that place doesn’t actually exist and instead of feeling FULL of all aspects of life, they are left feeling a hunger and emptiness through what appeared to be GOOD.

Type 8s passion is called LUST which isn’t just about sexuality although it can include it. 8s have a desire for INTENSITY in whatever they do. They take the initiative and make things happen! They see the world as unjust and power imbalanced. So they feel they need to dominate so they are not controlled. They are the most assertive type in the enneagram. 8s want to be self-reliant, to prove their strength and resist weakness, to be important in their world. 8s are often referred to as THE PROTECTOR. They are often champions for the underdog. That sounds SO GOOD! But in their attempt to control and NOT BE controlled they lose touch with vulnerability. They can see it as weakness and so they resist letting their feelings be seen. Make no mistake, though…8s are very feeling people but keep up the powerful façade so they won’t be hurt.

Type 9’s passion is called Sloth. So…what does ‘sloth’ mean in Enneagram language? It is sense of inertia to YOURSELF….a falling asleep to your OWN passions, abilities, desires, needs, and worth by merging with others. Why have type 9s been called the PEACEMAKERS? Because they strive to maintain peace both internally and externally. So, this means avoiding conflict at all costs!

You will often read about type 9s’ desire for Peace and Harmony like they are one and the same. But they are not. I think that 9s - like all of us, actually, would love to live in HARMONY with the world but we settle for NO-CONFLICT. The tendency is to GO ALONG with others to avoid not having peace. So - where is the deceitfulness of Good here?

Type 9s often make great mediators because they have an ability to see all sides of a situation. How great is that? They generally have a calming effect on people, they are usually non-judgmental, easy going. But, as we have quoted throughout this series, “what you resist not only persists, but grows stronger.” When you resist your own needs to accommodate others’ it will result in unhealthy relationships - maybe even a codependent relationship. Avoiding conflict with others keeps Nines from being fully present in relationships. Avoiding internal conflict leads to inertia and self-forgetting. When so much of their focus is on other’s then there isn’t a lot of energy to take care of your own. 9s can become passive-aggressive and resentment builds because they have so much to contribute to the world but taking on the role of THE PEACEMAKER keeps them from taking action on their own desires. Once again…this is the loop that we all get in when we don’t acknowledge our suffering. We are deceived into believing our GOOD WORKS will equal being LOVED.

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