Enneagram Type 1: The Perfectionist

The Enneagram of Personality, or just the Enneagram, is a representation of personalities using a geometric figure, also called an enneagram (little e), to express nine interconnected personality types. While each type is unique it is related to other types through the circle connecting the type to each of it’s wings and the lines or arrows in the center connecting the type to the ones it imitates in times of stress or growth. The Enneagram is used in business management training to better understand interpersonal dynamics in the workplace. Types eight, nine, and one constitute the gut triad. This triad is primarily motivated by anger. Those in the gut triad tend to filter life at a “gut level” or by instinct. Because of that, they tend to be motivated by a desire to be independent and stay in control of their own life. Of the three, Ones internalize their anger and focus it on themselves by seeing their own faults. At their best, Ones are committed to a life of service and integrity. They are able to forgive themselves and others for being imperfect. They are principled, but patient while they wait on the world to get better. At their worst, Ones are fixated on small imperfections, whether those imperfections are their own or those of others. They become obsessed with managing minutea and asserting control over external circumstances. Ones bring an attention to detail and desire to make the world better that can really make things better. They apply their high standards to both themselves and others and can often inspire the people around them to greater things. However, because the world isn’t a perfect place and never will be, this tendency can make them resentful of any imperfections they notice, whether within themselves or within others. If you are a One, remember that no is perfect and no one HAS TO BE perfect. This includes you. The world is exactly how it has to be. Friends of Ones can help them by being reliable, showing them that they are useful, by being understanding that imperfections in the world bother them more than others, and understanding that they can’t really express it. Episode Breakdown Main Characteristics The Enneagram Type 1 is “The Perfectionist” or “The Reformer” Their devotion to improve the world is the reason the One is called the Perfectionist. They strive to overcome adversity, especially of the moral sort, so that the human spirit can work through them to improve the world. They are discerning, wise, realistic, and noble. They can be morally heroic. The Perfectionist’s downfall is being overly critical and perfectionistic. They can start having problems with resentment, impatience, and anger. Ones have a strong sense of purpose and a wish to be *useful* in the best sense of the word. They feel they have a mission in their lives and they aim to get it done. This sense of mission doesn’t stop the One from feeling like they need to justify their actions to themselves and others. This causes the One to spend an excessive amount of time thinking about the consequences of their actions. As a member of the Gut or Anger triad, Ones can be grounded and in touch with their instincts. However, they can easily persuade themselves that they are only proceeding on logic and objective truth (in truth, no one is doing that). They can end up searching for a rationale for what they feel they must do. While trying to remain true to their principles, Ones will try to avoid being affected by their instinctual drives. This can easily result in a personality type that has problems with repression, resistance, and aggression. They are often seen as having excellent self-control, but they don’t FEEL like they do. If they aren’t careful, they can end up feeling as if they have to keep a lid on their emotions to avoid hurting the people around the...