Personality Tests vs. Enneagram: The Same or Different?

In this blog post, we will take a closer look at the Enneagram in comparison to Personality Tests.

Personality Tests

Who am I? This is a question that plagues our society with the frantic search for finding our truth. Many of the resources available in finding “our truth” come in the form of self-help books, podcasts and videos. Typically, these resources challenge us to only look inward. And while that is a great place to start it isn’t enough.

Our brains are wired to recognize patterns and make meaning out of them. Often when we do this on our own, it can become overwhelming and scary if we are only looking inward. It also can lead to feeling shame about ourselves and our decisions.

When trying to discover who you are, it is necessary to look outward for meaning or direction. You need to ask who you are to those around you. They give us invaluable information on helping us figure this out. This is vital, no matter how hard we try to avoid it or do it on our own.

The Downfalls of Personality Tests

Personality tests can create a space to get a definition of “who I am”. They are based on things like what you do when you are in a challenging situation. How you act on a day-to-day basis. What makes you unique.  What are your thinking patterns and behaviors. This can be enjoyable to discover and helpful in finding a framework for understanding yourself better. It can add a deeper connection to yourself and your relationships.

Personality Tests Evaluate External Behaviors

When you decide to embark on this trail of self-discovery, it’s important to remember that this can be a limited pursuit. Most personality tests are only evaluating the external behaviors displayed by an individual. For example, if someone tends to take charge in a given situation and be well organized, we may call them a Type A personality, a red on the color code, a lion on the four temperaments, an ESTJ on the Myers-Briggs…you get the idea.

Personality Tests Do Not Define Reasons Behind Behaviors

While this can be helpful for describing a behavior of a person, it does nothing for understanding the reasons behind the behavior or the ways to discover, learn and grow as a person. In fact, sometimes personality tests can be used as excuses for {bad} behaviors and can become an accepted reality, rather than challenging oneself to do better. While not always dangerous, it is also not profoundly helpful. If our goal is simply to categorize people than these tests are sufficient. But what if we could have a great goal? One that would help you identify behaviors that are not working in yourself (inward) and your relationships (outward). And give you the tools to change, grow and be a better human. Sounds too good to be true, right?

A Challenge

I put forward the challenge to actually explore the unique ways each of us needs to grow and mature. This is something that is limited in most of the personality tests. Throughout life we all begin to fall into rhythms of behaviors and interactions. Over time, these approaches to life become so automatic that most of them go unnoticed. The times that we notice them is when we become frustrated with our seeming futility at changing any part of ourselves. We do not understand the things that we do and why we cannot seem to stop doing them (Romans 7:14-25). While understanding ourselves can be a daunting task, I believe that it is a task that we should all pursue if we want to grow into the people we were designed to be in this world.

The Enneagram: Not Just a Personality Test

Enter the enneagram. I was in college when I first heard of the enneagram and I had an instant suspicion of it, not for any substantial reason other than my distrust of anything popular (which is probably tied to an unhealthy desire to stand out from others). And, I’m always skeptical of “band-wagon” ideas. However, late in life my wife (fiancée at the time) was able to study under Dr. Shane J. Wood for a semester on the enneagram. During the semester, she would excitedly tell me what she was learning in class, I became more and more intrigued about this tool for personal growth. Fast forward to today and I believe that God has used the enneagram as one of the best tools for my marriage as well as my personal growth.

The Growth of the Enneagram

This growth in the enneagram is because it is unlike other personality tests as its goal is to uncover the “why’s” behind what we do, rather than simply box people into caricatures. I think a great analogy for the enneagram is this: rather than study the waves, the enneagram desires to look at the current beneath the waves. In the example of evaluating someone who has a take charge personality, they could fit a variety of numbers the enneagram uses to describe our common struggles such as a one, three, eight, or even a countertype six. The goal is not to type other people into common behaviors but to challenge each of us to take an honest look internally and grapple with how to grow through our weaknesses and temptations that undermine our maturing.

If we truly want to ask the question of, “who am I?”, we have to be willing to face the depths of our own weaknesses and shortcomings. The enneagram may be the right tool that could help you do just that if you are willing to face it.

If you would like more information on the enneagram, see our additional blog posts here, The Enneagram History, Is the Enneagram Demonic? and Pros and Cons of Incorporating Enneagram into Christian Practice.