Why the Enneagram
The Enneagram is easy to learn superficially and surprisingly difficult to learn well. That's because it is about people and people are wondrously complex. You should be warned, the Enneagram is fascinating to the point of addiction and can considerably nourish your self-development, first through insight itself and then through other means that I'll explain frequently. This may prompt you to buy additional Enneagram materials.
You'll notice I use movies, poems, radio shows etc. to enable you to see the Enneagram styles all around you, so your education continues after you leave the computer screen I also supply a reading list so if you wish to study through books, that's an option.
One thing I will NOT tell you is your Enneagram number. Here's why: Once upon a time a naturalist was carefully watching a big worm squeeze through a tiny pinhole in its sack. After many hours of struggle, a slender butterfly with powerful wings emerged and flew away vigorously. The second time the naturalist started his observation, he became impatient and made a thin cut in the sack so the worm got out in twenty minutes. But the worm emerged as a butterfly with weak wings and a heavy bottom. Without the exertion that pushed the juice up into the wings, the wings were flaccid and flabby, and it couldn't fly. His helping had crippled the creature.
If you are told your number, you miss the important part -- the squeeze -- searching your inner workings to see what really drives you, what delights you and what unties all your strings. I wouldn't deprive you of that for the world.
(For help in determining your Enneagram style, take the Enneagram Central online personality questionnaire. Remember -- the results depend on you. The better you depict your true feelings the more accurate the outcome!)
Sincerely,
Clarence Thomson
