The Practical Guide to Personality Types: Understanding the Enneagram

by Don Richard Riso

on Richard Riso's first book, Personality Types , has become the leading guide to the Enneagram, setting the standard for insight and accuracy about this ancient symbol of human personality. And Understanding the Enneagram has become the indispensable companion volume, teaching readers how to use this psychological framework in daily life. Riso has now fully revised this most authoritative modern interpretation of the Enneagram, based on his pioneering and continuing work, which is attracting ever-increasing attention from laymen, psychologists, and religious teachers alike. Now more than ever, see how to use the Enneagram to transcend yourself and find fulfillment in your personal development and in your relationships.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Self Help, Spirituality, Reference, Philosophy, Personal Development

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm reading several Enneagram books at once right now, so my review may be giving some credit for another book to this one, but this is a great basic, but really solid overview of the system. I have been so excited to see my interest in human behavior models converge with my spiritual beliefs. This system is very useful as a secular tool, but is even more powerful spiritually. It's applicable to many religious contexts. I'm looking forward to reading the book I have about the Christian Perspective, as well as Facets of Unity.

[Alison Stegert · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good Enneagram title--the most useful part is the section called Misidentifications. It helps each type understand why they might think they are another type. The information is presented so the reader can easily tease out the differences. It is worth having this book just for this section.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book doesn't claim to be an introduction to the Enneagram but certainly provides an overview. A person new to the Enneagram may be lost by the sometimes technical language Riso utilizes.

All in all, the basics of the directions of integration, basic desires/fears, and particularly the recommendations towards the end of the book are helpful tools for understanding the self.

The final chapter on essence and self-transcendence, while primarily conceptual in nature, serve to highlight well the possible power of the Enneagram in helping us understand our spiritual growth.

[Gold Dust · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written by the same men who wrote “Discovering Your Personality Type.” I disagree with a lot of what was in this book. People may think, “Who cares what you think? Who are you? What gives you the right? What are your qualifications?” Well, Enneagram is just a theory, and these guys don’t have very impressive degrees. Riso’s degrees are in English and philosophy, and Hudson has a BA in East Asian studies. So my BA in psychology should be a good enough qualification for me to come up with my own theories, although anyone who truly has common sense could think these things through logically and not need any degree to do so.

On with my summary and notes:

The types are generalizations; no person is exactly like a type description (19, 191). Our type doesn’t change throughout life (26-27). The authors saw that most of the people in their workshops had a dominant wing, but there were also people who had both wings or neither wing (26).

“Our personality is largely a collection of internal defenses and reactions, deeply ingrained beliefs and habits about the self and the world that have come form the past, particularly from our childhood” (12). (This contradicts what the same authors said in “Discovering Your Personality Type,” in which they said personality was inborn.) Later on p. 69 they say “It is likely that the prenatal and genetic basis for personality—what psychologists refer to as temperament—is the primary determinant of our personality type. Thus the Childhood Patterns do not *cause* our personality type. Nonetheless, for reasons we cannot yet explain, we see these patterns consistently repeating in the vast majority of people of a given type.”

TYPE - CHILDHOOD PATTERN - FEAR - DESIRE (77-134)
1. Disconnected to dad - being bad - to be good
2. Rejected by dad, becomes like mom - being unworthy of love - love
3. Connected to mom, wants mom’s approval - being worthless - to feel valuable
4. Disconnected/abandoned/misunderstood by both, get comfort from within - being without identity/significance - to be themselves
5. Rejected by both, overwhelmed by their needs, seek to find their own niche - of being useless/incompetent - to be capable
6. Connected to dad, seeks father figure - of being without support - support
7. Disconnected from mom, seek to nurture themselves - pain - to be satisfied & fulfilled
8. Rejected by mom, becomes like dad - being controlled/violated - self-protection & independence
9. Connected & overwhelmed by both, seeks freedom from them - loss & separation - peace of mind & wholeness

(There were charts on the later pages, but I found that some of what was stated on them was different than what was written in the longer descriptions, so I went with the longer description version when there was a discrepancy.)

TYPE - BELIEF - TEMPTATION (135)
1. I’m reasonable - personally obligated
2. I’m loving - please people
3. I’m outstanding - driven to excel
4. I’m unique - moodiness & fantasy
5. I’m intelligent - removed from immediacy
6. I’m reliable - invested in external sources of security
7. I’m enthusiastic - mentally restless
8. I’m strong - pragmatic & self-sufficient
9. I’m peaceful - accomodating

This book was published after “Discovering Your Personality Type.” The earlier book had a questionnaire which disguised the types, while this one has undisguised lists of statements for each type for people to just see how many are true of them or not (175-188). My scores based on this book’s descriptions: 55% one, 20% two, 50% three, 60% four, 55% five, 40% six, 15% seven, 15% eight, 25% nine. Since I got highest in the type that I feel I am most like, I feel this book’s “test” is more accurate of ME, however I can see that objectively it would have lower accuracy for OTHERS because people could easily just lie to make themselves score higher in the type they want to be. I happen to be honest when answering the questions, so my results are accurate. (I think my three percentage was overly high though; a lot of the statements were about self-esteem when I think they should have been more focussed on assertiveness and ambition.)

Like that former book, this one also claims that the types are not arbitrarily arranged (22), but it doesn’t say how someone decided the order of each type. The authors recommend “Interviews with Oscar Ichazo” for his use of Enneagrams. It may be available on arica.org. I’m doubting that Ichazo will say how he or someone else arrived at the order either.

I guess it was Ichazo who came up with assigning each type one of these (38-39):
TYPE - VIRTUE - PASSION - HOLY IDEA - EGO FIXATION
1. Serenity - anger - perfection - resentment
2. Humility - pride - will/freedom - flattery
3. Truthfulness - deceit - law/hope - vanity
4. Equanimity - envy - origin - melancholy
5. Nonattachment - avarice - omniscience/transparency - stinginess
6. Courage - fear - faith - cowardice
7. Sobriety - gluttony - wisdom/plan - planning
8. Innocence - lust - truth - vengeance
9. Action - sloth - love - indolence

I disagree with a lot of them because not all of them make sense for the type. I would redo them like this:
TYPE - AT THEIR BEST - AT THEIR WORST
1. Righteous - resentment & frustration
2. Selfless - envy
3. Successful - pride & greed
4. Creative - pride or moody
5. Intelligent - impractical, arrogant
6. Loyal - self-doubt
7. Optimistic - hedonistic
8. Leadership - wrath & greed
9. Peaceful - sloth

Lust could be true of any of the types. Gluttony also, except for maybe 1 and 5. (Although, I could see each type being guilty of gluttony when it’s not regarding food but rather something each type is obsessed with having a lot of: Ones are gluttons for order, twos are gluttons for love, threes are gluttons for attention, fours are gluttons for self-expression, fives are gluttons for knowledge, sixes are gluttons for friends, sevens are gluttons for fun, eights are gluttons for power, and nines are gluttons for peace/relaxation.)

Ichazo was probably trying to get every sin assigned even if they didn’t make sense. I didn’t put equivalents for holy idea or ego fixation, because they seemed to be the same as virtue and passion, and therefore redundant.
6 is often described as being either brave or cowardly, but I think loyal and self-doubting describes them better.

The book claims that the thinking types (5, 6, and 7) have difficulty making decisions (22). I disagree with that being true of 5.

“In each Triad, one type overexpresses the characteristic faculty of the Triad, another type underexpresses the faculty, and the third type is most out of touch with the faculty (this is the ‘primary type’ of each Triad and is the type on the equilateral triangle) (23).
1. Underexpresses instinctual energy by trying to control it & repress it
2. over expresses feeling
3. Out of touch with feelings; they focus on tasks & performance while unconsciously motivated by feelings (desire to be accepted & valued)
4. Underexpress their feelings; their feelings get revealed in their art
5. Overexpresses thinking
6. Out of touch with thinking; they anxiously overthink but are full of self-doubt
7. Underexpresses thinking
8. Overexpresses instinctual energy (assertiveness/aggression)
9. Out of touch with instinctual energy (passion, anger, zest for life). They feel autonomous by withdrawing.

This book gives charts of each type’s nine levels of health, but the descriptions are short and vague (143-166). Better descriptions can be found at enneagraminstitute.com “Theoretically, each Level can be described both as an integral part of the entire type and as a discrete personality subtype, unique to itself. . . . The vast majority of people, however, are not static examples of one Level; they move up and down within the Continuum, sometimes spiraling downward through the Continuum into neurosis or moving upward toward health and integration” (140-141).

The book has a good chapter on helping people to find their type when there are two that they fit into. Here are some things I found noteworthy:
*9: “While peacefulness and serenity are two of the principal traits of healthy Nines, there are also times when Nines can be angry, aggressive, and anxious. However, they virtually always think of themselves as peaceful and return to various forms of peacefulness (for instance, passivity and complacency) as their home base. And as important, when Nines are aggressive, angry, or anxious, they manifest these traits in distinctive ways: they express their anger as a coolness toward the person they are angry with and deny that they are angry. Severe outbursts of aggression can erupt suddenly and subside quickly” (190).
*1 vs. 4: Ones attend to their responsibilities first, and deal with feelings later. Fours sort out their feelings first, and deal with duties later (197). (“A Four who has genuinely integrated some of the healthy qualities of type One is still a Four” (198). Another difference between 1 and 4 is how they act when someone angers them: 4s withdraw and ignore, while 1s press themselves and their opinions on others (198).
*1 vs. 5: 5s would rather win an argument than actually be right, while 1s would rather be right (199). Unhealthy 1s are more rigid and fixed in their views, while unhealthy 5s are more uncertain and nihilistic (199). 5s want to learn about the world, whereas 1s want to perfect the world (200). 1s may be reserved, but they’re not as detached or withdrawn as 5s (200). The book says 5s are introverted thinkers while 1s are extraverted thinkers (198). I disagree with 1s being extraverted. The MBTI types that correlate with 1 are all introverts. But I agree with the book saying that 1s are more concerned with practical matters while 5s can ponder/research anything regardless of how practical it is (199). In MBTI terms, 1s would be closest to ISTJ while 5s would be closest to INTP.
*4 vs. 5: 4s’ “artistic work tends to be autobiographical, based on their families, on relationships, past or unrequited, and on the content of their subjective experience” while 5s’ work is less autobiographical, more experimental, and more often portrays their vision of reality, inner emptiness, and feelings of meaninglessness (224).
*4 vs. 6: 4s are introverts, while 6s are ambiverts (225). 4s tend to be solo creators like poets or playwrights, while 6s tend to be performing artists like actors or musicians (225). 4s create their own words/music while 6s sing/act out out someone else’s (226).
*1 vs. 6: 1s are very certain and decisive while 6s are uncertain and indecisive (201).
*5 vs. 6: “The world of academia and higher education is more the realm of Sixes than of Fives” because school requires/teaches obeying rules and authorities (231). 5s like to do things their own way, learn what interests them, come up with their own theories, etc. 5s trust their own minds while 6s look outside themselves for someone to trust because 6s don’t trust themselves.
*5 vs. 8: 8s are more assertive and practical while 5s withdraw and are impractical. It sounds like the book is also saying 8s are more sexual/lusty (232).
*5 vs. 9: 5s are opinionated and argumentative, while 9s are easygoing and accommodating (233). Sometimes 9s can be too trusting, but 5s are suspicious of people (234). 5s focus intently on what they’re researching, while 9s lose interest quickly and get distracted easily (234). 5s are strategic while 9s don’t consider the consequences. 9s simplify while 5s complexify. 9s look to the past, 5s look to the future. 5s theorize while 9s imagine fantasies. 9s are utopians while 5s are nihilists (235). 5s sound like INTP while 9s sound like sound like ISFP.
*2 vs. 9: 9s don’t need as much attention and appreciation as 2s (214). 9s fall in love with an idealized version of a person, whereas 2s see the flaws in who they love and seek to help them (215). 2s are more extraverted than 9s (215). In conflict, 9s give the silent treatment, while 2s are very vocal (215). Unhealthy 2s get narcisstic while unhealthy 9s suffer from low self-esteem (215). Healthy 2s are more helpful, while healthy 9s are more accepting and patient (215).
*4 vs. 9: 9s are more optimistic, while 4s are more pessimistic (229-230).
*3 vs. 7: 7s like to hoard possessions and experiences for their own sake, while 3s only hoard things they can show off to others (220). 7s are more childish/immature than 3s (221).
*7 vs. 9: 7s love excitement and stimulation, while 9s want to maintain a state of calm (242).

This book talks about the “Centers” and shows a chart on p. 255 and p. 274 of how a type will identify with a certain center, a certain center is segregated/cut off from other centers, or there is a linkage or scrambling between two centers. I didn’t find this especially convincing. I’d like to know how someone came up with this, but the book doesn’t say, besides mentioning someone named Gurdjieff (247).

The chart on p. 276 shows:
Compliant types: 1, 2, 6 (thinking center is undeveloped)
Withdrawn types: 4, 5, 9 (instinctive center is undeveloped)
Assertive types: 3, 7, 8 (feeling center is undeveloped)

IMO, 1 should be considered withdrawn and 9 should be considered compliant. 1s have been described as pushy and opinionated (198), which is not compliant. 9s have been described as easygoing and accommodating, which is compliant. But once again, there seems to be higher priority placed on making pretty triangles (with likely arbitrarily placed numbers) than on making sense.

P.279 has a chart of what each type should focus on: quiet mind, opening the heart, or grounding the body. I’m in disagreement with this too. Which is the type that is least emotional? Probably 5. But 5 is told to ground the body instead of opening the heart. 7s are the type to be too busy and not introspective enough, so I think they should quiet their mind. Instead the book says they should open their hearts. 1s are probably lacking heart too, but the book says they should quiet their mind.

Next, the book goes into personality disorders associated with each type (290-311). “Only when personality traits are inflexible and maladaptive and cause significant functional impairment or subjective distress do they constitute Personality Disorders [DSM-IV, 630]” (287). Here’s the list, with the levels in parenthesis:
1. Obsessive-compulsive (6, 8)
2. Somatization (6), histrionic (6), hypochondriasis (7), conversion (9), hysterical neurosis (9)
3. Narcissistic (6)
4. Avoidant (5), narcissistic (6), borderline (7), major depressive episode (8)
5. Schizoid (7), schizotypal (7), schizophrenia (9)
6. Passive-aggressive (5), dependent (7), paranoid (8), borderline (9)
7. Histrionic (5), hypomanic episode (7), manic episode (8), bipolar (8)
8. Antisocial (7)
9. Passive-aggressive (5), dependent (6), schizoid (7), dissociative (8)

Of note:
*Schizoids “appear to lack a desire for intimacy, seem indifferent to opportunities to develop close relationships, and do not seem to derive much satisfaction from being part of a family or other social group. They prefer spending time by themselves” (306). I wonder if people who claim to be asexual or autistic are actually just schizoids.
*Avoidants “avoid work or school activities that involve significant interpersonal contact because of fear of criticism, disapproval, or rejection. Offers of job promotions may be declined because the new responsibilities might result in criticism from coworkers. These individuals avoid making new friends unless they are certain they will be liked and accepted without criticism. Unless they pass stringent tests proving the contrary, other people are assumed to be critical and disapproving. Individuals with this disorder will not join in group activities unless there are repeated and generous offers of support and nurturance. Interpersonal intimacy is often difficult for these individuals. . . . If someone is even slightly disapproving or critical, they may feel extremely hurt. They tend to be shy, quiet, inhibited, and ‘invisible’ because of the fear that any attention would be degrading or rejecting. They expect that no matter what they say, others will see it as ‘wrong,’ and so they may say nothing at all. They react strongly to subtle cues that are suggestive of mockery or derision. . . . They are unusually reluctant to take personal risks or to engage in any new activities because these may prove embarrassing” (295-296).

See my comments below for the rest of my review/notes/summary.

[Kyle Carlstrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the enneagram and find it a useful tool for self-reflection! This book had many moments where I felt totally seen

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting concept. I like it because it does not claim to be a 'labeler' of personalities. It looks at the strongest core traits and helps you understand how to perceive yourself and others and how to work with different traits. I also like that it strongly discourages 'judgement' of others. Riso makes it clear that we all have some of each of the traits and that any of these can come out stronger under temporary circumstances such as extreme stress. Because Understanding the Enneagram: The Practical Guide to Personality Types is set up more as a reference book I can continually pick it up to use and refresh my understanding of one of the types without hunting or rereading the entire book. This is a keeper.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. The writers delved deeply into many aspects of the Enneagram. My favorite chapter was the one containing the quiz for self-analysis, in which I was finally able to discern my type. (I am a six.) The book covered several helpful topics, including psychological categories, levels of development, and misidentifications, the latter being an extremely helpful chapter, helping one discover their true type when being stuck between two similar options. There is a lot of insightful information in this book and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about the Enneagram and self discovery.

[Gina Brenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read several Enneagram books. I wouldn't say this one stands alone, but I do think that it explains the types in helpful ways not covered in other books. I bought this particularly for the section which explains misidentifications, which is invaluable. I wish this book also explained the wings of each type - that's my main disappointment with it.

[Paul Dubuc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting further development of some of the more basic aspects of the Enneagram. This book often refers back to the book Personality Types: Using the Enneagram for Self-Discovery by the same authors. So that book should be read first.

[Leigh Kramer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a good resource for those wanting to delve deeper into the Enneagram and how it works. The type misidentifications and practical tips for each type are outstanding. I wouldn't recommend this as the first people read on the Enneagram but it's a great next step after reading The Wisdom of the Enneagram.

[Esma T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enneagrama ilgi duyduğum için hakkında yazılan her şeyi okumaya çalışıyorum. Kitapta yazılan çoğu şeyi bilsem de bazı bölümlerde yeni şeylerle karşılaştım ve bu bölümleri çok sevdim. İyi bir çalışmanın sonucu ortaya çıkmış bir kitap, daha çok Amerikan kültürüne uygun yazılmış olsa da ayıklandığında geriye kalacak güzel bilgiler var.

[Anik Singal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really felt this book was a bit long-winded and the second half was just very 'text book' like. However, for someone STUDYING enneagrams, it's perfect. I was just trying to get an introduction to enneagrams. In which case, the first half of this book is great!

[B Casteau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating! But lots of information to take in.

[Franny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I use this as a reference book. I pick it up from time to time and find it very helpful.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my Enneagram Bibles! I love it - and have referred many friends to it.

[Carolina Polanco · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for everyone on the path for emotional growth and self-awareness. Other basic Enneagram books must be read before this one.

[Loraena · Rating 4 out of 5]

helpful for those struggling to determine type or wondering about misidentification.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

focused on the parts about 7 - just like astrology, it's a love/hate thing

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an outstanding book on the personality types and does help one put others behavior into perspective.

[Kenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite introductions to the Enneagram.

[Megan Bowden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having already read Personality Types by Riso, I wanted to dive deeper into the Enneagram and so I picked up this follow up by him.

It’s fine. There is quite a bit of additive stuff, which I’ll go into here in a moment, but for the most part there was a lot of filler. I won’t lie—I skimmed a lot because it felt like a repetition of what I have just read previously, and Riso has the tendency to be unnecessarily verbose. A lot of the chapters offered practical advice on how to use and interpret the Enneagram which I didn’t find particularly helpful because most of what was stated seemed obvious.

Most of the content could have easily been added into a second edition of his first book rather than formatted into a whole new book. However, the things I found most helpful were the new condensed layouts of nine personality types and the categories of hidden complaints, defense mechanisms, temptations, vices, virtues, and saving grace. I do also think the Identifying Your Type questionnaire was helpful in expounding upon the number profiles, as was the misidentification section. Finally, I thought the Recommendations for each type was maybe the best additive of all, really focusing on how each number can best use what they’ve learned about themselves to continue to grow and improve their level of integration.

I wouldn’t say this book is a necessary additive to your Enneagram learning, but it’s decent enough.

[Dimitris Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this one last year in this shop when I was in Dublin. Having highlighted about half of it with that light blue colored penciland of mine, it took me about a year to "finish"... Reference book or no, I was really attracted to the way it expanded on some of the concepts first laid out in Personality Types . I recommend reading that one first (or maybe even The Complete Enneagram: 27 Paths to Greater Self-Knowledge by Beatrice Chestnut for a different school of thought) if you want to get into the Enneagram, and read this one for more models and, uh, experimental ways to use this tool for personal growth and helping others out.

The Enneagram is a valuable piece of social technology -- it's a tool that can help us understand others and ourselves that works. We need to spread the word!

[Steve Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating alternative way of looking at personalities. The nine-category structure was refreshingly straightforward after I’ve learnt about Jung (via Meyers/Briggs) and Strengths Finder. However, there are layers of detail and revelation to all 0f the methods that take time to absorb. I find that I’ve learnt stuff from all of them.
I was prompted to look into the Enneagram by reading a writing blog by K M Weiland. She pointed out the way that the nine-category structure helps when building convincing characters. Now I’ve read the book I agree with this.
It’s very helpful to identify which category applies to you as your strengths and weaknesses are revealed. It’s also really interesting to be shown how your character might/would change if your mental health deteriorated or improved.
I think I must be a bit of a dabbler with these theories and methods of personality assessment. It all adds to my understanding of human behaviour, and it’s fun, too.

[Alex Wong · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I'm not new to profiling tools and coaching, I had to read this book several times to understand about personality based on this tool. It was very interesting, and helped me to understand more about the people around me and the motivations. The earlier chapters on the Holy Idea, Holy Virtues etc where a little harder for me to grasp, but once we got to the later parts where he talked about the different centres of expression, that made alot of sense to me. Once that was established, it was easier for me to head back to the earlier chapters to relink them. If one wants to understand the Enneagram more, one would probable need to keep the book close and re-read it several times to allow the insights, and nuances of the tool to sink it.

Overall, I thought the book was very in-depth and complete with regards to the Enneagram.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the misidentification portion of the book, but I thought the author’s addition of orientation toward parent figures was thrown in there without much explanation as to how he developed/tested/verified his hypothesis.

I’m happy the quizzes were included, but I had even scores for 5 and 6, and the misidentification section didn’t talk about that combination. Perhaps (likely) it was user error when taking the quiz.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the most comprehensive book I've read about Enneagram; it discusses the Enneagram from a psychological perspective and integrates with DSM diagnostics. It also looks at other types of Enneagram classification organizations (triad, wings, Hornian, subtypes) but doesn't cover them extensively.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last of my Riso-Hudson enneagram books for now. This one had two new sections; center scrambling and information on sorting out misidentified types. It also went into more detail around the spiritual aspects of Holy Idea, Holy Passion, and Virtues. It provided an interesting look into the early days of the enneagram and how it has evolved into the current system.

[Fluencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is aimed at people who are already familiar with enneagram, but the uninitiated can also benefit greatly from this. This book makes a compelling case for the use of the enneagram, there are many citations, which I found quite useful, because enneagram has connections to many traditions and topics in science, which i would like to explore.

[Shelly Nicholson · Rating 4 out of 5]

My curiosity of the enneagram led me to pick this book up. I wish I could give half stars because this would be a four and one half. I think it’s strength lies in the disintegration of the personality types. I found the personality test a bit hard to understand.

[Kathy Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting