The lines of the Enneagram- what do they mean for you?

Each Enneagram type has a connection to two other numbers. These lines in the Enneagram shape are a further way to learn and explore more about your basic type. Different experts call them different things. In Don Riso’s  teachings he calls them the “Directions of Integration” and the “Directions of Disintegration”.  Here an excerpt of their description:

Huh? If you’re like me, you may have to read that several times to figure out what they are talking about.  I think sometimes the biggest obstacle for the average person in learning and applying the Enneagram is that the experts write in such a clinical way, it’s hard to decipher what they are really saying. Here is a simple explanation of what these lines mean for you and me.

Each number connects to two other numbers.  These connections help us see whether we are progressing, or going in a good direction, or whether we are heading in the wrong direction and actually regressing. For the purposes of our discussion, we will call the “good” direction the Direction of Growth, and the “bad” one the Direction of Stress.  When you travel along one of these directions to another number, you will adopt certain qualities of that Type- even if they are quite different from your own core Type. Think of it as a way for the Enneagram to predict our future behavior. It tells us what we will be like if we continue in a self-defeating pattern, and it tells us what healthy qualities we are capable of showing when we are doing well.

The Direction of Stress

When we have pushed ourselves as far as we can go, and the coping strategies of our Type are no longer getting us what we want, we unconsciously start to behave like the type in our Direction of Stress. In psychological terms, this is called “acting out”- we no longer feel an emotion, instead we act on it. Here’s the interesting thing about this: whatever feelings are usually repressed by our type, become the very things we act out when we move in the Direction of Stress. 

For example, type Two is the Helper who is usually seen as kind and sweet and always reaching out to others. A Two can give and give until they are exhausted. But, Twos (as do all types) have a hidden agenda. The type Two’s agenda is wanting to be appreciated for what they do. Imagine a Helper who has been busy helping all week and absolutely no one has appreciated them. She becomes stressed out and moves in the Direction of Stress to the position of a low functioning Eight. The Eight is the confrontational, power oriented person. So, the Helper suddenly blows up in your face and tells you off as to how you are an ungrateful self-centered rat and she will never help you again. She storms off leaving you wondering what happened. She will later feel remorseful and apologize only to become more helpful.  In this example the emotion the Two had repressed was anger. But once they become stressed, that anger comes out, and they become direct and assertive like an Eight can be. The more they have denied their needs, the more explosive their acting out will be.

Whatever feelings are usually repressed by our type, become the very things we act out when we move in the Direction of Stress. 

Each type moves in a different Direction of Stress:

Type One: Methodical Ones suddenly become moody and irrational like a Four.

Type Two: Needy Twos suddenly become aggressive and dominating like a Eight.

Type Three: Driven Threes suddenly become disengaged and apathetic like a Nine. 

Type Four: Aloof fours suddenly become over involved and clinging like a Two. 

Type Five: Detached Fives suddenly become hyperactive and scattered like a Seven.

Type Six: Dutiful Sixes suddenly become competitive and arrogant like a Three.

Type Seven: Scattered Sevens suddenly become a perfectionist and critical like a One.

Type Eight: Self-confident Eights suddenly become secretive and fearful like a Five.

Type Nine: Complacent Nines suddenly become anxious and worried like a Six.

When we act out in our Direction of Stress it gives us temporary relief, but of course it does not solve our problems. After we have acted out we will still have to face the same issues, we have just postponed dealing with them until later.  If we stay under extreme stress for a long time, we may get so used to acting out in the Direction of Stress that we may seem to be that Type instead of our own. Some people who take the Enneagram test during traumatic times in their life have a good chance of misidentifying themselves. 

When we act out in our Direction of Stress it gives us temporary relief, but of course it does not solve our problems.

It’s also important to realize that acting out like this is largely an unconscious coping mechanism we develop. So if we don’t pay attention and get into the habit of observing ourselves when we get stressed out, we may never realize where we’re going wrong. Knowing what to look for can help us recognize what we’re doing and stop it. Instead of wasting all that energy on behaviors that won’t end up really helping us, we can instead make a choice to move in a better direction. And that brings us to….

Direction of Growth

Enneagram Direction of Growth

As you can see in the image, the Direction of Growth is the opposite of the Directions of Stress. Contrary to the unconscious acting out that we do under stress, following the Direction of Growth requires a conscious choice. It’s letting go of all the baggage of our personality type, and realizing what qualities are missing in ourselves. You see, the qualities that we are weakest in, the ones we need to develop so we can grow as a person- those are the very ones that we find in our Direction of Growth.

For example, That same Two that we talked about before, instead of acting out their repressed anger like an average or unhealthy Eight, what they really needed to do was move towards the Four. Adopting some of the strengths of a healthy Four means that Twos learn to be in touch with their feelings and needs instead of repressing them. They accept all their feelings, even the negative ones, without censoring them. This gives them the ability to know when they need to take care of themselves, and to voice those needs- before their resentment builds to a breaking point. Now the Two that has been giving too much, and feeling unappreciated recognizes the anger they’re feeling and why they feel it.  They no longer hold it in until they can’t take it anymore and explode. They slow down in their people pleasing actions, and focus on their own needs for  a while. Realizing that doing this doesn’t make them selfish, but instead makes them healthier and better able to support others.

It’s letting go of all the baggage of our personality type, and realizing what qualities are missing in ourselves.

Each type moves in a different Direction of Growth:

Type One: Angry, critical Ones become more spontaneous and joyful like healthy Sevens.

Type Two: Prideful, self-deceptive Twos become more self-nurturing and emotionally aware, like healthy Fours.

Type Three: Vain, deceitful Threes become more cooperative and committed to others, like healthy Sixes. 

Type Four: Envious, emotionally turbulent Fours become more objective and principled, like healthy Ones. 

Type Five: Greedy, detached Fives become more self-confident and decisive, like healthy Eights.

Type Six: Fearful, pessimistic Sixes become more relaxed and optimistic, like healthy Nines.

Type Seven: Insatiable, scattered Sevens become more focused and profound, like healthy Fives.

Type Eight: Lustful, controlling Eights become more open-hearted and caring, like healthy Twos.

Type Nine: Inactive, self-neglecting Nines become more self-developing and energetic, like healthy Threes.

Moving in the Direction of Growth isn’t always easy. It may go against our natural responses. What must be done for growth is not something that we like (or we would already have done it) but something that challenges us to break out of the “box” that contains us. But doing so can help us reach our full potential and become more healthy, well-rounded people.