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Thursday, November 08, 2007

What Number am I?

After much speculation, the results of the test are in.

Enneagram Test


Profile Summary for Enneagram Type One
Healthy Levels


Level 1(At Their Best): Become extraordinarily wise and discerning. By accepting what is, they become transcendentally realistic (i don't know what that means, but it sounds awesome), knowing the best action to take in each
moment. Humane, inspiring, and hopeful: the truth will be heard.

Level 2: Conscientious with strong personal convictions: they have an intense sense of right and wrong, personal religious and moral values (uh huh, everything is based on some deep principle). Wish to be rational, reasonable (yeah, this drives Lynn crazy), self-disciplined (uh, not so much), mature, moderate in all things.

Level 3: Extremely principled, always want to be fair, objective, and ethical: truth and justice primary values. Sense of responsibility, personal integrity, and of having a higher purpose often make them teachers and witnesses to the truth (yep!).

Average Levels

Level 4: Dissatisfied with reality (is that why I'm always complaining about the state of evangelicalism?), they become high-minded idealists, feeling that it is up to them to improve everything: crusaders, advocates, critics. Into "causes" and explaining to others how things "ought" to be.

Level 5: Afraid of making a mistake: everything must be consistent with their ideals (My lack of consistencey, even in my theology, drives me nuts. Why can't I just be a Presbyterian). Become orderly and well-organized (no one has ever accused me of that!), but impersonal, puritanical (I hate it when the Puritans are cast in a bad light. Yeah Puritans!), emotionally constricted, rigidly keeping their feelings and impulses in check. Often workaholics—"anal-compulsive," punctual, pedantic, and fastidious (ask Lynn about the tablecloths).

Level 6: Highly critical both of self and others: picky, judgmental, perfectionistic. Very opinionated about everything: correcting people and badgering them to "do the right thing"—as they see it. Impatient, never satisfied with anything unless it is done according to their prescriptions. Moralizing, scolding, abrasive, and indignantly angry (Ok, this would be me on a really really bad day).

Unhealthy Levels

Level 7: Can be highly dogmatic, self-righteous, intolerant, and inflexible. Begin dealing in absolutes: they alone know "The Truth." (Not me alone. Me and John Piper, except where I disagree with him, then it is me alone.)Everyone else is wrong: very severe in judgments, while rationalizing own actions.

Level 8: Become obsessive about imperfection and the wrong-doing of others, although they may fall into contradictory actions, hypocritically doing the opposite of what they preach.

Level 9: Become condemnatory toward others, punitive and cruel to rid themselves of "wrong-doers." Severe depressions, nervous breakdowns (I have mine planned for Christmas break. Anyone want to join me?), and suicide attempts are likely. Generally corresponds to the Obsessive-Compulsive and Depressive personality disorders.

Key Motivations: Want to be right, to strive higher and improve everything, to be consistent with their ideals, to justify themselves, to be beyond criticism so as not to be condemned by anyone.

Examples: Mahatma Gandhi, Hilary Clinton (oh, crap), Al Gore (double crap), John Paul II, Sandra Day O'Connor, John Bradshaw, Bill Moyers, Martha Stewart (you gotta be freaking kidding me), Ralph Nader, Katherine Hepburn, Harrison Ford, Vanessa Redgrave, Jane Fonda (ok, now I'm angry), Meryl Streep, George Harrison, Celene Dion, Joan Baez, George Bernard Shaw, Noam Chomsky, Michael Dukakis, Margaret Thatcher, Rudolph Guliani, Jerry Brown, Jane Curtin, Gene Siskel, William F. Buckley, Kenneth Starr, The "Church Lady" (Saturday Night Live), and "Mr. Spock" (Star Trek - the good of the many outweighs the needs of the few!).

PS. Number 5 was second and Number 8 was third (very close to each other, but distantly behind Number 1).

5 comments:

seg said...

Wow, Dan!! A ONE??? That's awesome. Definitely didn't see that coming!

Nicole (a ONE) once said to me in our many Enneagram-conversations, "The only other type I'd rather be is a FIVE" and I said "The only other type I'd rather be is a ONE!" ... which, clearly, is missing the point of all of this!! ... but, honestly, it's probably the mark of the ONE's and FIVE's 'right-ness'

OH, and I try not to pay attention too much to the 'famous' examples of each type. Most of it is based on perceptions of them or only the facet of their lives that we know ... and, honestly, it is pretty scary to think of the 'bad examples' of your type.

But, you could focus on the good examples -- the Christian Enneagram book says Luther was a ONE ... and, Paul! REFORM.

Doug said...

Are you sure you are not just being swayed by the label my friend? C'mon... "Reformer"? Seriously. Like a moth to the flame...

Doug said...

Martha Stewart? Ha ha ha... you just have to write a theology of baking now!

Anonymous said...

haha! Yeah, no one saw that coming! What does that mean...? And now I have to admit being wrong with my predictions...very hard for a ONE.

seg said...

By the way --- I'm convinced that you are not a Type One, Dan.

You're a 6w5 (Six with a Five Wing)