Personality and Nature
The core truth that the Enneagram theory aims to express is that human nature is far more extraordinary than personality. Personality traits are composed of familiar, specific parts of each person’s vast potential. While personality traits have limited expression, everyone possesses a deeper and unknown essence called nature. In spiritual terms, each person has their own divine radiance, but as our nature slumbers, we gradually forget this fundamental truth. We don’t experience our own divinity, nor do we feel the manifestation of others’ divinity; instead, we often become cold, even doubting others’ goodwill, viewing them as objects to be guarded against or used.
Most people have some concept of what personality is, but understanding of nature might be somewhat unfamiliar. Nature, as the term suggests, refers to the foundation of each person, the essence of self, the fundamental basis of our existence (also known as spirit).
Note that nature (or spirit) is different from “soul.” The fundamental basis of human existence is nature or spirit, but we sometimes broadly refer to it as “soul.” Personality is part of the soul, and the soul is composed of nature or spirit. If spirit is water, then the soul is like a lake or river, and personality is like the waves on the water’s surface, or ice on the river’s surface.
Generally, because consciousness is mostly dominated by personality, it’s difficult to sense one’s own essence. But as we deepen our understanding of our personal personality, everything becomes clearer, leading to a direct experience of our own nature. While we certainly have a role to exist in the world, if we can deepen our connection with our own divinity, we can further realize the long-term and miraculous existence of the divinity around us.
The Enneagram theory helps us see clearly the reasons why we forget our true selves and can’t see our spiritual essence. The unique insight of the Enneagram theory allows us to glimpse the true face of our mind and spirit, and provides a direction for exploration. But we must remember that this theory is not meant to tell us who we are, but to know the limitations we set for ourselves. Please remember, the Enneagram theory is not a box to fit everyone into, but a way for us to see the box we’re in and find a way out.
Personality Mechanism
The personality mechanism is driven by the basic fear of each personality type.
Basic fears usually originate from the inevitable loss of connection with our nature during childhood.
As newborns, we come into this world with natural, innate needs that must be met in the process of development and maturation. However, even in the best circumstances, parents cannot fully satisfy all our needs as we grow. No matter how much they do, there are times when they simply cannot meet 100% of our needs, especially when they cannot meet the same needs for themselves. As infants, it’s natural to express various emotions and states of being. If we have needs that our parents cannot meet, they will feel anxious and uneasy, which will also cause us to feel anxious and unhappy during infancy.
When an infant’s needs are not met, coupled with subsequent obstacles, the child’s temperament will determine how to handle anxiety. But regardless of how we later develop, we will feel that something is wrong. Even if that feeling cannot be described in words or expressed verbally, we will feel a strong, subconscious anxiety pulling at us — this is the basic fear.
Although basic fears are universal, each personality type has its own characteristics of basic fear. (From a more subtle perspective, each basic fear is generally a response to death and extinction — also the personality’s fear of nothingness.) But what affects our behavior the most is still the basic fear of our main personality type.
Basic desires are born to eliminate basic fears, a method to resist basic fears in order to continue living normally. We believe that basic desires will make life smoother, as if telling ourselves, “If I have something (love, security, peace, etc.), everything will be fine.” Basic desires can also be called self-goals because they let us know what the self has been pursuing all along.
Unnoticed Childhood Messages
During everyone’s childhood, we unconsciously receive many different messages (and other important characteristics) from our parents. These messages have a profound impact on our growing sense of identity and the degree to which we can truly be ourselves. Unless parents themselves are very mature and aware of their own nature, we will still be limited to varying degrees.
Everyone may have heard the following words, but for different types of people, the importance of the following messages varies.
Type | Message |
---|---|
Type One | It's not okay to make mistakes |
Type Two | It's not okay to have your own needs |
Type Three | It's not okay to have feelings or be yourself |
Type Four | It's not okay to be too functional or too happy |
Type Five | It's not okay to be comfortable in the world |
Type Six | It's not okay to trust yourself |
Type Seven | It's not okay to depend on anyone for anything |
Type Eight | It's not okay to be vulnerable or to trust anyone |
Type Nine | It's not okay to assert yourself |
Nature That Cannot Be Lost or Imprisoned
No matter what kind of past we have, even if childhood was extremely tragic, our nature cannot be harmed or destroyed by it; even if nature is limited by personality structure, it remains pure and flawless. If we come from a dysfunctional family, the personality structure will be more rigid and narrow; if we come from a harmonious family, the personality structure will be brighter and more flexible.
People from dysfunctional families can be encouraged if they know that everyone’s nature is actually intact, and that they can show their true selves. At first, we might spend a lot of time and energy filling in the gaps in our development process, but the core of human nature always supports us. No matter how painful things we experienced early on, our nature is not harmed, it’s just waiting for an opportunity to reappear. To gain freedom, express ourselves fully, return to life, and live as we should.
But ironically, we have always resisted opening our hearts, afraid to face the most authentic voice within. However, when we believe in this process and invest in it, our truest nature will appear, bringing genuine honesty, love, sincerity, creativity, understanding, guidance, joy, strength, and peace, which are precisely the qualities we hope our personality will exhibit.
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