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SITEs: “36 Mis-Types“

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Why Mistyping Happens
▪︎ The Enneagram is not simple
While the basics of the Enneagram are easy to learn, it also makes room for the complexity of human personality.  Learn more about it here.

▪︎ You don’t know the 9 Enneagram types well
People new to the Enneagram can easily confuse some types if they’re not yet know what type others are that you’re meet in real life. Learn about each type here.

▪︎ You’re not looking at the Why
If you only look at the actions of a type without being aware of their deeper motivations (SP, SX, SO….), you can easily mistake one type for another. Different ones may act in almost the same way in certain situations, but their reasons will be very different (See post on Subtypes)

▪︎ You pigeonhole yourself
Confusion can also result when types are seen too narrowly. EXP : Thinking that because #4s are creative, & you’re the creative type, you must be a 4.
While basic traits apply, they’re only a fraction of what each number is, so don’t stop at the summaries.
ALSO – you may misidentify yourself by believing what someone else thinks you are

▪︎ You don’t like what you’re seeing
Many people also mistype themselves because they don’t want to acknowledge the basic ‘flaw / ‘passion‘ which actually identifies their number. Study each types weakness first, then have the courage to admit what you know about yourself- with compassion

▪︎ You didn’t take all factors into account
Enneagram types aren’t one-dimensional or static. Each will be heavily influenced by your arrow, wing, level of maturity & current state of mind. Every type can act differently when under stress vs when they’re at peace.
Mature people can also access various patterns from other types, since they’re no longer fixated on their own. Learn about wings, levels of health and stress/peace behavior

▪︎ You aren’t aware of healthy vs. unhealthy traits of each type
No-one always shows every single characteristic of their type, especially not at the same time.
Very healthy people don’t act out the most unhealthy behaviors of their #, just as very unhealthy types won’t show the healthiest parts of theirs. People aren’t stable and neurotic at the same time. See levels of health in type descriptions.

▪︎ You mistype others
Typing others isn’t magic, but it’s not simple either. This is because you almost never have a full picture of the other person (missing other ‘inventories’), so you’re working with incomplete information. To correctly identify someone’s type is a skill learned carefully – & humbly. See how (not) to use the Enneagram.     ——— (MORE ….details)

3 Most Likely Mistyped
‣ Type Threes invest a lot of energy into projecting an image that allows them to them fit in & be popular – most often in their career. Depending on their chosen facade, they can seem to be another type instead of their own – because that’s the type they want to appear to be. The important Q to ASK :  “Is that really me, or is that merely who I’d like to be?”

‣ Type Sixes often connect very strongly to the values & motivations of the authority figures they look up to, even if those ideas aren’t genuinely their own. Because 6s incorporate multiple sources, their answers on tests aren’t always based on their own Truth, so scores will be all over the place.
ASK:  “Whose voice is answering on this test? My own, or  someone I trust a lot?”

‣ Type Nine is without question the one that mistypes themself most often. This comes from their nature – 9s have the capacity to assume the views of other types because they have the least defined sense of self. They can take on a partner’s characteristics, or try to mold to cultural expectations.
Female 9s may assume they’re a #2 – associating ‘femaleness’ with helping & self-neglecting.
Male 9s often think they’re 5s because they mistake their own restrained or self-effacing attitude with the ‘thinking’ nature of the Five. Review Type Nine.

NEXT : Mistyping #2