# Enneagram Journey Thread



## kaleidoscope (Jan 19, 2012)

1. How upset would you be if you discovered _on your own_ that you were radically mistyped all along? Why?

2. Say someone suggested a different type for you. How would you react? What would be your thoughts? (supposing they gave you legitimate reasons and didn't type you based on your vibe)

3. What's something you believe could be improved about PerC's Enneagram forum?

4. What's a lesson/experience/observation/advice pertaining to Enneagram typing that you feel others could benefit from?

5. What are some of the biggest challenges you are facing or have faced in self-typing (if forum typing is involved, do specify)?

*Boss's additional questions:

1. How did you arrive at your type? OR At what point do you find yourself in the typing process? Feel free to answer in detail. 

2. If you have used the forum to assist you in your journey, what have your experiences been like? What has left you unimpressed/frustrated? What has helped?*

I'll answer my own questions later roud:


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## Shadowlight (Dec 12, 2012)

1. I did recently (not the core, but the other two fixes). And my reaction went from "Oh Damn!" to "Oh well." 

2. Ambivalence

3. No comment

4. Typee: Trust your own judgment. Typers: Stop typing based on "vibes". And if you really like vibes then I can direct you to a bunch of stores where you can buy them to your hearts' content. Both: Respect each other as individuals.


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## Sina (Oct 27, 2010)

Oh Kalei, you beat me to it. I was going to start the same thread. :laughing: If it's ok with you, I'd like to add some questions as well since I've been active in typing and questionnaire creation and editing. You could also compile them in your OP. It's totally up to you. I don't want to start a new thread on a similar topic and create a duplicate. 

*snip*

p.s. Thanks for the edit K.
__________
@_Aghosh Roshni_
Fmp, vibe typing is a fossil around the E-forums. That shit was stamped out over a year ago. If it's still going on, I'd urge people to stop. It insults everyone's intelligence. Some of us have put way too much work into changing things around here, so let's not regress.


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## mushr00m (May 23, 2011)

kaleidoscope said:


> 1. How upset would you be if you discovered _on your own_ that you were radically mistyped all along? Why?
> 
> 2. Say someone suggested a different type for you. How would you react? What would be your thoughts? (supposing they gave you legitimate reasons and didn't type you based on your vibe)
> 
> ...


1. Maybe bewildered, more confused or a sense of relief if it makes perfect sense once say pointed out to me. I think I might be a bit upset in the fact that I misread myself or others misread me thus annoyed at myself really and maybe a bit frustrated. But ultimately relieved.
2. I would definitely take it into consideration and I consider their knowledge and reason to be sound. I would want to know if someone has a reason to doubt my type.
3. Good question. I think I will have to get back to this one later.
4. Open mindedness. Independent study. And importantly to have a solid grasp of *all* the types. That I think would lead to a more accurate, unbiased way of finding type.
5. Being honest to myself about myself. I have had the same confusions between types but I don't believe my typing journey is over. I'm quite sure of that and do not feel the need to rush it, im prepared that it will take time for more answers to come because I'm still learning new things about myself everyday. It's good to be realistic about your typing journey. It shouldn't be underestimated.


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## mushr00m (May 23, 2011)

1. How did you arrive at your type? OR At what point do you find yourself in the typing process? Feel free to answer in detail. 

Through large amounts of introspection. Other people's observation. Looking back through childhood. Keeping note of patterns. Watching my actions in relationships. Making note of what caused me the most insecurity. Lots of reading, analysing. Communicating with other types and their experiences.


2. If you have used the forum to assist you in your journey, what have your experiences been like? What has left you unimpressed/frustrated? What has helped?

People can be honest with me, they can be specific and tbh that's more my problem for not urging or reassuring them that can be done. It's a bit shakey in terms of so many people have different approaches to typing and there's going to be inconsistancies but that's expected anyway but should be aimed to be avoided. I hate hate hate vibe, behaviour typing, going off surface appearances, it's patronizing. I appreciate that people don't treat my questionnaire as a product going through a supermarket checkout. I'm spilling out my guts here and when typers go at it without any real introspection on their part, I just think well your not going to be any more knowledgable than I yet the point being, I'm looking for outside, rational, thoughtful perspective. That's all.


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## Shadowlight (Dec 12, 2012)

I think this is very much related to the topic at hand: 



> _In a study of test-retest reliability, the videos were shown to 7 of the expert judges 2.5 to 3 years after the initial testing. Reliabilities of the experienced judges were moderate (.598), and they were fair (.434) for the less experienced judges. The judges provided information on how they made their assessments of types. *Many said they trusted their first impressions and referred to a combination of analytic (attention to gestures, general body characteristics, memories of similar faces) and intuitive responses ("vibes," "gut feeling"). *Gamard concluded that the assessment of types is a highly subjective process with a lack of objective criteria. The limitations of this study were, according to Gamard (1986), primarily related to the various methods he used to calculate Cohen's kappa values, each of which had its drawbacks. Gamard's study calls into question the validity of expert opinions of the types, as well as the construct validity of Enneagram type descriptions themselves._


http://udini.proquest.com/view/an-analysis-of-the-validity-of-the-pqid:2425450421/

I have posted this link before. It contains some good information. 

I wonder if there is always going to be some sort of typer / typee bias at work that creates conflict, confusion. Perhaps what could be done is an initial acceptance that both could be wrong about someone's type and there might be a third or even fourth (maybe even one no one has considered at all) that could be the real type. It's rare. But possible.


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## Chipps (Jun 1, 2011)

*1. How upset would you be if you discovered on your own that you were radically mistyped all along? Why?
*
I wasnt that upset when I mistyped. It was more like shock at the realization that I'd ignored so many flashing lights of motivations. At this point no one can convince me that I am mistyped.

*2. Say someone suggested a different type for you. How would you react? What would be your thoughts? (
*
I'd listen to their reasoning. i always have. I dont understand how, if the enneagram is not your "identity" why so many people feel threatened when someone questions or suggests a different type for them. strange.

*3. What's something you believe could be improved about PerC's Enneagram forum?*

people could start being truthful about their actual motivations, fears and desires. nothing annoys me more than when a person says X but does Y and all the while hold tightly on to X cause its what they said, so fuck it i guess actions dont mean shit. it would make discussions about types better if everyone was genuinely typed. i dont mind mistypes who will find their way to their correct type with time. but the try hards who hide behind certain types to feel powerful are usually the more vocal and thus the most annoying. 

*4. What's a lesson/experience/observation/advice pertaining to Enneagram typing that you feel others could benefit from?*

I think people can benefit from being very aware of themselves and being honest. the truth sucks dick. get over it. lying to yourself about who you really are will not make you a different person. things can only be changed or improved once they've been acknowledged as a problem. shit, i feel like an AA counselor.

*5. What are some of the biggest challenges you are facing or have faced in self-typing (if forum typing is involved, do specify)?*

the only challenges i faced with self typing is not seeing my self completely. i only acknowledged parts. not because i was in denial but because i simply wasnt paying attention. so i think that self typing is limiting because peopel dont always see their true selves. this is why i think its best to ask other people what they might have noticed in you because once it was pointed out to me, i could see it. 

Boss's additional questions:

*1. How did you arrive at your type? OR At what point do you find yourself in the typing process? Feel free to answer in detail. *

Well I filled out a questionnaire and people were like "bitch you're not an 8 you're a 6" then I read more about the 6 and then reread my questionnaire and I was like "lol, i am a 6. im a silly bitch". It was obvious after reading the first 3 lines.

*2. If you have used the forum to assist you in your journey, what have your experiences been like? What has left you unimpressed/frustrated? What has helped?*

No. it was find for me. I was a little annoyed for maybe a few hours because i felt like people were trying to tell me who i was when in reality i'd told them who I was through my words/beliefs/values etc and they were just pointing it back out to be because I wasn't fully aware of certain parts of me. But in the end I think it was helpful. If you're willing to be honest, a lot of peopel can help you with typing online. think is too many peopel attach their identity to it and then try and purposely skew the outcome which is frustrating for everyone involved because your true self will emerge in the end. you can try look like you have the motivations of say a 7 but eventually you'll start to show signs that point to the motivations of say a 3 over the 7 even if you arent aware of it which is why i think you should ask for assistance from people who are observant and will not tell you what you want to hear.


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## Ace Face (Nov 13, 2011)

First of all, awesome thread. Second of all, awesome thread  



kaleidoscope said:


> 1. How upset would you be if you discovered _on your own_ that you were radically mistyped all along? Why?
> 
> I honestly wouldn't be upset at all. I have the opposite problem  I analyze on my own TOO much and let my mind wander off into "what if" land. I allow my mind to stray to ridiculous possibilites concerning my typing. I even somewhat recently considered 9 :laughing: Pretty laughable once I put my mind back on the right thinking track
> 
> ...


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## voicetrocity (Mar 31, 2012)

*1. How upset would you be if you discovered on your own that you were radically mistyped all along?* This actually happened to me recently, only not in regards to enneagram type. I discovered that I was mistyped as an ENFP only a few days ago; I'm not upset about it at all, maybe a little embarrassed that I spent so much time mistyped and was misinformed. I'm making sure this won't happen again by doing lots of reading and research on the enneagram. If I do find out I'm mistyped through my research and self introspection; I'll just simply accept it. I don't want to perpetuate bad information and I want to stay completely honest and true to who I am through this whole type-finding journey. 

*2. Say someone suggested a different type for you. How would you react? What would be your thoughts? (supposing they gave you legitimate reasons and didn't type you based on your vibe)* I'd accept their assessment and than them for their concern. I'm not questioning my type at the moment. But when I was still in baby steps to understanding, I used those suggestions as starting points. 

*3. What's something you believe could be improved about PerC's Enneagram forum?* Nothing specific that I can think of, that couldn't be just applied to internet forums in general. I hate people going about and trying to beat someone down for being mistyped. People who are trolls and intentionally just perpetuate sterotypes are just being given the attention they so desperately pine for when doing that- I have to admit it bewilders me when people actually take the time to fight with someone over not just their type, but anything in general (I've seen this happen where people attack others opinions in the debate forums and such, so it's not just here). It's an internet thing in general, I'm sure. I'd also like my forum to have a bit more activity, but I'm admittedly not good at starting conversation like that, though I hope I will be with the more reading and introspection I do. 

*4. What's a lesson/experience/observation/advice pertaining to Enneagram typing that you feel others could benefit from?* Others perceptions of you should only account for 50% (at MOST) of your arrival at your type. Typing isn't about wearing a label, getting a medal or adapting a persona; it's about looking at yourself, exploring those hallways and caverns of your soul that you've never bear to tread; staring them in their face and accepting them. 

*5. What are some of the biggest challenges you are facing or have faced in self-typing (if forum typing is involved, do specify)?* My own denial. I was made to feel pretty terrible for a lot of my personality traits as a child, so I learned to build walls, and cover them up with denial to prove everyone wrong. And that worked for myself too, for a brief period of time. 

Boss's additional questions:

*1. How did you arrive at your type? OR At what point do you find yourself in the typing process? Feel free to answer in detail. * arrived at my type through instincts mostly. After exploring every other type, I kind of knew through process of elimination. I sat on the information for a few months before really digging into the theory. I'm 100% confident in my core and my tritype at the moment. My instincts are still open to change, though I seriously doubt SO isn't first.

*2. If you have used the forum to assist you in your journey, what have your experiences been like? What has left you unimpressed/frustrated? What has helped?* It was mostly frustrating. I wasn't correctly typed for my MBTI; so people were probably, at least partially, using that to find a base for my type. I was pretty frustrated at myself for, I thought, not presenting myself in the best light. It's not anything that could have been helped, though. This is the interweb, and you only see a small portion of who someone is. I did like that I felt like I had room to grow and that people did challenge me and caused me to look deeper inside myself, I have no regrets.


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## Tetsonot (Nov 22, 2012)

*1. How upset would you be if you discovered on your own that you were radically mistyped all along? Why?*
I don't think I'd be upset. I've changed my type several times already as I think more and more about it. It's getting past the superficial behavior and getting in deeper. I've discovered that, though I initially seemed like a certain type on the surface, as I learned more and thought more, it turned up a different type. Another retype would just be another step along the journey.

*2. Say someone suggested a different type for you. How would you react? What would be your thoughts? *
Depending on the type, I might be surprised or I might not be. Either way, if they presented logical arguments for it, I'd look into it. It's happened to me before and I found their reasoning to be solid and I agreed with it myself. I ended up considering myself the type they suggested for a while. Sometimes we just need an outsider's perspective on it because it can be really difficult to get all the way to your core motivations.

*3. What's something you believe could be improved about PerC's Enneagram forum?*
Sometimes I wish people were more knowledgeable. There's a lot of stereotyping and watered-down theory that I think often leads to confusion and misunderstandings.

*4. What's a lesson/experience/observation/advice pertaining to Enneagram typing that you feel others could benefit from?*
You might read a type description and wonder how these people know you, but the same thing might happen with three other types. Be open to having gotten it wrong the first time and reevaluating your type. After all, there's no need to cling to one type like it's your only identity. Your personality is fluid and you're constantly discovering new aspects to yourself. Your type will change as you do and it's okay to accept that.

*5. What are some of the biggest challenges you are facing or have faced in self-typing (if forum typing is involved, do specify)?*
Understanding myself, hands down. I thought I was one thing, but then I thought I was another, but then I read something else and doubted by type all over again because it's been a struggle for me to place my finger on exactly what's going on inside of me. Give me a few more months and I'll probably do it again because I just don't know. It's a complicated and slippery process.

*Boss's additional questions:

1. How did you arrive at your type? OR At what point do you find yourself in the typing process? Feel free to answer in detail. *
First I thought I was either an 8w7 or a 5w4. I was in an unhealthy state and the 5w4 resonated with me more than the 8w7. I typed myself as a 5w4 sx/so.
A month later, after more research and a summer break in which to return to a more healthy state, I decided that I _had_ to be a 7w8. Nothing had ever been so true. The descriptions, the motivations, they were all _me_. I became slightly conflicted between sx/so and sx/sp, but quickly determined that sp has to be my blindspot. I discovered tritypes and decided on 7w8 8w7 3w4 sx/so as my full type.
Just recently, I was thinking about it more, and I became conflicted between 8w7 and 7w8. I decided on 8w7 because I identify with the motivations more. Additionally, 8 disintegrates to 5, explaining my original typing. As of now, I consider myself an 8w7 7w8 3w4 sx/so.
But give it a little while and I'm sure I'll doubt it again and change something else.

*2. If you have used the forum to assist you in your journey, what have your experiences been like? What has left you unimpressed/frustrated? What has helped?*
I haven't used the forum that much because I find it to be full of misinformation and stereotypes. I've pretty much typed myself and, even when I've asked for input, I've been largely unimpressed with the answers because they didn't offer up anything new or all that helpful. This forum seems to be full of misconceptions and mistypings. I sometimes find myself frustrated with the behaviors of people on the site, largely related to typism. However, when you do find good insights, they're really good and I appreciate the members who know what they're talking about.


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## Eideticus (Oct 6, 2012)

*1. How upset would you be if you discovered on your own that you were radically mistyped all along? Why?
*
Not upset, just amazed and curious. Amazed because of not seeing that coming and having been wrong. Curious because of wanting to know more and what I did not see before.

*2. Say someone suggested a different type for you. How would you react? What would be your thoughts? (supposing they gave you legitimate reasons and didn't type you based on your vibe)
*
I would be curious to know the reasoning and how I am being perceived by someone familiar with Enneagram compared to my own perspective.

*3. What's something you believe could be improved about PerC's Enneagram forum? and 4. What's a lesson/experience/observation/advice pertaining to Enneagram typing that you feel others could benefit from?
*
This is common trait here PerC. People spend their time defining themselves, build whole life stories, explain their own and their friends' behavior and attach themselves to certain traits and eventually feel proud of themselves of being certain type.

Of course, this all is unnecessary, useless and even harmful in terms of spiritual development. It really does not matter what type you are. What matters is what you think of yourself and how aware you are of your ego. Attaching yourself to certain type(s) and traits only strengthens your ego, not you. Real development is letting go of your ego. But it takes courage and most people never do it before death. Death is what makes us realize how most of the things we thought defined us meant nothing. What is real for us, can never be gone or lost or destroyed. It can never be defined by your personality traits, social status, occupation, relations or skills. It remains underneath all that crap.

I think Enneagram survival strategies could exist. Enneagram types have their own ego fixations and knowing those can be helpful but one should move forward after that phase. Their worth is nothing else than to help people become more aware of themselves and the way to do it is to become aware of your strategies and then to learn new ones. Self-awareness and awareness of your ego is what growth is all about. 

For example, this forum is full of Fours and Fives. Fours emphasize their feelings but in reality, feelings have very little meaning and worth. Your ego loves misery and only tricks you to seek for more misery if you are not aware of it. So, instead of wallowing in your feelings you should realize what a fool they make you and just recognize them and perhaps what they tell you about your needs and then simply let them go. Fives on the other hand focus on their thoughts. For Fives, growth means becoming aware of the difference between ego and mind and the real self. Fives grow when they realize they are not their thoughts but exist beyond them and when they can face the state when there are no thoughts, just being. Then they will realize that that state is not emptiness but a very vivid and creative and alive state of being and that only when you are not lost in your thoughts you can truly observe what is around you. 

So, long story short, letting go of what you think is important makes you free.

*5. What are some of the biggest challenges you are facing or have faced in self-typing (if forum typing is involved, do specify)?
*
Being unsure, unstable and unhealthy. And being unsure, unstable and unhealthy is not a good state to recognize your survival strategies and become more aware of your biggest problems. 

So, if you are unsure of your type after multiple questioning, realize your self-awareness is unstable and that you are not healthy, try to let go of anything you are using to define yourself. Only that enables you to truly find yourself again. False identity is no good for you so beware if you feel you need to find your identity, you are most likely trying to build a false one. Truly finding yourself then is not going to happen. And people here will only mistype you and both they and you forget you know yourself best.


*Boss's additional questions:

1. How did you arrive at your type? OR At what point do you find yourself in the typing process? Feel free to answer in detail. *

I found a book on Enneagram and thought I recognized myself right away. I knew nothing of concepts like ego or strategies or motivations, the personality traits and peculiarities guided me. Although my typing was based on very superficial and stereotypical issues, I concluded it to be correct when a lot later I was more aware of the depth of Enneagram and myself.

*2. If you have used the forum to assist you in your journey, what have your experiences been like? What has left you unimpressed/frustrated? What has helped?*

Ah, I think you can see all this from the previous replies.


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## itsme45 (Jun 8, 2012)

kaleidoscope said:


> 1. How upset would you be if you discovered _on your own_ that you were radically mistyped all along? Why?


Wouldn't be upset at all. I don't find mistyping very likely for myself (in terms of enneagram, it's slightly less clear in other theories) but if it happened I'm sure it'd mean I understood myself better.




> 2. Say someone suggested a different type for you. How would you react? What would be your thoughts? (supposing they gave you legitimate reasons and didn't type you based on your vibe)




In one word, inquisitiveness. (And yeah typing just based on subjective "vibes" online is silly)




> 3. What's something you believe could be improved about PerC's Enneagram forum?


Some more information on deeper enneagram stuff never hurts  Not interested in stupid stereotypes, I don't fit into any of those




> 4. What's a lesson/experience/observation/advice pertaining to Enneagram typing that you feel others could benefit from?


Type label is just a label, nothing more, it all goes beyond that. Go beyond superficial descriptions, look into yourself according to the deeper ideas in enneagram theory. At the same time, don't forget it's one theory and even though it does a pretty good job, doesn't try to explain away everything like some certain other theories do, enneagram is still just one thing that helps in understanding yourself, there's more to it. All these theories, the categories and the ideas on causal links between things are not perfect really but that's ok as long as you don't forget this simple fact. 




> 5. What are some of the biggest challenges you are facing or have faced in self-typing (if forum typing is involved, do specify)?


I don't have a simple self-concept of myself as I don't see myself as a simple person either... there is so many aspects of who I am. It was also hard to understand some theory ideas initially as some of it is presented too superficially in many online sources/books/forums/etc.




> Boss's additional questions:
> 
> 1. How did you arrive at your type? OR At what point do you find yourself in the typing process? Feel free to answer in detail.


Oh sure long story  

I first saw an enneagram book years ago, I didn't really delve into it back then. I skimmed through some parts of type descriptions, not more than that, I vaguely thought I shared some things with 3 and 7, didn't read all the types stuff though. (Even earlier, had a quick free version of the RHETI test filled out that a friend showed me online that had 3 as the result but not much came out of that, I didn't get into it at all back then.) Then last year my brother later got into the whole enneagram thing passionately and around the same time I happened to be checking it out myself (along with MBTI/etc), he told me I'm a 3, I told him I thought I could actually be a 7 instead, he went all apeshit about how I'm nothing like a 7. Well, his arguments made sense but by that point I already decided that such superficial stuff is not very defining so I didn't really care or pick any type yet. 

Around this time and afterwards, I went through about 3 books IRL, I skimmed some of it, I read some of it more thoroughly, still didn't manage to pick a type. Just none of all these motivations and whatnot of any type wanted to line up nicely when checking out summaries of them. I only read type 3 and 7 descriptions more thoroughly though, as I thought I'd have to mainly choose between these two. One of the books had a test for each type, I got 7, 3 and 8 along with some 5 most strongly in that test in this order. 

After that, on online forums I was told I could be 7 then 8, depending on who it was analysing... if 7 then I'd get typed 7w8 specifically, if 8 then I'd be told 8w7. Then I noticed that integration/disintegration line made no sense for 7 at all, but did make a lot of sense for 8. I guess that was one of the things helping, the other one was reading some very good analyses on a couple of sites about what issues each type has and I could see myself only in 8, not much in 7 or 3, though I do share traits with those types and even some motivations of 3 and a little of 7, but all that on a more superficial level only. 

Since then, I have not tried to question my typing, I delved into tritypes and instincts a little bit, not very serious about those parts though, couldn't even decide secondary instinct and don't care if my tritype is 8-7-3 or 8-3-7 though I think that the latter is a bit more like me. 




> 2. If you have used the forum to assist you in your journey, what have your experiences been like? What has left you unimpressed/frustrated? What has helped?


Pretty good overall. I like the discussions in the threads, it's all very interesting stuff about what other people in the Type 8 forum write about and it helps reading some of it. Thanks a lot for everyone's typing help too  This site is also the site where I posted my last enneagram typing questionnaire, I tried a few sites before... I no longer feel the need to re-do that part of the typing process again. No real problem with frustration.


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## Kito (Jan 6, 2012)

*1. How upset would you be if you discovered on your own that you were radically mistyped all along? Why?
*I tend to identify strongly with groups, so I might be a little upset about having to leave that group behind, feeling like I'm betraying myself or the group. But eventually I'll move on and realise there's no use in dwelling on something that's wrong and is never going to help you.

*2. Say someone suggested a different type for you. How would you react? What would be your thoughts?(supposing they gave you legitimate reasons and didn't type you based on your vibe)
*I might react like "wtf no way" at first, but it'd come out like "Haha, I see what you mean but I don't think I'm that type. Thanks for the suggestions though!". The thought would linger in my mind, and I'd be subconsciously denying it (unless I think it's obviously wrong, in which case I'd never think about it again).

*3. What's something you believe could be improved about PerC's Enneagram forum?
*I don't think anything's wrong with it. Don't fix what ain't broke, and all that. I thought it might be nicer to have more people visiting it, but then it might turn into the MBTI forum and more stereotypes could develop. Something about MBTI fans trying to translate Enneagram into MBTI really frustrates me. It makes me want to yell at them to stop being ignorant and realise they're two completely separate theories (although I'd never actually do that).

*4. What's a lesson/experience/observation/advice pertaining to Enneagram typing that you feel others could benefit from?*
To realise that being mistyped is actually a big deal, especially if they're pursuing personal growth. You don't want to waste time working on yourself the complete wrong way.

*5. What are some of the biggest challenges you are facing or have faced in self-typing (if forum typing is involved, do specify)?*
I relate to multiple types and every description describes the types slightly differently, so I'm getting mixed messages. There's also the issue of wanting to be one type more than another. I feel like I have to fit the type 100% or else there's something wrong. I often fear mistyping because of what people will think once they find out I've been posting as x type, when I wasn't x type all along.

*6. How did you arrive at your type? OR At what point do you find yourself in the typing process? Feel free to answer in detail. *
I've gone from 6w7 > 7w6 > 9w8 > 9w1 > 6w7 and now I'm unsure again. 6 seems to be that type you settle on when none of the others fit, but from the basic 6 descriptions... they're just not doing it for me. I have no idea what my support system is. What is this authority or external belief I supposedly align with? I don't know. Everything about 9 fits except the never being angry part. Everything about 7 fits except being energetic and assertive. Okay, that's pretty much half of type 7, but y'know. Most of the times I've settled on a type, it's because I thought "fuck it, I can't be bothered researching anymore, let's just go with x type".

*7. If you have used the forum to assist you in your journey, what have your experiences been like? What has left you unimpressed/frustrated? What has helped?*
Contradictory descriptions definitely don't help. The most useful part has probably been talking with other people of the same type. The longer you spend around people of x type, the more you get to know about x type. I know way too much about 7, 4 and 9 compared to the rest of the types. Not being able to get a certain answer is frustrating, but I imagine it's just my mind doubting itself too much. I'm talking just like a 6 now. Blah.


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## Sonny (Oct 14, 2008)

kaleidoscope said:


> 1. How upset would you be if you discovered _on your own_ that you were radically mistyped all along? Why?


I did discover that, it gave meaning to the system tbh, I was happy I was able to gain actual insight as opposed to it being yet another system of labels that can be amusing to discuss.

There's no chance that I am mistyped now, however if that were to happen then I expect it would be the same again: More information, better understanding, a shift in perspective. T'would be all good.

I cannot fathom why people get so attached to a type at the expense of reality.



> 2. Say someone suggested a different type for you. How would you react? What would be your thoughts? (supposing they gave you legitimate reasons and didn't type you based on your vibe)


I find it interesting. No one has here (iirc), however I enjoy it when people suggest different typology types because it gives me insight into how they perceive me and with my MBTI type it turned out to be them seeing something I wasn't sure of myself when I was typing as INTP.

It was frustrating in the reverse situation though, elsewhere when I came to realise I was likely 9, not 7, people's perceptions were caught up on the image I had been given through typing that way for so long. People couldn't see me as a 9 because of their perception and it ended up feeling like I was defending my reality against an their claims that the image they saw which was a façade, or at least over estimated in terms of what it meant, determined I must be a head type. I had people tell me I was definitely not a 9, which was very *head desk* for me because it meant I was unable to focus on what I needed to in the discussions.



> 3. What's something you believe could be improved about PerC's Enneagram forum?


More 9s. Definitely more 9s.



> 4. What's a lesson/experience/observation/advice pertaining to Enneagram typing that you feel others could benefit from?


Read books, not websites.

Palmer, Maitri and Naranjo are my personal recommendations.



> 5. What are some of the biggest challenges you are facing or have faced in self-typing (if forum typing is involved, do specify)?


As mentioned above, online image may have a basis in reality however it is only one aspect of the person, it is easy to interpret aspects as more or less important that they actually are. I relate to 7 easily, I love fun and adventure, I am an ENTP, however none of those things are reasons to type me as a 7, unless people look at the core motivators it's not worth the time.

Of course the other issue with self-typing as a 9 is recognising who you are etc, it is one of the weak points of 9s.



> 1. How did you arrive at your type? OR At what point do you find yourself in the typing process? Feel free to answer in detail.


I typed as 7 because it was a good enough fit for my ENTPness, and the fun thing, I always scored as 7 or 9 on the crappy online tests and the crappy websites I looked at for 9s painted them as way too uninspired and 'pleasant', and there appeared to be a strong w1 leaning, so I did not consider it as a serious possibility. 

There was never any brilliant advice I could find from my E7 readings so I would take tests intermittently, 9 kept coming up and after typing as 7 for about 2 years my low energy clash with the E7 typing became to in my face to ignore. In a weird round-about way I think the reliability of my typing can be determined by test taking patterns, whenever it's been wrong, no matter how sure I was I would always keep taking test every couple of months because the information I was getting from "knowing" my type was lacking, since I've settled on 9w8 So/Sx I haven't, and I believe it's because the information that I'm getting from that typing is too spot on to bother with crappy tests.



> 2. If you have used the forum to assist you in your journey, what have your experiences been like? What has left you unimpressed/frustrated? What has helped?


I came here to be on a forum where people had no preconceived perceptions about my E-type, so that I could post on the 9 boards and try it on for size without doing the 9 thing of giving other's opinions more credence my own and therefore than they deserve. In that regard it's been most helpful and rewarding.


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## madhatter (May 30, 2010)

*1. How upset would you be if you discovered on your own that you were radically mistyped all along? Why?*

I did discover on my own that I was mistyped. I was typed as core-9w8, and I came to realize that 9 was not fitting, and I re-examined 5 as my core type. I wasn't so much upset, but rather embarrassed and resigned to the fact. I went into a deep introspection after my type change and didn't really participate in enneagram conversations for several months. I actually genuinely thought I was a 9, and I did learn things about myself while under that type, so it wasn't time wasted. 

*2. Say someone suggested a different type for you. How would you react? What would be your thoughts? (supposing they gave you legitimate reasons and didn't type you based on your vibe)*

I would hear them out and depending on which person was doing the suggesting, I would consider what they said and discuss why they thought that pointed to a different type. I'm pretty sure what my type is, but I wouldn't write them off if they had a good argument. 

Even though I'm sure of my type, I still reexamine myself and question my type. I just think that it's part of my process. So when someone has some legitimate input, I'm more than happy to hear it. 

*3. What's something you believe could be improved about PerC's Enneagram forum?*

I really haven't thought about it too much lately. I think the forum is much better now than when I first joined PerC. I just think that there's more people who are serious about Enneagram, and that's what's made it better.

*5. What are some of the biggest challenges you are facing or have faced in self-typing (if forum typing is involved, do specify)?*

I think my biggest was deciding between 5 and 9. I relate a lot to both types and can see myself as both. I really had to dive in and examine my core motivations and decide the root of it all. What really convinced me was looking at the levels of health of both types and then remembering what I was like 10 years ago. I saw the epitome of an average to unhealthy 5. 

_*1. How did you arrive at your type? OR At what point do you find yourself in the typing process? Feel free to answer in detail. *_

I've described this several times around the forum, so I might try to look for it later and paste it here, if I get a little more time. 

_* 2. If you have used the forum to assist you in your journey, what have your experiences been like? What has left you unimpressed/frustrated? What has helped?*_

My experiences have been mostly positive. I filled out the questionnaire, but that didn't really helped. What has helped is participating in less formal conversations with different types.


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## Coburn (Sep 3, 2010)

*1. How upset would you be if you discovered on your own that you were radically mistyped all along? Why?*

The only "radical" options would be a four or nine. Which I simply cannot be. Which means if I ever come to think I am one of these, I am under the influence of someone with incredible powers of evil. 

*2. Say someone suggested a different type for you. How would you react? What would be your thoughts? (supposing they gave you legitimate reasons and didn't type you based on your vibe)*

Eh, that's interesting. I'll think about it.

(goes off and does other stuff)

*3. What's something you believe could be improved about PerC's Enneagram forum?*

To be honest, we need more trolls. Or at least angsty mistypers. The forums have lacked the controversial spice of life.

*4. What's a lesson/experience/observation/advice pertaining to Enneagram typing that you feel others could benefit from?*

The enneagram is not the end all be all. Don't overthink it.

*5. What are some of the biggest challenges you are facing or have faced in self-typing (if forum typing is involved, do specify)?*

My one-ness is not very overt, so it often flies under the radar for most people, myself included. There are times when something happens and I say "ah, now I see it," but most of the time it's a bit out of sight. Which means I can occasionally start wondering if I'm actually another type.

So I guess the biggest challenge for me is not seeing a lack of one-ish behavior as evidence I am not a one. 

*Boss's additional questions:*

*1. How did you arrive at your type? OR At what point do you find yourself in the typing process? Feel free to answer in detail. *

I can't remember why, but at some point a few months back something clicked. It made sense in a "tilt your head to the side and squint one eye whilst hopping at a moderate pace on your left foot" sort of way. So I'm pretty sure I'm a one, although I'm open to re-arranging my tritype (173).

*2. If you have used the forum to assist you in your journey, what have your experiences been like? What has left you unimpressed/frustrated? What has helped?*

Pretty much didn't know about the enneagram before PerC. 

My experience has been good and bad. First there was taking it too seriously. Then there was struggling to believe internet strangers could accurately identify my whole existence from a few existential paragraphs posted during an angsty time in my life. Then I got a job and didn't have time to care, which helped me regain some perspective on the whole thing. Now I just come on here for kicks. 

I don't get emotionally wrapped up on PerC, so there's not much that really bothers me. Oh, except the One forum being dead. *D-E-A-D*. _It's embarrasing_. It also doesn't help that the only other forum I visit frequently, the *ESTJ* subforum, is ALSO one of the slowest moving areas on this site. I'm pretty much a cluster of dullness surrounded by other clusters of dullness who don't post. Hence the reason I recommend letting more trolls in. 

What's helped the most is the Log Out button. As much as I enjoy the opinions of others on here, I find I learn a lot more about myself just living life.


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## Choice (May 19, 2012)

kaleidoscope said:


> 1. How upset would you be if you discovered _on your own_ that you were radically mistyped all along? Why?


I'd cry tears of happiness since I'm bored of my own patterns. It'd be great if it could alert me to some other behaviors of mine that I'm not aware of though. *Then I'd gloat at everyone who typed me wrong just because I can.* 

2. Say someone suggested a different type for you. How would you react? What would be your thoughts? (supposing they gave you legitimate reasons and didn't type you based on your vibe)

We're all a mixture of different types. I'd probably ask them a ton of questions for clarification, and then try to look into it. Hopefully I'd learn something.

3. What's something you believe could be improved about PerC's Enneagram forum?

-Tritype descriptions. Whether you believe in em or not, the current ones are painfully lacking. 
-It would help if additional read-up links & mistype links were stickied in the type me section.

I'll need to think more on this question later.

4. What's a lesson/experience/observation/advice pertaining to Enneagram typing that you feel others could benefit from?

Core motivations > behaviours. Descriptions are often biased, and internet pop quizzes = guideline only. If you haven't gotten your Core type down, forget them tritypes etc. 
The qualities of your Type are not to be used as excuses (shame on me and everyone else).

Same ol Same ol.

5. What are some of the biggest challenges you are facing or have faced in self-typing (if forum typing is involved, do specify)?

-The parent & child theories seem to not work for up to half the people I bump into.
-Some parts of the integration & disintegration points section I find hard to relate to personally.

-Looking back on my type me questionnaire, many of my answers appear to be guesswork. 
_Make sense logically (somewhat)? Let's put that down!_
 Problem: I'm known for jamming jigsaw pieces together while I'm colour blind, and calling it a match just because the edges hold. 

I hesitate to have another go until I'm more confident in my self knowledge...
But then again I'm hardly patient. We'll see.

*Boss's additional questions:

1. How did you arrive at your type? OR At what point do you find yourself in the typing process? Feel free to answer in detail. 

*I was 12 or so. Took several pop quizzes, recognized myself in the results description immediately. Friend verified yes. I shrugged. The end.
*
2. If you have used the forum to assist you in your journey, what have your experiences been like? 
*
I lurked at first, found lots of examples to relate to.
And then I was excited that (less than four) people saw me as a 6 after I put emphasis on my anxiety. 
And then I dumped buckets of vomit over a 5.
And then I thought some more.
And now I wander around in a completely confused stupor.
*
What has left you unimpressed/frustrated? What has helped?*

I'm sad because I haven't found someone who pisses exactly like me yet, but I've come close


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## Shadowlight (Dec 12, 2012)

Sonny said:


> There was never any brilliant advice I could find from my E7 readings so I would take tests intermittently, 9 kept coming up and after typing as 7 for about 2 years my low energy clash with the E7 typing became to in my face to ignore. In a weird round-about way I think the reliability of my typing can be determined by test taking patterns, whenever it's been wrong, no matter how sure I was I would always keep taking test every couple of months because the information I was getting from "knowing" my type was lacking, since I've settled on 9w8 So/Sx I haven't, and I believe it's because the information that I'm getting from that typing is too spot on to bother with crappy tests.
> 
> I came here to be on a forum where people had no preconceived perceptions about my E-type, so that I could post on the 9 boards and try it on for size without doing the 9 thing of giving other's opinions more credence my own and therefore than they deserve. In that regard it's been most helpful and rewarding.


I think you raise a very valid point about impressions and perceptions. I was only mistyped a few days on this forum and now I feel slightly awkward having figured things out. Do you feel as though it tarnishes your sense of self-authenticity? Do you sit back to wonder if there are people out there judging you based on your mistype / typing history. You suggest that having this fresh start helped you continue to grow and learn. Could you share your experience in places where people had a different perception of your type and how you were able to move past it? 

I think that people who have a history of mistyping through their errors, or errors cause by others (it is entirely plausible that someone may have been able to convince someone of a type that they are not) end up first having to re-prove their type consistently and that could potentially stunt their growth, as well as desire to share in sections that are dedicated to a particular type forum.


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## Sina (Oct 27, 2010)

@_Shadowlight_

Since your questions are pertinent, I am going to address them as well. Having been here for 2 years, I can tell you this place has been through a lot of changes. You can divide it into the before and after the Enneagram questionnaire 'eras' lol. The questionnaire and the efforts some people have made, including myself, to dispel negative stereotyping of certain types in particular, to negate the whole vibe typing, typing by negative stereotypes etc., pathologizing and/or intruding upon the typee has changed things around here in a major way. If you check the forum rules, a new one was added that clearly states unsolicited public questioning of people's types is not allowed. 


Mistyping is the individual's own business, and outside of threads where they are clearly asking for feedback, people are not inclined to raise questions about their authenticity or whatever. The only time people will get frustrated, and with very good reason, is when a person that changes their type like clockwork starts offering typing advice and spreading misinformation by pulling nonsense out of their ass. These are the kinds of people who catch flak, not because they're mistyped, but because they're fuckin obnoxious. If you change your type every 3 days and continue to do this for months on end (I don't exaggerate; some people have done this), while contradicting yourself multiple times, then you really shouldn't be on threads typing other people. Also, if you're not completely confident about your type or have a long (I mean months or years long) history of switching from type to type, then don't let your insecurity about your typing lead you into overcompensating fool category where each time you change your type, you change your entire demeanour, contradict past claims wildly and repeatedly and pre-emptively push and push and push your typing on others, even when it's not being questioned. It is this annoying attention whoring that some people engage in that attracts negativity. Otherwise, people are here, by and large, fairly understanding and accepting. For example, @_aconite_ has recently arrived at Core 4 for their type after having been typed as 7 for a while. Everyone, to the best of my knowledge, has respected their conclusion. 

So you see, people tend not to bother/question/confront people who are just on a sincere personal journey and are changing types as they learn more about themselves (especially someone like you, who's barely a month old on the forum). Hell, nearly everyone here has mistyped in the past. It's not the end of the world. It happens all the time. It's completely fine. Nearly all of us have once been "mistyped". I was typed as 8 when I joined, and the forum was a very different place then. Part of the reason why all these positive changes have taken place is because I, appalled and irritated, by how I was treated over being perceived as a mistype, decided to move things in a more positive direction. Since then, I have come to realize I am a 3. Now, the issue isn't that people thought I was mistyped. I was always cool with that. The issue was the persistent mistreatment involved. 

I still post on the 8 forum, and barring about 2 people who were plagued by their own insecure butthurtedness (they're also likely mistyped themselves), no one has ever questioned me for posting on any of the Type forums. I was active in typing, and that doesn't mean I am some sort of 'authority' on typing others (though, yet again, insecure butthurt idiots, will pre-emptively become defensive over this) and can't be mistaken. If tomorrow, I go ahead and take RH and Palmer workshops where I'll delve deeper into my psyche and come back and say, I am a 7w8, then that's that. Nobody here owes me shit, and I don't owe anyone anything. It's my journey, and choosing your type is your journey. 

I remember @_Maybe_ was quite upset recently when she realized she had mistyped. And, I and a couple of others have always assured her that she needn't worry about that as it's her journey, her truth. Unless you're a troll or the obnoxious overcompensating persistently irritating, contradictory and foolish mistype [who keeps up their typing drama for months on ends, whipping up never-ending shitstorms of butthurt in the process] described above, you'll be fine.


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## Shadowlight (Dec 12, 2012)

@Boss - Thank you for the detailed response and sharing your experience. I would like to read more from other individuals as well if they would like to share. 

I'm personally a very self-confident person and have been in a very good place for a long time. Apart from feeling a little awkward and somewhat in denial about the whole 528 tritype, I'm still very self-assured in both my knowledge that I have gained until now and of course am open for more  

Luckily, knowing that my blind spot is getting close to people through offers of help, I've decided not to fall into that trap yet again (which I suppose is lucky for others as well as myself). I'm not here to type people or provide any kind of assistance - and instead just participate and learn about people as a whole. 

I also want to learn about the reality of enneagrams as experienced by people because there's only so much theory can teach you.


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