# Is socionics better than eneagram?



## liondandyxoxo (Oct 30, 2018)

how are they different?


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## Dragheart Luard (May 13, 2013)

They actually cover different topics, as socionics focuses on information processing and intertype relationships, while enneagram focuses on defense mechanisms and many issues that are more motivation/drive related overall. So you can get a more complete picture of someone if you consider both systems.


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## Dare (Nov 8, 2016)

Enneagram is more valuable bc it's 'actionable' -- you can learn from it to improve yourself (especially given this is where motivational drive stems from). However, both systems have value and enneagram + socionics (or mbti) paint a far clearer picture of an individual than either system does alone.


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## Figure (Jun 22, 2011)

The Enneagram and Socionics are both informative theories. I have found what the Enneagram demands to be of much greater personal challenge - but in so doing what you observe about yourself is much more consequential. I find Socionics more fun and practical in managing relationships. Both theories are interested in what is "unconscious," but Socionics more so from a relational/interpersonal context and Enneagram more so in what compels someone to be defensive, and why someone would feel threatened. 

The Enneagram is based on the premise that we are born with a specific sensitivity to some aspect of reality (1 of 9), and that during infancy we develop a distorted belief that reality is missing something crucial in the flavor of our sensitivity. It becomes a knee-jerk phenomenon in our later existence, to see everything about our experiences in the context of that missing aspect of reality. For example - as a 1, my reflex is to assume someone/something is wrong or deficient, and the Enneagram tells me that's because of a sensitivity to rightness, and warped habit of not believing reality to be "right, the way it is." Having this warped belief, as a type 1, can bring about a lot of stress, upset, and pain when my warped beliefs are in fact just a product of my own warped sense of reality (each of the 9 Enneagram types has this kind of sensitivity, and follows its own version of this overall logic). The Enneagram makes us aware of these pitfalls, with the opportunity to alleviate some of the unnecessary pain through self awareness and growth. 

Socionics is based on the premise that there are 8 overall flavors of information, which each of the 16 types is able to consume, process, and be influenced by in a distinctive way and degree. These Type differences are driven by the way the 8 "Information Elements" are arranged in a metabolic model - so that Type A is able to process Element 1 in such and such a way, and to such and such a degree. Socionics then tells us our ability to process different kinds of information, and preference to certain styles of information over others attracts us to people who give us the type of info we like and can process, while repelling us, or making us conflict with those who can't - all by virtue of Type. Socionics informs us this has substantial, and often unconscious impact to our health and relationships (family, romantic, working, and platonic). More simply, we can use Socionics to predict who we'll be (not) fond of, and who will be (not) fond of us just because of our type. 

There's a possible link between Socionics and the Enneagram I feel is true - that our capacity to absorb and be influenced by certain types of information from our environment (via Socionics) may impact the way we perceive aspects of reality to be missing (via Enneagram).


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## banane_wane (May 13, 2017)

Are you kidding? Enneagram is way better.


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## Wisteria (Apr 2, 2015)

It's a matter of opinion and preference.


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## banane_wane (May 13, 2017)

There are too many ILIs in this one thread. Statistically we're all (most of us are) mistyping. Or does this thread attract ILIs almost exclusively? Or maybe socionics is bullshit?


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## JaguarPap (Mar 26, 2016)

banane_wane said:


> Are you kidding? Enneagram is way better.


Why? Mine basically told me ....I'm just vanilla. (Balanced)


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## banane_wane (May 13, 2017)

JaguarPap said:


> Why? Mine basically told me ....I'm just vanilla. (Balanced)


That's not how enneagram works...Unless you typed as 9 and you didn't look into the core aspects of your type.


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## JaguarPap (Mar 26, 2016)

banane_wane said:


> That's not how enneagram works...Unless you typed as 9 and you didn't look into the core aspects of your type.


You're right.

I think this is actually what I got:
https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/relationship-type-5-with-type-5


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## Ocean Helm (Aug 25, 2016)

Pod'Lair is better.


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## Wisteria (Apr 2, 2015)

banane_wane said:


> There are too many ILIs in this one thread. Statistically we're all (most of us are) mistyping. Or does this thread attract ILIs almost exclusively? Or maybe socionics is bullshit?


So people misusing the theory means the theory is bullshit? You're making no sense.


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## Tarver (Oct 15, 2015)

Agree that they cover different parts of the human psychology, and that neither is better. I find the combination of the two to be the most helpful. In other words, if I know a persona's enneagram type AND their quadra/MBTI type, that's the most helpful.


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## Fenty (Jun 17, 2014)

Socionics all day everyday.


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## Sylas (Jul 23, 2016)

I personally like enneagram over socionics, however, they are not exclusive of each other. On many personality forums and websites you'll see them being used side-by-side to create a more complete personality description. In a way, enneagram types have become something like additional subtypes for the MBTI/socionics typings.

One major difference is that MBTI/Socionics types describe how we think, while Enneagram types describe how we feel. One may even say that they are complimentary to each other.


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## Blue Wolf (Feb 8, 2019)

Socionics because like MBTI it's based on the cognitive functions, i.e. psychology, and not self-help, popular mysticism.


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## Epic Love (Dec 30, 2016)

I think that both systems are pretty different from each other so my opinion is that neither is particularly better.


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## Ocean Helm (Aug 25, 2016)

Blue Wolf said:


> Socionics because like MBTI it's based on the cognitive functions, i.e. psychology, and not self-help, popular mysticism.


Lol what? I'm pretty sure that self-help is the main use of The Functions in MBTI and all the surrounding theory of Internet nu-MBTI should be under roughly the same umbrella as Enneagram regarding legitimacy even if not explicitly "mystic". "It's psychology" doesn't cut it - find one reputable psychological journal publishing anything on "cognitive functions" as they are understood through nu-MBTI, or on Socionics.


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## mushr00m (May 23, 2011)

You are getting two different kinds of help working with each system. What a dumb question op. Pointless.


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## Doggy (Feb 11, 2019)

Socionics for base personality, Enneagram for motivations and behavior outside of that.


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