# Which Enneagram Triad is the most significant?



## Dark Romantic (Dec 27, 2011)

Head/Heart/Gut gets at the central problem with each type more closely than the others, which are more markers of identification than anything. I find the Harmonic triads the most interesting, though, since they get at some pretty buried motivations for me that aren't always apparent except in hindsight.


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## Swordsman of Mana (Jan 7, 2011)

Tater Tot said:


> I think the Frustration/Relating/Power-Seeking are the most important. To me, they make the most sense, are the most self-explanatory, and give the best kinds of information.
> I never liked the three centers because some of it is just random. (Gut and Heart center go in the same pattern, with the first type in the respective triad being outward-oriented and the last type being inward-oriented. But then the Head center screws it up and reverses it. First type is inward-oriented this time and the last type is outward. It just annoys me ) Plus, it gives people the wrong idea for example if you say ~The Feeling Triad~ because they expect that means the emotional types, which definitely isn't the case for 3. Or ~The Anger Triad~ even though 9 is the least angry type of all. (Or so they think) When you first introduce the centers and its types to people it's confusing.


the head, gut and heart centers are more than just random, but I agree that there's one in every triad that seems to be the odd man out (3 doesn't seem as heart center, 7 doesn't seem as head center, 9 doesn't seem as gut center). the rest of the types (1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 8) fit pretty nicely into their respective centers however


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## DomNapoleon (Jan 21, 2012)

My vote goes to heart/head/gut triads since they are directly involved with emotional/logical/instinctual intelligence.


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## Tater Tot (May 28, 2012)

The way I've always explained it is, the first type in each center is outward-oriented and the last type in each center inward-oriented. When people notice that 5's are more inward-oriented and 7's are more outward, I say it's because that's what they're scared of. ;P It makes perfect sense when you think about it.

Instinct
8 has problems with their outer environment
1 has problems with their inner environment

Image
2 has concerns with their outer self-image
4 has concerns with their inner self-image

And then Fear
5 is afraid of their outer world
7 is afraid of their inner world

Instead of focusing on the behavior, (5 is introverted and therefore is technically oriented towards their inner world) focus on the meanings of the centers and what that type represents for the center. (Even though they're introverted, they are outward-oriented because that is their fear, hence the Fear Center)

That little oddity just annoys me so bad :laughing:


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## sodden (Jul 20, 2009)

My vote is for the frustration/rejection/attachment because frustration is my biggest struggle and why I see a connection between the one and seven types and myself. I remember when I first read the description of object relations- it totally made me laugh because it was so blatantly obvious that I was in the frustration group. http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/articles/NArtObRel.asp#.UTem_tF4Y4Q

I also like how these three groups connect within the enneagram structure (417, 285, 396).


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## leafling (Dec 15, 2011)

I read this a few days ago and I couldn't make up my mind. I still can't. xD
My first instinct was to say ego/superego/id, but the head/heart/gut was also pretty useful for me (when I actually understood it) and reactive/competency/positive outlook is also pretty helpful.

Argh, I hate choosing! xD


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## RepairmanMan Man (Jan 21, 2012)

I am most identified with being a reactive type and a head type.

I identify like nothing with type 2, so I'm having trouble seeing that I have lots of issues in common with it. That's my main reservation about dividing us into id/ego/superego.


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