Enneagram types and functions: a complete guide!

Do you know what the enneagram types are, what their functions are and how it works? Let’s learn more about this topic today:

What is the enneagram?

There are several enneagram tests on the internet, and it is even used by professionals in the field of Human Resources to learn more about their employees and potential candidates in Job interviews.

The enneagram is a personality system, like the MBTI, and each type is identified by a number from 1 to 9 that reflects a central disposition of thoughts, emotions and behaviors.

All nine personalities are interconnected, and generally represented by a circle, with a triangle and a hexad, which is a set of six items.

The idea is that by understanding your type, you can gain insights into automatic behavioral patterns and develop greater awareness and understanding of yourself and others.

What are the enneagram types?

There are nine different enneagram types that can represent a part of your personality. Let’s now get to know the enneagram types and their main characteristics:

1 – Perfectionist

This is the first type, and like the concept of perfectionism itself, people who have this enneagram generally have a lot of motivation, are focused on action and are demanding.

They are usually organized and methodical people, they are usually ethical and responsible, always concerned with constant improvement.

2 – Donor or helpful

A helpful or giving personality type, their actions are usually motivated by the need to be loved and accepted as well.

They are compassionate and relationship-oriented. They tend to focus on the needs of others, often to the detriment of their own.

3 – Director

It is a personality type whose main focus is success, they are very motivated and highly adaptable people.

They are ambitious, competitive and sociable people, but they can also be superficial, narcissistic and even insincere.

4 – Romantic

If you are a romantic type of person, you will probably be emotion-oriented. They tend to be creative, sensitive and emotionally deep.

At the same time they can be sad, melancholic and even self-destructive, having the emotional addiction to sadness.

5 – Observer

The observer's main motivation is to obtain more knowledge and understand the world around him, one of his main functions is intuition, which is very strong.

If we talk about their positive characteristics, we can highlight that they are intelligent, independent and very curious, but they tend to isolate themselves, becoming distant from other people, with a cold and often apathetic personality.

6 – Questioner

The questioning type can be somewhat insecure and even considered anxious and pessimistic, but they can also be responsible, attentive, trustworthy and loyal.

Its main motivation is stability and security, which is easily identified considering its positive and negative sides.

7 – Dreamer

The dreamer, as we might think, is a personality type focused on pleasure and fun, they are optimistic and adventurous, spontaneous and fun to be around.

But we can notice some negative traits in their personality too, they tend to have an immature, procrastinating and even impulsive side.

8 – Confrontational

The 8th type likes control and having power, they are people who are aggressive in their way of speaking, but at the same time assertive. They like to have control and have strong dominance.

Furthermore, they appear to be independent and strong, but at some point they can show their stubborn side.

9 – Preservationist

We can say that the last and rarest of the types, the ninth, are more pacifist people who seek to avoid conflicts and confrontations as much as possible, unlike the eighth personality, for example.

It is important to highlight that these descriptions are generalizations and each person is unique, even within a specific type.

But at times we can see ourselves in one of the nine enneagram types.