What the Enneagram is, and what it isn't

The name joins the Greek words for nine and for something drawn. The drawing is a circle with nine points, numbered one to nine, joined by lines inside it. Each point stands for a type, and on Find My Nine each type has a name: the Idealist (1), the Caregiver (2), the Striver (3), the Seeker (4), the Observer (5), the Guardian (6), the Adventurer (7), the Protector (8) and the Mediator (9).

The numbers aren't a ranking. A Nine isn't better or worse than a One, and no type is healthier, cleverer or kinder than another. They're simply places on the circle. The place matters because of the types either side, which are your possible wings, and the lines that join it to others, which show where you may move under stress and as you grow.

Many personality tools describe what people do. The Enneagram is more interested in why. Three people might all stay late at work every night: one because a job done badly feels wrong, one because they want to be seen to succeed, and one because they're worried about what happens if they don't. Same habit, different motive, and quite possibly three different types.

That focus on motive is what makes it useful for reflection. When you read about your type, the question isn't only "do I do these things?" but "is this why I do them?" It also explains why two people of the same type can look quite different from the outside.

The Enneagram's history is debated, and you'll find bold claims about ancient roots that are hard to back up. The nine types as most people know them took shape in the second half of the twentieth century, and many teachers have added to them since, sometimes disagreeing with each other. The descriptions on Find My Nine are our own, written to be plain and practical.

Because it deals with something as personal as motive, it's worth being clear about its limits. Research on the Enneagram is still limited, and a short online test isn't built to the standard that serious decisions about people need.

• It isn't a diagnosis. It says nothing about mental health, and it can't replace a conversation with a doctor or another qualified professional.
• It isn't a hiring or selection tool. It shouldn't be used to decide who gets a job, a place or a promotion.
• It isn't a verdict on relationships. No two types are a bad match, and no two are made for each other.
• It isn't a box. Your type describes habits you tend to fall into, not limits on who you can be.

A test like ours is a starting point. It asks how much you agree with 90 statements, ten for each type, and shows which types fit you best. Your answers depend on your mood, your stage of life and how you see yourself, so the result can be off, especially when two types score close together.

The most useful next step is to read the pages for your top two or three types and notice which one feels most accurate, even a little uncomfortably so. The description that stings is often more telling than the one that flatters. From there, the other guides explain the rest of your result: the three centres, wings, tritype, and the stress and growth lines.