By Molly Atchison | Print Managing Editor
Many times we get caught up in the whirlwind that is college — the classwork, the parties, the adventures, the extracurriculars. However, there are moments where life slows, almost stops, and in those moments, I find myself evaluating life. Most recently, I was introduced to the Enneagram Test, a personality test much like the Myers-Briggs test, which gave me new insight into the way I process thoughts, emotions and interactions with others.
The Enneagram test revolves around a set number system — there are nine distinct personalities that people fall into. You can only be one number, but each number has nine levels of healthiness, ranging from number nine (extremely unhealthy) to number one (extremely healthy). These levels allow you to see a quantitative representation of your fullest potential and your lowest low.
My Enneagram number is seven, otherwise known as “the Enthusiast.”
The Enthusiast has a lust for life that is all encompassing. We are fun-loving, interested in anything and everything and have a stubborn positivity unlike any other. Sevens often have a hard time paying attention to simple tasks (which is why I am writing this the day before it is due) and can fall into patterns of overindulgence in an effort to fill ourselves and our lives.
The enneagram narrows each number down to our basic fears and our basic desires, and that is how the psychologists and sociologists that designed the test explain our motivations in life. My basic fear is being uncomfortable or deprived, and my basic desire is to be satisfied and content. Learning this about myself gave me new insight into all of the previously meaningless definitions that I listed above.
When going through the positive and negatives traits of the Seven, I began to see that not only am I an incredibly stereotypical Seven, but that the way I interacted with people was based on whether or not I felt that they were trapping me or being too negative. If I feel like people were trapping me or depriving me of some opportunity in life, I become restless and unhappy, because I feel like my needs and desires cannot be fulfilled. And due to my inherent fear of being uncomfortable, I often times try to turn bad situations into positives, which can result in me seeming slightly insensitive to people who would rather let their emotions out and just experience the catharsis.
There’s so much more the Enneagram test can teach you, and more that I still want to learn. But at the end of the day, whether you analyze the results of a personality test or you just take the time to do some self-reflection, the important part is that we never stop trying to learn about ourselves. Not only does it help resolve conflict between friends and family, but it also allows us to figure out how to push our own limits and become better versions of ourselves. I know I learn something new about myself every day, and so can you, however that may look.
If you want to take the Enneagram test, there’s a free version of the test here, and you can see the type descriptions and more information at the official Enneagram Institute website.
