hey there! for enneagram, ive seen lots of people list 3 numbers/types but idk how that works? is it just ur top 3 results? thank you!
Hello! What you’re describing is called your tritype.
It’s not exactly your top three results. The Enneagram is split into three sets of three called “triads” or “centers.” Here’s a really, really brief overview:
The first is the Heart Center/Triad. It contains numbers 2, 3, and 4. These are the types that are motivated by shame.
The second is the Head Center/Triad. It contains numbers 5, 6, and 7. These are the types that are motivated by fear.
The third is the Gut Center/Triad. It contains numbers 8, 9, and 1. These are the types that are motivated by anger.
Your tritype will have one number from each of these triads. For example, your tritype could be 3-6-9 – that’s one from each.
Everyone feels shame, everyone feels fear, and everyone feels anger. Even if your primary Enneatype is in one triad, you will still sometimes make decisions based on the other two emotions. For this reason, you cannot have a tritype that has more than one from each triad. For example, your tritype could not be 1-2-3, because you would have two types from the Heart Center (2 & 3 – shame) and lack one from the Head Center (thus failing to define how you are affected by fear).
The tritype is organized by the order of influence. A 3-6-9 would not be the same as a 6-9-3. The 3-6-9 is motivated by shame, then fear, then anger, whereas the 6-9-3 is motivated by fear, then anger, then shame. For example, if you were a Type 1, anger would be your primary driving/motivating emotion, but that doesn’t make you immune to fear or shame. This is why your tritype includes an Enneatype from each triad – you’re defining how you respond to and are motivated by each of those three emotions.
I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any more questions.
