Want to learn the ideas in The Enneagram better than ever? Read the world’s #1 book summary of The Enneagram by Don Richard Riso here.
Read a brief 1-Page Summary or watch video summaries curated by our expert team. Note: this book guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher or author, and we always encourage you to purchase and read the full book.
Video Summaries of The Enneagram
We’ve scoured the Internet for the very best videos on The Enneagram, from high-quality videos summaries to interviews or commentary by Don Richard Riso.
1-Page Summary of The Enneagram
The origins of the Enneagram are hazy, but Bolivian teacher Oscar Ichazo often gets credit for popularizing the modern version.
The Enneagram of personality was developed in the 1910s. A Bolivian teacher named Oscar Ichazo is said to have fallen into a divine coma that lasted seven days. During this time, an angel revealed 108 Enneagrams to him. He later founded the Arica Institute and taught protoanalysis, which is a combination of mysticism and psychology. Another psychiatrist from Chile named Claudio Naranjo re-packaged Ichazo’s single Enneagram of personality in a way more pleasing to Western sensibilities. However, some people feel that Naranjo’s version doesn’t capture the complexity of what it means to be human as well as other versions do because they are shallow oversimplifications that reduce the ennagrma to little more than “a narcissistic party trick.”
The Enneagram can be helpful for people who want to deal with past traumas, understand themselves and discover their life path.
The Enneagram is a symbol that represents nine personality types. Some people think it’s a way to process past traumas while others believe it helps them become whole or find their soul. However, many Christians don’t trust the Enneagram because it comes from outside of the Bible and might be seen as just another personality test. The secular world sees the Enneagram as something else—a tool for self-discovery and growth rather than one focused on analyzing character flaws.
Everyone experiences traumatic events over the course of their lives. Combine those traumas with a culture that doesn’t always support people, and most people will develop coping mechanisms that don’t work well for them. The Enneagram can help you become aware of these patterns and choose new paths to follow in order to accomplish your goals.
Those hoping to leverage the Enneagram to improve their lives would benefit from seeking a certified Enneagram coach.
You can take a test to find out your Enneagram type, but it’s easy for the results to be biased by race and culture. The descriptions of each number are superficial and don’t really reveal anything about you. For example, if you’re a three, you’re considered an “achiever,” while if you’re a six, you’re called a “loyalist,” and if you’re seven, then that makes you an “enthusiast.” People may use these types as labels when they meet new people or describe themselves on dating sites. However, such labels do not show any real understanding of the Enneagram.
Enneagram coaches can help people with the entrance into a complex philosophy. It’s important to get to know the new practitioner and offer your impressions of their Enneagram type. You can easily find many online sources for Enneagram coaches, but you should be careful about reading books that oversimplify this topic.
