Enneagram Type 9 and Bureaucracy
I'm on Lunch Break right now so I'll post a more detailed version later or edit this one, but I want to get the ball rolling on this:
I was reading an Enneagram book (quotations to come) and it mentioned some interesting things about the e9.
I was mentioned that the USPS was typed e9. Mainly due to it being the Postal Service, which I found humorous because it's not only a perfect portrait of a bureaucracy bogged down by inertia but only is a play on words on someone going "Postal". Both are associated to the e9 as well in the preceding passages in the book I was reading. The tendency for e9's to work in large bureaucratic organizations and the tendency for e9's to get upset after feeling abused or taken advantage of or pushed too far. In other words, "Going Postal".
In specific the rationalization for e9's being bureaucratic was two fold. First they tend to ignore there own needs in order to harmonize with the surrounding environment, so socially they may be attracted to simple, predictable, calm, and straightforward work as opposed to ambitiously seeking out their own personal mission which could lead to conflict which they avoid. They also do this in social interactions, trying to understand there partner and put their needs first while being reserved about their own needs. Second they are usually a type represented by inertia rather than action, but there inertia may manifest itself as more than just basic sloth. There inertia could involve finding excuses to avoid doing something else. They may have stress associated to something so they spend hours working on something that isn't tied to that as a stress relieve device. These devices themselves may even develop into genuine interests.
So this had me thinking about a few things, mainly how I could personally avoid sloth and inertia and get back on track with what's important in my own life, and secondarily how this associated to e9. I tend to type myself in the instinctive triad as e9w8 or e8w9 so I partially relate to this.
It's also hard for me to sort out inertia from the other aspects of triads. Mainly with an e4 or e5 may be reserved as well and avoid certain things due to stress or mood and is this the result of inertia of the e9 or is it a result of another type and do those aspects overlap and integrate?
The final interesting thing to note is that in the passage it mentioned something about e9's having the ability to zone out and process multiple threads. For example they were talking about a speed typist who could type copies and simultaneously think about something unrelated. I think this is interesting because that kind of multi-faceted awareness makes sense of a "harmonizer"-- someone who is trying to weave together many threads. This also makes them appeared subdued and zoned out because they are focusing on so much "behind the scenes" that they are moving slower on the surface.
The characteristics identified were:
- Bureaucracy
- Multi-Thread Awareness
- Inertia / Sloth
- Sidetracking from something stressful
- Gets upset when they are pushed past a limit
- Forgets their own needs or personal focus/mission in life
Do you have any thoughts or related experiences with e9's? Oh and please forgive me for momentarily knocking "Women hate sluts" off the top of the list in psychology.
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Originally Posted by The Man From Nantucket
So thank you! I really appreciate your feedback and thoughts!
how's about lighting the whole Enneagram up like a Christmas tree and checking out 
