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The EnneagramPersonality and Essence |
HE ENNEAGRAM
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The Enneagram tradition defines personality as the lifetime accumulation of mental and emotional patterns which constitute the persona, the person an individual believes himself or herself to be and presents to the world. These patterns include, but are not limited to, habitual ways of thinking, believing, perceiving, and feeling. The words "personality", "ego" and "false self" are considered synonymous and often are used interchangeably in Enneagram teaching. The personality is said to be an imitation, a facsimile, of the "True Self". Personality is fixated. Personality reacts to the ever changing outer environment with identifiable, predictable and conditioned reactions. Thus, personality is said to be the "conditioned being" as opposed to the "real being". Essence is considered to be the "real being", the True Self, and may be considered a process rather than a fixed identity. Essence flows, is changeable and responds freshly and appropriately to ever changing conditions in the outer world. |