First Contact #1of a series


#1 in our series on starting an Enneagram Group

For many people, first-contact with the Enneagram of Personality types, can be an experience of sceptical curiosity.

Maybe somebody enthusiastically starts to tell you how you are such-and such a type. Or maybe they get a kick out of suggesting they know something about you, or others that you “should” investigate.
I suspect there will be many variations of Enneagram-first-contact, but the common question will arise “so what type am I?”

Beware of Experts

You will find many  “experts” who will eagerly jump at the chance of typing you.  (and everyone else) providing a list of traits and reasons why you are what they see, and they may be right!. However, I wonder if this is as helpful as it would be wished to be seen?

How many sports enthusiasts would stay to watch their favourite team play, if they knew what the result was going to be? What would be the joy in life, if all your future experiences were known before hand? Why go to the top of the ski-slope and ski down that challenging run, if all you want is to be at the bottom of the slope?

So the question arises, why bother to learn about the Enneagram? And even when I know my type, what then? What will that knowledge do for you? How does discovering your basic personality make a difference in your life? How could begin the journey?

At MetaMe, the entrepreneurial venture my wife Rosemarie and I run as the vehicle of transmission of our passion for human development—our principle and philosophy is that each one of you, are the inner-expert of yourselves. You know you, or have the potential for knowing you, so much more than anyone else can do. Whatever else an external expert may intuit, perceive, analyse or project on to your being, you are your ultimate expert, even when you forget yourself and do something you didn’t expect of yourself.

I will be posting a series of blogs to support individuals and particularly groups wishing to work with the Riso-Hudson Insight Approach to the Enneagram in the absence of a trained Enneagram teacher. 

The idea for it arose from a correspondence (one of many) from someone seeking an “Enneagram Practice Group” in her region.  Whilst it is preferable to meet and work with others under the guidance of a trained facilitator of the Work, we have to acknowledge the practical, logistical and financial considerations that can impede this ideal. The aim of this publication is to provide some practical ways for working with the Enneagram, with friends, family and most likely strangers. Some of the suggestions are tried and tested, others are more original and creative.

more to follow…