People misuse personality evaluations continually. I’m a (something) in astrology. That means I’m like (something). Or the Myers-Briggs types me as this or that, and that’s the way I am. Or, I’m an Enneagram (1-9) and that defines my personality.
We need to discover who we are. But we want an easy answer. Give us one name or number and we can go away either happy or with an excuse.
But it’s not that easy, and that’s not the purpose. Better is to have a starting place from which to grow.
I’m an ENTP on the Myers-Briggs. There are 31 points on each of the four scales. Depending upon the situation when you met me, you’d say that yes, you’re an extrovert or no you’re too quiet. Of the 31 points (must be an odd number so it can’t be 50-50), I’m 16-15. So, I’m neither an extrovert or an introvert. The T (thinking) part is pretty strong. Knowing that, I can see myself getting too bound up with thinking when I should just wing a decision.
My Enneagram type (5 with a strong 4 wing) reinforces that thinking aspect. The Enneagram can show me unconscious motivations that might have led to my strong dependence on thinking and allow me to work on that so that I become more balanced. That’s the idea. We don’t just say I’m a 5 similar to I’m a Scorpio. It’s not a pickup line. It is information that we can use to become more fully developed as a human. And to avoid the toxicity that happens when a number goes out of balance.
Know yourself, as the Delphic oracle supposedly said. But only in order to grow the good parts and leave the bad parts behind.
Faith Venture 
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