Some of the most seasoned, well-known and impactful teachers of enneagram wisdom in the world today have shared that they went for a significant period of time in their early enneagram journey thinking they were a different ennea-type than the one they eventually came to fully know as their home space.  From Ginger Lapid-Bogda to Helen Palmer to Russ Hudson to you or someone you know, this dynamic occurs more than we might think.

In some cases it has been because a teacher or authority figure (incorrectly) declared to a person that they were a specific type.  Sometimes  the incorrect type can come from an enneagram “test” result; the ability of tests and profiles as a whole to reveal correct type for a given test-taker is estimated to be perhaps no better than approximately 60%. In other cases mis-typing can result from any number of what are termed “contextual” or "overlay” factors.  Contextual factors might include trying to discover one’s type during a time of heavy stress, deep emotional turmoil or when an individual is immersed in a long-term caregiving role.  Overlay factors might include family of origin influences, cultural norms, gender-based stereotypes, and even ’type-envy’ or ’type-aversion’ overlays where an individual either admires a person of a certain type (or the positive attributes of that type) so much they unconsciously make themselves be that type (admiration), or, they cannot stand an individual of that type (or the type’s negative attributes) so much that refuse to believe they could be that type themselves (aversion).

On this episode of How’s That Working For You we get to hear one story of mis-typing as Cindy Barksdale shares a bit of her journey as a female ennea-type Eight and some of the factors that hid her beautifully powerful Eight-ness from her and those closest to her.  We get to hear real-life examples of how some of those contextual and cultural overlays not only hid her type, but also shaped her persona and caused some suffering along the way.  We also listen in as Cindy shares how learning to become vulnerable (huge for Eights) in the sanctuary of 12 Step groups and sponsorship opened her up for deeper work with the wisdom of the enneagram, deeper relationships, and, deeper blessing flowing to others from her life’s passion.  Plus some possible insight as to why some of you are hooked on Assassin’s Creed!