Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
1
Haven’t taken the Enneagram test? Here is a rundown of the nine personality types.
(Peter and Maria Hoey / For The Times)
Nicknamed “The Reformer†or “The Perfectionist,†Ones are disciplined, self-controlled people who are afraid of making mistakes and feel compelled to leave the world better than they found it. When stressed, they often resemble an unhealthy Four, critical and resentful, and in times of growth, they look more like a healthy Seven, open to spontaneity and adventure.
(Peter and Maria Hoey / For The Times)
Nicknamed “The Helper†or “The Giver,†Twos are generous and empathetic people who can be prone to people-pleasing. When stressed, they often resemble an unhealthy Eight, prideful and possessive, and in times of growth, they look more like a healthy Four, able to see themselves clearly without basing their worth on others’ dependence on them.
(Peter and Maria Hoey / For The Times)
Nicknamed “The Achiever†or “The Performer,†Threes are energetic, competitive, make-it-happen people. When stressed, they often resemble an unhealthy Nine, prone to escapism and apathy, and in times of growth, they look more like a healthy Six, stable and able to separate their accomplishments from their worth.
The boom of the personality test is part of the same contemporary phenomenon that some observers connect to the resurgence of astrology.
(Peter and Maria Hoey / For The Times)
Nicknamed “The Individualist†or “The Romantic,†Fours are idealistic and intense people who crave authenticity. When stressed, they often resemble an unhealthy Two, desperate for reassurance, and in times of growth they look more like a healthy One, wise and able to execute their creative ideas.
(Peter and Maria Hoey / For The Times)
Nicknamed “The Investigator†or “The Observer,†Fives are analytical, self-reliant and, at times, detached. When stressed, they often resemble an unhealthy Seven, becoming self-focused and condescending, and in times of growth they look more like a healthy Eight, confident and in touch with their emotions.
(Peter and Maria Hoey / For The Times)
Nicknamed “The Loyalist†or “The Loyal Skeptic,†Sixes are dutiful, diligent and prone to distrust. When stressed, they often resemble an unhealthy Three, hiding themselves in work and fearing failure, and in times of growth they look more like a healthy Nine, trading in their prepare-for-the-worst anxiety for an everything-will-work-out mindset.
(Peter and Maria Hoey / For The Times)
Nicknamed “The Enthusiast†or “The Epicure,†Sevens are peppy, at times scattered, people who love the thrill of a new opportunity. When stressed, they often resemble an unhealthy One, falling into judgmental or overly simplistic thinking, and in times of growth, they will look more like a healthy Five, sober and prepared to face their fears.
(Peter and Maria Hoey / For The Times)
Nicknamed “The Challenger†or “The Protector,†Eights are self-assured and intense people who are perturbed by indecisiveness and injustice. When stressed, they often resemble an unhealthy Five, paranoid and emotionally detached, and in times of growth they will look more like a healthy Two, less rigid and more in touch with their tender side.
(Peter and Maria Hoey / For The Times)
Nicknamed “The Peacemaker†or “The Mediator,†Nines are accepting, go-with-the-flow people whose longing for harmony sometimes causes them to acquiesce to others’ desires. When stressed, they will resemble an unhealthy Six, anxious and untrusting, and in times of growth they will look more like a healthy Three, in touch with their worth and their goals.
