Discover your Enneagram type based on the classical nine-type personality system. Answer each question with Yes or No to find out which of the nine Enneagram types best describes your core personality.
The Enneagram is a model of the human psyche that describes nine interconnected personality types. The word "Enneagram" comes from the Greek "ennea" (nine) and "gram" (figure), meaning a nine-pointed figure. It is an ancient system with roots tracing back over 2,000 years to early meditation and philosophical traditions.
The Enneagram symbol dates back to ancient times, with early forms found in the mystical traditions of the Middle East and Central Asia. In the early 20th century, the Russian mystic George Gurdjieff introduced the Enneagram symbol to the West as a teaching tool. In the 1960s-70s, Oscar Ichazo of Bolivia identified nine personality types based on the nine fixations of human ego, and Chilean psychiatrist Claudio Naranjo further developed the psychological framework. In the 1970s-80s, Naranjo brought the Enneagram to the United States where it was studied at institutions like Stanford University. Psychologists Don Riso and Russ Hudson later developed the Riso-Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator (RHETI), the first standardized assessment tool for the Enneagram. Helen Palmer further established it as a respected academic subject, used in psychology curricula at Stanford and other universities.
The Enneagram is widely used in personal development, corporate training, and mental health. Major organizations including AT&T, Coca-Cola, Sony, and many Fortune 500 companies use the Enneagram for team building and leadership development. The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has also utilized the Enneagram to help operatives understand diverse cultural behaviors. Today it remains one of the most popular and practical personality systems worldwide.
The nine types are grouped into three triads based on their core emotional drive
Core emotion: Anger. These types are driven by gut instincts and have a core issue around control and autonomy.
Type 8 (Challenger) expresses anger outward; Type 9 (Peacemaker) represses anger; Type 1 (Reformer) channels anger into perfectionism.
Core emotion: Shame. These types are driven by emotional needs and have a core issue around identity and self-worth.
Type 2 (Helper) seeks love through being needed; Type 3 (Achiever) seeks validation through success; Type 4 (Individualist) seeks identity through being unique.
Core emotion: Fear. These types are driven by mental analysis and have a core issue around security and anxiety.
Type 5 (Investigator) copes with fear by withdrawing and analyzing; Type 6 (Loyalist) becomes hyper-aware of threats; Type 7 (Enthusiast) escapes fear through seeking pleasure and possibilities.
Each type has a unique core motivation, basic fear, and basic desire
Principled, purposeful, self-controlled, and perfectionistic
Generous, demonstrative, people-pleasing, and possessive
Adaptable, excelling, driven, and image-conscious
Expressive, dramatic, self-absorbed, and temperamental
Perceptive, innovative, secretive, and isolated
Engaging, responsible, anxious, and suspicious
Spontaneous, versatile, acquisitive, and scattered
Self-confident, decisive, willful, and confrontational
Receptive, reassuring, complacent, and resigned
This test uses the standard Riso-Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator (RHETI) format with 180 Yes/No questions. Choose the version that suits you: Quick (36 questions), Standard (108 questions), or Complete (180 questions). Answer each question honestly based on your natural tendencies. Your answers are scored to determine which of the nine types best describes your core personality.