The 9 Enneagram motivational drives

Enneagram 1 – Strict Perfectionist: The drive to be a good person who does what is right (avoid making mistakes & being wrong)

Enneagram 2 – Considerate helper: The drive to help others (avoid own hurts & needs)

Enneagram 3 – Competitive achiever: The drive to be successful and win (avoid failure at all costs)

Enneagram 4 – Intense Creative: The drive to be unique & significant (avoid the mundane)

Enneagram 5 – Quiet Specialist: The drive to understand and be knowledgeable (avoid not knowing or understanding)

Enneagram 6 – Loyal Sceptic: The drive for safety and certainty (avoid risk, uncertainty & conflict with authority)

Enneagram 7 – Enthusiastic Visionary: The drive for pleasure & having exciting options (avoid discomfort, pain & boredom)

Enneagram 8 – Active Controller: The drive to be strong and in control (avoid weakness & vulnerability)

Enneagram 9 – Adaptive Peacemaker: The drive to maintain harmony (avoid conflict & their own agenda)

Your Enneagram type: A map from inner strain to inner well-being

Consider that you can only manage what you are aware of. If you are not aware of your Enneagram motivational drive, the default result can be experiencing strain, dissatisfaction or suffering in various areas of your life. Why is this so? Each drive is focused on striving after certain conditions and avoiding others. These drives with their preferences and aversions are not right or wrong. They are just unconscious and create imbalances in your life. To the extent you are attached to your life only playing out according to the likes and dislikes of your motivational drive, you unconsciously create a mental prison that can lead to strain, dissatisfaction or suffering.

The Enneagram thus empowers you with the self-awareness to consciously manage your patterns of thinking feeling and doing to transform the quality of your life.

Consciously cultivate inner well-being

“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”
Carl Jung

Although you might have behaviour from all 9 Enneagram drives, only one of them describes the primary motivational drive behind all your habitual patterns of thinking, feeling and doing. This is referred to as your Enneagram type and it unconsciously directs your life.

On the one hand, the dominant patterns in your life contain incredible strengths that represent the gift you bring to the world. On the other hand, this drive tends to throw you off balance and can sabotage your inner well-being. If you are thus not aware of your patterns, it will cause strain and dissatisfaction over time. Please note these personality patterns aren’t wrong or bad, they are just unconscious. As an adult, these patterns don’t bring fulfilment and block your capacity to give and receive love.

Once you are mindful of these sabotaging patterns, you can start to no longer identify with them. The Enneagram also provides a map for growth and transformation. You are thus empowered to consciously respond in ways to counter your sabotaging patterns, while consciously cultivating your inner well-being and thriving.