This article will take a look at the type 1 enneagram and comment on its basic fears, desires and traits and answer the question of whether or not it is an introvert. The article will also look at how these enneagrams behave in their lives and how they look like in their healthy and unhealthy states.
Are Enneagram 1 Introverts?
The type 1 enneagram is often classified as an ambivert – this means they can be introverted or even extroverted. They are usually known as outgoing introverts who are innate introverts but have very good social skills and this way they can progress rapidly in society and grab the opportunities they need to be successful or achieve their purpose.
Who Is An Enneagram Type 1?
The enneagram type 1 is also known as the Reformer because of their desire to change the world for the better – they believe they are on a mission to set things right! They are rational and idealistic and can be described by the terms self disciplined, purposeful, possibly perfectionists and hold values high.
These individuals are always on the move to make things better but they have this fear that they may make a mistake. Nonetheless they strive to produce perfect output and this may make them over critical of not only their own self but that of others too. This also causes them stress and anxiety as they are worried things may not go as planned – which is usually the case when it comes to life!
People with this enneagram type know the meaning of sacrifice. They may seem very disciplined to others but they are burning with passion and desire. It’s just that they know how to keep a control on themselves but look out – they might explode anything and this will give away their image of being in control! However, this personality type has the ability to forego what it is they desire in order to achieve the greater good for all.
Basic Fear.
These individuals believe in values and strong morals hence they have the fear that they will be corrupted by their innate desires and feelings. They feel they will become evil or defected and abandon the mission they have undertaken.
This is possibly their fear because of the intensity of their desires that rage inside of them and how they struggle to keep a lid on them. They do not let their desires distract themselves or take over them but yes they do fear this may happen one day.
Basic Desire.
Deep down, this type wants to achieve the perfect balance in life where they feel at peace and complete but at the same time embark on their mission to a better world. They want to be good and have integrity and be honest not only to themself but to others as well.
This desire is relevant to their inner chaotic state which is constantly struggling to push them to their knees so they give in to their inner desires and leave the pursuit of the bigger goal.
The Dark Side Of Enneagram Type 1.
At their worst, these enneagrams can become so self righteous that they will do everything they can to rid themselves of people who do not meet their moral standards! They will push away those whom they love and enter into an endless battle of who deserves to be with them. They become perfectionists who want to do things perfectly and there is no room for error. If they are not able to do so they can experience episodes of depression.
Sometimes their philosophy backfires on them. Because they are so keen on doing things perfectly, their focus shifts to identifying those who do not meet that standard or are wrongdoers hence they say one thing but do the other now.
Their approach to being righteous, good and someone who achieves goals can be very inflexible and intolerant to the extent that they set unrealistic goals for themselves and others which ends up in an endless circle where they set goals and kick people out.
The Healthy Enneagram
This is the level at which the type 1 enneagram can be said to be at their best. They are wise and discerning and can easily tell what is right or wrong. Furthermore, they are realistic and will noy push others to follow their values strictly but try to inspire others to see the benefit in doing good while at the same time strong proponents of the truth – they will not let others spread falsehood but stand up for what is right and the truth.
People who are type 2 enneagrams will be considered as the beacons of hope and trusted leaders who care about others but at the same time more about the entire of society. They will choose to help others but ensure they do so in the right and acceptable manner.
“Ones believe that being strict with themselves (and eventually becoming “perfect”) will justify them in their own eyes and in the eyes of others. But by attempting to create their own brand of perfection, they often create their own personal hell. Instead of agreeing with the statement in Genesis that God saw what He had created, “and it was good,” one intensely felt that “It wasn’t—there obviously have been some mistakes here!” This orientation makes it difficult for them to trust their inner guidance—indeed, to trust life—so Ones come to rely heavily on their superego, a learned voice from their childhood, to guide them toward “the greater good” which they so passionately seek. When Ones have gotten completely entranced in their personality, there is little distinction between them and this severe, unforgiving voice. Separating from it and seeing its genuine strengths and limitations is what growth for Ones is about.”
(from The Wisdom of the Enneagram, p. 99-100)
How Can Enneagram Type 1 Work On Self Improvement?
Learn To Accept The Beauty In Flaws.
It is important to understand there is some good in everything with some exceptions of course! Even in the mistakes we make there is something we can learn from! When we experiment and end up with different outcomes from the goal we learn about new phenomena, ideas and methods to do different things which will help us widen our horizon and things in creative ways when required.
Enneagram type 1s need to understand that everyone has their own way of doing things and there will always be a difference of opinion when it comes to practical tasks. We must learn to accept these differences and make things work. These differences help create beauty and diversity, promote new ideas and lead to better solutions. Even if someone makes mistakes we must understand that it takes time to perfect a certain act and that can only happen not just with practice but patience too. Patience is very important.
Practice Meditation.
From the sections above, the readers must have realized that the one issue with type 1s is how they think and process their thoughts, feelings and desires. They are in a constant battle with themselves not to mention they think in a negative way. This can cause them anxiety especially if they keep focusing on how they are not meeting their goals in the perfect way they imagined.
It is important that these personality types control how they feel and think and the best way to do this is to meditate. Sometimes we just need to give our mind a break and let it wander in the endless unknown. Let it remain empty and realize your bodily experience without any external influences. These practices allow the type 1 enneagram to calm down, relax, reset their perspective and prepare themselves for a new day.
Everything Cannot Be Objective.
Type 1 enneagrams must understand that everything in life cannot be viewed in an objective manner – there will always be grey spots which we must accept and live with until we are able to figure them out. Hence they must accept people who have different views because as a species we are still understanding how the world works and anyone could be right or wrong.
So next time if someone has a different opinion or way of doing things, actually listen to them and don’t get all heated up because they said something you don’t agree with!
Conclusion
This article took a look at the traits of the type 1 enneagram and also introduced it in detail so that the audience could determine the true personality of the enneagram and also understand why we stated the type 1 enneagram is often considered an ambivert.
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