J and I are off on an Enneagram course today and tomorrow (non-residential). We are fortunate, as we got involved in this personalty type system down south and attended courses down there. Karen who runs them also puts on courses only 48 miles from here, so we haven’t lost touch with the system. Today’s focus is all about ‘freeing ourselves from projection.’ The Enneagram has similarities to the Myers-Briggs personality type indicator, but there are differences. Myers-Briggs is based on our current choices and behaviour, and can change. The Enneagram looks at our innate ‘qualities.’ It has a spiritual flavour and there are 9 basic types. Each type reflects an aspect of God, e.g. some people are peace-makers, others will fight for justice, others are creative etc.

It starts in slightly negative way, as the theory is that we ’skew’ our qualities. e.g. the peace maker maybe can’t be bothered to do anything (anything for a quiet life) (This is over-simplifying) So we start by looking at our compulsion.

I’ve just thought of the easiest one for me to describe. It’s ‘the helper’. Some people really love to help people. You might find them as priests, nurses, counsellors etc. But this quality can be skewed, and a compulsed helper NEEDS TO BE NEEDED. So they will help people, whether the person wants help or not, and will be really hurt if they are rejected.

I think I find this one easy to describe as I HATE to be helped. I’m really independent, and find it difficult to ask for help. However, I once knew a priest who noticed how stressed I was (I was First Communion coordinator, there were 80+ children about to make their First Holy Communion, and we had OFSTED the week before. I was so grateful he saw my stress and sympathised, but then he began to ‘pry’ as I saw it, and try to ‘help’. All I needed was a little bit of acknoweldgement about all I had on my plate. (No, Tony, I’m not talking about you.)

Anyway, will write up about the course, maybe this evening.