Type 4 Personality???

IamBeowulf

I took one of those Enneagram Tests online, and it said that I'm a Type 4. It seemed fairly accurate. What's the story with these tests, are there any solutions to the problems I'm facing?

It highlighted my tendency to hide my feelings, lie to make others happy, seek attention/fame/approval, and sabotage my own dreams before they even come close to fruition.

The acuracy of this was like a punch in the gut! The site knows me better than my friends and family! Or maybe I really am obvious.

Any help/suggestions? I tried counselling and meds. I don't think my problems stem from a chemical imbalance, but rather I've almost programmed myself to suppress my true feelings about things, and to deny myself happiness. I'd try CGT but I heard its expensive and due to major family upheaval (breaking up with GF, we just had a kid, I fell out of love with her a long time ago) my funds will be extemely limited.

I'm all over the place. I previously posted as FeltNothing. I was and am so ashamed, and things are looking so bleak.

Splendour

Hi Beowulf,

my suggestion would be to ignore it. The enneagram is complete bull. If you look closely any of the enneagram 'numbers' you will see some of your personality in all of them.Failing that, if you choose to take this as 'gospel', I suggest you look at the positive attributes of number fours.

You are obviously going through a bad patch, but please please don't waste your money on this stuff...Why do you feel ashamed? Everyone goes through tough times and need a shoulder to lean on. Be it a counsellor or boards.ie-let it out.

Sorry if this a bit mushy, but here ya go...

Sometimes in our lives we all have pain
We all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there's always tomorrow

Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on

Please swallow your pride
If I have things you need to borrow
For no one can fill those of your needs
That you don't let show

Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on

If there is a load you have to bear
That you can't carry
I'm right up the road
I'll share your load
If you just call me

So just call on me brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem that you'd understand
We all need somebody to lean on

Lean on me when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
Till I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on

Bill Withers


Splendour

eamon234

IamBeowulf wrote: »

It highlighted my tendency to hide my feelings, lie to make others happy, seek attention/fame/approval, and sabotage my own dreams before they even come close to fruition.

Oh FFS that's just about every male in the country!

Wurly

IamBeowulf wrote: »

I took one of those Enneagram Tests online, and it said that I'm a Type 4. It seemed fairly accurate. What's the story with these tests, are there any solutions to the problems I'm facing?

It highlighted my tendency to hide my feelings, lie to make others happy, seek attention/fame/approval, and sabotage my own dreams before they even come close to fruition.

The acuracy of this was like a punch in the gut! The site knows me better than my friends and family! Or maybe I really am obvious.

Any help/suggestions? I tried counselling and meds. I don't think my problems stem from a chemical imbalance, but rather I've almost programmed myself to suppress my true feelings about things, and to deny myself happiness. I'd try CGT but I heard its expensive and due to major family upheaval (breaking up with GF, we just had a kid, I fell out of love with her a long time ago) my funds will be extemely limited.

I'm all over the place. I previously posted as FeltNothing. I was and am so ashamed, and things are looking so bleak.

Yeah, i've had one of those tests before. It said things about my personality that I didn't like too. But we all have these imperfections in our personalities. And it doesn't make any of us bad people.

CBT can be expensive. You're talking about 70 euros a pop. But I would go to one or two sessions at least so that the techniques are fully explained to you. Then ask your therapist to recommend a handbook so that you can work on it yourself. That's the great thing about CBT.

140 euros and the price of a book is a small price to pay for happiness in my opinion.

And don't worry about this shaggin test. They are only done on people to decipher the best course of therapy.

Wagon

I took one just there, I'm apperently a helper and peacemaker. Complete bull****, not even the slightest bit accurate. Don't rely your character development on an intrnet application or a quick fix

Bruno1

Hi OP, this is for me the BIG problem with the Enneagram. Focuses too much on the negatives and causes people in bad situations to feel even worse.
I'm sorry to read about the problems you have mentioned in your post,but if I were you I'd ignore the thing completely as it clearly is doing you no good at the mo.
When you have serious issues or problems it is tempting to look at something like the Ennegram as a solution, but my personal experience with it tells me it only makes things worse, and it's very good altogether at making you feel bad about yourself, which is the last thing you need now.
I sorta feel if you took the test again you might even come out as a different number?? Here's why:

I was pointed towards it in terms of career development (admittedly a less weighty issue than your own). Had never heard of it before, so i went along with it, bought the books (badly written, very difficult to get through), did the tests etc etc ad infinitum. The first thing I noticed was that everybody, no matter what number they are, comes out of it smelling of sh1t, it highlights all the bad parts of your personality/type. It tends to elaborate those more than the positives (They do list positives). It doesn't accentuate the issues of improving or living with your weakness very much.
It turned out I was a "one", and tbh, even my good points looked like bad points by the end of that chapter. That was until I got into it more and realised that i was also a "five" and had a good few traits of a "nine" as well. Confused? Yes, and apparently, you can have traces of certain predefined numbers in your type, but not the ones I found (you cant be a 1 with a bit of 5 and 9). Basically, at a flippant, light hearted level, I think its nonsense wrapped up in waffle, and makes the whole lot of us out to be terrible eejits altogether.

But this is not flippant and you need better help than the Ennegram can provide. It can make people who are feeling miserable more miserable, and in my case turned a minor case of career confusion/jitters into me almost feeling I was a complete liabilty in any work place.

In any event you can't beat talking to someone in terms of helping solve a problem, whether that's in the forms you mentioned or not, talking about it is the way, put the Ennegram out of your mind.

the_syco

IamBeowulf wrote: »

I took one of those Enneagram Tests online, and it said that I'm a Type 4.

Op, took the first one that Google gave me, and man, it's full of hippie bullsh|t. I'm seemingly a Type 4, which is a skeptic. From that, I think they know that I'm skeptic about the BS test

If you want a true representative of your inner mind, go see a shrink, or something. Internet tests, it seems, tell you one of two things: happy happy pink stuff that leads to happiness, or doom & gloom bullsh|t, and you're going to die within the next 15 seconds, so give me al your money.

/edit
Forgot to add, these test are a "one test fits all". They're not done for a certain amount of people, they're done to appaese everyone.:(

MJOR

I think its a lot of crap!

pwd

type score type behavior motivation
5 20 I must be knowledgable and independent to be happy.
2 16 I must be helpful and caring to be happy.
6 15 I must be secure and safe to be happy.
3 14 I must be impressive and attractive to be happy.
9 13 I must be peaceful and easy to get along with to be happy.
4 12 I must avoid painful feelings to be happy.
8 11 I must be strong and in control to be happy.
7 10 I must be high and entertained to be happy.
1 9 I must be perfect and good to be happy.

seems about right to me