On my quest to understand the various dynamics of the Enneagram, I've passed through several developments in my understanding: I know what each type looks like (including their wings), and I really have a good idea of their "essences." I understand how they are all correlated, with directions of integration and disintegration. Most recently, I've developed a good understanding about how instinctual variants can make even people of the same type look very different. I'm good with all that.
However, this whole Tritype thing is really bothering me. When I first read about it, I got this really bad feeling like I had just spent many, many hours fine-tuning my knowledge of the Enneagram just to have many of its key concepts blown to oblivion. Furthermore, it seems a little disjointed with the rest of the system right now, and appears to be an attempt at a more 'inclusive' Enneagram system. Who knows, this may change, but it's really upsetting me.
So, here are my questions:
(I do apologize, I don't have the financial resources to buy the book on Tritypes as of now, so I'm using this forum to ease, [or intensify, who knows], my worry over this Tritype thing.)
1. Does Tritype interfere with the directions of disintegration? It seems to me that the Tritype approach is like a replacement of the directions of integration or disintegration; or at least distracting from them.
2. Also, if each person has three 'stacked' types that they use as backup for the more dominant type, would the two non-dominant types be subject to integration or disintegration? (If so, isn't that quite complicated?) For example, if I were to submit myself to this approach, my tritype would be Four-Five-Nine "The Philosopher". If I'm using Five as a backup, are my Five qualities still subject to influence from Types Seven and Eight?
3. Furthermore, in regard to wings: I'm a 4w5. In my Tritype, I would theoretically go to Five as a backup (as I definitely don't exhibit many of the traits of Six or Seven, and I definitely have the least identification with the Gut Center.) Would that interfere in any way with my Five wing?
4. My main problem is that I felt that the simple system worked well already. I thought that every type was able to be connected with the Head, Heart and Gut already because everyone has a wing. For example: As a Four (Heart), I'm connected to the One (Gut) and the Two (Heart). The Five wing (Head) would be connected to the Seven (Head) and the Eight (Gut). This gives me connections to the Heart twice (Four and Two), the Head twice (Five and Seven), and the Gut twice (One and Eight). All that I'm 'missing' is the triad of Three, Six and Nine.
Now, you could say I have a 'shortcut' to all the Centers because of my wing, but look at the 4w3. They are Fours (Heart), connected to Ones and Twos (Gut and Heart). The Three wing (Heart) is connected to the Six (Head) and the Nine (Gut).
The 4w3 is less evenly balanced, but knowing my sister; INFP 4w3 sx/sp/so; it makes sense that her Enneatype would have 3 connections to the Heart Center, but only one to each of the others.
5. Also, I like the Diamond Approach's element of the Soul Child. It really resonates, and has been strongly evident in my life, and makes a lot of sense for others, too. Would that simply vanish with this new emphasis on Tritype?
6. Finally, does Tritype have anything to do with the instinctual variants? For example, my stack is so/sx/sp. Would that mean that when I'm in 'Four mode' I'm placing more value on social instinct, when I'm in "Five mode" I'm placing more value on the sexual instinct (wow, that sounds...interesting...), and when I'm in Nine mode, it's self-preservation?
Clearly, I'm very lost. This is frustrating to me because people I know who want to learn more about the Enneagram are having difficulty with the basic system already, and I've been able to help them out thus far. Tritype adds what looks to me right now to be a cluttered mess atop a shiny, clean Enneagram! If people have any insights or explanations, I'd love to get this mess cleaned up. As of now, I either want to reach understanding of this approach, because I feel like simply dismissing it, which may not be wise in the long run.
However, this whole Tritype thing is really bothering me. When I first read about it, I got this really bad feeling like I had just spent many, many hours fine-tuning my knowledge of the Enneagram just to have many of its key concepts blown to oblivion. Furthermore, it seems a little disjointed with the rest of the system right now, and appears to be an attempt at a more 'inclusive' Enneagram system. Who knows, this may change, but it's really upsetting me.
So, here are my questions:
(I do apologize, I don't have the financial resources to buy the book on Tritypes as of now, so I'm using this forum to ease, [or intensify, who knows], my worry over this Tritype thing.)
1. Does Tritype interfere with the directions of disintegration? It seems to me that the Tritype approach is like a replacement of the directions of integration or disintegration; or at least distracting from them.
2. Also, if each person has three 'stacked' types that they use as backup for the more dominant type, would the two non-dominant types be subject to integration or disintegration? (If so, isn't that quite complicated?) For example, if I were to submit myself to this approach, my tritype would be Four-Five-Nine "The Philosopher". If I'm using Five as a backup, are my Five qualities still subject to influence from Types Seven and Eight?
3. Furthermore, in regard to wings: I'm a 4w5. In my Tritype, I would theoretically go to Five as a backup (as I definitely don't exhibit many of the traits of Six or Seven, and I definitely have the least identification with the Gut Center.) Would that interfere in any way with my Five wing?
4. My main problem is that I felt that the simple system worked well already. I thought that every type was able to be connected with the Head, Heart and Gut already because everyone has a wing. For example: As a Four (Heart), I'm connected to the One (Gut) and the Two (Heart). The Five wing (Head) would be connected to the Seven (Head) and the Eight (Gut). This gives me connections to the Heart twice (Four and Two), the Head twice (Five and Seven), and the Gut twice (One and Eight). All that I'm 'missing' is the triad of Three, Six and Nine.
Now, you could say I have a 'shortcut' to all the Centers because of my wing, but look at the 4w3. They are Fours (Heart), connected to Ones and Twos (Gut and Heart). The Three wing (Heart) is connected to the Six (Head) and the Nine (Gut).
The 4w3 is less evenly balanced, but knowing my sister; INFP 4w3 sx/sp/so; it makes sense that her Enneatype would have 3 connections to the Heart Center, but only one to each of the others.
5. Also, I like the Diamond Approach's element of the Soul Child. It really resonates, and has been strongly evident in my life, and makes a lot of sense for others, too. Would that simply vanish with this new emphasis on Tritype?
6. Finally, does Tritype have anything to do with the instinctual variants? For example, my stack is so/sx/sp. Would that mean that when I'm in 'Four mode' I'm placing more value on social instinct, when I'm in "Five mode" I'm placing more value on the sexual instinct (wow, that sounds...interesting...), and when I'm in Nine mode, it's self-preservation?
Clearly, I'm very lost. This is frustrating to me because people I know who want to learn more about the Enneagram are having difficulty with the basic system already, and I've been able to help them out thus far. Tritype adds what looks to me right now to be a cluttered mess atop a shiny, clean Enneagram! If people have any insights or explanations, I'd love to get this mess cleaned up. As of now, I either want to reach understanding of this approach, because I feel like simply dismissing it, which may not be wise in the long run.
