Finished reading: The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron 📚.
There is an old expression, “it was a book but it should have been a pamphlet”. This book was an encyclopedia and should have been a business card. From the first page it’s clear that about 90% of the book is going to be filler. It’s charitable to say I read it, skimmed may be a better term. After slogging through 30 pages I realized I was never going to make it through so I just read the descriptions and motivations for the 9 different types. Every page is crammed full of inane anecdotes, flat attempts at humor, and yes, the occasional joke that lands. At some point in the book the author starts listing famous people who are of a specific ennaegram type while providing the disclaimer; “these are just my observations”. This of course gives one pause: how complex is this system if you can watch a few interviews with someone you’ve never met and peg them as a 5? Do I really need to read a whole book on it then? Also one of the famous people listed is, literally, Bilbo Baggins; who I needn’t remind you is not a person!
Writing aside, I tend to lump personality “types” in with horoscopes and birth order, I go into this with eyes open and a healthy dose of skepticism. This was recommended to me by my therapist, in a session, which gave it an order of legitimacy that other “personality tests” don’t have. I do see the value in applying framework and heuristics to human beings, especially ourselves. Although this book is a huge turn off, I wouldn’t want to throw the ennaegram out with the bathwater (and there is so much water in this book). The two page description of each trait was interesting and gave me insight into my motivations. If nothing else this book helped to focus on motivations rather than outcomes. Several months before I read this I took an ennaegram test online but there was too much weight given to what I do not why I do it.
This book though… I read it because my therapist recommended it, professionally. Frankly if I didn’t like her as much as I do, I’d probably never speak to her again.