#95: Discover the True You with Ian Morgan Cron

Nov 18, 2020

This week on Real Talk with Rachael I'm talking with Enneagram expert Ian Morgan Cron about the mental health aspect of the Enneagram. Ian is a bestselling author, psychotherapist, Enneagram teacher, and host of the popular podcast, Typology. His national bestseller, The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery, is used around the world as people seek to better understand who they are. He and his wife, Anne, have three children and live in Nashville, Tennessee.

We're talking about:

• The origins of the Enneagram and what attracted Ian to it
• The Enneagram doesn't put you in a box, it helps you understand the box you're already in and how to get out of it.
• You shouldn't start assessing your child's Enneagram number until late adolescence or when they become interested in learning about it for themselves.
• Everyone has two wings, but one wing is more dominant. 
• Your Enneagram number doesn't change, but you can operate as other numbers in different situations.
• Your self-awareness affects your mental health and ability to succeed.
• The Enneagram brings awareness to the unconscious motivation that has been tripping you up, giving you the freedom to make different choices.
• “Information is not transformation.”
• Don’t box yourself into your number and don’t use it as an excuse for poor behavior.
• “You have a personality, but you are not your personality. Your identity is in Christ.”

Don't forget to take the IEQ9 test and check out Ian's new course True You: a Deeper Exploration of Your Enneagram Type!

Enneagram types and their unconscious motivations:

Type 1: Improvers – ethical, meticulous, detail-oriented; unconscious motivation – to perfect themselves, others, and the world.

Type 2: Helpers – warm, caring, giving; unconscious motivation - to be needed and avoid acknowledging that they have personal needs.

Type 3: Performers – success-oriented, image-conscious, wired for productivity; unconscious motivation - success, to appear successful, and to avoid failure at all costs.

Type 4: Romantics – creative, sensitive, moody; unconscious motivation - to be special and unique to compensate for some perceived missing piece in their makeup.

Type 5: Investigator – analytical, emotionally detached, private; unconscious motivation - to gain knowledge, conserve energy, and avoid relying on others.

Type 6: Loyalists – committed, practical, worst-case scenario thinkers; unconscious motivation - fear and the need for security, safety, and support.

Type 7: Enthusiasts – fun, spontaneous, adventurous; unconscious motivation - to be happy and have fun in order to avoid emotional and psychological pain.

Type 8: Challengers – commanding, intense, confrontational; unconscious motivation - to assert strength and power over the environment and others to mask vulnerability.

Type 9: Peacemakers – pleasant, laid back, accommodating; unconscious motivation - to keep the peace to merge with the preferences of others in order to avoid conflict at all costs

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Connect with Ian on his website, Instagram, or Facebook.
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