The Enneagram, according to the Enneagram Institute, is a tool that “helps us to see ourselves at a deeper, more objective level and can be of invaluable assistance on our path to self-knowledge.” This series reflects an opinion that connects faith with each of the nine personality profiles of the Enneagram.

Fruit of the Spirit to improve on:

Kindness

Don’t get me wrong; this is not to say Ones are mean people at all. Quite oppositely, their driving force is their strong morals and loud conscience voice. They advocate for change to create a better, more perfect world for themselves and the world, and they expect themselves to follow suit. They struggle to accept their flaws and that others could accept their flaws, including God. Their intense inner critic is the most distinct among the Enneagram types, and Ones struggle to not accept that voice as truth. When they mess up, coming to terms with those mistakes is difficult for a One as they see those errors as the result of being a bad person. Allowing more kindness into their lives will help Ones when their high standard of living can’t be maintained.

Ones must learn to be kind to themselves. Realizing that they are loved, wonderful people, even with their flaws, and that their inner critic isn’t complete truth is something so difficult but so freeing for a One. When they accept kindness from themselves, they can learn to show more kindness to those around them as well. Ones tend to struggle with impatience in relations with others because they project their frustrations with their own imperfections onto others; therefore, the kindness they show others correlates with their abilities to show kindness to themselves.

For the Christian One, the best way to practice kindness is to first accept the kindness of God. A One can attempt to hide their imperfections from others, but no matter how much they wish could, they can’t hide them from God. Yet, he still has unconditional love for each of them. Instead of trying to reach perfection, they should realize that God actually already views them as perfect, because their sins have been forgiven. Ones should not create a divide between themselves and God because they don’t want to acknowledge that he sees their flaws. Lean into him and accept his kindness.

Verses for a One:

Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Hebrews 4:16
Let us approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and grace to help us in our time of need.

John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all righteousness.

2 Corinthians 12:9
And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

Acts 3:19
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins many be wiped out. That times of refreshing may come from the Lord.

Advice for those who know a One:

For anyone who knows a One, they may appear to be too rigid and lack in feelings. The truth is that they feel their emotions intensely but try to suppress them in an attempt to reach perfection. Their self-control and ability to stay true to their morals may be impressive, but much of this drive comes from a fear of their failures and not being perfect. When their flaws are noticed, address them with compassion. Letting them know that their flaws are recognized but don’t make them a bad person will go a long way for the relationship.