Aspies For Freedom

Ellen, your post contains many interesting subjects.

Possibly. Also: many Aspies have type 5 characteristics, and type 5 is seen by society more a male type of mind.

I think Gurdjieff was gifted. He had great people skills and a big sense of humour. I think he was an enneagram type 8 who became enlightened.

I know nothing about Meher Baba, but I'm going to find out.

Why do you think Gandhi was a great soul? He was anti-technology, that doesn't sound like a good idea to me.

About Sai Baba in India: there are 2 Sai Baba's but I assume you mean the more recent person. I see him as an illusionist, not a master. Are you really convinced Sai Baba is authentic?

I have read "The Secret" by Osho. Probably you refer to another book with the same name. Who are the authors?

About believing in the enneagram: I see the enneagram as a model, not as a reality. But a model which is very useful for me, which works well. To understand myself and others, to avoid unnecessary conflicts.

Hi energeia. I didn't know there was a conference coming. Somehow my focus is still much more on books than the internet.
I can't find this conference by Google. Do you have a link? Just to look at the program, California is too far away for me.

This site has free tests: http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/
I found my type by reading the type descriptions in books instead of doing a test. Not every author gives an equally good description of the types. A part of the texts is nonsense.
To determine type, ask yourself 2 questions and read the type descriptions with the answers in your mind:
How do I behave to get what I want (retreat, demand agressively, co-operate etc.).
How do I behave when there is a problem (ignore the problem, confirm there is a problem but saying it is not your problem, solve it logically, respond emotionally etc.).

In another forum, people try to type other people by photo only. I'm convinced you need to observe behaviour too, a picture is not enough, there will be high percentage of error.
It is fun, when I meet someone new, and shake hands, I observe their way of smiling and guess their type, to confirm it in the following minutes by other data. You cannot "not behave" or "not communicate". But ultimately you yourself are the best to determine your type without error. Aspie traits will interfere with other personality traits and can give false conclusions. But I'm convinced that despite that, the enneagram is still very useful for everybody.

Looks very interesting. Seeing the names of the speakers maybe they will also talk about other applications of the enneagram (other than psychology/personality).

Yes, I meant the guy formerly known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, now known as Osho. I considered starting a thread about him but there is no connection with Aspieness and I expect too few people would be interested.

Yetti, is this what you mean: if a person is miserable, and another person feels sorry for that, then in a way you double the crying and weeping. On the other hand, if you solve the problem of the miserable person, you end up with 2 happy persons. If someone is hungry, give him bread, not pity.

Don't forget to read Gurdjieff.

I learned a lot from you Yetti, you're a good person. Thank you.

If nobody else is going to say this, I will:
Yetti, please stay, we can learn so much more from you.
I hope to meet you again tomorrow. See you.

One possibility can be type 6 of the 1 kind. When a 1 is rather stressed, he gets 4 properties, becomes more emotional unbalanced. In other words, it's possible to be a 6 and recognise yourself in 4 too.

To check:
If you feel good (not stressed), do you recognise yourself in 9, see link below? If yes, you're a 6. A 6 I know, becomes slow when unstressed (at 9), becomes distracted easily, like a 9. A 6 is more "mr average", likes to dress for example in blue, to be like the rest. A lot of 6s are hardworking, like to co-operate with others in a team. 6s can be pessimists, seeing problems everywhere. 6s say often: yes, BUT...

If you feel good (not stressed), do you recognise yourself in 1, see link below? If yes, you're a 4. A 4 likes to be different from the rest, prefers that. A 4 doesn't want to become like the rest. The worst thing to say to a 4 when upset is: oh, that's normal. A 4 wants to hear: you're a special case. Many 4s are creative, artists.

http://www.9types.com/descr/baron2.html

I still think you're a 6 because from all the questions in this forum about what you exactly have, you apparently care what the experts say, you seem to have a focus on authorities, like a 6. A 4 would have said much earlier: I'm unique, I cannot be labeled.

Batman55: I think 6w5 is more likely than other options, mainly because your doubt and uncertainty are so strong, you ask so many questions. As I said earlier, that trait can be positive, good.
6w5 doesn't mean you don't have feelings. I, as a 5w6 (which is different from 6w5 but also in the thinking triad) am bothered by feelings (fear, anxiety, anger) often.
When you said "...question things..." that's like a 6 (or 5).
When you took my general statement about healthy/flexible personally, that's how a 4 would react. For example when somebody says to find the enneagram nonsense, I don't take that personally (otherwise I could be a 4). By the way, I don't think you're unhealthy. I myself am much more inflexible than I would like.

I was surprised to find out that when I'm at ease and feeling like an 8, I start responding like a 2, fully unconsciously. For example spontaneously telling strangers who seem to be lost which direction to take.

I hadn't read this forum, or any discussion board, for a long time (months), but have read some threads now.
I'm totally convinced about the usefulness of the enneagram, for many purposes, and continue buying books. The enneagram might be helpful for conflict management too, also on fora. Especially the book on this site (http://www.bogda.com/) has really good hints to prevent and handle conflicts.

Hi Energeia, glad you're still here! Yeah, I already figured out Bogda is a she. She writes "….personalities are usually a contributing force in the dynamics of a conflict and its resolution. An understanding of the Enneagram enables conflicting parties to do the following:
(1) Take responsibility for their part of the conflict
(2) Engage in self-management during the conflict
(3) Know best how to approach others
(4) Use their angry reactions for their own personal development work."
    
Unrelated to Bogda, in my opinion, if conflicts, also on fora, have to do with misunderstanding eachother, and the enneagram is all about understanding other points of view, then the enneagram must be helpful for managing conflict. For example, a 6 can have a focus on authorities and ask for references constantly. While other types may not understand that need. Or a 5 may read and write very literally, meaning not more than just what is written. While other types may conclude much more than what is written factually. Or a 4 who takes things personal which are not meant personal at all. Or a 1 who thinks black and white. If the other is right, the 1 must be wrong. In reality both may be wrong or both may be right. Or a 1 who wants to express his anger by going into a conflict, and not wanting to discuss what he sees as his principles. Others may not understand that, unless they know something about the enneagram types. Or an 8 who interprets a statement as a (false) accusation and explodes, while a 5 had meant the statement as a fact or an opinion. This must be useful on fora too, not only in real life.

Hi Quickduck , nice avatar you have. Mine becomes invisible sometimes.

As I see it, what an enneatype 9 (a peacemaker) or some other types can do intuitively (to prevent conflicts, or to mediate) must be possible for others to do in a conscious manner too, based on knowledge and learned insights. If on AFF we would know eachother's enneatypes, and have an understanding of the specific ways the types are motivated and think, that would be a tool to keep discussions from getting too intense and too serious. I wonder what would happen if we cannot only see the contents of what the other person writes in his or her post, but also interpret the form, the container, correctly, what the other's real purpose is, what is meant. After all, and not everybody will agree with this, but "that doesn't change the fact" (joking now, said something exactly in the way a 5 would say it): we are all connected; it is like the left hand of a body fighting with its own right hand. Neither can win....