We start small and innocent in this world. Life was safe inside the womb. But as soon as we are born, we struggle to breathe. It is an indication that life is sometimes painful. No one likes pain and it is human nature to protect ourselves from the pain. To cope with these fears we cast an armour around us which gradually moulds our personality.
We are born with the fear of falling and loud sounds. As we grow old and face the unusual problems we get afraid and thereby develop a defense mechanism. Seldom do we lose ourselves and start to think that our personality armour is who we truly are which causes all kinds of problems in life. Wouldn’t it be great if we understand ourselves and identify personality armour? One of the tools that help us in modeling this is Enneagram. It illustrates the nine archetypal human character structures. It is an ancient symbol of thoughts with a psychological origin. Scientists consider it as skeptical because of its muddled history. But it is a great tool for fiction writers.
Enneagram describes nine core types of human personality based on the dominant fear. Of course, there are more fears and we will experience most of them at some points in our life. But deep down there is a dominant fear that controls us. This fundamental fear changes our life and we look at the world through the lens of the armour of this fear. This lens might distort our view and more importantly, everyone has a different lens. If we can understand the world view of other people, it would help us get along with people better. We could have better relationships, better families and better lives.
In the Enneagram system, following are the 9 fundamental fears:
- Fear of Being Evil : This is the fear of being bad, corrupt or evil. People with this fear strive to be correct and good, feeling that if they don’t meet this expectation they are unworthy. This is character type of The Reformer.
- Fear of being unloved : These characters want people to love them. In order to achieve it, they care for other people and start to love them expecting others to love them back. These generous and empathetic people are often disappointed by what they get in return. This is character type of The Helper.
- Fear of being Worthless : People who have this fear want to be valuable and worthwhile. They crave attention and are eager to impress. They fear failure and humiliation. This is character type of The Achiever.
- Fear of being Insignificant : or the fear of being without identity, people who feel so are trying to figure out their true identity. They are their true original self, and use creative means to express their inner feelings. This is character type of The Artist.
- Fear of being incompetent : These characters have curiosity and a deep desire for knowledge and understanding some skill. This is character type of The Investigator.
- Fear of being without support : People with this fear crave for constant guidance and security. They are hardworking, committed and good at foreseeing risks. This is character type of The Loyalist.
- Fear of being deprived : People who feel this fear are charismatic and enthusiastic. They have a great appetite for life and aim for more experience. This is character type of The Adventurer.
- Fear of being controlled : They want to control their environment and be in their own control. They are great leaders, highly independent and self-confident. This is character type of The Leader.
- Fear of separation : They are optimistic people who hate conflict around them. They see the best in others and in the world. This is character type of The Peacemaker.
Of Course we possess some traits of each of these fears but one fear dominates and shapes our personality.
PS. Enneagrams are generally used to model the characters of the protagonist in fiction.