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wings: esp. for David and Ayla

wings: esp. for David and Ayla

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Posted by Devora-Leah on April 29, 1998 at 16:02:00:

In Reply to: Re: Enneagram combinations -- help! posted by Ayla on April 27, 1998 at 22:25:46:

The Enneagram is vey systematic, and therefore I don't think that wings can be randomly chosen. We Fours really are limited to our potential 3 and 5 wings. I agree with David in that though we may seem to exhibit many behaviors in common with other types (9, for example) our underlying motivations are very different. I have a 9 friend, but I used to think she was a Four because we shared a lot in common. As I looked more deeply, however, I discovered that she actually feels a unity, a commonality, with many different people of different natures. I, on the other hand, as a classic Four generally feel very different and alienated, really only connected with a select few individuals.

Ayla, as for why you scored higher in 9 than 3 and 5, I don't have an absolute explanation. Perhaps neither of your wings are very strong, and you really do exhibit a lot of 9 behavior (though as David pointed out, it's coming from a different place). According to Riso, everyone has a wing, though the strength of different peoples' wings can vary considerably. He says that people generally have one dominant wing, though it is possible to be strong in both. There is always a more dominant wing, however. I would say that if you don't really strongly identify with either wing, don't worry about it. One of those wings is there, but you may not be highly influenced by it. Maybe your proportion of wing is quite low in comparison to your primary type (4). Also keep in mind that any Enneagram test is far from perfect, and you may only be able to discover your wings and other finer aspects of your type with a qualified Enneagram teacher or something.

Interestingly, I don't have this problem because my Five wing is very strong. I took the test twice (because I lost my results the first time!). But I remember that I actually scored 80/80 on Four and Five the first time I took the test (but I have no doubt that I am a Four and not a Five). The second time I took it, I scored 92/87, so it's pretty clear that my Five wing plays a major role in my personality, so it merits my attention. In cases such as yours where the wing is less apparent, I don't think you need to worry about it as much. Maybe instead of concentrating on wings, you should pay more attention to the points of intergration and disintegration for Fours (1 & 2). I think that they are very helpful in moving towards health and away from bad habits.

Anyway, just my unsolicited unprofessional opinions!

Devora-Leah

Follow Ups:

Re: wings: esp. for David and Ayla adavis 16:20:19 4/29/98 (2)
- Re: wings: esp. for David and Ayla (re: 5w4 dis?intigration) Copperhead 21:38:25 5/01/98 (0)
- Re: wings: esp. for David and Ayla Ayla 20:01:40 4/29/98 (0)

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: : The Enneagram is vey systematic, and therefore I don't think that wings can be randomly chosen. We Fours really are limited to our potential 3 and 5 wings. I agree with David in that though we may seem to exhibit many behaviors in common with other types (9, for example) our underlying motivations are very different. I have a 9 friend, but I used to think she was a Four because we shared a lot in common. As I looked more deeply, however, I discovered that she actually feels a unity, a commonality, with many different people of different natures. I, on the other hand, as a classic Four generally feel very different and alienated, really only connected with a select few individuals. : Ayla, as for why you scored higher in 9 than 3 and 5, I don't have an absolute explanation. Perhaps neither of your wings are very strong, and you really do exhibit a lot of 9 behavior (though as David pointed out, it's coming from a different place). According to Riso, everyone has a wing, though the strength of different peoples' wings can vary considerably. He says that people generally have one dominant wing, though it is possible to be strong in both. There is always a more dominant wing, however. I would say that if you don't really strongly identify with either wing, don't worry about it. One of those wings is there, but you may not be highly influenced by it. Maybe your proportion of wing is quite low in comparison to your primary type (4). Also keep in mind that any Enneagram test is far from perfect, and you may only be able to discover your wings and other finer aspects of your type with a qualified Enneagram teacher or something. : Interestingly, I don't have this problem because my Five wing is very strong. I took the test twice (because I lost my results the first time!). But I remember that I actually scored 80/80 on Four and Five the first time I took the test (but I have no doubt that I am a Four and not a Five). The second time I took it, I scored 92/87, so it's pretty clear that my Five wing plays a major role in my personality, so it merits my attention. In cases such as yours where the wing is less apparent, I don't think you need to worry about it as much. Maybe instead of concentrating on wings, you should pay more attention to the points of intergration and disintegration for Fours (1 & 2). I think that they are very helpful in moving towards health and away from bad habits. : Anyway, just my unsolicited unprofessional opinions! : Devora-Leah

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