Posted by K.B. on March 30, 2001 at 03:38:31:
In Reply to: Since you asked.... posted by isaacthe54 on March 27, 2001 at 09:49:50:
: well, kb, since you asked for my opinion...
: i think this malarky about flashpoints and lowpoints and scales in each number is a bunch of crap that's completely pointless. it's nothing but another case of the enneagram being painfully stretched into the language of pop psychology. thank you very much, mr rheti. while this pseudoegram model is somewhat appealing (since TESTING is the basis of ALL stupid psychology and it lends itself to tests,) it is so far off base when actually put to use that it should be completely abandoned. especially if we have a much better system, the enneagram, sitting right under our noses. i will always and forever be suspicious of any personality typology system that claims to be able to get all required information from a test. i would go so far as to claim that if a system can do that, then it is flawed in either design or purpose. either it is not suited for my use, or it is poorly constructed.
That is purely your opinion. K.B.
: your 2 and her 8 are both 0. you both have a single personality type, which accounts for all the fluctuation and all of the similarities to other stereotypes that you exhibit. even when a 6 is similar to a 1 or 4 to a 2 or whatever, it does not mean that you exhibit those similarities for the same reasons as the other type. you are still your single enneagram type, forever and ever, barring any EXTREME SEVERE situations. (very large dosages of prozac, frontal lobatomy, death, etc.) you two get along so well because one or both of you are not willing to give up your ego-protecting defense mechanisms in favor of virtue. this is almost always the reason people clash. in the example you gave of the preacher and the atheist, kb, this was the reason they would fight.
AGAIN. JUST OPINION. K.B.
: it's tempting, then to say "oh, well, emily is the one who's doing that defense mechanisms virtue thing!" don't say that. pointing at others when you are angry is suppression of excellence. you can only change yourself reliably, so that's all you should be criticizing. when you lose a game of chess, it is no use to say that it's because the other guy was too good. (tho he may have been.) it is far more useful to think about what mistakes you made that led to him winning, because that can actually give you insights for the future.
TRUE. K.B.
: if a 3 and a 7 fight over who is going to steal the spotlight, it has nothign to do with the 7's "flashpoint" at 3 or the 3's connection to 6 making him suspicious. it has to do with a 3 and a 7 exhibiting 3ish and 7ish problems at one another, in typical 3 nad 7 manners. this analysis of the situation is both simpler and more effective in actually understanding the mindset of the parties involved and thus, in resolving difficulty and escaping our own self-destructive instincts. the only catch is that you need to have a deep understanding of "3" and of "7" to make any sense of it.
AGAIN. OPINION. K.B.
: if you can't handle a lot of learning, then the enneagram is not for you; if this is the case, just accept that you will never understand other people.
AND IF IT'S NOT THE CASE? K.B.
this is just another example of how smart people are constantly rewarded by the universe. the thing about the enneagram is that it can be used wrong, and when used improperly, it provides information that is unsatisfying and not useful. this is the strength of it, because when it IS used properly, it provides information that is extremely useful and powerful. most pseudoegram systems don't posess this characteristic. like cory pointed out, your system can be used to explain this situation in a completely different way, or countless different ways, with no more or less accuracy. congratulations: you've reinvented the zodiac, but with a longer test and no pretty pictures.
YOU ARE SAYING WORDS THAT MEAN NOTHING. K.B.
: this will sound really 5, but i guess that's just me being what i am. truth is not a simple or complex thing. it's a silly and pointless thing. forget about it, and you'll be a lot happier. just pretend it's all a dream, and move about this dream seeking happiness. the dream has rules which govern its action. learn them, so you can exploit them. this also goes for the part of the dream that "you" interact directly with, the part that goes on in your mind. learn the workings of it so you can exploit yourself. only if you know the world will you be able to get what you want. only when you know yourself will you be able to want what you want to want.
: so then, kb, let's look at this strategically. what is your goal here? to destroy emily? to insult a bunch of strangers online? to demonstrate the validity of this pseudoegram system you're talking about? to unearth a cult that has infected this board? you can be assured, kb, i'm trashing your system completely of my own individual accord, and if you look at other posts on this board, i'm sure you'll see that it's consistent with my other posts, and not an attack at you personally.
YOU AREN'T TRASHING MY SYSTEM. YOU ARE STATING YOUR OPINION. GET OFF IT KID, YOU OVERRATE YOUR INTELLECT WORSE THAN JIM MORRISON OVERATED HIS TALENT. K.B.
you're the only one who asked me to get involved in this thread, and i absolutely am not doing this to get the thread deleted.
NO.JUST TO BELONG TO THE IN CROWD. K.B.
of course, emily HAS been sending that hypnotist by my house every morning when i wake up. and the tv flickers in wierd ways that make me think things. but i'm sure it's nothing...
: please, kb, spare yourself the embarassment of calling this a cult and insulting people. it's a rather pitiful defense to claim that we're all out to get you. if you can't deal with arguing, then stay away from arguments. ad hominem claims are petty and childish. they also prevent you from being taken seriously.
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AND YOU HAVE A MIND OF YOUR OWN? K.B.
: isaac