Episode 44: The Enneagram, for Board Gamers!

Intro to & History of Enneagram

The origins of the enneagram are arcane and unclear.

• Relation to 7 Deadly Sins, Sufi Islam


• George Gurdjieff, Armenian spiritualist and teacher, 1865-1949


• Oscar Ichazo (Bolivian) and Claudio Naranjo (Chilean) in 1970s developed it. It came into American practice through Naranjo in CA, and Catholics there, including Father Robert Ochs.


• It is used in therapeutic and spiritual settings to discern who you are and who others are

The Types

1. Perfectionist: want it done right, highly moral, avoids blame


2. Helper: wants to be loved and needed, avoids own needs


3. Performer: wants success, gotta win, avoid failure


4. Romantic: need to be extraordinary and understood, avoid being ordinary


5. Investigator: independent, private, strives for knowledge, avoids help from others


6. Loyalist: committed and funny, they are worst case thinkers, fearful, desires security, avoid danger


7. Enthusiast: fun and happy, avoid pain


8. Challenger: be strong, confrontational, commanding, avoids weakness


9. Peacemaker: pleasant and accommodating, avoid conflict

Where Can People Take Enneagram Test? Lots of places online, but one starting place is here.

Caveats

• We are not experts


• No system is perfect - this doesn’t define you.

Our Own Enneagram Types & Implications

• Kevin is a 1 – a perfectionist


• Daniel is a 9 – a peacemaker

Board Game Mechanisms for Enneagram Types

• K: type 1 perfectionist: are going to like high strategy and low luck games, like chess, A Feast for Odin, Azul, Brass Birmingham, and generally any kind of Euro. But you might should play games with more risk and zaniness such as Nemesis or Frostpunk.


• D:


• K: type 5 investigator: solo gamer, Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective, solo experience games like Mr. President; Endurance by Amabel Holland


• D:


• K: type 3 Performer: push your luck, dungeon crawler, risk mitigation (Nemesis; Gloomhaven; Quacks of Quedlinburg)

Next episode: Gaming experiences for the holidays!

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