Typology

The Enneagram provides nine consistent, fairly predictable ways for us to understand and tell our narrative of how we operate in the world and make sense of our lives. It’s a tool that helps us enter into a conversation about the recurring themes and patterns of behaviors that are self-defeating or hurtful to others. One theme that operates as a thread in each of our lives is shame. Next to love, I believe shame is the most powerful force in the universe, but in the wrong direction. In today’s profoundly moving, heart-changing replay, author and psychiatrist Dr. Curt Thompson joins me for a deep conversation about shame and how it plays out as a human experience for all nine types. In this episode you’ll learn: What shame does as opposed to what it is How shame manifests in each Enneagram type How we can begin to heal shame through community

We’re taking a break to be with family over the holiday so we wanted to replay two topic-based episodes that have gone over extremely well with our listeners. This week, take another listen to my killer conversation with psychologist, author, and spiritual director Chuck Degroat, about the nine faces of narcissism.  We’re not talking about people with full-blown narcissistic personality disorder per se. We’re talking about narcissism on a continuum and what it looks like when each Enneagram type is manifesting a narcissistic style or type. Each of us is somewhere on that narcissistic spectrum.  In this episode you’ll learn: What narcissism actually is How narcissism shows up in all nine types, and What the healing path is for all nines types to keep narcissism in check. Chuck is the Professor of Counseling and Christian Spirituality at Western Theological Seminary Holland MI, and Co-Founder and a Senior Fellow at Newbigin House of Studies, San Francisco. His latest book is, When Narcissism Comes to Church: Healing Your Community From Emotional and Spiritual Abuse. He is a licensed therapist, author, retreat leader, and spiritual director. Chuck has been married to Sara for 25 years and has two daughters.

After spending 10 years as a successful nightclub promoter in New York, Scott Harrison made a huge pivot to volunteer as a photojournalist on a hospital ship off the coast of Liberia, West Africa.  That experience changed his life.  Founder of Charity: Water, Scott Harrison returns to Typology to reflect on stories from his childhood and how they’ve shaped who he is today. We explore his journey of transformation, what he’s learned since leaving New York, and get a peek into what’s next for him.  Scott has been recognized in Fortune Magazine’s list of 40 Under 40, the Forbes’ Impact 30 list, and Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business where he earned the #10 spot. He is currently a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and author of the New York Times Bestselling book, Thirst. Scott recently moved to Franklin, TN with his wife Viktoria, son Jackson and daughter Emma.

In this special episode, Anthony and I drop by the studio to talk about my new book, The Story of You, and what motivated me to write it.  We all craft a story about who we are and how the world works as little people. Then, as we grow older, we think of our lives as a movie we’re in that’s unfolding in real-time. But the narrative we crafted as children no longer works for us as adults. But how do we change that story? The Enneagram teaches that there are nine archetypal stories that people tend to inhabit. However, the true gift of the Enneagram is its ability to help us challenge those self-limiting stories and move into a new narrative.   In this episode, I identify the self-limiting story of each type and explain the 4 stage process for transformation so you can become your authentic self.

We all have stories that we tell ourselves and others about who we are and how we think the world works. Our daily behaviors and habits follow suit. Part of changing our automatic behaviors is by interrogating and changing the stories that no longer serve us.  Today’s guest, writer James Clear, joins me to talk about how he became the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, Atomic Habits, and delves into the relationship between personality styles and habits.  In this episode we: Explore what sparked his interest in the topic of habits Identify the 4 actionable steps to breaking bad habits and building new ones Take a practical look into the four laws of behavior change James is a regular speaker at Fortune 500 companies and his work has been featured in places like Time magazine, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and on CBS This Morning. His popular “3-2-1” email newsletter is sent out each week to more than 1 million subscribers.

Have you ever stopped to ask yourself, “What if the story I tell myself and others about who I am and who I'm becoming isn't true?”  As children, we all construct stories, or narratives, to help make sense of our environment. These childhood interpretations set in motion the patterns of behavior that shape our personality…or how we show up for life.  But, when you can understand the false story around which you have organized your life, then you can begin to play with that story a bit to find your true story. And, though you can’t change the facts of what has happened in your life, you can change the way you interpret them.   The truth is, that if you want to experience enduring transformation, you have to discover your false story, decouple yourself from it and begin to live the truth of your new story. In today’s episode, we’ll walk through the false “stories” that each Enneagram type needs to let go of in order to allow your true self to emerge.  

CNN senior political analyst and USA Today columnist, Kirsten Powers, is back to talk about her new book, Saving Grace: Speak Your Truth, Stay Centered, and Learn to Coexist with People who Drive You Nuts. We explore her journey of moving from an unhealthy Eight—full of judgment, shaming, and blaming—to a healthy Eight with the capacity to extend grace towards those who hold opposing views without sacrificing her values and passionate beliefs.  In this episode, Kirsten walks us through the tools we can all use to become less enraged and more gracious people in the world. She shares her insights into: What grace is and what it isn't Setting boundaries to show others how to be in a relationship with you Learning how to have healthy conflict Developing humility to cultivate more empathy for others Seeing the humanity of others even when opinions clash This conversation is not just for Eights; it's for all of us. It's a master class in better relating to those we disagree with while embodying the best expression ourselves.  

Alice and Bob Fryling join me for a wonderful conversation about aging together faithfully. This show is for people of all ages as we talk about better understanding and relating to our older friends, family members, and coworkers.  We also explore their knowledge of the Enneagram. Both Bob and Alice provide deep insights into how they navigate their differences throughout their 50 years of marriage, ways they support each other and work with the Enneagram to uncover their blindspots, and walking through challenging spaces as they grow older together.

The Enneagram tells us that there are nine basic personality types, one of which we each gravitate towards in childhood.  But if you dig a little deeper, each type actually has three instinctual variants called subtypes that help explain why people of the same type can look so different.  For each type, there is the self-preservation subtype, social subtype, and the one-to-one subtype. Today’s guest, former journalist Kayla Craig, joins me in a conversation about how understanding her subtype as a social Eight has illuminated different aspects of her personality and influenced her interactions with her family and others.  She provides wonderful insight into her relationship with emotions and what the soul of an Eight looks like. We also explore: the distinctive characteristics of the social Eight subtype vs. the self-preservation and one-to-one subtypes why social Eights can be mistyped as Enneagram Twos, and the transformational journey for Eights This episode is chock full of wisdom. You're going to love it!

John Driver is an award-winning writer and collaborator of more than twenty-five books.  In our conversation, we explore how understanding himself through the lens of the counterphobic Six has impacted his relationships with others, his work in ministry, and his writing. We also discuss his new book, Not So Black and White: An invitation to honest conversations about race and faith.  He shares how being a counterphobic Six impacted the writing of his book, why it’s so important to open the doors to honest and engaging conversations about race and faith, and touches on whether the Enneagram can help inform the conversation around racism.  A former teacher with a history degree from the University of Tennessee, John lives near Nashville with his wife, Laura, and their daughter, Sadie. He serves as the executive and teaching pastor at The Church at Pleasant Grove and hosts the weekly podcast Talk About That.