Please leave your comments and questions below!

Ben here.
First off, I love the debate and the various views already shared about Barack Obama’s type.  Check out the two previous posts to see for yourself.

Now let’s move on to Sarah Palin. Many people have asked me about her. Particularly, what happens if she becomes Vice President, McCain can’t fulfill his obligations as President, and she ends up running the country?  How is she likely to respond if she gets tweaked by the leader of a foreign country?

In the beginning, as I watched her acceptance speech and early interviews, my thought was she’s a Type Three. She impressed everyone in the first few days… she was the hot soccer mom with the coy wink that everyone could connect with, or at least wanted to connect with, and it looked like McCain had pulled a rabbit out of his hat.

As I continue to watch Sarah Palin and get under her surface, things are not so pretty. The image starts to fall apart. But it’s not that. It is the particular WAY that it fell apart which leads me to Type Six.

I’ve been debating this for the past few weeks with David Daniels, and I think I’ve got him convinced.

When I feel into Palin, I find the jittery anxiousness I associate with a Type Six. Unlike a Three, her delivery is not smooth under pressure. There is a confusing, circular logic when she speaks. Thoughts come quickly, often tumbling out one on top of the other.

For an example, check out this video of her interview with Katie Couric. By the way, you’ll see the Saturday Night Live version first. The real interview follows.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE2gE-VVjBI

There is a wild streak in Palin. She is a “maverick” from way back. Breaking the rules and pushing the edge comes naturally to her. Helicopter gunner… moose obliterator… this is counter phobic Six behavior all the way!

Whatever you believe let your voice be heard.

We are on the edge, the tipping point. Our world will change tomorrow. Be part of that change.

Know that the consciousness you act with tomorrow will have an impact on how this nation changes over the next four years. When you cast your vote, please do it as an act FOR something, rather than an act that comes out of fear.

Be deliberate as you bring your consciousness, your thoughts, your intentions and focus on what you are creating with your vote, as opposed to rebelling against the alternative. When you give too much attention to what you resist, it just gets bigger. Take a stand for the future you want to live in.

It’s your power. Use it.

Ben

I received this reply to our post on Barack Obama’s Enneagram Type….

“I too agree that Obama is a Three.  I have a question.  The passion of a Three is DECEIT.  Because Threes do not allow themselves to become emotionally connected to other people, their attitude, that ‘anything goes’ on their way to the top, is laced with deception.  Because this is an unconscious self deception, how do we know that he is not deceiving the public?”  - Bill

A good question Bill. People who are Enneagram Type Three often get lost bending the truth and telling people what they want to hear. They have an amazing capacity to create an image, a persona that is the perfect model for whatever group they are in.

I can see how knowing that Barack Obama is a type Three might bring up concern. You start to wonder, is he the real deal, or is he just telling us what we want to hear, hiding the truth, and play-acting the “role” of a competent, visionary, motivational leader?

I’ve had similar thoughts.

I think Obama does tell us what we want to hear. All good politicians focus on the issues that concern the public, and they learn to talk directly to those issues.

I’ll tell you what puts my mind at ease…

Obama is not dominated by his type fixation. This is good news.

When a type Three is dominated by their fixation, I experience them as feeling plastic, unreal, without depth. When I watch them speak, they look like a caricature of themselves trying to be something or say something that they are not. They don’t impact my body and emotions in a real way.

When a speaker talks and what they say matches their deeply held convictions, something happens. Our bodies and emotions react.

I can feel my body respond when Obama hits a deeper place. I feel heat in my chest, he touches my heart, and my eyes water when his conviction resonates with my deeply held beliefs.

When I watch Barack Obama, I see someone who has depth. He moves me.

This leads me to believe that there is congruence between his words and his beliefs. I see, in Obama, a level of authenticity and self-revealing that is present in type Threes who have achieved a high level of emotional freedom from their fixation.

So this gives me more peace of mind.

Healthy Three’s bring the gifts of hope, personal betterment, intense focus, and a “can do” attitude to the people around them.

All of the Types can get lost in their fixations. But we humans are so much more than that. When any of us loosens the grip of our Type, we can react in more creative, appropriate ways to problems and to people. We are more present to ourselves and to the people we interact with.

It is my hope, no matter who ends up running this country, that he has some freedom from his emotional baggage. That he can handle the pressing problems of our time with creativity, integrity, and ease.

Please comment below. Do you feel the hope I’m speaking to here?

P.S. People were asking about Sarah Palin’s Type. I think she’s up next.

Ben

Okay, I admit it.  I know I’m not supposed to assign a type to someone else, but I can’t help it.  People keep asking me, “What type is Barack Obama?”

Every time I see him, I try to guess his type.  And it seems like all of the Enneagram folks I know are discussing it.  Aren’t you?

Well, here’s the current debate:  He’s a type 9 or a type 3.

What I’ve heard from those in the “He’s a 9″ camp is how calm and easy going, unflappable he is in every speech.  Sometimes he cannot be pinned down on a specific point because he wants more information, and he seems to be assessing multiple points of view.  He’s even been accused of “flip-flopping.”  Haven’t we heard that somewhere before?!

From the “He’s a 3″ camp, we can look to his resume as an example: Graduated from Harvard Law School magna cum laude, President of The Harvard Law Review, Columbia undergrad, professor, lawyer, community organizer… And that’s all before he got into politics!  Then look at his record of Senate participation and getting legislation passed–it’s pretty impressive.  Oh, and don’t forget the perfect, brilliant wife and beautiful children.  This man is only 47 years old.

I can see both perspectives and think they’re both pretty persuasive, but my take is that he is a 3. I think he appears like a 9 because that is the image he is projecting.  Calm, cool, and collected.  But in the debates, when McCain characterized him poorly, you could see his reaction.  His face flushed, his jaw tightened.  This isn’t someone whose anger is hidden from him.  This is someone who is managing his image, and doing a great job of it.  So that’s why I believe he’s not a 9.

But here’s what really convinces me he is a 3, the story about how he got together with his wife Michelle.  He relentlessly pursued her for their first date, even though it was frowned upon by the law firm where they both worked.  And do you know how he finally achieved that first date?  Charm.  He turned on that sweet, innocent, little boy quality that a 3 does so well.  After she had turned him down a number of times, he sweetly asked her if he could just buy her some ice cream.  Hmmmmm, attempting to melt her heart?

And finally, he radiates hope, the Holy Idea for type 3. His book, The Audacity of Hope, was one of those books…when I read it I was certain that anyone who read it would vote for him. His ability to inspire and create a sense of possibility allows many Americans to hope again. It is palpable.

What do you think?  We’d love to hear your perspective as we continue our own Presidential debate.

Watch and learn how Donna Fowler uses the Enneagram to work with a big, intense, “I’m in charge”, type Eight client. Would you be interested in having that kind of power, confidence, and precision in your coaching?

You can learn how at one of our Coach Training seminars!

Watch and Discover the Power of the Enneagram!

If you can’t view this video click the link below to watch on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zyT9-S5os0

We want your input and comments. If you have any questions about using the Enneagram to transform your coaching, ask below!

So in June, 34 of us gathered and left our inhibitions at the door. We danced (even the Type Ones got funky!), we shared, we loved, and we cried.

At the 3-Day Enneagram Panels event, I saw big Type Eights break through to their vulnerability, fearful Type Sixes discover the face of courage, and shy Type Nines claim their truth in front of the group.

Here is a quote from one of the Type One participants…

“I woke up the day after the 3-day a NEW PERSON. I had recently been VERY critical of my whole family, and myself, of course. After the 3-day it was as if I saw them all as perfect the way they are, and the thick lens of what wasn’t right or what was missing was lifted off. Criticism was not evident — I didn’t need it. I would also say that I was grieving the lost time being truly with my kids. Right now I’m in a state of wonder and attempting to integrate this huge piece of
growth, afraid that I’ll go back to old ways…yikes!”

-Julie Albert

A Type Eight participant who is new to the work wrote this to me the day after the event…

“I was in sensory overload and didn’t have the voice to express my gratitude yesterday. Where to begin. I won’t begin to rattle off everything I’ve been going through but how about I start with deep deep gut felt appreciation for the work you do. It’s really quite remarkable how much work was accomplished in three days. I thought the panels were fantastic. All of them. If not for exactly as they were, I would not have been able to do my work. It was a pleasure surrendering to your direction. You truly provided the arena for so many types to be open and present or in my case exactly where I had to be to receive. It was a beautiful thing to experience and I am truly grateful that I was on the receiving end of so much light. I’ve been in the midst of intense process all morning.

I wanted to take advantage of this window in time to to share a few things and slow down. (heh, who’d a thunk it..SLOW down.) You really covered just about everything. This is suggestion and not a critique. I think in the future it would be helpful to talk a little more on what to expect as stuff starts to come up when you are home and on your own…..I was lucky enough to get the day off but I hadn’t really given it much thought before hand. (maybe I’m still in shock but this is pretty intense and I’m a tuff cookie) I imagine there are others in the clutches of process.

I will never forget finding my wrath in the face of vulnerability and seeing it as my own. Thank you for helping me in identify my type, my triggers, and for swiftly propelling me into this process.
Safe and Sound,
Sandra”

Any other participants who want to describe what changed for you at the event please comment below.

So what’s next in the Enneagram adventure?….

“The Nine Passions: Your Journey Back to Essence”
Do you know the Passion of your type?
Do you know how it separates you from your Essence Nature?
More importantly… do you know how it is the key to reconnecting with your Essence Nature and remembering the truth of who you are?
Save these dates for this two and a half day event: October 16, 17, 18, 2008.

Any questions about the Nine Passions found on the Enneagram? Ask them below and we’ll tell you all we know.