Around my office, the staff has a sort of interest, nah obsession, with a particular personality identification test/system called the enneagram. Before I started working here last summer, I’d never heard the word, nor had I heard so many grown people self-proclaim to be numbers. “I’m a 5.” “Well, you know, I’m a 3.” “Oh,” everyone would say with a look of understanding–some with conceit, others with a scoff.

You’re a what?

On rare occasion, someone on staff gave a small explanation for what all this number-naming meant, but it took me quite a while to figure it out–about 6 months, I’d say. When I finally understood what it was (oh, a personality test…I like those), I began to try to figure out what I am. The enneagram doesn’t work like traditional personality tests. While you can take a test to help you figure out what you are, it’s more like you read a bunch of material to see which personality type (1-9) best suits you–how you think about things, feel about them, and how you deal with things.

For me it’s been an interesting year, personality-wise. With a new city, a new job, and largely new friends, I’ve been in a sort of stress that makes it hard to function very me-like. With a few co-workers, I discussed the fact that I couldn’t figure out what I was. The 7 seemed sorta like me. Then other days, I’m felt more like a 1. I asked David to read the different things and give his opinion but he was as confused as me. Then about a month ago, the two musicians on staff came into my office to work on a musical composition. One of them made a comment about how it might be too much to have 3 “4s” in one room.

“What?” I said.

“Wait, what do you mean 3 4s?”

“You think I”m a four.” And they both looked at each other, then me, blankly and certainly and said, “yeah, you’re definitely a 4.” Then seeing the shock on my face, added kindly…”well, at least that’s what we think…”

The certainty with which they said this statement caused me pause. The fact that they thought they knew what I was when others (myself and David included) were stumped was very intriguing. While they went to work on their musical number, I immediately began to look up the 4. And amazingly, I think it is me.

So, I want to introduce you to me. Maybe you don’t realize I’m like this. Maybe you dont’ see all these parts of me. But this is me. I mean, not totally, not exclusively, but largely…this is my personality. Oddly, it fits me better than any other such personality thing I’ve seen…and frankly, that gives me a huge chocolate mousse-sized drop of comfort in my belly.
What are you?

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