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j.e. moyer, LPC's avatar

Most licensed mental health professionals I know consider these personality assessments a form of astrology and don’t take them seriously.

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RealityCheck's avatar

Your article touches on an important issue, but it brings to mind a broader concern in scientific discourse today—the increasing emphasis on measurement over value. The sheer volume of studies, data, and publications is staggering, yet how much of it truly advances our understanding? Science, like literature, should strive for lasting impact, not just accumulation.

This reminds me of Alice’s conversation with the Caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland:

“Who are you?” said the Caterpillar.

This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, “I—I hardly know, Sir, just at present—at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.”

“What do you mean by that?” said the Caterpillar, sternly. “Explain yourself!”

“I can’t explain myself, I’m afraid, Sir,” said Alice, “because I am not myself, you see.”

This is particularly relevant to the Enneagram. It is a tool with great potential for insight, but its value lies in the depth of understanding it encourages, not in an attempt to quantify every nuance. When something designed to illuminate personal and psychological growth is reduced to mere metrics, it risks losing its transformative power. The Enneagram should be used as a guide for meaningful self-discovery, not as a system to be battered into rigid categorisations. With respect, I believe adding celebrity names to the Enneagram diagram detracts from its purpose.

Perhaps it is time to step back and ask: are we truly seeking knowledge, or merely accumulating data? Depth of understanding, not just measurement, is what gives knowledge its true worth. In focusing too much on quantifying everything, we risk losing the richness that makes exploration—whether scientific or personal—so valuable.

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