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A review by jack_reid
The Complete Enneagram: 27 Paths to Greater Self-Knowledge by Beatrice Chestnut
3.0
The enneagram is a tool for uncovering and shedding your personality. The descriptions should capture and raise your awareness of your ego’s defensive mechanisms developed in childhood. The goal of the enneagram is to transcend the personality construct and live true to yourself, rather than in a defensive manner guided by your ego.
I’d argue that Chestnut’s text and Don Riso’s [b:The Wisdom of the Enneagram: The Complete Guide to Psychological and Spiritual Growth for the Nine Personality Types|311053|The Wisdom of the Enneagram The Complete Guide to Psychological and Spiritual Growth for the Nine Personality Types|Don Richard Riso|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320548367l/311053._SY75_.jpg|301982] are the defining texts of the enneagram. They both view the enneagram as a tool for enlightenment and do not contend that it captures all the various facets of a person, just the ego’s defensive personality. However, Don Riso expands the enneagram by adding the levels of development and wings. Chestnut sticks to the original teachings and explains their origins more truthfully than Don Riso, who has an agenda to highlight his original insights.
I found them both useful. Chestnut offered a far better and in-depth description of my type (type 3) while Don Riso nailed the sub-typing. I didn’t feel drawn to Chestnut’s sub-types, which differ from Don Riso’s wing subtyping. But she could argue that I don’t understand myself well enough to recognize which sub-type I am. Perhaps so. Maybe I’ll revisit my conclusion in a year and change my mind.
For readers interested in the enneagram, I’d recommend Riso’s book first. It’s the most famous work and comprehensive. Then, Chestnut’s is worth a read for the different perspectives she offers.
I’d argue that Chestnut’s text and Don Riso’s [b:The Wisdom of the Enneagram: The Complete Guide to Psychological and Spiritual Growth for the Nine Personality Types|311053|The Wisdom of the Enneagram The Complete Guide to Psychological and Spiritual Growth for the Nine Personality Types|Don Richard Riso|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320548367l/311053._SY75_.jpg|301982] are the defining texts of the enneagram. They both view the enneagram as a tool for enlightenment and do not contend that it captures all the various facets of a person, just the ego’s defensive personality. However, Don Riso expands the enneagram by adding the levels of development and wings. Chestnut sticks to the original teachings and explains their origins more truthfully than Don Riso, who has an agenda to highlight his original insights.
I found them both useful. Chestnut offered a far better and in-depth description of my type (type 3) while Don Riso nailed the sub-typing. I didn’t feel drawn to Chestnut’s sub-types, which differ from Don Riso’s wing subtyping. But she could argue that I don’t understand myself well enough to recognize which sub-type I am. Perhaps so. Maybe I’ll revisit my conclusion in a year and change my mind.
For readers interested in the enneagram, I’d recommend Riso’s book first. It’s the most famous work and comprehensive. Then, Chestnut’s is worth a read for the different perspectives she offers.