After three decades as an Enneagram teacher and author, I consider the current Enneagram environment and am left with gratitude and concern. My gratitude is for Enneagram teachers who came before me and the substantial and often exploratory work they have done. I am also appreciative experiencing how widespread the Enneagram has become in the thirty years of my involvement.
This kind of success, however, comes with concerns which I want to, hopefully, encourage self-reflection and/or dialogue around. What I am seeing, reading and hearing is this: a large number of people presenting or advertising themselves as Enneagram “masters” or Enneagram “experts.” I am concerned.
Context
To provide context, I cannot recall Claudio Naranjo, Don Riso, Helen Palmer, David Daniels or Russ Hudson referring to themselves in this way. This is not to say that they may have been promoted by other people using the words “master” or “expert” to describe them (and we often do not have control over advertisements), but I’ve never heard them use these words to describe themselves.
Why would they not use those words? All of them have high-level Enneagram expertise and mastery, but referring to oneself as an “expert” or “master” is something different altogether. I think there are two reasons. First is humility, and true humility requires a great deal of self-awareness, self-reflection and a perspective on one’s own importance. None of them are, as are none of us, perfect human beings, and they would not claim to be so. But to use “master” and “expert” to describe yourself is the opposite of humility.
The second reason is that most people who work with and use the Enneagram for true psychological and spiritual development, and especially those who teach it, get what I think is this simple truth about the Enneagram: The more you learn through the Enneagram, the more you recognize about yourself, the nine types, the system itself, and more. As a result, it is daunting to claim the title of “master” or “expert.”
What is a “master?”
Here’s how various dictionaries describe the meaning of the word “master.”
“Having complete knowledge or skill in a specific area”
“An artist of consummate skills”
“Having chief authority”
What is an “expert?”
Here’s how various dictionaries describe the meaning of the word “expert.”
“A person with comprehensive knowledge of or skill in a certain area”
“Someone with mastery of a topic”
“Adept, proficient, skilled and skillful”
What is the difference between “master” and “expert?”
According to Google AI, “master” implies a deeper, more profound understanding and ability that goes beyond just being knowledgeable, suggesting a level of mastery that transcends routine practice and incorporates a deeper intuition and creative application of knowledge, whereas an “expert” is someone with extensive knowledge and experience in a specific field, capable of performing tasks proficiently within established practices.”
Example: “A chess expert can analyze complex strategies and make informed moves, but a chess master can anticipate their opponent’s thinking and create innovative tactics.”
Summary
I’ve also noticed that those who now refer to themselves as “master” or “expert” are not Enneagram teachers who have been in this field for the longest time. In fact, the opposite seems to be true. The shorter the time, the bigger the claim!
About Ginger
Ginger Lapid-Bogda PhD, author of nine Enneagram books, is a speaker, consultant, trainer, and coach. She provides certification programs and training tools for business professionals around the world who want to bring the Enneagram into organizations with high-impact business applications. TheEnneagramInBusiness.com | ginger@theenneagraminbusiness.com
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