Helping and guiding others in the discovery of their Enneagram type is more than art and more than science. It is eliciting the obvious and implicit, as the uneasy task of self-discovery unfolds. It is not simple; nor is it straightforward. And it is too easy to rely on a single factor, and single factor typing can lead to an inaccurate conclusion. Here are several single factor typing methods which are useful and helpful, but best used as one of many factors.

Useful, but not determinative
External behavior | Behavior can be a questionable way of single factor typing because it is motivation for behavior, not behavior, that indicates type. What drives behavior is far more significant than behavior itself. In addition, more than one type often share behavioral similarities. For example, if someone wants to get things right, the question is why does someone want to get something right? The desire and behavior does not make someone a One! Why does someone work so very hard most of the time? Almost every type can work very hard, but why?

Communication style | The 9 types do communicate differently, so there is value to using communication style – voice tone and pattern, language structuring, non-verbal behaviors, and more – as a factor in typing. But here, you have to be able to (1) understand language structure, (2) perceive communication patterns in obvious and subtle forms, and (3) experience a person’s communication style in multiple contexts such as culture, family of origin, whether or not the person is stressed, and how he or she is feeling emotionally.

Dress style | People of the 9 types do share some similarities in dress style, fashion and color choices. But here again, dress alone as a way of typing can be misleading because other factors are operating: culture, fashion trends, economics, and more. In addition, dress style can be misleading or lead to stereotyping. For example, take the idea that Fours primarily dress in black, perhaps suggestive of a more melancholic manner. The problem is that many people wear black these days, people of all types. And it is not uncommon for one-to-one Fours to dress more flamboyantly than other Fours.

Biography and autobiography | Some Enneagram teachers rely (or say they rely) on biographies as a way of typing famous people, but biographies are, by definition, written by a third party. This is akin to asking people other than the person him-or herself questions to type an individual. Second hand reports often give interesting anecdotes, quotes and some insight, but when using biography, there is the strong risk of falsely interpreting another’s behavior.

Autobiography is better than biography as a way of understanding another person from the inside out, since it is written by the person him- or herself, but biography as a main source is dependent on the degree of self-disclosure, the quality of the author’s insight, and the author’s ability to express him- or herself in writing.

Verbal responses to interview questions | We often rely on a person’s answers to questions asked when doing typing interviews, but the usefulness of these verbal responses as a single source for typing can be problematic. How to understand a verbal answer depends both on the insight and self-expressiveness of the person being interviewed, but also the nature of the question(s) being asked and the listener’s interpretation of the answer given. Take the question related to focus. If someone is asked, “Are you focused?,” the answer can be confusing. How does the person questioned define focus? I have heard more than one Seven – in fact many Sevens – say they are focused. But this answer has to be probed and explored. What many Sevens mean is that they can focus with a lot of effort for short periods of time when they are really interested in something or are under an extreme deadline.

Tests | Tests alone are not definitive regarding type, although some think they are, although usually not the developer him- or herself. The reason Enneagram test creators know that their tests can’t really be used as a single factor type determiner is because of the reliability and validity statistics for their tests. Without 100% reliability and validity scores (which are near impossible), no test can be determinative. Taking multiple tests, even those most commonly used, can be more confusing than clarifying because it is not uncommon for people to type out as one type on one test and another type on another instrument.

Perhaps useful; perhaps questionable
Physiology | While there are some physical characteristics that tend to go with certain types, these are not always true and can lead to false typing results when used. For example, Ones do tend to stand up straighter than some other types, but not always. Not all Ones stand tall and not all those who stand tall are Ones. Ones can tend to hold their anger in their jaws due to repressed anger, but people of other types who hold in their anger can also have tight jaw lines. Some think Eights tend to be big and Fives tend to be thin, but then you will meet some tiny Eights and some Fives who are not at all lean.

Physical tests | There is a school that uses pushing tests to determine type, but many people I know who have been “pushed” who know their types already say it doesn’t type them as they know themselves to be. I personally have not experienced this process, so I cannot fully say to be wary of this from first-hand knowledge. I do use one “push” test sometimes, but only for people who think they might be Eights. I ask if I have their permission to move them, and if they say yes, I give a shoulder push to see (a) how grounded they are, (b) their stance (as in an alpha dog stance), and (c) how quickly their anger emerges, if at all. It is by no means a definitive test, just one more data point.

Questionable
Eye color, feet, and eye movements | I have heard of Enneagram teachers (and experienced a few of them) who use these factors explicitly in typing. I personally believe there is no validity to these factors. Eye color, feet and jaw lines are highly genetically based, and when used in the ways they are, can have a racial or gender bias to them. Not useful, not true, and even damaging.

In sum
Typing people is part science, part art, and involves many factors or variables. Multiple data points are useful to consider, but none of them alone are sufficient. This is true if you are an Enneagram teacher or if you are the person trying to identify your type. As teachers, we have a responsibility to be able to integrate and provide guidance on a wide array of factors, but to also make sure we ultimately leave typing to the person him- or herself!