The sin of pride

I have been reading books about the Enneagram for a few months now.The first one I read was called The Road Back to You. It was a nice primer and I have recently bought a few more books on the subject but I am just getting started on. The one I am currently reading is called The Path Between Us by Suzanne's Stabile, who was also one of the authors of The Road Back to You.  

I have pretty much determined that I am what is called a two. Who is known by the word help her, give her, or as another author puts it, befriender.  While  I knew it was likely I could be at two to start with he did not really resonate with me until I began to dig deeper and found that who's are often called befrienders.  One of the authors of the road back to you says that when you find your type you will be uncomfortable with all the details that go with it. This was certainly the case for me. As I read the description of a two it reminded  of someone else in my life, actually a couple of someone's in my life that I knew were twos.  and they are people  I don't like very much. 

Every number has a deadly sin that goes with the good of the traits. There is no good or bad type there are only good traits and bad traits. The sin of the 2 is pride. This isn't pride like being proud of something exactly. This is pride of self, of feeling like we are good people, doing good things, when maybe we are not.  For myself I have been thinking about how I always wanted to get in the middle of things and "fix" things. I wanted to help, be useful and have people like me.  I think I did this because it convinced me that I should like myself.  Funny thing has happened over the last few months. Now that I have learned to like myself it hasn't been necessary to befriend every random person who comes along. I'm taking more time for me and my family and less time to run around helping and befriending everyone who I run across.  This has been a foreign concept to me in so many ways in the past. I'm learning just to sit still and be...read a book, crochet, sew etc. Enjoy the quiet of a sunny afternoon in my office.

At first I thought that I was becoming more Introverted and going against my character. I worried that I was "depressed" and losing interest in things I had previously loved. I have come to realize that I don't need distractions anymore. I can just be.

--

Alice Perryman MA, MT-BC, LMT
Music Therapist
Massage Therapist