3 Centers

Centers of Expression

The first perspective relates to the external world and how participation in the world is perceived by others. This perspective of the centers is somewhat behavioural in nature and is determined by how one interacts with others.

Clearly we all have the ability to act, feel and think. However, the energy and nature of one's interaction with others may lead to people experiencing one as more of a thinker, more emotional or more of a doer.

The interpersonal expression of the center is not necessarily linked to Enneagram type. This presents the possibility that some individuals who resonate with Enneagram 1, for example, may be expressing themselves as "thinkers" in the world, whereas another may be more emotional or more action-oriented, regardless of the fact that Enneagram 1 has a structural or intrapersonal position on the Enneagram in the action center. The interpersonal center-expression can lead to mistyping of self or mistyping by others if one confuses the interpersonal expression with the intrapersonal expression of the center.

From a growth and development perspective, the center that we are most likely to show others through our interactions, is often out of balance or unhealthy in its expression in relation to the other centers. A highly emotionally expressive individual is more likely to make some decisions without due consideration for facts and objective analysis and may override or ignore signals from the body or gut that their course of action is potentially problematic. Likewise, an individual who is highly action-oriented in their expression in the world may not pay sufficient attention to careful planning or the impact of their decisions on others and may rush into the premature implementation of impulsive decisions. An individual who is highly thinking-oriented may fall into "analysis paralysis" and struggle to move to action or may engage in a cold and emotionless way with others.

As the interpersonal center expression drives behaviour, others are able to give us valuable feedback with regards to how they perceive us. This use of the center is not directly correlated to the invisible intentions and the psychodynamics of type (although these patterns still influence behaviour), but rather by how we behave in the world.

Center of Expression Descriptions

Dominant Action Center is Expressed as 'hot' energy and relates to movement, action, instinct and physical sensations. People with strong access to their action center are energetic and alive, tuned into both their instinctive voice and the external environment. At an emotional level, the gut or action center is associated with anger in various forms and may be experienced as aggressive by others. At an unproductive level, excessive and unfocused action is often a defence or resistance to thinking or engaging. When expressed intelligently, the action center brings gifts of energy, decisiveness and power.

Dominant Feeling Center is Expressed as 'warm' energy and relates to the gifts of emotional self-awareness, connection and relationships. The feeling center brings open-heartedness, enabling us to connect to the needs and feelings of others as well as ourselves. Individuals with a highly expressed feeling center tend to be inclusive and collaborative when solving problems. Taken too far, excessive feeling can display as over-sensitivity, volatility or emotional manipulation. When the feeling center is expressed intelligently it is empathic, receptive and authentic, able to give and receive feedback and feelings without losing balance.

Dominant Thinking Center is Expressed as 'cool' energy and relates to rationality, information, ideas, planning and prioritising. People who are predominantly thinking-centered tend to excel at analysing issues and generating ideas, based on a solid understanding of the facts. An over-reliance on the thinking center may lead to 'analysis paralysis', over-planning and delaying decisions in an attempt to control things, or simply a busy mind full of worry, doubt and criticism. When expressed intelligently, the thinking center brings a quiet clarity and curiosity, able to reflect deeply and also to move to decisions and action.

“ It has, I think, long been debunked that just because a person's ennea-type is formed from a particular Center that that is the primary Center they use. For example, many 9s are not so much in touch with their body center; many 9s relate more to the heart center and some to the head center. Many 3s do not relate to being heart-centered and some don't appear this way either.”

Ginger Lapid-Bogda Enneagram in Business
Why we need Claudio Naranjo

“ For the record, what we teach at Enneagram Institute is that no type is a center; and triads and centers are not the same. We teach that the types in each triad represent ego-identification with particular sets of primary issues related to the centers but that all people have these issues to some degree. Also I remind people that it is silly to say "I am a heart person" or a "head person" etc. I ask why we would want to be a third of a person? And yes--I feel strongly that the whole point of the system is the harmonization of the centers ”

Russ Hudson Enneagram Institute
Source Facebook

Centers of Structure

This perspective can create confusion in most teachings of the Enneagram. Originally, Claudio Naranjo taught that the Enneagram types have three sets of emotional issues in common.

Oscar Ichazo also taught that a person has a fixation in each of the three triads and called it Tri-Fix. Cathrine and David Fauvre in more recent years called it TriType.
The iEQ9 refers to this as the Triadic Styles.

This means each type have specific ISSUE or challenges to resolve in relation to their center and the emotional theme associated with that center.