Just out., April 01, 2005, Page 45, Image 45

aprii 1. 2005 • jUSt OUt 45
I'm No. 11
Ancient personality system helps me find, my type
A dventure has a new destination .
uch a perfect day. No sangria in the park,
hut a sunny nap in the Park Blocks was
good enough for me.
S
1 was in high spirits after seeing an
entertaining movie and eating a tasty Indian
buffet, hut mostly because 1 was eager to inter­
view gay spiritual guru Dale Rhodes about a
subject near and dear to my heart: me.
I’d been in an introspective mode ever since
crashing one of the workshops he facilitates
with Cathy Hitchcock. They are experts on
the Enneagram, an ancient personality system
that teaches fascinating lessons about the
human condition.
Dale kicked off the workshop by asking the
20 or so participants for their internal and
external reactions to this seemingly simple
statement: “Hi, I’m Dan. I’m the new supervi­
sor. I have something 1 need you to do for me.”
When he went around the room, I assumed
everyone’s answer would resemble mine: “Hi,
Dan. I’m Jim. Welcome aboard! What can I do
for you ?”
Uh, no. The answers ranged from the syco­
phantic (“1 would love to sit down with you to
discuss strategies...”) to the hostile (“1 didn’t
like his approach,” one woman revealed) to the
competitive (“I could replace this guy,” one
man thought to himself). As the facilitators
later noted, for all we know, Dan just needed
directions to the lavatory.
The exercise demonstrates that we all don’t
see the world the same way. In fact, we each
have a distinct “lens” that affects every inter­
action with others; “corrective vision” comes in
the form of the Enneagram, which basically
shows us how to identify this “flaw” or, quite
literally, “sin.”
“In the old sense of the word, ‘sin’ just
means missing the mark,” Dale explains. “It’s
what happens when you shoot and you let go
of the arrow.”
The system is divided into nine personali­
ties, and most people will relate to aspects of
several types. The trick is to find the one that
represents your essence—not who you’d like to
be, hut who you are. Here is a brief overview of
the nine types, each of which has a habitual
focus and accompanying “sin” to overcome:
1. The Perfectionist. Sees oranges falling from
a tree and wonders why they couldn’t have
landed in a more orderly fashion. Focus: error.
Challenge: transforming wrath into serenity.
2. The Giver. “Don’t worry about me,” Mom
sighs. “How can 1 be of help to you?” Focus:
others’ needs. Challenge: transforming pride
into humility.
3. The Performer. Busy, busy, busy. These
Tony Robbins wannabes are motivated by a
desire to be the best, often at the expense of
their own feelings. Focus: doing. Challenge:
transforming deceit into truth.
4- The Romantic. Tragic figures who are con­
vinced they were born into the wrong family.
Focus: what’s missing. Challenge: transforming
envy into equanimity.
5. The Observer. Detached, quiet and analyti­
cal, these turtles retreat into their shells in
search of privacy and self-sufficiency. Think
Jeremy Irons. Focus: intrusions. Challenge:
transforming greed into generosity.
6. The Loyal Skeptic. Hypervigilant for cata­
strophes, these Wtxxly Allen types either
dodge danger or challenge it head-on by siding
with underdog causes. Focus: hazards. Chal­
lenge: transforming fear into faith.
7. The Epicure. Hungry to experience new
things and to connect concepts, the Sevens
tend to be positive yet scatterbrained. F<x:us:
options. Challenge: transforming gluttony into
rruxleration.
Jim's Closet
by Jim Radosta
8. The Protector. Activist types who can’t
stand to see weak and innocent people treated
unfairly. Fcxus: injustice. Challenge: transform­
ing lust into tenderness.
9. The Mediator. No more drama. Can’t we all
just get along? Focus: others. Challenge: trans­
forming sloth into action.
Still not sure who you are? Online tests can
help narrow the scope slightly, but Dale’s work­
shops allow human contact with other mem­
bers of your “tribe.”
“You and the person
next to you have a
legitimate worldview...
that is at times helpful
but also can have blind­
ers,” he says. “We have
to know a lot about
that lens in order to see
beyond it.”
So, after giving us
time to study all nine
personalities, Dale and
Dale Rhodes
Cathy invited each type
to step forward for a series of panel discussions.
But when the Ones went to the head of the
class, I stayed seated because 1 refused to identi­
fy as a Perfectionist, thinking this would some­
how be an admission of...imperfection?
Instead, I fancied myself an Epicure, a type that
reflects where I’m at tcxlay, but not my lifelong
battle with my inner critic.
The interview with Dale came several days
after the workshop, and by this time I had
come to terms with my perfectionism. 1 shared
this epiphany with him, which led to a deeper
discussion about my type.
“Your habit of mind would be to repress
anger...to notice error," Dale told me. (Consid­
ering I’ve been a copy editor since 1987, I’d say
this is a pretty reasonable assessment.)
Perfectionists are “living out the superego,”
Dale added, warning of unhealthy reactions to
urges, whether ch<x:olate or sex. (Hmm, this
sounds familiar. Two years ago 1 was obese and
celibate.)
Like most queers, I suspect I’m drawn to the
Enneagram because a stint in the closet gives
us lots of time for self-reflection. Dale’s next
weekend workshop is tailored toward gay men.
“Gays and lesbians, because of their experi­
ence of being outsiders, have this golden
opportunity to be healers and people who inte­
grate and mediate in society,” he says, “and I
want to be a part of teaching gays and lesbians
more tools to do that.’ ’ jm
Dale Rhodes facilitates JUST W hat T ype OF M an
A re You?/f(nn 6:30 to 9 p.m. /Xfrril 29 and from
9a.m. to 6 p.m. April 30 at the Northwest
Neighborhood Cultural Center, 1819 N.W.
Everett St. Cost is $110'$ 130 from
503'295'4481 or wuw.glbtcounseling.com.
Arts and Culture Editor J IM RAIXMTA needs your
feedback. Write to jim@justout.com.
For rating reasons, go to www.ttlmratlngs.oom
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