Maturity and Type

Each of the Enneagram types are neutral - no type is better or worse than another. Levels of maturity, or lack thereof, show up within the type and can make a big difference. A person, depending on stress and life circumstances can go from one range to another - from immature to middle range to mature and vice versa.

Life can be demanding and it's easy to get depressed or reactive at times, and it's a challenge to learn life's lessons and keep going up the ladder of maturity. Having a spiritual focus or foundation can help immensely.

A mature person within a type shows the best traits of their own type and have more positive traits of other types also. They expand who they are. They have developed less reaction in their type - for instance, less passivity of the 9, less control and demand of an 8, less hyper vigilance and automatic fear of a 6, etc. Mature range people generally show more tolerance, patience, compassion, and understanding.They generally have good relationships with most people and accept people as they are. There is a consistent psychological and spiritual health.

Most people are a bit "neurotic" and relate to others ok but are more reactive than the mature range in a type. Each Enneagram type can use their type defenses to protect themselves too much and want others to tolerate their type characteristics. Many people tend to make some changes in their personality to grow but "hide out" a bit too much in their type and stretch to meet other types but in a limited way.

If there is a lot of stress and it's been hard to cope, people of each type tend to really hide in their type, avoid life or attack the people or situations that cause change or distress. There is a tendency not to grow, to stay static or react. "Accept me the way I am or I'll reject you, blame you or severely withdraw." They don't want to feel their vulnerability or limitations exposed at all and have a fragile ego and image. We all can get into this level at times. It's important to acknowledge the truth, get support, accept your humanness and open to your spiritual self that is less attached to outcome.

A 1 for instance can be immature and criticize everyone and as time goes on, keep learning that it's ok to make mistakes, that others are human, including themselves, and learn gradually to have a higher and higher tolerance and acceptance of what "is" instead of what "should" be. It's possible to go from immature to average or even to maturity and sometimes even in the same day in regard to mood shifts, though real maturity is more stable. The more mature a person, the more they grow beyond type, though can still have clear type characteristics of their type.

Herb Pearce