Politics, Enneagram, and Us
Hey friends,
Are you ready for this tense season to be over? Or is it an invitation for us to become more like Christ?
In our roles, people regularly ask us, “What is your political stance?” or something like that. With that question, we feel the temperature rise, see skin color changes, and people start their brand of election tension. We can also feel baited, judged, categorized and we can react from the reptilian brain with fight, flight, freeze, or fawn—anything to avoid this tension! Still, tension is the experience that precedes birth, growth, and transformation, and that is what we want, so, we enter the tension.
We have been in so many political conversations that start by labeling or criticizing another person’s views. When we allow that to happen, we are doing violence to our souls and the souls of our communities. Not that this has ever happened to us, except it happens to us and around us every day. Even pastors have bullied their people to tow their political bias. This is not okay.
Our country lives in a two-party silo system, but we engage students from around the world, and they tell us they have silos, too! We have dear friends who name political parties that are not the same, and some do and do not embody the presence of Christ on both sides of the aisle. So since we have looked at “life from both sides now”*, who want to share our political stance:
“We don’t ask if a policy or candidate has a conservative, progressive, or liberal agenda; we ask if it’s Christ’s agenda to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God and neighbor. We want to live and lead like Jesus in thought, affect, and action.”**
We know that may be unsatisfying for those who want another answer but stay with us here. Jesus said it this way, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting... But my kingdom is not from the world” ***
Since there’s a lot of fighting going on, and it doesn’t feel like the Kingdom of Jesus, we are offering some resources that may help all of us do better. So, while we provided our “political stance,” we do so with a nod to Nine Enneagram perspectives. We utilize the ©iEnneagram to help regulate our nervous system and to seek to understand that there may be something to learn from nine perspectives (not just two!). These nine ways of seeing can help us all be more whole-ly.
But before we get to that, let’s consider a nonviolent way of listening. Listening skills take time. Thanks to Non Violent Communication and Object Relations, here are a few that we utilize to practice to help friends feel safe, held, and connected.
- Start conversations by asking, “What is it like to be you right now?” This will create a safe environment. Let assumptions and certitude go and replace those with curiosity.
- Listen actively with empathy. With kind eyes and relaxed breathing, say, “It sounds like you’re frustrated because your community and concerns aren’t being heard. Is that right?” Then let them speak. Your friend will feel held respectfully.
- Foster connection, not division. You might ask, “It sounds like we both want a more just, holy, and loving society. How do you think we can work towards that, even if we disagree on specific policies?” This creates a pathway of interconnectedness, problem-solving, and maybe even solutions that address both parties’ concerns.
- Practice humility and pray for the Holy Spirit to help you. This is number 1, but we want to land here and always remember that we are blessed with partial knowledge, and the Spirit of God is all in all.
As we get ready to offer the Nine Enneagram Perspectives/Personalities, we just want to say it’s simple but not simplistic. We, like you, have gotten our fair share of shade and intense fellowship and come out of these times feeling ungrounded, disconnected, and less than secure. Sadly, we haven’t always responded well, but we can keep harmonizing our heads, hearts, and gut intelligence so that our reactions create harmony within us and between us.
The Enneagram is a profound map that can help conversations get from here to there with respect and empathy. If you’re new to the Enneagram Personality Style Map, there’s help at the end of this blog. Take a look and see if one of these personality styles resonates with your current state of being. These generalizations are from the collective wisdom of the Enneagram.
Those who lead with Style 1 are driven by a strong sense of justice and integrity. They seek candidates or policies that align with their moral compass and advocate for systemic change. Their political causes are those that promote justice, integrity, and reform, inspiring a sense of moral alignment and inspiration. They focus on fairness, ethics, and a more orderly society, instilling a sense of hope for a better future.
Those who lead with Style 2 are characterized by their empathy and desire to serve others. They advocate for policies and candidates related to social welfare, healthcare, or humanitarian issues, drawing them to causes that center on caring for vulnerable and marginalized people. Their political engagement is driven by a deep sense of compassion and care, making the audience feel the same.
Those who lead with Style 3 are known for their focus on competence, goal orientation, and pragmatism in their political engagement. They support policies or candidates that emphasize authentic optics, efficiency, progress, and competent economics and systems. They are focused on effectiveness and impact.
Those who lead with Style 4 engagement may focus on giving a voice to existential concerns and marginalized groups. They can be drawn to political issues that align with personal authenticity, creative expression, and human rights. They may support causes that address identity, politics, the arts, or mental health.
Those who lead with Style 5 may focus on issues like privacy, science, education, and free speech. They prefer to engage through careful research and thoughtful analysis. They approach politics analytically and often align with evidence-based policies. They are interested in systems, technology, and intellectual debates, and can approach politics analytically and often align with evidence-based policies.
Those who lead with Style 6 may be engaged in community-oriented or grassroots political efforts, seeking to provide security for others, defend their values, and provide. They can be driven by a desire for safety and stability, often aligning with political systems that promise protection, law and order, or strong institutions.
Those who lead with Style 7 can engage in politics with optimism, possibility, and hope. They may support policies that promote innovation, entrepreneurship, personal freedom, and social progress. Can be enthusiastic and forward-thinking; they tend to focus on the future and are drawn to reformative or visionary ideas.
Those who lead with Style 8 can be strong advocates for justice, power dynamics, and protection of the vulnerable. They may be drawn to leadership roles and involved in issues related to law enforcement, civil rights, and power structures. Their political style is direct, bold, and action-oriented.
Those who lead with Style 9 might be drawn to policies and candidates that promote unity, compromise, and peaceful coexistence. They often engage with politics in a way that seeks to mediate between opposing sides and create solutions that benefit everyone. They value diplomacy and may focus on social harmony, environmental issues, or conflict resolution. (For those who know our Harmony Model, take in the wisdom of your Triad!)
Those are the Big Nine and there are many other factors that influence usl. We live in a traumatized world, traumatized by war, natural disasters, and the never-ending social media and news cycle. Our nervous systems are overly activated and exhausted, to say the least. That is why we are passionate about equipping individuals and teams to bring the Enneagram Harmony with our Trinitarian Faith to live and lead at home and in our communities. Friends, we need spiritual rhythms that promote healthy thinking, feeling, and action to the world God so loves.
Finally, because the Enneagram system is robust and we don’t have space to discuss all there is to know in this blog, let’s acknowledge that all Nine Styles have blind spots (shocker 😉), and we need each other to see what is better for our collective good not just for election tension.
Are you looking for new ways to experience harmony with God, neighbor and self? Do you need training for your personal or professional life? Join us for the ©iEnneagram Trinitarian,HarmonyTraining. Click the link for more information and resources.
With Faith, Hope, and especially Love,
Clare and Scott
Learn more here
PS Are you interested in studying the Art and Practice of Spiritual Direction? The Enneagram 4-day training (above) can be used alone or as the application for the 2-year CSR Spiritual Direction School. Learn more here
PPS We hope you’ll share this email with a friend or on social media. We’re happy to help people navigate the journey.
*Joni Mitchell
**formed by the wisdom of Micah 6:8 and Luke 10:27
***John 18:36
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