Are you crazy? Adler didn’t even like typologies. He argued for the uniqueness of each person — that’s why he called his approach: Individual Psychology. Yes, but he had a rudimentary typology which included three of the Enneagram styles. Also, his notion of style of life fits very well with Enneagram lifestyles. And his application of Vaihinger’s philosophy of “acting as if ” is a useful tool for expanding one’s Enneagram paradigm. Not to mention Adler’s ideas about fictional final goals and earliest childhood memories give insights into the origins and outcomes of one’s Enneagram style. Plus his ideas about the creative self and social interest are also relevant. And what about birth order? Does that have anything to do with Enneagram type? Through input, personal reflection, typealike sharing, and feedback to the large group, we’ll look at the relevance of Adler’s psychology for the Enneagram.

Jerry Wagner, Ph.D. is the author of the Enneagram Spectrum of Personality Styles: an Introductory Guide; the Wagner Enneagram Personality Style Scales (WEPSS); and Two Windows on the Self: the Enneagram and the Myers-Briggs. Jerry has been researching and teaching the Enneagram for over 30 years and has offered the Enneagram Spectrum Training and Certification Program nationally and internationally for the past 10 years: www.enneagramspectrum.com. Jerry is a faculty member of the Department of Psychology and the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University, Chicago. He is a clinical psychologist with a psychotherapy practice in Evanston, IL); . Jerry is a co-editor of The Enneagram Journal.