There’s no doubt you’ve heard Madison discussing astrology signs at length, and maybe even Meyers-Briggs — but have you ever heard of the Enneagram?

This dynamic personality system, which is composed of nine types, has increased in popularity over the last decade — just look at the Google search trends. Plus, it’s become a popular topic amongst local therapists, coaches, influencers + creatives.

So, how does it work?

The Enneagram aims to identify our core motivations, patterns + fixations at a deeper level to understand how they affect our approaches to life, work, and relationships. Practitioners also believe that it can be a great tool for developing empathy, strengthening communication, and enabling personal growth.

Another way to look at it: each person has an essential nature (or essence) that drives their personality, temperament, and decisions. To uncover your type, coaches typically recommend reading through a hefty description and choosing the type that you resonate with most. Cool, right?

A colorful diagram of the 9 Enneagram personality types. | Graphic by Houston Moms

What are the types?

Type 1 – The Reformer: Rational, idealistic, principled + perfectionistic.

Essence: Purity

Type 2 – The Helper: Caring, interpersonal, generous + people-pleasing.

Essence: Compassion

Type 3 – The Achiever: Success-oriented, pragmatic, adaptable, driven + image-conscious.

Essence: Love, Acceptance

Type 4 – The Individualist: Sensitive, introspective, expressive, dramatic + self-absorbed.

Essence: Radiance, Beauty

Type 5 – The Investigator: Intense, cerebral, perceptive, innovative, secretive + isolated.

Essence: Omniscience, Peace

Type 6 – The Loyalist: Committed, security-oriented, engaging, responsible, anxious + suspicious.

Essence: Wisdom

Type 7 – The Enthusiast: Busy, variety-seeking, spontaneous, versatile, acquisitive + scattered.

Essence: Serene Bliss

Type 8 – The Challenger: Powerful, dominating, self-confident, decisive, willful + confrontational.

Essence: Power, Innocence

Type 9 – The Peacemaker: Easygoing, self-effacing, receptive, reassuring, agreeable + complacent.

Essence: Harmony

Vote here on which type best describes the city of Madison.

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Answered: Here’s what you think Madison’s Enneagram is

Last month, we told you all about the Enneagram personality system and today, we’re sharing results of Madison’s reader-anointed Enneagram type.

As voted by a majority of our readers, Madison’s Enneagram is Type 4, the Individualist. But we also hear some interesting cases for Type 7, the Enthusiast. Here’s what some of you had to say:

“4 — Romantic individualists because of all the people who want to keep Madison quirky and weird lol.”
“4 — Madison tries to be as individualistic as possible.”
“4 — I think Madisonians are intellectual people who like to do things their own way. They enjoy being unique, and they always need more information before they can decide something.”
“7 — The variety of neighborhoods with their own vibe, endless amounts of activities, powerful in areas related to academics and governmental influence but still receptive and agreeable to a multitude of viewpoints. While we’re easy-going on the surface, much of what we do highlights just how busy, versatile and dominating we really are in the Midwest, so we’re really a combination of all three.”

We asked, you answered, the verdict is in. The 608 is full of highly creative, unique + passionate humans who are busy educating and creating the lives they desire right here around our Isthmus.

This said — Madison is about as quirky and eclectic as they come. Check out some of our guides celebrating a diverse mix of educational, outdoorsy + community-inspired must-dos all over the city.