Enneagram Type One individuals are very rational and idealistic. Their key characteristics include being principled, purposeful, and self-controlled. They can also be critical and tend towards perfectionism.
What Is An Enneagram Type One?
Type Ones have a solid sense of right and wrong. They are honest and dependable and often pursue careers as teachers, social workers, politicians, doctors, lawyers, judges, and journalists. They are advocates for change, have a desire to be, do right, improve everything, and be consistent with their ideals. While they continuously strive to improve the world around them, they can also be overly critical and fearful of making mistakes. They maintain high standards and are highly organised. They typically have problems with resentment and impatience.
Enneagram Type One Strengths
Ones have a strong moral compass and are hard-working, dependable, honest, and responsible. They exert self-control and are practical. They strive to be good, have integrity and balance, and fear being corruptive or defective.
Type One Weaknesses
Their desire for perfection means Ones can be highly critical of themselves and others. They can also have difficulty accepting harsh realities and can become obsessive or self-righteous. They feel the need to be beyond criticism to avoid condemnation.
Enneagram Type One – An overview
Ones have a mission or a sense of purpose that drives them to want to improve the world. Famous Ones include Nelson Mandela, Joan of Arc, and Mahatma Gandhi, who devoted their lives to improving others’ lives, often at high personal cost or risk. Enneagram Type Ones strive for higher values, even if it means great personal sacrifice. Ones wish to be useful and contribute in a positive way to society. They often feel that they have a duty or calling to fulfil in life, and a strong desire to improve things.
On the flip side, Ones sometimes feel they have to justify their actions to themselves and others. They spend a lot of time thinking about the consequences of their actions and how to keep from acting contrary to their own beliefs. Ones like to exert self-control, which can be perceived by others at times as being too rigid. They can also have issues with repression, resistance and aggression.
To experience growth, Ones can benefit from learning to relax, to relinquish control when necessary, and to make allowances for themselves and others instead of being overly critical and judgemental.
Well Known Type Ones
According to the Enneagram Institute, famous Type Ones include Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher, Prince Charles, Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, Michelle Obama, Al Gore, Hillary Clinton, Celine Dion, Noam Chomsky, George F. Will, William F. Buckley, Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Maher, Tina Fey, Katherine Hepburn, Maggie Smith, Emma Thompson, Jane Fonda, Meryl Streep, and Harrison Ford.