“Empathy requires curiosity…
and the willingness to step outside our own experience to understand another’s.”
- The Enneagram of Emotional Intelligence.
As we move into the holiday season amid what seems like ever-increasing polarization and uncertainty in our world , there’s a strong case to be made that tending to our emotional well-being, building our awareness, and raising our emotional intelligence profiles, is not only of great importance, but is our responsibility - a commitment that we must make to ourselves and to one another - for the common good and for our futures.
In a culture that often champions individualism, it’s easy to lose sight of our interconnectedness. Our separateness is an illusion that comes from forgetting that each of us is part of a larger whole, shaped by and shaping the lives around us. Combatting divisiveness won’t be found in the strength of our arguments or the confidence we have in our “rightness”, but in our resolve to be unified.
Unity cannot be achieved without the humility required to see that we do not see it all. We are limited in our perspectives, often only seeing that which is useful, or conditioned in us to see, not that which is objectively true. None of us sees a complete, objective picture of reality.
This month’s featured blog, Spheres Within a Sphere, looks at the “law of one” within the enneagram symbol, and how we can learn to see much more clearly from the vantage point of others.
Recommendations
Here are two resources that have inspired me this month and that I hope will deepen your journey of emotional intelligence and growth:
Podcast:
“The Laws of Connection” on ‘The Evolving Leader’
Explore the importance of social connection for physical health and well-being and the physiological effects of loneliness.
Book:
"Your Future Self - How to Make Tomorrow Better Today” by Hal Hershfield
Set your future self up for success with the “fascinating, profound, and immediately practical guide to shaping your life to come, while living more richly in the moment."
Featured Blog: Spheres Within a Sphere
Our latest blog, Spheres Within a Sphere, takes a closer look at the Enneagram’s "law of one"—a powerful reminder of the unity of all creation and the importance of collective awareness. By understanding ourselves as part of this larger “sphere,” we open ourselves to deeper insights, greater compassion, and a path to authentic self-awareness that’s informed by the perspectives of those around us.
Thank you for being part of the EQEnneagram community. I look forward to continuing to share insights, resources, and tools with you as we deepen our understanding of emotional intelligence and the Enneagram together.
As always, feel free to reach out with any questions or topics you’d like to see covered in future editions.
Warmly,
Scotts.
