Spheres within a Sphere
I cannot see myself without you
By Scott Allender
The Enneagram is made up of 3 separate geometric symbols:
A circle representing the “law of one”
A triangle representing the “law of three”
A Hexad representing the “law of seven”
These symbols converge to create a picture (“gram”) of 9 (“ennea”) personality types, each with their own core motivations and strategies for getting their needs met. Beyond this depiction of these 9 different styles, the enneagram represents the ways in which the types relate to one another, as well as serving as a map for deep personal growth, as we work with the system to recover the lost parts of ourselves and become more of who we truly are.
Without turning this into a paper on sacred geometry by delving into each of the 3 shapes that comprise the modern enneagram symbol, or the significance of 9 (you can google all of these things if you’re so inclined), I want to home in on the circle itself - the “law of one” - as a foundational and critical component to building our awareness.
The circle is best understood not as a flat, two-dimensional circle on a page, but as a sphere - a three dimensional container expanding out equally in all directions - representing the oneness of all of creation. The sphere has no beginning and no ending. It represents the unity of creation - the truth that we are all part of the whole, and that our perception of separateness is an illusion.
I recently had the honor of being the Best Man in my dear friend’s wedding. I’ve been very close friends with him for more than 18 years and I had no clue that he collected beautiful spheres made from various igneous rocks until he handed one out to everyone in attendance at the rehearsal dinner (you think you know a person, right!?).
My friend is not (yet) an enneagram guy (not for my lack of trying, of course) but after he handed out the spheres he eloquently articulated a beautiful truth about awareness, unknowingly underscoring a central component of what the circle in the symbol represents - Namely, that we are all part of the whole, connected, interdependent, and as he explained (and I’m paraphrasing): Each of us is a sphere. Each sphere you’re holding is unique and different from everyone else’s. When I hold up my sphere to look at its beauty, its markings, I cannot see the whole of it at the same time. When I turn it around to look at the other side, I lose my ability to see the original side. I cannot see the entirety of the sphere - of me - at the same time. But what I can do is look at my sphere from one vantage point as you help me to see and interpret what you see from your vantage point. Together, we can see all of me, but I cannot at once see all of me by myself.
He went on to talk about the ways in which everyone in that room sees him, his very-soon-to-be-bride, and their relationship together (as its own sphere) from angles that they cannot perceive on their own, helping them to build clarity and understanding, offering them important perspectives and insights they wouldn’t otherwise have access to, bolstering and strengthening their relationship over the years. It was an incredibly touching way to express his appreciation for each individual sphere in that room and an illuminating analogy on the power of the whole - that each sphere exists within a larger container, a bigger sphere, and we are not separate. We are one and if we try to live as though we are separate, not only do we cut ourselves off from others, we cut ourselves off from parts of ourselves.
In our western cultures of hyper-individualism we are at odds with what true self-awareness requires: The collective. I cannot build any level of sustainable self-awareness without the perspectives of other trusted individuals in my life. And you cannot build your awareness without the vantage points of the important individuals in your life. Self-awareness requires much more than the self. This, in part, is why the center circle of the enneagram is far more significant than just a clean-way to draw out the 9 different enneagram types. It is a container, inviting us to consciously move about, point-to-point within the symbol, gaining different perspectives with each vantage point, enabling new ways of thinking, feeling, acting, and seeing… not alone… we shall never succeed in walking these paths alone… but together. We need each other.
I cannot see myself without you.
For information about Enneagram Coaching and Workshop Facilitation with Scott, please email eqenneagram@gmail.com
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