Understanding the "passion" of Type 2 on the Enneagram

The Enneagram is a personality typology system. It can tell you a lot about your personality but because it is a very vast body of knowledge, attempting to understand it in its entirety can literally take years. This HUB focuses only on what is called the “passion” of Type 2 – “The Giver”– on the Enneagram system. I am also writing HUBs about the passion for each of the nine Enneagram personality types. If you do online research, you won’t find much written about the “passion” of Enneagram Types. Sandra Maitri’s book about the Virtues and Passions is overly technical, not an easy to understand book, and not helpful.

The “passion” of Type Two is called pride. This does not mean that Twos have a passion, in the normal sense of the word, for pride. Rather, the term “passion” is descriptive of a built-in insecurity of the heart. That is, it is as if the heart of Type Two has a passion for pride because they keep reacting internally with a sense of pride. Pride seems to pop up automatically, regardless of whether it is wanted or genuinely about pride itself. This does not mean that Twos are proud or arrogant people; rather many of them, including some I know, are very humble. Thus there is a sort of tension between Pride and Humility in a Two. The passion is the compulsory need to generate attention to one’s kindness and generosity. Thus, there develops a “give to get” behavior in the Two. The Two will, in an effort to satisfy pride, give to others by being helpful and kind, in an effort to get attention for their giving, which in turn makes them proud.

The Two will have pride in their own goodness. They will come across, in image even, as kind, caring, generous, giving, supportive people. This in turn fuels their need for proud attention. It does not mean that the Two is consciously giving only in order to get attention in a shallow way. However, if one becomes aware of the way in which the Two “gives to get” and can observe that internal process, one could then begin to navigate their life differently. Recognizing the internal habit of pride, the passion, enables a level of freedom to do one’s life differently. One way to do that for the Two would be to not always ‘over give.’ That is, if you can let go of your passion by watching it, slowly the Two will be able to not do for others, help others, when it truly isn’t in their best interest. You could say that the Two operates a bit unconsciously in their thinking. The Two gives in order to receive but if asked whether that is what they are doing, they would say no. Thus, there is a subconscious process to this aspect of the Enneagram. In a way, we are all on automatic behaviors that only the Enneagram shows us. In a way we are blind to our Enneagram type and certain aspects of it. That blindness can be lessened when shown the Enneagram. The need to fulfill the pride insecurity of the Two makes the Two think to be helpful and kind. That helpfulness and kindness is a strong aspect of the personality Type of the Two.

The Enneagram is a very powerful tool for self awareness. Coming into awareness that you have a passion is helpful because it leads to a greater level of self acceptance, self awareness, and enables you to not feel badly about your passion. In the case of the Two, knowing that you have a compulsion to have a pride reaction internally, can help you to be more your authentic self. Knowing that it is because you and others who are also Twos have a built in need to experience pride leads you to a different conclusion that you and others share the same sort of built-in insecurity. I encourage you to check out any number of Enneagram websites if you’re interested in the material. Typing yourself can be a fun process. Try www.enneagramworldwide.com.