Understanding the "passion" of Type 7 on the Enneagram

Understanding the “passion” of Type 7 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 7 – “The Epicure”– 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 Seven is called “gluttony”. We can see gluttony as excessive consumption and the label “Epicure” as someone who engages in gluttonous behavior. The Seven has been compared to Peter Pan because of the way his character celebrates and revels in the celebration of food and drink, of gluttony. Just like every Enneagram personality, the “passion” of the Type is unavoidable. It is a built-in insecurity which manifests often and can only at best be navigated rather than suppressed. The Seven is not necessarily gluttonous as a person, but rather seeks to stay emotionally up and positive through gluttonous behavior rather than other ways of keeping positive. The Seven revels in the possibilities of fun, enjoyment, and merriment.

What triggers the passion of the Seven is the inner belief that in order to fulfill a sense of emptiness the Seven should engage in exciting experiences and avoid feeling bad or saddened. This causes Sevens to take gluttonous behavior to a higher level than other people who might be called gluttonous in a general way. The difference is that the Seven is often excessive in their over indulgence of planning celebrations. This substitute of gluttonous behavior for happiness, and the continuous planning for how to do things in an excessive, indulgent, and gluttonous fashion is characteristic of the Seven. Some Sevens will see themselves as always thinking ahead, contemplating the possibilities of the next big celebration; the endless possibilities of a Peter Pan life. They have vivid imaginations when it comes to staying emotionally positive and up in response to a feeling of lacking inner happiness, seeking to satisfy that lack through planning.

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 Seven, knowing that you have a compulsion to gluttony can help you to be more your authentic self. Knowing that it is because you and others who are also Sevens have a built in need to stay emotionally up through gluttony 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.