Short answer is no, you cannot. You are one core type which is determined by the core motivations that form the lens through which you view the world. Your lens cannot and will not change- however this doesn’t mean that you behaviors cannot change. The enneagram system has levels of development and shows how we can develop within our personality structure. So your behavior changes- your type does not.

Any of the 9 enneagram types can behave or act in any way. Your behaviors are not what determine your type— “WHY” you are doing them does.

So if you choose to avoid conflict for example- Why? What causes you to avoid conflict? The answer is likely a motivation, fear or desire from the enneagram. Looking for patterns to why you do things is much different than looking at behaviors alone. We cannot SEE motivations and some are even buried deep in our subconscious.

Because tests are only about 60-70% accurate. The system is meant for self discovery not to be reduced to a simple this or that test. It is also difficult for some people to see themselves objectively and therefore they answer how they WISH they were seen rather than how they really ARE.

Overall because the system is so dynamic it can help to talk through the types with a coach like myself to ensure you are typed correctly. I offer Enneagram Typing Sessions for this purpose.

or… how long has it been around and why haven’t I heard of it if it’s so great?

I’ll Let Riso + Hudson take the history of the Enneagram for me: Read the history here

The modern enneagram was conceived sometime in the 1970s. It’s been adopted by several different entities and developed further since then. It’s becoming more popular with the use of social media. Many depictions on social media are quite stereotypical and do not give a full view of the system.

Because these are the core motivations that each human can relate to:

The need for:

Serenity, Humility, Truthfulness, Equanimity, non-attachment, courage, sobriety, innocence, and action.

Also there are 3 subtypes making 27 types and also 6 sequences for how those subtypes can show up. You can factor in the 9 levels of development as well to describe the differences. There are quite a few nuances to the system overall.

IF you think about it you will find yourself saying.. “she reminds me of_____” and 9 is more personality types than most people realize.

As we grow up, each of us has one of nine main personality types according to the Enneagram. These types are determined by our inborn traits and things that happened even before we were born. This is something that most Enneagram experts agree on: we have our main personality type from the very beginning.

This personality type we're born with has a big impact on how we learn to deal with our early experiences. It also affects how we see our parents, although we're not exactly sure why. By the time kids are about four or five years old, they start to have a sense of who they are as a person. Even though they're still figuring things out, they begin to understand themselves and find ways to fit into the world around them.

So, when we talk about our personality, it's not just about who we are now, but it's a mix of everything from our childhood, including things we inherit from our family.