Where did the Enneagram come from?
The name in Greek literally means "the nine diagram." The
system is based on the fact that all human personalities
can be deduced to nine basic types. No one is sure of the
origin of the Enneagram, but it has been developed by
professional psychologists, psychiatrists and sociologists
over the centuries into an astoundingly accurate tool.
How does it work?
The Enneagram divides human beings into nine basic
categories or types. But it's not that simple. For each
type there are two sub-types. And when you factor in a
sliding scale of healthiness, you're left with an infinite
number of character types. The system is difficult to
manage on its own.
How does the Character Tool use the Enneagram?
Typing Chimp Character
takes the basic concepts of the Enneagram and incorporates
them into a system developed by a professional writer to
create realistic character spines. All the difficult
connections and building of the character spine is done by
the program. You simply fill in basic information, click a
couple of buttons and a unique character spine is
automatically generated for you.
It's important to point out that Character Writer is not
an "Enneagram" program; it is a character-development
program. The software developer studied the basic concepts
of the Enneagram system and modified them to better lend
themselves to professional character development,
specifically, the creation of a character spine.
Learn more...
Those interested in the Enneagram in its pure form should
seek out some of the books and Web sites on the subject.
The Enneagram has inspired a vast body of ideas and
philosophies. And a vast number of voices. Judith Searle
offers wonderful seminars and articles on using the
Enneagram to create characters. Her latest book is titled
"The Literary Enneagram" and we highly recommend picking
it up.