Friday 12 December 2014

What Nines know: Every behaviour has a positive intention

Nines are the easygoing peacemakers of the Enneagram. The pre-supposition that every behaviour has a positive intention goes without saying. Nines can see everybody's point of view (though often with the exception of their own) and are good at finding points of agreement in negotiations.

They can sometimes take this too far in making excuses for bad behaviour. Nines have a tendency to idealise others and only see the good things, refusing to believe the bad. They have no difficulty in seeing the positive intention but may gloss over how well behaviour matches it.

Healthy nines can accept the flaws in people while still staying non-judgemental and understanding the positive intentions behind people's actions. So, if you are stuck in conflict, why not try thinking like a nine and see the world from many different places at once?