Typical Comments
"I know I'm right, why should I have to compromise?"
"I'm my own worst critic."
"My whole career, I've been brought in to fix
things."
"My message as a kid was always, 'You can do
better.'"
Description
A self-observing One can be wise, tolerant, balanced, and focused on
standards of excellence in ways that provide an exemplary vision for others. In
business organizations, Ones are often the purveyors of quality.
When less well-developed, people of this personality style show their
perfectionism.
They carry an internal judging voice, which chastises themselves (or others) for falling
short of perfection (preaching) or, in a very healthy individual, invokes higher
attainment (teaching). Their driving force is anger, which is typically
over-controlled until it erupts as resentment when someone has failed to
live up to their expectations. They're prone to moral tirades, yet they also show a
"running amok" side that allows them to escape their own high standards.
Development options include depotentiating their critical
voice, techniques for channeling anger more effectively, learning to respond to criticism
non-defensively, and moving away from black-and-white thinking with positive reframing and
creative problem-solving. Their key development need is
patience,
the willingness to accept conditions that do not conform to one's ideal.
Case
Description of a One
Poems That Speak
to Ones
Essay: "Forgive
Yourself..."
Development Plan for a One
Distinctions
Among Enneagram Styles
All Nine Styles