The descriptions for Enneagram type 1 in books and on the Internet often emphasize a particular school's interpretation or borrow elements from various interpretations. Although these descriptions of type 1 can be similar in many ways, there can also be differences.
Below are samplings from some of the more popular interpretations. Click on the sources after the descriptions to further explore these interpretations.
The Reformer, The Rational, Idealistic Type: Principled, Purposeful, Self-Controlled, and Perfectionistic1
Basic Fear: Of being "bad," defective, evil, corrupt1
Basic Desire: To be good, virtuous, in balance--to have integrity1
Basic Proposition: You must be good and right to be worthy.2
Strengths: Honest, responsible, conscientious, hard-working, dependable, practical, self-reliant2
Challenges: Resentful, rigid, judgmental, non-adaptable, overly critical2
Energy goes into: Getting things right. Issues about integrity. Maintaining standards judged to be important. Being responsible and self-reliant. Suppressing personal needs and natural desires.3
The Perfectionist: Ethical, dedicated and reliable, they are motivated by a desire to live the right way, improve the world, and avoid fault and blame.4
Perfectionists are realistic, conscientious, and principled. They strive to live up to their high ideals.5
Focus of Attention: Like the “superego” function of Freud’s model, Ones focus on noticing error (in the form of deviations from an internally generated ideal), discerning right and wrong, and displaying a reliance on rules and structure.6
Sources
1Book: The Wisdom of the Enneagram; Website: The Enneagram Institute
2Website: The Narrative Enneagram
3Book: The Essential Enneagram; Website: Dr. David Daniels
4Book: The Road Back to You
5Book: The Enneagram Made Easy
6Book: The Complete Enneagram; Website: Chestnut Paes Enneagram Academy
