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Episode #185 - Foundations Series: Patterns

Sixes, what if the things you've been trying so hard to "fix" about yourself aren't flaws at all?

In this episode, I'm kicking off a new Foundations Series exploring what it means to be an Enneagram Six—and before we get into the specifics of Type Six, we need to talk about how we approach the Enneagram in the first place.

Because the Enneagram isn't simply a list of behaviors.

It's about patterns.

Patterns that developed for a reason. Patterns designed to protect something deeper and more tender within us.

And this distinction matters for Sixes because when we learn something new about ourselves, we have a tendency to immediately turn it into a problem.

Oh, I do that.

I shouldn't do that.

Why am I still doing that?

I know better.

I need to fix this.

But when we approach our Six patterns that way, we're actually looking at the pattern through the pattern.

In this episode, we explore:

  • Why the Enneagram is about patterns, not just behaviors

  • The protective function behind our personality patterns

  • Why Sixes tend to turn self-awareness into another problem to solve

  • How our desire for certainty can show up in personal growth work

  • Why knowing more about yourself doesn't automatically create transformation

  • The difference between seeing a pattern as a flaw and getting curious about what it's protecting

  • How approaching yourself differently can become a foundation for self-trust

As we move through this Foundations Series, I want you to remember:

Your patterns are trying to protect you. They are not revealing something wrong with you.

So instead of asking:

"Why am I like this?"

Try:

"I wonder what this pattern is protecting me from?"

That's where we're starting.

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