Riso & Hudson - Enneagram Framework
Nine Motivational Types
If archetypes describe the roles we play, the Enneagram describes the motor beneath them - the core fear, core desire, and moving states of the psyche. Nine types, grouped into three centers of intelligence: Gut, Heart, and Head.
tap a point to see its arrows
Brain stem - body, instinct, presence
The Gut triad processes the world through instinct and the body. Driven by anger and the need for autonomy, these types hold their ground, assert their shape, or refuse to be moved. Their gift is grounded, embodied presence.
The Challenger
“I will not be controlled. I will protect what is mine.”
Core Fear
Being harmed, betrayed, or controlled by another.
The Peacemaker
“If I stay still enough, nothing will break.”
Core Fear
Loss, separation, conflict - being fragmented from self and others.
The Reformer
“There is a right way, and I will find it.”
Core Fear
Being corrupt, evil, or fundamentally defective.
Limbic system - identity, image, relation
The Heart triad processes the world through feeling and image. Driven by shame and the need to be seen, these types tune finely to how others receive them. Their gift is emotional intelligence and relational depth.
The Helper
“I am loved through what I give.”
Core Fear
Being unwanted, unworthy of love on one's own.
The Achiever
“I am what I accomplish.”
Core Fear
Being worthless, failing to matter.
The Individualist
“I am uniquely myself, and uniquely missing.”
Core Fear
Being insignificant or having no identity of one's own.
Neocortex - analysis, strategy, foresight
The Head triad processes the world through thought and anticipation. Driven by fear and the need for security, these types scan, plan, and model. Their gift is strategic foresight and intellectual craft.
The Investigator
“I will understand it before I engage it.”
Core Fear
Being helpless, depleted, or overwhelmed by demand.
The Loyalist
“Prepare for the worst. Stay with the people who stayed.”
Core Fear
Being without support, without guidance, without a trusted ground.
The Enthusiast
“There is always more - and I will not be trapped.”
Core Fear
Being deprived, trapped in pain or limitation.