What actually defines your Enneagram type if it's not your behavior? Creek, Mario, and María José explain why type is rooted in a strategy—striving toward a particular feeling—not in stereotypical actions. They show why an Eight can feel insecure, a Three can be lazy, and why that matters.

Creek, Mario, and María José tackle a core problem with Enneagram literature: it leans on stereotypes and surface behaviors, but that doesn't work in practice. Type isn't what you do—it's the strategy you use most often. Specifically, you're striving to feel a particular way (powerful, perfect, unique, peaceful, etc.) more than you use the other eight strategies. Everything else varies: behaviors, thoughts, emotional patterns shift based on your circumstances and instinctual bias. The team walks through common misconceptions—Can an Eight feel insecure? Can a Three be lazy? Can a One be messy? Yes to all—and shows how to read past surface behavior to the underlying strategy. They also make a crucial distinction: striving toward a desired feeling state versus running from fear or wounding. That difference changes how type works in coaching, parenting, and your own growth.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome and Listener Questions

02:36 What Defines a Type Beyond Behavior

07:26 Strategy Includes Thinking and Action Patterns

18:06 How to Identify Your Own Type

28:09 Insecurity, Self-Esteem, and Type Confusion

42:22 Striving Toward vs. Running From: The Core Distinction

Resources mentioned in this episode

• Awareness to Action — Mario Sikora and Bob Tallon — The foundational text that introduced the 'striving to feel' framework as an alternative to vice-based type definitions.
• Character Neurosis — Claudio Naranjo — The source of the 'adaptive strategies' concept that inspired the Awareness to Action framework for understanding type.
• Enneagram in a Movie — Awareness to Action Podcast Network — Sister podcast in the ATA network, recommended by the hosts for ongoing Enneagram learning.
• Thinking Well and Why — Awareness to Action Podcast Network — Another podcast in the Awareness to Action network exploring critical thinking and the Enneagram.
• ATA on Demand Certification Program — The Awareness to Action certification program, with new cohorts launching throughout the year.

Related resources

• Awareness to Action Website — The official hub for all ATA materials, including the podcast network, certification program, and core framework resources.

Mentioned in this episode:

Awareness to Action Podcast Network