What are the main differences between character and personality? Do you know the basic types of personality that exist according to the enneagram?
It is common to use the terms character and personality as if they were synonymous words. However, what is really certain is that both have a certainly similar meaning, but very particular.
It is common to hear many people say that such a person has the same character as you, hinting that that person has the same personality, when the reality is that it is a mistake to use both terms as if they were originally synonymous.
What does the term character mean?
The term character is a word originally derived from the Greek verb harass, which means to coin or engrave.
At that time, this term was used to describe different types of people, through which their peculiar behavior was portrayed, and not entirely exemplary.
Not surprisingly, we must go to the RAE to discover what character means: set of qualities or circumstances of a thing, a person or a community, which distinguishes them, by their way of being or acting, from the others.
What does the term personality mean?
However, the term personality is, according to the RAE, the individual difference that constitutes each person and distinguishes them from another, as well as the set of original characteristics or qualities that stand out in some people.
Differences between character and personality
Therefore, there really are differences between personality and character, since although it is true that personality has a greater relationship with the person’s own way of being, character has a more direct relationship with the way in which the person manifests that personality in the face of others.
We are therefore faced with two terms that can be used together as they complement each other almost perfectly, but never use them as if they were synonymous terms.
Basic personality types
If we look for the meaning of the term enneagram, we find that it is a type of graph of nine basic personality types, based on enneagrams.
That is to say: nine basic types of personality that define us by means of a graph.
Although it is true that its appearance in today’s world is due to George Ivanovich Gurdjieff, it is known that the origin of the enneagram is located in the Middle East, dating back more than 2,500 years.
But, according to the enneagram, what are the nine basic personality types?
Basic personality types according to the enneagram
- The reformer. It is characterized by being rational, idealistic, perfectionist, determined, which maintains some control over situations and over its own personality, as well as having solid principles.
- The helper. He is friendly, effusive, generous, accommodating but in a sense very possessive.
- The winner. He is a personality oriented to success, to triumph, very ambitious, outstanding, adaptable and highly aware of his own image; that is, he pays a lot of attention to the image that he shows to the outside.
- The individualist. He is a very sensitive, expressive, reserved, dramatic personality, although very temperamental.
- The researcher. He is a very perceptive, innovative, and reserved but very isolated personality.
- The loyal. He is a very committed personality both with other people and with society itself, responsible, nervous, and charming but disoriented.
- The enthusiast. Although he is a very greedy personality, he is one of the most active, spontaneous and versatile personalities.
- The challenger. Although it is true that this type of personality is very similar to the winner, rather it is characterized by being dominant, powerful, determined, and self-confident.
- The Peacemaker. He is a modest personality type, friendly, satisfied, and very reassuring.
