Fixation / Passion

Fixation / Passion is the central concept of the Enneagram (#9): the basic unconscious pattern that distorts perception of reality.

9 types = 9 passions. Each of the 9 Enneagram types (from Greek ἐννέα, ennéa — "nine" + γράμμα, grámma — "figure") is defined by its key Fixation and Passion.

The 9 Passions (Emotional Attachments)

• Type 1: Anger — inner rage at the imperfection of the world
• Type 2: Pride — "I'm needed by everyone, but I need nothing"
• Type 3: Deceit / Vanity — substitution of the authentic image with the image of success
• Type 4: Envy — "others have what I lack"
• Type 5: Avarice — hoarding of resources out of fear of scarcity
• Type 6: Fear — anxiety, the search for safety
• Type 7: Gluttony — the pursuit of impressions, avoidance of pain
• Type 8: Lust / Excess — intensity, dominance
• Type 9: Sloth — loss of contact with one's own desires

Origin

The seven deadly sins + two. The 9 Passions go back to the Christian tradition of the "seven deadly sins" + two additional ones.

Authors of the modern Enneagram. Sources: Oscar Ichazo and Claudio Naranjo (1970s).

The Holy Idea — Path of Transformation

Restoration of health. Each type also corresponds to a "Holy Idea" — a healthy quality that is restored when the Fixation is transformed. The aim of the work is to move from Passion to the Holy Idea.