Center of intelligence: what it means in the Enneagram

Three ways of knowing

The phrase "center of intelligence" points to an old idea: that humans have more than one kind of intelligence, each with its own seat. One is instinctive and physical, felt as a gut reaction before thought. One is emotional and relational, tuned to connection and how we come across. One is mental, tuned to analysis, planning and anticipation. Everyone uses all three. The Enneagram claims each type over-relies on one of them, or has a particular tangle with it, and that this shapes a recurring emotional theme.

Origins of the idea

How the term is used

Teachers use centers as a first sorting step. If you are unsure of your type, asking which center feels most familiar can narrow nine options to three. Centers also come up in growth work, where the advice is often to strengthen whichever intelligence a person neglects: a heart type practicing clear thinking, or a head type learning to notice bodily cues.

An example

Three people hear that their team's project was cancelled. One feels a jolt of irritation and wants to know who made the call without consulting her. One immediately wonders how this reflects on him and whether the boss still rates his work. One starts mapping what could go wrong next and what the backup plan should be. Tradition would place them in the gut, heart and head centers respectively.

Research status

EnneaFox's free summary shows the center of your best-fit type, because a center is a broad, low-stakes clue. Related terms: gut triad, heart triad and head triad for each center in detail, and Hornevian groups and harmonic groups for other ways the nine types are clustered.

• Gut triad: Enneagram Types 8, 9 and 1The Enneagram gut triad, defined: Types 8, 9 and 1 and their shared relationship with anger, control and boundaries, with an example and research status.
• Heart triad: Enneagram Types 2, 3 and 4The Enneagram heart triad explained: Types 2, 3 and 4, their shared focus on image, worth and connection, how each handles shame, and research status.
• Head triad: Enneagram Types 5, 6 and 7The Enneagram head triad defined: Types 5, 6 and 7, the thinking center, how each type handles fear and uncertainty, an example, and its research status.
• Hornevian groups: Enneagram glossary definitionHornevian groups in the Enneagram: assertive (3, 7, 8), compliant (1, 2, 6) and withdrawn (4, 5, 9) types, the link to Karen Horney, and research status.
• Harmonic groups: Enneagram glossary definitionEnneagram harmonic groups: how types respond to conflict and disappointment, the positive outlook, competency and reactive groups, examples, and evidence.