Line of growth: the Enneagram growth arrow
Short answer
A line of growth is the Enneagram connection that tradition says a type follows when it feels secure or is maturing, picking up the healthy qualities of the type at the other end. Type 1 moves toward 7, 2 toward 4, 3 toward 6, and so on. It is the reverse of the stress line, and research has not supported it.
The reverse of the stress arrow
The growth direction uses the same inner lines as the stress direction, traveled the other way. On the six-pointed figure it runs 1 to 7 to 5 to 8 to 2 to 4 and back to 1. On the triangle it runs 3 to 6 to 9 and back to 3. Some teachers call the growth point the security point, because the movement is said to happen most naturally when a person feels safe, rested or well supported.
| Type | Growth point | Quality said to open up |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Playfulness, letting good enough be enough |
| 2 | 4 | Honest contact with their own feelings and needs |
| 3 | 6 | Loyalty to a team over personal image |
| 4 | 1 | Discipline, follow-through, steadiness |
| 5 | 8 | Confident action, stepping into the world |
| 6 | 9 | Calm trust, a settled body |
| 7 | 5 | Depth and focus, staying with one thing |
| 8 | 2 | Open-hearted care, softness without weakness |
| 9 | 3 | Self-directed energy, pursuing their own goals |
Background
How people use it
The growth line tends to show up as concrete advice. A Five might be encouraged to act before every question is answered, borrowing the decisiveness associated with Eight. A Two might be encouraged to sit with a feeling of their own instead of rushing to help someone else, borrowing a Four-like inwardness. Used this way, the line is a practice suggestion rather than a prediction.
An example
A Seven who has spent years juggling side projects takes a sabbatical and, to his surprise, spends three months learning one instrument properly. He reads theory, practices scales, and stops checking his phone. Tradition would point to the Seven's growth line toward 5, which brings depth and concentration.
Research status
Related terms: line of stress, integration, levels of health and virtue.
Frequently asked questions
Is the line of growth the same as integration?
Yes, they describe the same movement. Integration is the older term found in some books; growth line, security point and direction of integration are other names for it.
Do I become my growth type when I am healthy?
No. Tradition says you remain your core type and borrow some qualities of the growth point. Nobody turns into a different type by growing.
Why does the growth line feel uncomfortable?
Teachers often say the growth point asks for the very thing a type avoids. A Nine moving toward Three has to want something and pursue it openly, which can feel exposing at first.
Sources
- Hook, J. N., Hall, T. W., Davis, D. E., Van Tongeren, D. R., & Conner, M. (2021). The Enneagram: A systematic review of the literature and directions for future research. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 77(4), 865-883. doi:10.1002/jclp.23097