Enneagram Ego 1
"Over-Perfectionist"

This ego describes an extremely sensitive character who longs for a familiar feeling of love and security, as they feel that they are not perfect at their core due to negative experiences with a mother figure and therefore unlovable. Their own "over-perfectionism" therefore manifests from the feeling of perceiving too many flaws and imperfections within themselves, which they want to actively work against. At its core, this type is not an energetic, assertive and self-confident reformer and idealist, but a person who is never good enough for themselves and longs for fulfilling interpersonal relationships. Their own lack of certainty with themselves can make them dependent on the approval and attention of certain people in their lives.

In a broader sense, there are two different characters within this ego: the Over-Perfectionist and the Under-Perfectionist. The Under-Perfectionist represents a rigid, critical and unemotional person who denies their own sentimentalities and refuses to improve and heal emotionally. The Over-Perfectionist, on the other hand, represents a very sentimental person who shows emotion at the slightest provocation and is never satisfied with themselves and their own competences. A single person can embody both characters in the course of their life, even at the same time. The following sections explain the totality of this ego-fixation.

Ego-Characteristics

Ego-Fixation: Perfectionist

This fixation internalises their own feelings and sense of self-preservation, becoming attached to their emotional projections of like and dislike. When they feel rejected and unappreciated, their personal discomfort with themselves manifests as an attitude of contempt, which becomes the basis for criticism and distant behaviour. They therefore expect righteousness and perfection in both their own behaviour and that of others, and are particularly sensitive to their own flaws - during such situations, they project the cold and distant behaviour of their own mother, from whom they have not experienced enough love. This ego secretly thinks that it is not good enough for other people, which is why it tends to isolate itself from them so as not to burden them with itself; it covers up this obsessive insecurity of not being able to be loved by others with rigidity and indifference.

Trigger: Over-critical mother figure

Did not feel loved in the childhood relationship with a mother figure, possibly also criticised. From their own perspective, this mother was also perceived as distant and cold, denying tender feelings of appreciation; in the projection of this ego, their own existence and efforts were not enough to finally be good enough and appreciated by this distant mother. Therefore tries to become adequate enough for others in order to earn the missing love for themselves. This dysfunctional state of being is compensated for by sentimental, familial attachments.

Dichotomy: Domain of Sentiments

Moves between two extremes in the domain of sentiments. This domain includes feelings of intimacy with family and friends, pets, relationships and one's own feelings. Anger is the poison of this area, as it causes the most unstable emotional states as well as jealousy.

Ego-Delusion: Resentment

Their delusion is that they have an attitude of resentment towards themselves and the world due to a lack of feeling of perfection. Feels unloved and inadequate, which can lead to depression.

Ego-Projections:

This ego wants to perceive of itself that it can solve problems, that it is organised and conscientious and that it approaches life with an empathetic understanding. However, the reality of this fixation is perceived by others as the projection of a person who is prone to angry moods, is never satisfied with themselves and the world, has a cold attitude full of strictness and pickiness and has a tendency towards wanting to manipulate others.

Ego-Position: Self-Righteousness

The negative experience of being devalued by their own mother develops into an attitude of self-righteousness, which means that they become rigidly attached to the way things should be in their mind. Their observations that both themselves and those around them are not perfect give them an intolerant tendency towards anyone who would reinforce this feeling of inadequacy. Their self-righteous nature could turn into feelings of mistrust towards others, which could lead to isolation and depression.

Ego-Justification: Persistence

The ego position of self-righteousness is justified by persistence, as they do not want to give up their own attitude under any circumstances, as this attitude provides them with both psychological and emotional strength and stability.

Ego-Balancer: Responsible & Adaptable

Perceives themselves as very responsible and adaptable, which offers the ego a personal protective sphere.

Ego-Reaction: Weakness

In their imagination, they approach situations with strength. In such situations, however, the ego often reacts directly with weakness and emotionality.

Ego-Insecurity: Jealousy

Imbalance in the area of sentiments leads to jealousy.

Passion: Anger

Their passion is anger in the form of an inner protest. They react to feelings that make them feel overlooked and unwanted with anger, in which they imagine angry confrontations. However, they also try to avoid their own anger with caution, as they know that it can get out of control.

Virtue: Prudence

Through the virtue of prudence, this ego learns to overlook its own feelings of possible failure and not to stand in its own way by worrying about imperfection.

Trapdoor: Perfectionism

This ego has a strong tendency towards perfectionism. Constantly striving for expertise in their areas of interest, together with the virtue of prudence, can open the trapdoor to a higher form of self.

Holy Idea: True Perfection

Must gain clarity that the process to a goal is already complete and there is no perfect way to do something.

Difficulty: Self-loathing

Their feeling of being despised by both themselves and others in some way.

Immoral Force: Immaturity

Their own immaturity holds the ego back from producing perfect results. Sloppiness arising from their own immaturity gives them the feeling that they are acting in an immoral way.

Existential Attitude: Objective - Judgemental

Is objective on the one hand, but judgemental on the other.

Defense Mechanisms: Isolation, Undoing

If a situation is unacceptable to them, they isolate and distance themselves from it in order to preserve their own psyche. Become cold and aloof towards the person who triggered these negative feelings because they feel unloved. Otherwise, they isolate themselves to protect others from themselves. Undoing in this ego is a mechanism by which they try to undo or rectify their own past actions in order to get rid of their own guilt and remorse. Criticises themselves for their own and others' imperfections and therefore thinks that others do the same to them, which is why they are extremely sensitive in this area.

Compensatory Mechanism: Toxicomania (substance abuse)

May have a tendency to try to better process or suppress their own feelings, sensitivities and depression through medication or other substances.

Possible Disorder: Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

In isolated, extreme manifestations of this ego, it is possible that it will resemble obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.

Way of self-realization: Attention

The Perfectionist's natural tendency is to pay attention to the details of everything they see, experiences or achieves, and through this attention discovers and realises that perfection exists the moment they stop pursuing their sense of imperfection.

Domain of Sentiments

Representative Characters

Gushy Character(Over-Perfectionist)

The gushy character, a touchy or sensitive person is overly sentimental and tends to show emotion at the slightest provocation, prone to repeated cycles of angry outbursts, delusional projections about themselves or others and suspicions about the behaviour of others.

Callous Character(Under-Perfectionist)

The callous character is rigid, hard-hearted, critical, unfeeling and tends to hold back feelings in a detached and cold way, denying any sentimentality. Resists their own sentimentalities and does not try to improve.

Positive Domain

Self-Control

Is able to demonstrate a high positive level of self-control and discipline, which is another expression of their pursuit for perfection.

Sensitivity

At best, is able to indulge to their own feelings, be sensitive and respond to the emotions and needs of others. Empathetic.

Negative Domain

Touchiness

Tends to be quick-tempered and overly sensitive to negative comments or criticism - unstable emotional state.

Callousness

Can lose control of their own emotions and become cold or rude and critical.

An imbalance in these domains can lead to jealousy and possessiveness; in the worst case to toxicomania.

Used Literature

The Enneagrams of the Divine Forms: Perfect, Eternal, Unchanging Truths. - Oscar Ichazo
The Enneagrams of the Fixations: The Original Teachings. - Oscar Ichazo

Everything on this page was written independently by Advanced Personality.

Enneagram Ego 1"Over-Perfectionist"