A better way to binge.
The Enneagram is a personality assessment system that I highly recommend. It places individuals into one of nine main personality types (numbered 1 thru 9) based on the core motivations, fears, and desires that drive individual behaviors.
It has its limits (as does any personality test), but I’ve found it to be a tool for self-discovery, understanding, and compassion. It’s also helped me empathize with other people and see the world through their eyes, especially my wife.
I’m an Enneagram 7, commonly referred to as the Enthusiast or the Adventurer. That might offer the first clue as to why I’m running a 100K trail race tomorrow in Zion National Park.
As some of my friends have said - that’s a lot of K’s! It begs the question: why?
Each Enneagram type is associated with a set of characteristics, including a deadly sin. Sevens are drawn to new experiences, stimulating ideas and conversations. I often struggle to remain in one place for too long (both literally and figuratively). The deadly sin of the seven is gluttony. We’re given to excess, and when we’re unlucky, addiction.
So the shortest answer to ‘why run an ultra-marathon?’ might be: it’s an adventure. And if we’re going to go, let’s go big or go home.
But I’ve thought about this plenty and there are longer answers to that loaded question. Some are more vulnerable and revealing. Here are three: