Understanding the Historical Ego

Types 8,9,1 and non-adaptability

The gut or instinctive types (8,9,1) in the Enneagram are most commonly recognized by their grounded, earthy energy, which gives others the impression of certainty, solidity, or resoluteness. Oscar Ichazo referred to these types as having a historical ego. The historical ego is an egoic, instinctive memory of where to go to get one’s basic needs met. All humans have a historical ego. We often refer to this as a survival instinct. However, the gut types operate from this place most frequently, and they tend to cling more tightly to established routines, methods, and ways of doing things that align with how they’ve “always done it.” Gut types tend to reject adaptability, not because they conceptually believe being adaptable is a problem (except perhaps for Eights), but rather because they are naturally attuned to establishing patterns that produce satisfying results.

They may, for example, always go to the same grocery store for their shopping needs, eat the same breakfast on Saturday mornings, or go to bed at the same time every night. They often believe seeking too much variety to be a frivolous or pointless endeavor when adhering to certain staples in their lives has reliably presented them with desired outcomes. One Eight client expressed when her partner bought a new brand of ketchup into the home, “If I know I like Heinz ketchup, why would I need to try another kind? I like what I like for a reason; unnecessary change pisses me off.”