If you know someone who is a sensitive listener, has little patience for the routine, craves intensity and drama, and has a rich interior life of thoughts and feelings, this person may be the Romantic Enneagram type. Romantics are often easy to spot because of their interesting way of dressing stylishly yet unusually. They may prefer all black and/or old-fashioned clothes. They tend to contribute something special and artistic to their friends and the workplace and because they are perceptive often add wisdom and meaning to others' worlds. Beaudelaire, Beethoven, Tennesse Williams, Bjork, Marcel Proust, Isadora Duncan, Judy Garland, Johnny Depp, Michael Jackson, Vincent Van Gogh, Edvard Munch, and Edith Piaf come to mind as some famous Romantic examples.
Strengths Romantics bring to the workplace include authenticity, dauntlessness, compassion, imagination, and the ability to be discerning. They often explore both the dark and bright sides of a situation and often see life with an ironic twist. They search for deeper emotions, encourage others to get in touch with what is important to them, and may be especially attracted to crises-even life and death situations. Self-expression is their gift as well as a necessity, which they need like air or they feel they will suffocate (but they don't always know it-this is one reason learning the Enneagram can be so valuable). Romantics excel at expressing human values in occupations such as writer, musician, chef, pastor, artist, designer, health professional, or therapist. Sometimes they choose careers as gardeners, graphics designers, secretaries, or making crafts. In the corporate world, they may set a distinctive look for the company's brand standards as the creative director or take a position as change management consultant.
Some Romantics we interviewed for "The Career Within You" prefer to have a job that isn't demanding in order to be able to work after hours on what they like to do most. For example, J.T. leaves his technical job behind at five o'clock and devotes the rest of the day to acting in and writing plays, secure that he will be able to pay his rent and put food on the table. Sally has a day job in the library and works on her jewelry making before work and on weekends. A more demanding job would drain her of energy she'd rather save for being creative. She devotes heart and soul to her craft.
Some people we interviewed were unhappy in their jobs and decided they were in a career that wasn't creative enough for them after they realized they Romantic type. Most Romantics have a need to express themselves in their own unique way or they don't feel fulfilled. If this situation applies to you, you may want to transition to a career that suits your temperament and your talents. Many Romantics-from professional football players to computer programmers-who aren't happy with what they are doing, thrive after they make career changes to fit their artistic temperaments.
To find out about Romantics as children, see my WordPress blog of June 8: http://ewagele.wordpress.com/
To read more about the Romantic personality and all nine Enneagram personalities and careers, order "The Career Within You": Amazon Indiebound
