Direction of integration (growth arrow)
The direction of integration is, for each Enneagram type, the inner line that points toward its path of growth. As a person gains security and maturity, they reach the healthy qualities of the connected type: the 1 opens to the spontaneity of the 7, the 5 to the quiet strength of the 8, the 9 to the drive of the 3. Riso and Hudson call this the direction of integration: not a change of type, but a widening of the repertoire.
Recognizing it in your life
Think back to the times you felt at ease, carried by your relationships and your daily life: chances are you started to act a little differently, with more lightness, boldness, or steadiness depending on your type. That is the integration arrow at work, this natural movement toward qualities that don't quite resemble you yet.
Using it on purpose
You can borrow this direction without waiting for everything to be going well. Look at the type your arrow points to and pick one of its healthy gestures to practice in small doses: improvise an evening if you're a 1, ask for help if you're an 8, say what you want if you're a 9. It's training, not a forced transformation.
Sources
- , The Wisdom of the Enneagram (1999)
- , Character and Neurosis: An Integrative View (1994)