CNET Narrative Tradition & Teaching Methodologies 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In the Narrative Tradition, what is the primary purpose of interviewing panels of self-identified types?
- To verify that participants have correctly identified their type
- To teach the Enneagram system through theoretical presentations
- To allow observers to recognize type patterns through first-person accounts (Correct answer)
- To provide opportunities for participants to give advice to their type
Correct answer: To allow observers to recognize type patterns through first-person accounts
The Narrative Tradition uses panels so observers can witness first-person accounts and recognize type patterns from the inside out.
Question 2: When facilitating a Narrative Tradition panel, the teacher uses empathic inquiry primarily to:
- Challenge panelists' self-assessments with theoretical counterarguments
- Draw out the specific inner experiences that characterize each type (Correct answer)
- Demonstrate the teacher's mastery of Enneagram theory to the audience
- Create a competitive atmosphere that motivates deeper sharing
Correct answer: Draw out the specific inner experiences that characterize each type
Empathic inquiry draws out the inner experience of panelists, revealing the subjective world of each type.
Question 3: What is the Narrative Tradition's stance on using written Enneagram tests to determine type?
- Written tests are the most reliable method of type determination
- Written tests are used as the primary tool in all certified programs
- Written tests can be useful starting points but are considered less reliable than inner recognition (Correct answer)
- Written tests are prohibited entirely in all Narrative Tradition programs
Correct answer: Written tests can be useful starting points but are considered less reliable than inner recognition
The Narrative Tradition views inner recognition—recognizing oneself in first-person accounts—as more reliable than written assessments.
Question 4: In Narrative Tradition teaching, 'attention' is considered a key concept because:
- It determines whether students will pay for advanced training programs
- It describes how each type habitually focuses awareness in characteristic ways (Correct answer)
- It refers specifically to mindfulness meditation practices borrowed from Buddhism
- It is the technical term for the Enneagram's nine-pointed geometric figure
Correct answer: It describes how each type habitually focuses awareness in characteristic ways
Each Enneagram type is characterized by a habitual direction of attention that shapes perception and behavior.
Question 5: When a panelist's account does not seem to match their self-identified type, the Narrative Tradition teacher should:
- Publicly suggest they may have identified the wrong type
- Continue empathic inquiry to better understand the panelist's inner experience (Correct answer)
- Ask other panelists to vote on what they think the correct type might be
- End the interview immediately and move to another panelist
Correct answer: Continue empathic inquiry to better understand the panelist's inner experience
Empathic inquiry helps the teacher understand the panelist's experience, since type patterns can manifest differently across individuals.
Question 6: Which element is considered central to the Narrative Tradition's experiential learning methodology?
- Memorizing the nine type descriptions before any panel work begins
- Individual written assessments completed prior to group work
- First-person testimony from people who identify with each type (Correct answer)
- Watching video recordings of famous people demonstrating their types
Correct answer: First-person testimony from people who identify with each type
First-person panels are the cornerstone of the Narrative Tradition, providing experiential learning through direct testimony.
Question 7: The Narrative Tradition's use of the three centers (head, heart, body) in teaching primarily serves to:
- Provide a three-step process for completing Enneagram certification requirements
- Separate workshop participants into ability levels for differentiated instruction
- Determine which of the nine types are most spiritually advanced
- Organize the nine types into three groups based on shared emotional themes and attention patterns (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Organize the nine types into three groups based on shared emotional themes and attention patterns
The three centers group types by their primary intelligence center and the core emotional issue each triad shares.
CNET Narrative Tradition & Teaching Methodologies 2
In the Narrative Tradition, what is the primary purpose of interviewing panels of self-identified types?