Type One
Prominent Enneagram scholars and authors Riso and Hudson dubbed the One personality the Reformer. Palmer and Daniels, also well respected Enneagram scholars and authors, preferred the Perfectionist. A One personality has also been called the Critic and the Good Person. This book uses the Evangelical Idealist because it seems to cover more thoroughly the central concern of the One personality, which is to internalize, live by, and promote moral principles. Ones are typically passionate defenders of what they perceive as the one, good, true, right way to live. Whether it's a religious precept or a philosophical ideology, Ones have a cause to trumpet. Their ideology or theology usually has rigid rules that Ones feel compelled to follow and that they vigorously desire others to follow as well. They are always aiming to be the best person they can be, which leads to an obsession with perfection. Ones can be overly critical, harshly judgmental, and punishing to themselves and others.
Ones are usually principled, disciplined, self-controlled types who keep society on its toes and the trains running on time. They want, above all, to do the right thing and live by a set of capital R rules. Ones take their responsibilities very seriously and generally think long and hard before they speak or act. If they breach their own rules, they tend to punish themselves. Pathological Ones are often self-righteous, intolerant, and cruel. Self-actualized Ones can be wise mentors, realistic advocates for worthwhile causes, dedicated public servants, healthy and effective coaches and teachers, and inspiring truth tellers.
Ones can be objective, balanced, moral, conscientious, repressive, critical, controlling, and perfectionist. They lie awake at night terrified that they are not sufficient and that they will be rightfully blamed for whatever goes wrong. They hide their tendency to feel like they are the only ones even trying to do things right. They harbor a nasty streak of resentment toward others and feel so compelled to be right at all costs that it frequently costs them their relationships and any real chance for a joyful life.
A few famous people commonly identified with the One enneatype include Ralph Nader, William Bennett, Martha Stewart, Hillary Clinton, Michael Medved, Dr. Jack Kevorkian, Confucius, Greta Van Sustern, and fictional characters such as Jack Webb's character in Dragnet and Dana Carvey's Church Lady from Saturday Night Live.
