Chapter 1. Enneagram Type One: The Sinning Saint

The perfectionistic, repetitive (enjoys the same sex position), conservative and controlled lover, who loosens up on vacation.

You may relate to a One even if it’s not your type: if you are a Two or Three (wings), or if you are a Seven or a Four (points of Release and Stretch).

Approach to sex: Earns sex by being a “good” boy or girl.

Sexual belief: “I’m a good partner as long as I’m doing sex the correct way.”

Sexual Frustration: “No matter how hard I try to be a better person; my partner does not appreciate me sufficiently.”

Brief overview

Ones attempt to earn sex by doing the right thing or what they believe is expected of a “good” man or woman. “I’ve worked hard to support the family/clean the house and so sex is my reward.” They feel that to be “good,” natural impulses need to be controlled. There is a right and a wrong way for everything in a One’s view. (Forget 50 shades of (Mr) Grey - with Ones it’s either black or white!)

Duty is seen to be the right way to act. Pleasure is irrelevant when you’re doing things correctly. As a result, they are the type most likely to become vexed and self-righteous about the “sins” of others and adopt a moral high-ground. Enjoyment is derived not from satisfying sex so much as from the feeling that you’ve performed in the correct and expected way. Sex then can easily slip into the role of being a duty, rather than a way to pleasure oneself. Withholding pleasure takes on a noble stance. “Duty before pleasure” becomes a motto.

Their views and values surrounding sex can be inflexible. “Come on, we’re on holiday,” you may say to your One partner, “let’s just try this once.” But, if they don’t believe it’s the right thing to do, you could meet with strong and perhaps even puritanical resistance.

Ones do like to think, though, that they can do everything correctly and if their belief is that conjugal obligations are part of the package, then they will try to do the job to the best of their abilities. “Was I good enough?” they may wonder privately. They can also be highly critical of others, so may not be afraid to tell you if they felt your performance was not up to scratch.

When you mistrust your own natural bodily desires, it can create inner turmoil and as such they can seek to control desire, rather than allow themselves to flow with it. Sex then can be something to be mistrusted, rather than sensuously embraced. There can even be an authoritarian zealousness when it comes to viewing sex, resulting in the creation of rules of engagement, such as how often and how to perform.

Ones tend to be even tempered (it’s bad to show anger), so it’s unlikely they’ll be passionately flinging a glass across the room at you one moment and melting into your arms for sizzling sex the next. Although at times the anger just can’t be held in and they can explode, only to feel mortified afterward. Being Paternal love types, their love can be experienced as lukewarm and distant, in many ways, the polar opposite of a demanding Erotic type Eight.

They tend to want to take control of sexual matters and may fail to see the partner’s viewpoint, as in the case of a couple who were both virgins and belonged to a strictly religious sect. He (the Type One) believed that as the “boss” of the home, sex should only happen when he wanted it to, irrespective of his new wife’s needs or desires. Inexperienced and inept at lovemaking (yet refusing to admit it) and adhering to the believe that sex was primarily for a man’s enjoyment, he refused to accept that he was doing anything wrong when he demanded his conjugal rights and saw no need for wasting time on foreplay. It’s tragic when with a better understanding of the art of making love, the couple could both have benefitted from a deeper more caring experience.

If Ones do fall in love, however, and can let go of their need to control and regulate sex, they can become intense and passionate lovers.

The arising of Type One

Ones, as they become emotionally disintegrated, start moving away from the universal truth that “All is One” into the division of the world into opposites, believing that to be loved one must be good (not bad) and do what is right (not what is wrong). They then take this judgment into the world believing that it is up to them to “correct” others’ or their own behaviour and getting angry and resentful toward others who won’t toe the line.

Integrated Ones in Love

Integrated Ones pride themselves on having high moral standards. They want to be fair and improve themselves--many Ones dream of being someone who changes the world. They are both wise and impartial--genuinely impeccable in all ways. They value self-discipline and taking the right path but have become more accepting that their way is not necessarily THE way and so can tolerate others’ viewpoints, even if it they don’t fall in line with their own beliefs. They become accepting of themselves and their partners; flaws and all.

Fantasies

In allowing themselves to have fantasies (many Ones would consider this an indulgence), Ones are likely to visit parts of their imagination that their daily lives would not condone. Forbidden trysts--your best friend’s partner, a church minister, a much younger person, same sex, anything we desire, but won’t allow ourselves. Unobtainability drives desire--forbidden fruit that wants to be eaten. It’s bad, yet so exquisitely delicious.

There you are dressed correctly in your neat navy pleated skirt and tailored jacket (perfectly ironed), hair neatly cut and styled in a sensible fashion. Controlled and controlling. Yet, women (and men) who are controlled in their lives find being out of control a real turn-on. Submissive sex fantasies provide the solution and release to all that pent-up resentment and rage.