About this video

• Video Title: Order of Centres: Part 1
• Channel: Enneagrammer Typing
• Speakers: Not explicitly mentioned by name, but appears to be a discussion among multiple individuals.
• Duration: 43:37

Overview

This video discusses the Enneagram's three centers of intelligence (Gut, Heart, and Head) and their order of preference. The speakers explore the rarity of the Heart Center, the implications of having each center last, and how this order influences an individual's perception, behavior, and interactions. They use personal anecdotes and observations to illustrate the concepts.

Key takeaways

• Rarity of the Heart Center: The Heart Center is considered rare, with most people not having it as their primary or secondary center.
• Heart Last: Individuals with a heart last preference may struggle with emotional connection, appearing less emotionally engaged, and may shut down when overwhelmed by emotions. They might use their gut or head centers as a primary mode of processing.
• Gut Last: When the Gut Center is last, individuals may exhibit a "buzzy, ungrounded energy," with a tendency towards excessive talking and less grounding.
• Head Last: A head last preference can lead to a sense of being less navigational or directionless, with a perceived lack of clear connection between actions and outcomes.
• Impact of Order: The order of the centers significantly impacts how individuals process information, express emotions, and engage with the world, influencing their reactions and how they are perceived by others.
• Subjectivity vs. Objectivity: The Heart Center is seen as the most subjective, the Gut Center as the most objective and tangible, and the Head Center has flexibility between objectivity and subjectivity.

Here's a step-by-step list of the major points made in the video, with time codes:

1. 0:16 - 1:03: Introduction to the rarity of the Heart Center and how most people are sexual blind, attachment forward, gut predominant, and head-focused.
2. 1:03 - 2:03: The speaker shares their personal experience of being "heart last" and how it feels different from having the head or gut centers first or second. They describe their default processing order as sensory information intake, thinking, and then filtering through identity.
3. 2:03 - 3:13: Discussion on the quality of attention with "heart last" individuals, comparing it to "heart second" and "heart first." The speaker notes feedback from a friend with "heart second" feeling unheard emotionally, while the "heart last" speaker attempts to show care through intense listening and holding space, but struggles to appreciate the emotional landscape.
4. 3:13 - 4:21: The speaker observes that "heart last" often appears with "head types" and explains that while they might seem less emotionally engaged, they can have a pseudo-emotional understanding by reading energy. They also theorize that "heart last" types might shut down when emotionally overwhelmed, becoming quieter.
5. 4:21 - 5:25: The discussion touches on the "nine core" tendency to calm situations down and how this can be mistaken for emotional engagement. However, "heart last" individuals might fail when someone wants to be riled up or engage with an emotional landscape.
6. 5:25 - 6:36: The concept of "reactive types" uncovering hidden truths and "ripping them up" is introduced, specifically focusing on Enneagram Type Four's creation of an emotional landscape to understand truths about others. The speaker explains this is a way to connect by provoking reactions and understanding someone's position.
7. 6:36 - 7:50: Reactivity is further explained as provoking reactions to understand others' locations or positions. Examples are given of how this can lead to connection or disagreement, particularly with types like sixes and eights.
8. 7:50 - 8:43: A speaker reflects on their initial difficulty understanding the "gut center" and how it took a long time to grasp its meaning, contrasting it with the Head and Heart centers. They mention having a clear boundary, unlike "nine fixations."
9. 8:43 - 9:39: The discussion shifts to how "heart types" (specifically twos and fours) might engage in intense emotional landscapes, sometimes leading to conflict or competition over who creates the most intense experience. Threes are mentioned as more adaptable. The speaker notes that negative emotions can come from two-fixations, especially when combined with sixes.
10. 9:39 - 10:33: The rarity of the Heart Center is revisited, with the idea that too much Heart energy in a room can be confusing. The Gut Center is described as the most objective and tangible, while the Head Center offers flexibility.
11. 10:33 - 11:15: The Heart Center is considered the most subjective, making it often last, as leading with individual subjective experiences can hinder collective progress.
12. 11:15 - 12:05: The Heart Center is also described as the most "egotistical" because it's rooted in subjective experience and identity, making it less practical for collective "job" functions compared to Gut or Head.
13. 12:05 - 13:05: The focus of the Heart Center (fours, twos, threes) is described as creating an "emotional landscape" or "painting pictures of themselves" to sell or embody, which can be intrusive in task-oriented environments.
14. 13:05 - 13:51: A negative consequence of the Heart Center being rare is that people may feel lost, lacking passion or a connection to their "personhood." This leads to a lack of understanding of what truly excites them.
15. 13:51 - 15:17: The concept of "who am I?" and "what excites me?" is linked to the Heart Center and social types. For "heart last" individuals, there can be a disconnect between their actions and their desires, leading them to question what they've created.
16. 15:17 - 16:50: Values are strongly connected to the Heart Center. "Heart last" individuals may be more likely to engage in activities their heart is not in. Even heart types who are not "heart first" are more aware of this incongruence.
17. 16:50 - 17:50: For "heart last" types, the focus can be on self-soothing and getting through tasks, potentially overlooking or attacking shame/hurt. The "image center" (likely referring to the Heart Center's role in identity) is about molding oneself. Threes, being heart types, are more aware of incongruence, whereas "heart last" individuals might not even ask the question or might assume they have it covered.
18. 17:50 - 18:45: A "Russian doll" analogy is used for the order of centers. The speaker's order (Body, Head, Heart) means Body gets priority, then Head, then Heart. When the body is uncomfortable, it overrides other centers.
19. 18:45 - 20:44: The discussion examines how different "last" centers manifest. "Body last" individuals might prioritize image and head over physical comfort. The speaker finds it unfathomable when "gut last" friends express body discomfort they can't identify. The speaker's "head last" experience involves conscious justification for reactions, with the "gut" or "body" often being more unconscious.
20. 20:44 - 21:36: The speaker describes their cycle: immediate reaction, justification through the head center, and then potentially addressing the "deeper truth" or "gut impression." They contrast this with "ones" who are more decisive about right and wrong. The "heart last" experience feels like not needing to do the investigative work because feelings and thoughts are clear.
21. 21:36 - 22:38: The video discusses how "heart last" individuals may avoid engaging with their emotions, fearing it will overwhelm their head and body centers, and thus do not share their feelings, believing them to be unhelpful.
22. 22:38 - 23:34: A summary of "centers last":
    • Gut Center Last: Often social/sexual, described as "buzzy, ungrounded energy" with lots of talking.
    • Heart Center Last: Focuses on gut and head, but less on "wet feeling" in emotions.
    • Head Center Last: Described as serious, with a "still lullaby" feel, possibly lacking clear navigation or connection points.
23. 23:34 - 25:14: A speaker describes their tendency under stress to go to "body and head" and needing to be prompted to identify feelings. They express discomfort with not knowing what the other person is feeling, as it hinders their ability to respond. They find sharing emotions scary because it might stress their head and body centers.
24. 25:14 - 26:15: The video emphasizes that sharing emotions can solve problems and lead to deeper connection. Even heart types like "threes" will express feelings, though authenticity is questioned.
25. 26:15 - 27:03: The discussion revisits "threes" and their potential "attachment to disconnect." They may be aware of misalignment with their values but continue embodying what others value, leading to a sense of incongruence or sadness.
26. 27:03 - 28:23: A rare "head last" combination (heart-gut-head) is discussed. The speaker's order (body-head-heart) is contrasted, creating a "spinning wheel" energy. "Heart and head last" means emotions and bodies are engaged, but head stuff isn't processed.
27. 28:23 - 29:58: Different center combinations' "vibe" is discussed:
    • Heart and Head: Silent, serious.
    • Gut and Head: Casual, possibly too casual.
    • Heart and Head: Chaotic.
    • Head Last: Lacking clear direction or navigational sense.
28. 29:58 - 31:46: Centers are conceptualized: Gut (form, physical energy), Head (movement, navigation, dynamic), Heart (color, perception, aesthetic). Missing centers create imbalances: missing Head (decorating a room but not moving), missing Gut (can't perceive the whole picture or form).
29. 31:46 - 35:08: "Body last" can lead to getting lost in concepts, symbols, or emotions without grounding. The speaker notes their friend, who is body last, sometimes seems disconnected from their physical presence. The body center represents "here you are," a grounded presence.
30. 35:08 - 35:52: The idea that "body last" individuals might forget they are "part of the earth" or simply a "story" is explored. The body center is about direct, un-justified knowing ("gut impression").
31. 35:52 - 38:05: The analogy of a story is used: Heart (character description), Head (narrative, direction), Body (the character's current presence, unchanging truth). "Heart last" or "image last" means less focus on character description or "painting oneself."
32. 38:05 - 39:18: For "heart last" individuals, there's less focus on self-description. When encountering an incongruent environment, they feel a strong urge to leave because their identity is tied to their "painting" or self-image.
33. 39:18 - 40:31: "Heart last" types may not update their sense of self as frequently. The speaker compares this to creating a Pinterest board or genre for themselves.
34. 40:31 - 41:55: Making collages is suggested as a way for "image last" people to discover their core image, as they tend to repeat themes. This process reveals their "heart in it."
35. 41:55 - 43:24: The speaker reflects on their own collage-making, finding variations on a theme that represent a distilled version of their image. They contrast this with "two-three" area collages which often have a interpersonal energy, while "social sexual heart last" collages might focus on people as beautiful objects.