Agere contra

"Agere contra" is Latin for acting against one's impulses as a means of personal growth in spirituality. Here is an example from William Atkinson: if we wish to conquer emotional tendencies in ourselves, we must assiduously, and in the first instance, cold-bloodedly, go through the outward movements of those contrary dispositions we prefer to cultivate.

With Enneagram sophistication, we understand there are perils to that. We might be able to alter and improve a small behavior pattern, but usually when we try to change, we use our Enneagram energy in the service of changing something we're doing because of our Enneagram style. A style one will be self-critical and then resolve to stop, but will criticize every effort to change.