Personality frameworks are maps of the relatively stable patterns in how individuals perceive, feel, think, and respond — not explanations of those patterns but useful first approximations for self-knowledge and interpersonal understanding. The Big Five has the strongest empirical foundation; MBTI has the widest cultural reach despite methodological limitations; the Enneagram has the deepest roots in inner work traditions. Each offers a different angle on the same terrain, and none is the terrain itself.
Patan