We often hear about how people struggle to remain focused and find their purpose, how determination is crucial to attaining success, and how most find it difficult to maintain or improve their success because they rest on their laurels.
Success seems like the be-all and end-all, so when you come across Enneagram Type 3s who are efficient, productive, focused, motivated, and success-driven, they seem to have it all.
Type Threes are not prepared to let their success alone do the talking. They work hard to accomplish their goals but also ensure their appearance portrays success to eliminate strangers’ doubts. You could be forgiven for thinking they could do no wrong. But as admirable as they look, everything is not rosy with the Enneagram Threes. Like every personality type, Enneagram 3s have several undesirable qualities that can be improved.
This article hopes to take an in-depth look at Enneagram Three, elaborating on their fears, motivations, desires, strengths, weaknesses, growth opportunities, and work preferences. Let’s get started.
What is the Enneagram 3 Personality?
Within the Enneagram system, the Enneagram 3 personality type is known as the Achiever, Performer, or Go-getter. People with this personality type are charismatic, efficient, pragmatic, and productive.
They are confident, goal-oriented people who can focus during trying circumstances, adapt to different roles and situations, and motivate themselves and those around them to achieve their goals. Success, for them, depends on how others see them, as they usually require external validation to feel successful.
When it comes to the extroversion scale, how an individual Type 3 scores depends upon many factors. For example, one who puts all their energy into the things they want to achieve may score higher in introversion. Others who really tap into the social side of this Enneagram type are likely to be extroverted. Yet other Enneagram 3s may score as ambiverts, depending on where they are in the pursuit of their goals.
What Are Their Fears?
Achievers fear failure, worthlessness, incompetence, insignificance, or being perceived as having any of those qualities. They deal with their basic fear of failure by exploring all the means available to succeed, guaranteeing their value to others.
What Do They Desire?
While Achievers do everything to succeed, success may not be their greatest desire. Usually, it is just a means to an end. It explains why being perceived as successful can work as well for them as actually succeeding.
Their basic desire is to feel valued, worthwhile, and accepted by people. So, they chase success because they believe people are drawn to it and will accept and admire them if they attain it.
What Motivates Enneagram 3s?
Achievers are motivated by a need to feel valued and wanted. They strive to consistently excel at the highest level, sometimes even exploring ways to stand out from the crowd so that people notice their achievements. They are motivated by the need to succeed, accomplish goals, and avoid failure.
What Stresses an Enneagram Three?
Achievers experience stress when faced with a lack of progress or constant failure, which brings unwanted negative attention. They feel stressed when a problem is too hard to solve. As people who chase success to gain public praise, Type Threes are stressed by being perceived negatively or not being noticed. They also experience stress when people do not give them credit after a well-done job.
Enneagram Type 3 Wings
Although each of the nine Enneagram Types possesses distinct basic traits that distinguish them from the others, the concept of Enneagram Wings suggests that an Enneagram may share certain traits with two other types adjacent to it.
The Enneagram personality types adjacent to Enneagram 3 are Enneagram Two (The Giver) and Enneagram Four (The Individualist).
Enneagram Type 3 With a Two Wing (3w2)
What do you get when you take a personality type whose core values and basic traits involve the relentless pursuit of success to enhance their public image and then mix it with a personality type that focuses on helping others?
Enneagram 3w2s are still image-conscious, seek lofty achievements, and remain as productive as ever. However, they also take on a few traits of The Giver by channeling their productivity toward helping others.
While their core motivation is to achieve success, their purpose is more people-oriented than self-serving. They tend to be more generous and friendly, and these traits enhance their reputation, making them feel desired by the public, which has been their goal all along.
Enneagram Type 3 With a Four Wing (3w4)
Type Fours pride themselves on being unique and authentic. They explore their creativity and imagination to stand out in the crowd. Their uniqueness may clash with the Achiever’s tendency to blend in and adapt to different settings, but their fear of being seen as insignificant is quite similar to Type Threes’ fear of failure and worthlessness.
Unlike traditional Enneagram 3s, whose self-worth is determined by how people see them, introspection and self-reflection are more common in Enneagram 3w4s. They still want to achieve goals and feel valuable, but they are more in touch with their own feelings.
They remain ambitious and goal-oriented, but instead of putting on a show to gain people’s admiration, they tend to channel their energy toward productive projects. Adding a Four Wing to an Enneagram Type 3 makes them more creative, genuine, focused on self-development, and attentive to their own emotions.
Enneagram 3 Key Traits: 11 Signs Someone Is an Achiever
Taking an Enneagram test may be the only way to be sure of your Enneagram type, but some signs can get you close enough to know your personality type. The following signs indicate that someone is an Achiever.
1. When They Set a Goal, They Almost Always Accomplish It
When Achievers set a goal, they employ everything they can to accomplish it. They can break them down into smaller goals and focus on achieving them one at a time. Every new opportunity for success excites them.
2. They Are Very Competitive, Sometimes to a Fault
There is no doubt that healthy competition can drive success and improve learning. Achievers are highly competitive. In the absence of fellow competitors, they are eager to compete against themselves to improve on their previous efforts. Because of their strong drive to succeed, many Type 3s also have a Type A personality.
3. Their Image Means Everything to Them
Type 3s constantly avoid anything that can tarnish their image. They recognize the activities and actions that can help them garner praise and positive attention and spare no effort to perform them excellently.
4. Looking Successful Is Just as Important as Being Successful
Achievers rarely dress shabbily to an event. Threes understand that how people dress is how they are addressed, so they try their best to look successful. A stranger can immediately peg them as important by noticing their status symbols.
5. They Do Not Rest on Their Laurels
Achievers place a high value on success, working consistently to meet the ridiculously high standards they set for themselves. Once they achieve the goals they set, they immediately reach for another.
6. They Try to Be the Best in Everything They Do
Type Threes are not there to make up the numbers. When they take on a challenge, they intend to blow it completely out of the water. It’s easier to notice and admire them when they are the best at what they do.
7. They Adapt Easily to Different Situations
While others may struggle to cope with a change in environment, Type Threes blend into different social situations and build connections easily.
8. They Can Hold Their Own in Social Settings
Threes are confident, self-assured, and charismatic. They always make good first impressions, understand others easily, and communicate ideas effectively.
8. They Hardly Ever Have Free Time
Threes are always busy because they set many goals without sparing time to relax and celebrate after achieving them. They move on to the next goal immediately after finishing the previous one.
10. They Can’t Cope With Failure
Threes believe failure is a fast road to worthlessness and insignificance, so they do everything to prevent it. They are hard on themselves when it happens but do not dwell on the failure. They are eager to move on and chase success.
11. They Crave External Validation
Threes chase success because they believe it is the surest way to build their value in public and gain admiration. They want to be praised for being special, accepted for doing wonderful things, admired for standing out, and credited for a well-done job.
Enneagram Three Strengths
Achievers have several good qualities classified as strengths, forming part of their personality and giving them an advantage over others in specific situations. The following are common strengths of the Type 3 Enneagram.
- They are success-driven.
- They are goal-getters who can influence or encourage others to reach their goals.
- They are efficient, productive, and practical.
- They make friends easily.
- They are charismatic and often make good first impressions.
- They remain focused on their goal despite stress.
- They adapt easily to new situations and roles.
- They are confident and ambitious.
- They motivate others.
- They understand others and build connections easily.
- They are self-assured.
Enneagram Three Weaknesses
Despite all the Achiever’s redeeming qualities that make them seem like the envy of the town, they also have their baggage. The following are common weaknesses of the Type 3 Enneagram.
- They can be too concerned with their image.
- They struggle to cope with failure from themselves or others.
- They require external validation.
- They can be too competitive and sometimes insensitive.
- They neglect their own feelings.
- They are prone to anxiety from fear of failure.
- They always want more and are seldom satisfied.
- They are prone to burnout because they overwork themselves.
Growth Opportunities for Enneagram Type 3
Growth opportunities can come in the form of utilizing your strengths where they can deliver the greatest impact or improving upon your weaknesses to minimize vulnerability. Type Threes, as impressive as they seem from the outside, have several traits they could change for the better. If you’re an Achiever, the following tips can help you grow significantly — spiritually, personally, and professionally — all while taking care of your physical health.
Take a Break
Achievers struggle to take breaks because they believe it slows them down, makes them lazy, and distracts them from the important things. However, breaks are necessary to prevent your body from stress and burnout. Studies also show that breaks aid performance and productivity, increase focus, replenish energy, and improve mental health and well-being.
Type 3s can benefit from learning time management techniques that encourage breaks as part of the process, like the Pomodoro Method.
Live in the Moment through Mindfulness Practice
Threes work in a fast-paced environment where their eye is always on the goal, leaving no time to reflect on the job done or enjoy the moment. Practicing mindfulness, like taking deep breaths, can help them reduce stress and anxiety, prevent burnout, focus better, and improve their relationships.
Appreciate the Little Things
Be grateful for the little things in life that bring you joy and happiness. Your actions don’t always have to be a means to achieving your lofty goals. Enjoy the little moments.
Reduce the Desire for External Validation
Your true value does not depend on how much external praise you get. Be yourself, not who the world wants you to be. Neglecting your real emotions to do what you think people want won’t help you find fulfillment. Practice self-care by putting your feelings first.
Don’t Be Scared of Failure
One of Confucius’ most famous quotes reads, “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” Failure isn’t the end unless you give up. When you react well to failure, you can learn from your mistakes and try again harder. The fear of failure doesn’t prevent you from failing; it only stops you from trying.
Practice Self-Compassion to Reduce Self-Criticism When You Make Mistakes
Mistakes are inevitable in life, so instead of beating yourself up when you make them, practice self-compassion by forgiving yourself, understanding that it is only a minor setback, retracing your steps, and going at it again with full tilt and lessons learned.
Open Up to The Right Person and Share Your Own Feelings
One of life’s most important lessons is that you can’t please everyone, and it’s pointless to try. It is incredibly tiring to suppress your emotions and always be your best self around people. You desperately need an outlet, someone who understands and supports you even at your worst.
Enneagram 3 Careers and Work Preferences
In the modern corporate work environment, employees constantly strive to get ahead and climb the corporate ladder, while those who cannot cope are either left behind or laid off. Most people will consider this a nightmare, but Type Threes feel like they are in seventh heaven.
As ambitious, competitive, and success-driven individuals, Achievers are employers’ dream. The best careers for Type Three should feature opportunities for career growth, recognition for their efforts, and the provision of high-profile projects. Many Type 3s have what it takes to be successful entrepreneurs as long as they stay grounded.
Recommended: What Are the Best Enneagram Type 3 Careers?
Enneagram 3 Celebrities
Celebrities are famous because they are good at their work. Young children look up to them and choose them as role models. However, it’s important to remember that celebrities share personalities with ordinary people. Type 3 Celebrities are no different from the average Enneagram Type 3 people.
We’ve categorized the following Enneagram 3 celebrities based on their profession. Remember, this Enneagram typing is based upon public perception, not actual Enneagram test results.
- Actors like Tom Cruise, Will Smith, George Clooney, Dwayne Johnson, and Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Actresses like Angelina Jolie and Reese Witherspoon
- Singers like Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, and Justin Bieber
- Athletes like Michael Jordan, Muhammed Ali, and Andre Agassi
- Politicians like Bill Clinton, Nancy Pelosi
- Other Entertainers like Oprah Winfrey and David Copperfield.
- Fictional Characters like Marjaery Tyrell in Game of Thrones, Leslie Knope in Parks and Recreation, Rachel Berry in Glee, and Don Draper in Mad Men.
Levels of Development of Enneagram Type 3
Different stages of personal development can occur within the same personality. Some people adopt several healthy behaviors at an early age, while some tend to make the right decisions as they grow. When you prioritize personal growth, you tend to adopt more healthy behaviors and eliminate unhealthy ones. Let’s examine the different levels of development for the Enneagram type 3.
Healthy Threes: What Is an Enneagram 3 at Their Best?
Enneagram 3s are at their best when they are healthy. Healthy Threes have high self-esteem and build better relationships. Their personal growth allowed them to lose touch with the things that did not fulfill them. They realized that sacrificing their feelings to do things that make people accept them is a worthless basic desire.
A high-functioning Enneagram Type Three is more self-accepting and can take constructive feedback. These 3s understand their value comes from loving themselves for who they are and not what others expect them to be. They use their strengths to help people and motivate others to achieve their goals.
Average Threes: What is Your Typical Enneagram 3 Like?
Average 3s display average levels of the two extremes. They possess some unhealthy and healthy traits. They are ambitious, success-driven, action-oriented, and confident but rely on public validation.
Unhealthy Threes: What Is an Enneagram 3 at Their Worst?
Unhealthy Enneagram 3s are self-serving and overly competitive, sometimes trying to outdo their colleagues when working cooperatively is required. They suffer from low self-esteem because they place their value and happiness in the hands of others who inevitably disappoint them.
They lie to themselves and others about who they are and project an image of themselves they believe people are more likely to accept. Jealousy, laziness, deceit, anger, and hostility are common traits of unhealthy Type Threes.
Redefine What Success Means to You
It’s one thing for the world to believe the frequently bandied-around mantra “You’re only as good as your last success”; it’s another for you to allow it to define your actions. This mantra explains why Enneagram Type Threes don’t reflect on their current success before they try to achieve another. It’s what happens when your sense of fulfillment depends on how well the public accepts your efforts.
Take a step back and think about what success means to you, why you set out to accomplish the goals in front of you, and whether those goals align with what you hold dear. Only then can you truly redefine success and live a more fulfilled life.
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