Type 3: The Achiever
Triad (Corner): Heart (image, feeling)
Core Issue: Shame
Personality runs on: Attachment
Values: Competency
Style: Aggressive
Passion: Deceit, Vanity
Virtue: Authenticity, Veracity
Need to: Be successful
Description: Threes are the “human doings” of the enneagram. They set goals and work toward them. They are able to set their feelings aside and just get the job done. Being in the center of the feeling triad, they are the most out of touch with their heart feelings. Thinking and doing take center stage. Threes are very good at self-promotion, and adjust themselves and their personalities to meet the needs of their target audiences. Image is very important, and Threes maintain a smooth, competent façade, even when their inner worlds are falling apart.
When fixated, a Threes are completely out of touch with the desires of their own hearts. They are living someone else’s dream. They are afraid of looking inside themselves, and don’t spend any time cultivating their inner lives. Their whole sense of self-esteem depends on their accomplishments in life; on their success. They don’t see themselves as having value apart from what they do. Often Threes will talk about having overcome some kind of huge obstacle on their way to success.
Threes want to excel no matter what the setting. In the corporate world, Threes will try to be the best executive there is, and will work hard on rising to the top. In spiritual work, a three may try to be the best meditator around.
Under stress, Threes can totally burn out and become avoidant, passive, unmotivated, like average to unhealthy Type 9.
When healthy, Threes learn to get in touch with their own feelings, their own hearts. They learn to separate their own hearts desires from the desires of those around them. They follow their own dreams, gain purpose in life from who they are not what they do. They learn some healthy doubt at point 6, and learn to be loyal to others. They see that there is a bigger picture out there than their own personal goals.
People of this type: Oprah Winfrey, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Clinton, Tom Cruise, Michael Jordan, Paul McCartney, Reese Witherspoon, “The Talented Mr. Ripley.”
An exercise for Type 3: Stop doing for a time every day. Ask yourself: “who are you without your actions?”
As written in the New Testament, Matthew 6:25-29: "I tell you not to worry about your life. Don't worry about having something to eat, drink, or wear. Isn't life more than food or clothing? Look at the birds in the sky! They don't plant or harvest. They don't even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren't you worth more than birds? Can worry make you live longer? Why worry about clothes? Look how the wildflowers grow. They don't work hard to make their clothes. But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth wasn't as well clothed as one of them.
What would happen if you took some off of work and let God handle the details? Spend some time every day or every week doing something that has no purpose whatsoever other than your own personal enjoyment. Even spiritual work can become another quest for success for the 3 so be aware of that. What does it mean to just relax and be?
|
