Enneagram Type 3: The Achiever or Performer
· Angie Morgan
What causes someone to be a workaholic?
Type 3’s are driven, goal-oriented, success-oriented, competitive, excelling, and image-conscious. They appear confident, attractive, and charming. They desire to be admired and esteemed. They work hard to develop their talents and skills in order to be the best they can be. They enjoy being role models and inspiring others to achieve their goals as well. Threes strive to distinguish themselves as successful individuals in their community. Depending on the community this could mean being famous, such as an actor or politician, being a religious leader, or having status symbols such as a big house or a fancy car.
Threes can easily become workaholics, filling their schedule with events, volunteering, or completing more projects at work. Threes value getting things done over doing things right. Threes can struggle to relax or slow down, as they believe their worth is in what they do or achieve, and not in who they are. Threes have a tendency to shape-shift or be chameleons, meaning that they become whoever they think they need to be to fit the role they need to play. They can get so caught up in playing these different roles with different groups of people, that they lose touch with their true self. Threes usually see feelings as inefficient, so push them away and do not deal with them.
Who are Famous Examples of Enneagram Type Threes?
Taylor Swift, Mitt Romney, Tom Cruise, Bill Clinton, Muhammed Ali, Oprah Winfrey, Elvis Presley, Michael Jordan, Whitney Houston, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Jamie Foxx, Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Seacrest, Barbara Streisand, Anne Hathaway, Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, Madonna, Sting, Bernie Madoff, Will Smith
Enneagram Threes in Relationship
Threes struggle to feel comfortable being their true selves, as they do not believe they will be accepted for it. As a result, in intimate relationships, threes are often not their authentic self, but a version of themselves that they think the other person wants them to be. Threes care about their image, so can portray the image of a perfect relationship or perfect family, while their partner or family suffers the consequences. Threes can see relationships as another task to be completed, so may avoid relationships that would be more complicated.
Suzanne Stabile, in The Path Between Us, explains that “Threes contribute to the lives of other people by helping them define and reach their potential.” Threes have a way of inspiring and offering their talents to help others achieve their goals. Threes have a desire to meet other’s needs in relationships and will work hard to do so.