Enneagram Type 3 – The Achiever

The Enneagram is a model of human personality that is rooted in a system in which human behaviour can be classified into one of nine different interconnected personality types. There are two corresponding sorts of fears, longings, and propensities for each number that shape how people view and interface with the world around them. Enneagram Type 3, or “The Achiever,” is one of these types, known for its relentless focus on achievement and its natural ability to manipulate its environment. This article is a comprehensive exploration of Type 3— including the wings, traits, relationships, career paths, and more.

What is Enneagram Type 3?

Enneagram Type 3s are achievers, productive and hope to be recognized. These are people who want to win; they do best when given a chance to show their abilities and win real results. Type 3s are often seen as dynamic world leaders who with their charisma can make us believe we can reach the top, but they can also sometimes leverage their charm and energy to serve their own needs. But beneath their polished surface lies a deep fear of being unnoticed, of going unappreciated, of being unseen. In response to this fear, they perform with constant competence, confidence, and accomplishment.

Enneagram Type 3 Meaning

The Achiever on the Enneagram has a compelling range of success-driven goals. They want to achieve and tend to do very well in their careers. Type 3s might be the ones you’d call charismatically adaptable, and their ambition to succeed might come at the cost of disinterest in what they feel — or willingness to risk false impressions by admitting that they do.

Enneagram Type 3 Wings

Each of the Enneagram types also has two wings, or the numbers next door to the core type. These wing types add unique flavours to the personality and can form behavioural tendencies that are very important.

3w2: The Charmer

Enneagram Type 3w2 is sociable, engaging, and people-orientated. This makes them able to get very close to and connect well with others, as they have the ambition of Type 3 and the care of Type 2.

3w4: The Professional

They infuse Type 3 energy with a Type 4 wing, which adds ambition, creativity, and introspection. 3w4s are people who are very dedicated and they might be operating in creative or new avenues.

Read more about Enneagram Type 3, Here.

Cognitive Stack of the Enneagram Type 3

Dominant Function (Fe) — Extraverted Feeling

 3s excel at reading social cues and playing up to expectations. They are charismatic in a way that the detached and superior character is not. They craft an idealized self that they present to the world for admiration and success, and very often can tap into the charismatic connection.

Auxiliary Function (Si) — Introverted Sensing

 Type 3s draw from their past to guide their behaviours. They reflect on past victories and defeats to figure out the right approach to contemporary problems.

Tertiary Function (Ne) — Extraverted Intuition

Type 3s want/need to explore the novel potentials with Ne in the world around them so that they can try to perceive the drive of others (and the world around you) and discover novel approaches to doing well (and succeeding) in this world.

Inferior Function (Ti)— Introverted Thinking

Under stress Type 3’s may drift toward having no logical or analytical viewpoint. They may think and act based on feelings rather than reason in conflict or challenging situations.

Personality Traits of Enneagram Type 3

group of people showing Enneagram Type 3 traits
  1. Ambition: The strong desire to do or achieve something.
  2. Adaptable: Can adjust to new situations and new roles.
  3. Charismatic: You have natural charisma, and the ability to lead.
  4. Efficient: Highly adept at using time and energy.
  5. Goal-Oriented: Designed to help you achieve your goals, both professional and personal
  6. Image-Conscious: Too focused on looks.
  7. Workaholic: Personal life sometimes suffers through work prospects.
  8. Superficial: Caring more about success than devastation.
  9. Conflict: Victory takes precedence over collaboration.

Core Fears and Core Desire

Core Desire 

The core desire of Enneagram Type 3 is to be perceived as successful, valuable, and capable. They pursue validation through achievements, validation that reinforces their worth and capability.

Core Fear:

Type 3’s basic fear is of being seen as worthless or a failure. They fear being perceived as a failure, an underachiever, or just plain incompetent, and even the fear of not obtaining to the standards of other people can lead them toward an endless cycle of proving themselves or others and avoiding situations where they might be exposed.

Enneagram Type 3 Strengths and Weaknesses

Enneagram Type 3 Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths:

  • Connecting: Type 3 is an achievement-oriented, success-driven person who believes buy obtaining the goals they pursued. Motivated by unquenchable ambition, they need to be hungrier to do whatever it takes to break down the barriers between them and their objective.
  • Flexible: They pay attention to what they see around them in the ways people relate and communicate with each other and they adapt and change in response.
  • Super Persuasive and Motivational: 3s know how to use their charm and charisma to get people to do things they want or need them to do.
  • Top achievers: 3s are time and resource optimization experts. They excel in managing and structuring their work.
  • Extremely self-confident: They are very high on their general self-efficacy with the belief that they could accomplish anything. This belief drives them to attempt things that other individuals wouldn’t even dare to take on!

Weaknesses:

  • Image-Conscious: The stereotypical Type 3 can become too image-conscious and will emphasize their success as a means of being well thought of.Cursor image
  • Extreme Workaholism: Their drive to achieve something may propel them to immerse themselves in their work to the detriment of personal needs or relationships.
  • Fears of failure: Harboured deep fears of failures or inadequacy.
  • Lifeless and Shallow: Their hunger for success might prevent them from being connected to their true self, making them appear shallow.
  • Anxiety and stress: They may lack the emotional ability to talk out their stress to project an image of success, which can lead to stress or burnout inside.

How The Type 3s Are Shaped into Who They Are

They have a need to be successful, accepted, and admired. From an early age, they learn achievement and recognition are the core of their self-worth. Too often, the springboard they emerge from their family, their school, and their society promotes the idea that their value is measured by their accomplishments and what other people think of them. As a result, Type 3s are extremely ambitious and results-driven. It is driven by their ability to adapt, disguise, and play into different situations to create an identity that fits social credit standards. And while seeking external validation can help them reach certain milestones, given their introverted sensibility your willingness to go within themselves and possibly proximal react within the self are paramount in your true personality.

Healthy Vs. Unhealthy States

Type 3s at their best are authentic, confident, and successful. They are still fighting against themselves though and don’t care about impressing someone else. They have a sense of internal drive, and they enthuse other people with their authenticity, and their work ethic. They view failure as a learning opportunity and can manage their emotions.

At their best, Type 3s are productive, adaptable, and value-oriented individuals, who become so driven, as illustrated here, that they forget their true desires. They can turn treacherous, lying, manipulative, hyper-competitive, ready to do anything to maintain the charade of perfection. They can also feel shallow or empty because their sense of identity is entirely invested in what they achieve and how others see them.” It contributes to stressful burnout and a fear of being outed as insufficiently good.

Enneagram Type 3 Relationships and Compatibility

Compatibility:

Type 3s get along with Type 1s, who share their active dynamic of pushing themselves, getting things done, perfectionism etc. Type 1’s sense of duty balances Type 3’s competitive energy. Type Threes also match with Type Twos who are supportive of their emotions and balance Threes’ focus on success. Moreover, Type 6s can also be a good match for Type 3s because they provide stability, loyalty, and usually a more down-to-earth presence in an organization which can always assist Type 3s conquer times of stress or tension.

Enneagram Type 3 in Love

Type 3s in Love are passionate, attentive, and desiring. They show the same kind of concern and touchiness for each other that they do for their partners and put other people’s success on the same level as their own. Still, their single-minded professionalism and desire to maintain a successful facade can give them a distant or work-obsessed vibe. They tend to have a more status-oriented mindset, so this can keep them from being emotional and vulnerable because many times they feel safe when their achievements have been recognized and validated.

Enneagram Type 3 Female

females having Enneagram Type 3 personality

The Type 3 woman is told to be professional but warm, ambitious yet supportive. “They’re driven and successful and want to do a great job in their careers, but they are also under a lot of pressure to realize traditional roles of someone who is going to be a supportive partner or nurturing caregiver,” she says. They struggle internally to maintain perfection on all fronts of their professional and personal lives. So Type 3 women feel pressure to be the best for themselves and their colleagues resulting in stress or burnout.

Enneagram Type 3 Childhood

Kids with Type 3  tend to come from environments that celebrate their accomplishments a great deal. They learn based on what is performed and rewarded from the outside that they get positive feedback based on their performance, and therefore love and acceptance are earned through their performance per se. Consequently, Type 3 children become highly driven toward success as they learn to gauge their value in terms of triumph and accomplishment noticed by others. Their initial surrounding instead moulds their endless chase for achievements and may reflect on their connections and professional options later on in life.

Relation with Specific MBTI PersonalityTypes

Below are some of the MBTI types that Enneagram Type 3 tends to pair well with, based on personality traits and cognitive functions shared between the two systems. The following are some of the MBTI types that are the best matches with Type 3s:

ESTJ (The Executive)

ESTJs and Type 3s are both results-oriented and can work hand-in-hand towards common goals. They respect each other’s work ethic and quick decision-making.

ENTP (The Debater)

There is a shared passion between the 3s and ENTPs for challenge and innovation. Type 3s are focused on goals, but ENTPs provide the creativity to find a novel path to success, as well as the flexibility to adapt if goals need to be adjusted along the way, making for a dynamic and direction-oriented partnership.

ISFJ (The Defender)

ISFJs can provide the emotional support and loyalty that Type 3s may require, and in turn Type 3s can motivate and encourage ISFJs. Both are committed to care and support, which is beneficial in this relationship.

INFJ (The Advocate)

The idealistic nature and emotional intelligence of the INFJ can harmonize with the Type 3’s drive and ambition. Both types share a focus on making the world around them better and can collaborate toward mutual values.

These MBTI types complement Type 3s in different forms, complementing their mission, providing emotional balance, or driving shared growth and success.

Career Paths For Enneagram Type 3

Type 3s thrive in careers that let them lead, innovate, and achieve. Common career paths include:

  • CEOs or Executives.
  • Public Relations or Marketing.
  • The Arts, Scenario acting or Entertainment.
  • Entrepreneurs.
  • Sales or Consulting.

Here is more about Type 3s.

Common Misconceptions About Enneagram Type 3

  • They are always confident.
  • They are only for themselves.
  • They are shallow or fake.
  • They are unemotional.
  • They are always work-focused.
  • Famous Individuals

Enneagram Type 3 Celebrities and Characters

Celebrities:

  1. Oprah Winfrey
  2. Beyoncé
  3. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
  4. Elon Musk
  5. Tom Cruise

Anime and Fictional Characters

  1. Tony Stark from Iron Man
  2. Elle Woods from Legally Blonde
  3. Rachel Berry from Glee
  4. Light Yagami from Death Note
  5. Satoru Gojo from Jujutsu Kaisen (JJK)

Summary 

Enneagram Type 3 summary and conclusion

Enneagram Type 3s, The Achievers, are active, ambition-oriented people who find fulfilment in success and acknowledgement. Ambitious and adaptable, they make inspiring and capable leaders, and their path to reconciling authenticity with achievement is central to their development. By understanding their fundamental fears, wishes, and drives, Type 3s can achieve their true purpose and live meaningful, rewarding lives.

To know more about your Enneagram type take the ENNEAGRAM PERSONALITY TEST given below.