On the high side, they can be very generous with what they have learned and acquired. These Threes are competitive in a quiet way. There is a strong desire to excel, although the areas chosen may differ widely from one Three to the next. They usually do what it takes to rise to the top. They generally put a great deal of effort into their work, excelling at whatever they choose to do. This subtype is the most reserved and introverted of the subtypes of enneatype Three, and possibly the hardest worker. Their focus is on being seen as someone who is able to attract and secure a mate. The sexual Three is competitive in the area of physical attraction. In the social Three, since image validation is accentuated, we find a subtype that can be very competitive when it comes to social status.

Social Threes may go to great lengths to further the image of themselves as being successful. When the social instinct is dominant, the concern with validation of image is accentuated, so there is generally a competitive nature to social Threes. Feelings of safety and security are tied to the ThreeГўв‚¬в„ўs always having enough and to being seen by others as having enough. With the self-pres instinct dominant, the need for validation is tied to material possessions. The fear of being unlovable and the concern with validation are expressed differently with the different instinctual stackings.

The Instinctual Stackings of Enneatype ThreeД®nneatype Three belongs to the feeling/image triad.

Posted with permission from Ocean Moonshine.

Type 3 ennegram