Enneagram Type 3: The Performer

Definitions used in describing each type

“Lost” essential quality: A connection to a universal hope that everything that needs to be done will get done according to universal laws or principles.

Compensating belief: The world rewards doing, not being. To be loved, you must become a “human doing" instead of a “human being."

Attention/coping strategy: Going for accomplishment, success and a good image, since love comes from the approval generated by your performance. Focusing on tasks and goals, and pressing forward with little attention to your feelings.

Trap: Believing that becoming super-efficient will assure success, recognition, love and acceptance.

Driving energy: Deceiving yourself in order to accomplish the goal by altering yourself, telling a good story and projecting a good image. Self-deception about your true feelings.

Avoidance: Being a failure, becoming incapacitated by your strong, true feelings (an unconscious fear that you will be unable to accomplish anything).

Strengths: Achievement, competence, enthusiasm, leadership.

Paradox: Outer success does not bring inner fulfillment or the feeling of true well-being.

Path of development:

• Moderate pace
• Welcome feelings
• Understand failure is not disaster
• Realize that love is for you, not for what you accomplish

Next: Type 4
Tour the types: 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9

Registered? Learn how this type differs from all other Enneagram types


Buy a DVD

The video clips of the types speaking for themselves are brief excerpts from these outstanding DVD and video collections by Dr. David Daniels and Helen Palmer.