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[Type 3] A Type 3 Contemplates "Identity"

Gamine

in-game
Joined
Nov 2, 2008
Messages
810
MBTI Type
ENTP
Enneagram
3w2
Good day, person reading this post!

I would like to share some personal thoughts on what identity means to me as well as my perspective on the debate of the assumption of the questionable authenticity of enneagram type 3s. I welcome anyone to chime in, especially any other self-identified type 3s!

1. How I know who I am

Being a serial-overthinker and probably too introspective for my own good, I spend a lot of time in my head analyzing both the decisions of others as well as my own decisions in the interest of understanding motivation. While I will never presume to understand another person completely, I know my own heart. I know what wakes me up in the morning and I know who is important to me. Like any other human, my identity is formed from a combination of my own self-perception and the feedback I receive from others. This doesn't mean that I allow others to define or constrict me, but I aspire to use their feedback as a constructive reality check. It's important for me to know that others understand what I'm trying to communicate.

For those who believe Type 3s must be the most out of touch with their inner sense of self, I would argue they may be the most in touch. To become the best, you have to know exactly what you're starting with.

2. Laziness

In my vocabulary, lazy is an insult. Part of me is envious of others who can kick back and relax without a mental sand-timer counting down until a task needs to be completed and life return to a faster speed. Simultaneously, there is a part that is relieved that relaxing feels so uncomfortable with me. I wonder sometimes if my body believes itself to belong to a shark, as though I would die if I stopped moving.

3. On why changing so often is my "normal"

To be able to pinpoint behaviours, habits and processes and be able to change them is a liberating thing. For me this means I can be the person I want to be. I can be the most authentic and truthful version of myself because I choose to act and live with intention. It's not because I mean to deceive or take advantage of anyone else. It honestly has very little to do with anyone else. It has to do with who I want to see looking back at me in the mirror, being able to wake up knowing I'm on my most honest path to my goals and dreams. Being the friend, sister, athlete, _____, I most want to be. Giving to life/others the best/most I can.

These significant changes usually correlate to the strategy I've mentally mapped to achieve a new goal. If I want to compete in a marathon, I need to live like an athlete in body and mind. If I want to discover a new talent or opportunity, I need to immerse all my effort into it. I want to dive off the cliff with the right combination of bungee harness or swimming skills, depending on the challenge ahead.

4. Faking it to make it

Change takes time, and the best way to achieve change is to live as though you have already changed. Live as the person you want to be. Maybe this can account for the sense of "fake" others perceive in some type 3s. Maybe sudden change or adaption is an innate skill type 3s share. Everyone makes changes in their lives, like eating more healthy food for example. I think I can just flip my "change switch" with more ease than others.

5. Arrogance

I'm pretty cocky, headstrong and overconfident. Might not make me the cuddliest teddy bear, and I'm working on being aware of social situations where peace is more important than being the best and trying to practice more humility.

However, if I want to achieve things that are larger than life and I don't believe in myself, how should I expect anyone else to?

6. Enormous amounts of conflict

When the conceptualized "image" of who I want to be does not jive with the goal in mind, there is a significant amount of inner conflict. When this is happening, there are some very special people in my life (who love me despite how annoying I am) who can call me out for being fake, that they are worried I am lying to myself. This is a huge clue for me to ask "why is (a) or (b) important to me? is it really what I want or just what I think I want? could I be doing it to make someone else happy?" and then deal with that as gracefully as possible.





Ugh too much information, but I'm curious to see if it strikes a chord with anyone or helps to deconflict anyone who thinks we 3s are just big fat liars. (We're really just delusional-idealists) ;)
 
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G

garbage

Guest
whatup, been meaning to respond this one for a while

Identity's been a big Thing for me, too. I've shed at least a few of them over time to find a good "fit." What does a good "fit" even mean? Not sure if I even know.

Most everything else that I'd have to say would be a copy-paste from my posts in this thread--that thread's also a pretty good read.
 

Mal12345

Permabanned
Joined
Apr 19, 2011
Messages
14,532
MBTI Type
IxTP
Enneagram
5w4
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
4. Faking it to make it

Change takes time, and the best way to achieve change is to live as though you have already changed. Live as the person you want to be. Maybe this can account for the sense of "fake" others perceive in some type 3s. Maybe sudden change or adaption is an innate skill type 3s share. Everyone makes changes in their lives, like eating more healthy food for example. I think I can just flip my "change switch" with more ease than others.

Maybe you're just healthier minded than are the average 3s.
 

Viridian

New member
Joined
Dec 30, 2010
Messages
3,036
MBTI Type
IsFJ
That was a very interesting picture of the less pathological (i.e. integrated) aspects of Type 3! :yes:
 

skylights

i love
Joined
Jul 6, 2010
Messages
7,756
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
6w7
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
Interesting read. I like the idea of living as the person you want to become. I think that 3s have a lot of admirable qualities and are sort of my antithesis (in addition to 9) in terms of being highly proficient at actively pursuing their goals.

The kind of ironic thing about this, though, is that 3s unconsciously make themselves out to be "better" / more appealing than what they are. So, like, it's funny for a 3 to post a sort of glamorization of the negative aspects of 3.

:thinking:
 

Gamine

in-game
Joined
Nov 2, 2008
Messages
810
MBTI Type
ENTP
Enneagram
3w2
Interesting read. I like the idea of living as the person you want to become. I think that 3s have a lot of admirable qualities and are sort of my antithesis (in addition to 9) in terms of being highly proficient at actively pursuing their goals.

The kind of ironic thing about this, though, is that 3s unconsciously make themselves out to be "better" / more appealing than what they are. So, like, it's funny for a 3 to post a sort of glamorization of the negative aspects of 3.

:thinking:

This wasn't meant to be a tell all on the overarching themes of a type three. As stated in the first paragraph, it was meant as a musing on what identity means from the perspective of a three. I never said in my description anything about how good or bad I actually am in comparison to my peers or friends. It was purely a description of the mental process I experience when a goal becomes internalized in an extreme way.

Really all I described were some motivations behind my own perfectionism and obsessive compulsiveness. Not really the healthiest or more glamorous characteristics the last time I checked, by they can be damn useful for dreams that require a little insanity.
 

Thursday

Earth Exalted
Joined
Mar 14, 2008
Messages
3,960
MBTI Type
ENTJ
Enneagram
8w9
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
Op, you're speaking to the choir. I'm all ears and agreement.
 
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