Ones, Threes, and Perfectionism

[Cloud of Thunder]

I'm trying to figure out the main differences between these two competent types. It seems that one big similarity between the two is a tendency toward workaholism and perfectionism. Does anyone have a more in-depth understanding as to how such perfectionism manifests with these two?

 

[Speed Gavroche]

The main difference is that 3s are not perfectionist. The don't focuse too much on details or perfection, they above all seek to get a performable success as quickly as possible. 3s want to do things and easily makes compromise with principles in order to be pragmatic and win the game, as opposed to 1s who believe there's one right way and one wrong way do to everything and prefer to report the success if they can achieve it without compromise with what seems "the perfect right way" for them.

3s are production oriented are opened to multiples ways in order to be more productive. The quality and the perfection matters less than the image of success. If you met a 3 who is perfectionist, it's a 3 who's more integrated than the average, so he allows himself to leave more time for creativity and perfection. It's not very seldom, but they still be different from 1s on this aspect.

 

[VagrantFarce]

It's important to consider that the two inhabit different triads.

Threes are in the image triad, and their compulsion comes from a need to feel admired. The compulsion is to construct an image that elicits the feelings they crave from others, an image that undermines their true selves. So threes are only really as "perfect" as they feel others would appreciate of them.

Ones are in the body triad, and their compulsion comes from a need to be "right" or "correct". It's a rigid, dogmatic stance - one that acts to undermine a sense of anger that they feel they must resist. So their perfection is far more inherent and internally-driven in their experience than Threes.

 

[Speed Gavroche]

It's important to consider that the two inhabit different triads.

Threes are in the image triad, and their compulsion comes from a need to feel admired. The compulsion is to construct an image that elicits the feelings they crave from others, an image that undermines their true selves. So threes are only really as "perfect" as they feel others would appreciate of them.

Ones are in the body triad, and their compulsion comes from a need to be "right" or "correct". It's a rigid, dogmatic stance - one that acts to undermine a sense of anger that they feel they must resist. So their perfection is far more inherent and internally-driven in their experience than Threes.

Yeah, 3 is about performing of a perfect image, 1 is about doing things perfectly.

 

[Owfin]

Type 1 is concerned about perfectionism in terms of making things "right". They feel that there are flaws everywhere and have a compulsion to fix things. Therefore, they try to obtain a sort of purity in themselves, as they are well aware of the fact that they harbor flaws.

Type 3 isn't going for such an overarching and universal goal when it wants perfection. The three wants to be something. They see perfecting their image as perfecting themselves, making themselves into a better/happier/more successful/whatever person.

"If somebody could look and me and say, 'he's cool', I must be cool."

 

[Trunks]

Type 1 is concerned about perfectionism in terms of making things "right". They feel that there are flaws everywhere and have a compulsion to fix things. Therefore, they try to obtain a sort of purity in themselves, as they are well aware of the fact that they harbor flaws.

Type 3 isn't going for such an overarching and universal goal when it wants perfection. The three wants to be something. They see perfecting their image as perfecting themselves, making themselves into a better/happier/more successful/whatever person.

I've read about type 3 last night, this is quiet true. I'm thinking whether I'm 3 or 1..I can be very workaholic in term of success. I do like people appreciates my work at the same time I don't really like an attention. Possibly because I had type 9 in my enneagram..Anyway, some info are just generalization. Type 1 more to do the right things and to fix things, type 3 is more to achieve their goal and success. Type 1 more focused on the details, and type 3 more focused on their image of success. Anyway, this is only from my point of view.

 

[redacted]

My brother is a type 3 and I'm a type 1. He is, in my opinion, not a perfectionist at all. He just sets goals and does the steps necessary to fulfill them. He doesn't stress about the details or getting 100% or whatever -- he just gets shit done. (He managed to get all As in high school and went to Stanford, etc.) The trick for him seems to be to think of everything as a strategy game -- something has to be done? Do it efficiently and move on. Don't worry about it when you're not doing it, that's a waste of time/energy.

For me, I always waste time when I'm not doing something thinking about how I should be doing x y or z, and whenever I do a task I spend way too much time doing it the way I imagine is the "best" way. I even know that I'm wasting time by focusing so much on doing it a specific way, and I know that my definition of "best" is actually not best because it's less efficient, etc. But I just obsess. Can't help it. My stress levels are always higher than my brothers, and I did way worse in school even though our abilities are virtually identical.

Being a type 1 is really hard.

 

[Cloud of Thunder]

My brother is a type 3 and I'm a type 1. He is, in my opinion, not a perfectionist at all. He just sets goals and does the steps necessary to fulfill them. He doesn't stress about the details or getting 100% or whatever -- he just gets shit done. (He managed to get all As in high school and went to Stanford, etc.) The trick for him seems to be to think of everything as a strategy game -- something has to be done? Do it efficiently and move on. Don't worry about it when you're not doing it, that's a waste of time/energy.

For me, I always waste time when I'm not doing something thinking about how I should be doing x y or z, and whenever I do a task I spend way too much time doing it the way I imagine is the "best" way. I even know that I'm wasting time by focusing so much on doing it a specific way, and I know that my definition of "best" is actually not best because it's less efficient, etc. But I just obsess. Can't help it. My stress levels are always higher than my brothers, and I did way worse in school even though our abilities are virtually identical.

Being a type 1 is really hard.

This sounds a lot like envy. Sure you don't have a 4-component?

 

[redacted]

This sounds a lot like envy. Sure you don't have a 4-component?

Har har.

I guess it's technically envy, but I'd still rather be me than him. He's never had that tough of a time with anything, but on the other hand, he's never had that tough of a time with anything, you know?

Truth is, we're quite close and have never fought.

(And I probably don't feel that threatened because I've gots the psychology skillzzzz and he comes to me for advice.)

Anyway, my anecdote was just meant to illustrate the differences between type 1 and type 3.