Enneagram 3 – Average Health Level

Where Are You Right Now Enneagram 3?

You’re focused on achieving goals and presenting yourself successfully, but you may feel pressure to constantly perform or maintain an image. You might prioritize external validation over your true desires, leaving you feeling disconnected or unfulfilled. This is a chance to pause and reconnect with what truly matters to you, beyond accomplishments. Authenticity can help you find balance and deeper satisfaction.

How This Shows Up: Signs You’re Here

In daily life, you might find yourself overcommitting to projects or pushing yourself to achieve, even when you’re feeling drained. You could spend extra time polishing your image—perfecting presentations, social media posts, or your appearance—seeking validation from others. At work or home, you might prioritize productivity over genuine connection, measuring your worth by how much you accomplish rather than how you truly feel.

I become demonstra-tive, possessive, overbearing

How This Feels: Emotional Indicators

You may feel pressure to keep up appearances and maintain success, even when you’re emotionally exhausted. There’s a sense of unease when your accomplishments don’t bring the validation you crave. You might experience self-doubt if you’re not achieving at your usual pace, leading to feelings of emptiness or restlessness as you search for the next win to prove your worth.

WHAT’S FUELING THIS:

Common Triggers or Mindsets

A belief that your value is based on your achievements and external success.
Comparing yourself to others, feeling the need to constantly prove your worth through accomplishments.
Seeking validation through recognition or praise, which can leave you feeling unsettled if it’s absent or insufficient.

FINDING YOUR BALANCE

A belief that your value is based on your achievements and external success.
Comparing yourself to others, feeling the need to constantly prove your worth through accomplishments.
Seeking validation through recognition or praise, which can leave you feeling unsettled if it’s absent or insufficient.

Remember: This Is Temporary

Being in the average state is part of the natural rhythm of growth. While it might feel frustrating or heavy right now, remember this is just a moment in time—not your destination. You have the tools and awareness to shift toward balance and ease. Be patient with yourself, and trust that small, intentional actions can guide you back to the clarity and alignment you’re capable of achieving.

Celebrate Your Growth:

Even in an average state, you’re showing up and doing the work—and that’s worth celebrating. Recognizing where you are is a huge step toward growth, and it takes courage to pause and reflect. Every effort you make to understand yourself, even on challenging days, is a sign of progress. Growth is a journey, not a destination, so take a moment to honor how far you’ve already come.

New to the Enneagram Levels of Development? Start Here!

LEVELS OF DEVELOPMENT

Each type is divided into 9 levels of Psychological Health, 1= highest & 9=lowest. These are grouped into Healthy, Average & Unhealthy. At each level, we employ different strategies to reinforce our identity

Core Traits of Enneagram 3 at each Level

HEALTHY

1

Authentic, modest, genuine, content, inspiring.

2

Confident, competent, polished, ambitious, poised.

3

Charismatic, driven, image-conscious, focused, high-achieving.

AVERAGE

4

Workaholic, self-promoting, competitive, anxious about failure, inauthentic.

5

Overly driven, superficial, approval-seeking, neglectful, status-obsessed.

6

Deceptive, exploitative, opportunistic, over-extended, impatient.

UNHEALTHY

7

Fraudulent, ruthless, hollow, cynical, exploitative.

8

Vindictive, arrogant, manipulative, unethical, self-destructive.

9

Pathologically dishonest, desperate, narcissistic, delusional, destructive.

Enneagram Levels of Development: Healthy, Average, and Unhealthy

HEALTHY RANGE:
In the healthy range, you’re not overly tied to your self-image or identity. You feel free to explore and express yourself in authentic and dynamic ways. By letting go of rigid definitions of who you are, you naturally align with your values and act in ways that reflect your true self, effortlessly reinforcing your sense of purpose and wholeness.

Level 1 – Liberation (Ego transcended-balance and freedom)
Level 2 – Psychological Capacity (Ego is identified as an ideal-self)
Level 3 – Social Value (Ego operating in a constructive way)

AVERAGE RANGE:
In this range, some imbalance starts to show, and your focus narrows. You may become more preoccupied with your identity and how others perceive you. To maintain this image, you might rely on social roles, subtle manipulation, or trying to control situations, all in an effort to reinforce your sense of self.

Level 4 – Imbalance (Ego-role assumed, defences increased)
Level 5 – Interpersonal Control (Manipulative & Defended)
Level 6 – Overcompensation (Ego inflation, conflicts with others)

UNHEALTHY RANGE:
In the unhealthy range, your focus on your identity becomes so intense that it distorts your perception of reality. You may see yourself in a way that feels completely disconnected from how others experience you, creating a sense of isolation or misunderstanding.

Level 7 – Violation (Survival tactic, neurotic)
Level 8 – Delusion and Compulsion (Major personality disorder)
Level 9 – Pathological Destructiveness (Psychosis, breakdown).

AVERAGE RANGE

AND ITS LEVELS

4. Level of Imbalance / Fixation: COMPETITIVE STATUS SEEKER

At this level, Type 3s become fixated on proving their worth through status, success, and exclusivity. Their drive to be “the best” fuels relentless ambition, making them hyper-focused on performance and external validation. Comparison becomes a constant, and failure feels intolerable. Always “on,” they compete for recognition, viewing achievement as the only path to self-worth. Their identity becomes tied to their ability to win and maintain admiration.

5. Level of InterPersonal Control: IMAGE-FOCUSED REALIST

At this level, Type 3s become hyper-aware of how they are perceived, carefully crafting their image to impress and succeed. They adapt seamlessly to others’ expectations, doing whatever it takes to "win," even if it means bending the truth or exaggerating their accomplishments. Detached from their true emotions, they struggle with authenticity and intimacy, fearing that without their polished facade, they won’t be seen as valuable or worthy.

6. Level of Over-Compensation: SELF-PROMOTING NARCISSIST

At this level, Type 3s become consumed with maintaining their image, promoting themselves with exaggerated confidence and grandiosity. Desperate to convince both themselves and others of their superiority, they seek constant admiration while secretly battling insecurity. Contempt for others masks envy, making them dismissive or arrogant. Their success becomes a performance, fueled by an insatiable need for attention and validation as they strive to become the image they project.

Welcome To Your Enneagram Mood Check-In ✨