Oh, so you love a Type 3?
If you’re reading this, you either love a type 3 or you are one and are curious about yourself because, well, it’s who we are. 3’s-calm down and take the back seat for a moment (I know how much you love that) because this is for all of the folks who have to deal with us on an intimate level.
To the outside world, 3’s are the full package-we are driven, determined to climb to the top, often successful in most things that we do (if we aren’t, we practice and drill ourselves until we are!), attractive, charming, and energetic. Before you think I’m lathering myself and fellow 3’s in compliments, know that there’s a darkness that accompanies being a 3 if we lean towards a stressed wing and not a growth wing.
While maintaining the image of a role-model, or living a life of “What can they NOT DO?”, 3’s can tend to be workaholics and sometimes so driven to advancement, it becomes an obsession rather than a passion. Augustus Caesar was a 3, okay? Sit on that.
3’s are often the “stars” of the world, but can become so success-driven, that they cast aside emotions, fearing they would get in the way. When you’re a 3, you’re able to take emotions, box them up, tape the box shut, and put them in the attic when you need to work and get things done. As a 3, I’m able to know that when I’m at work, it’s time to work and be “on” because I need to. Those pesky emotions can wait, right?! Oftentimes, this causes us to come off as cold and withdrawn (let’s face it, sometimes we are just that).
When we’re healthy, you will love us- we become Lance Armstrong and Oprah. We want to encourage others to their successes because we know how it feels! However, if you love a 3, you know that being a healthy 3 is daily work-we constantly have the need to achieve, achieve, achieve until we suffer lingering on our shoulders.
This tendency to long to achieve in all areas can cause us to become unbalanced in the areas that REALLY matter, because we are too busy pursuing something to shine another light on us (ouch, but true). If we aren’t kept in check, family is typically what falls to the wayside for a 3–hey kids, I got goals to chase, okay?
Reality moment-I’m afraid to take 12 weeks maternity leave soon because I’ll have to leave work. Sounds awful, doesn’t it? But, we don’t mean it to be. We are torn between the many passions that we love to juggle and trust me, we feel worse about this characteristic than any judgement you could pass on us.
Those who love me know to slowly keep whispering that those 12 weeks are needed and work will be around when I come back.
3’s won’t respond well to emotional outbursts because we don’t understand them.
3’s come across as cold and detached, but often this is a front-we long to be loved, touched and affirmed consistently by those close to us.
3’s need to be forced to rest. If you love us, find a way to encourage us to slow down.
3’s want to see you successful too (when we’re healthy!)-so if we keep bugging you about going back to school, picking up a new skill, pursuing a certification or a new goal, that’s why!
3’s want to know they’re doing a good job. A random word that we’re a good leader, that you see us, will make our entire week. We will hold onto that encouragement when we feel like we aren’t doing enough.
3’s may act competitive towards you, but in reality, we are in constant competition with ourselves above all else and can be heartbreakingly harsh and self-critical towards ourselves.
Lastly, if you love a 3, know that we really do need you. I know we come across as independent, often hard, the kind of person that could leave your friendship in a moment’s notice and not give two rips—-
But in reality, you keep us grounded. Plus, if you weren’t around, we’d have only ourselves to compete against and what fun is that? ;)
Love (or whatever),
A Type 3
