Enneagram 3w2: The Guide

If you have ever:

1. Burned the midnight oil at work…for fun,
2. Been called an “Energizer Bunny”,
3. Felt like you are only loved because you do things for people,
4. Been referred to as an “expert communicator”,
5. Loved being the go-to person to fix a problem for a friend,

…then you might just be a Three with a Two wing (3w2).

What is a 3w2?

A 3w2 is a Three with a supercharged ability to read the room, adapt to the needs or wants of others, and make everyone love them.

Threes with a Two wing are high-capacity achievers who love nothing more than to meet and exceed the expectations of their bosses, coworkers, and friends.

Extra special bonus points if the project benefits others–3w2s love to work on behalf of the betterment of those around them.

What does a 3w2 look like? 

For starters, here’s a quick look at Threes and Twos, separately.

Threes on the Enneagram are the Energizer bunny of all the types. They are world-changers with the energy and enthusiasm to motivate and inspire those around them.

Threes help people see who they could become, and empower others to grow in their unique gifts.

Twos on the Enneagram are people people. Twos are a picture of love—they are the first to give, serve, encourage, or listen to you anytime they sense that you need it. A Two may even know what you need before you do!

The struggles of a 3w2

Threes with a Two wing like to work hard and they like to be liked. Neither of those things are bad–in fact, they are great qualities!–but 3w2s often work too hard in order to get people to like them, and this can leave them feeling depleted, resentful, and hurt.

Threes already believe that they have to perform to be loved. For a 3w2 who loves to be the life of the party, this performance can become quite literal…they feel they have to constantly entertain, amuse, or satisfy everyone.

The fear behind that boundless energy is this: if the performance stops, the 3w2 will be seen as a failure and no one will love them.

Because 3w2s are quick to pick up people’s slack, work harder than everyone else, jump in with enthusiasm, and generally hustle, it can frustrate (nay, infuriate) them when others aren’t willing to do the same.

It’s really hard for 3w2s to accept the flaws and shortcomings of others…in large part because they have a hard time accepting those things about themselves, too.

Threes with a Two wing can also be masters of manipulation. Typically, this manipulation is completely unintentional and subconscious.

They are very good at reading the room and figuring other people out, and they have a natural ability to connect.

These skills combined make it easy for a 3w2 to get what they want out of others–often at that person’s expense.

But! Their propensity for manipulation is just the wrong side of one of the 3w2s biggest gifts.

The unique gifts of a 3w2

A 3w2 has all the perception of a Three, with the loving heart of a Two. This makes 3w2s absolutely enchanting people.

Their natural air of leadership combined with their genuine care for others makes them magnetic and lovable.

The same skills that can cause an unhealthy 3w2 to resort to manipulation can also be used to connect with others and be a charismatic and courageous leader at work, in the home, or anywhere else.

Threes with a Two wing are gifted communicators because they have a knack for understanding and connecting with people and can communicate in a way that makes others feel cared for and understood.

This is no small thing! It’s a gift that makes 3w2s great team leads, bosses, parents, and group organizers.

3w2s care deeply about their community and their close circles. That boundless Energizer Bunny energy is always ready to serve, care for, and champion others.

How to grow as a 3w2 

If you’re reading all this and you’re thinking, “dang, this post has my number,” hear this:

Your success is not what makes you loved. 

It’s good to feel loved and needed. And, yes, your people need you. But they don’t need you to always be doing things for them. Believe it or not, they just need you.

Your value is not defined by your output or by your carefully-crafted image. You don’t have to do or be everything for everyone. You are valuable and worthy of love because you are you.

I know it’s hard to believe that because all your life you’ve believed you have to perform to be worthy of love.

Often we might know in our minds that performance does not equal love, but somehow our heart is still holding onto “performance” as a way to gain worthiness.

How do you make that change?

I have a friend who likes to say the greatest thing that a Three can do is fail.

If you’re a 3w2, I know you just squirmed a little bit. But hear me out: when you fail, you are able to look around and see who is still there; who still likes you for who you really are.

Guess what? It’s probably way more people than you think.

It is an intensely powerful experience, the moment a 3w2 stops their performance…and realizes there’s a group of people that didn’t leave.

Here’s a challenge for you: practice dropping your act every now and again. Especially with people you would consider close to you. Let them in, in little ways. See what happens.

If you want to dig deeper into the truth about who you were created to be, check out this in-depth post about how Threes grow.

More resources

On the other side of Three is the 3w4. A Three with a Four wing is a Three who is more in touch with their feelings than Threes typically are, which allows them to tap into deeper emotional wells and connect with others in an authentic way.

3w4s are driven by the need to perform for the approval of others but are also quick to feel ashamed about that performance because they know when they are being disingenuous.

Check out more about 3w4s in this post.

To learn more about yourself as a Three and how your Two wing may present itself, check out my guide to Type Threes and guide to Type Twos.

And lastly—if you want to dive deeper into what it looks like to grow in your Enneagram type, check out The Enneagram Growth Guide, which you can download for free.

This is a guide with a Christian perspective—it’ll show you how to overcome the struggles and temptations of your number, discover the incredible gifts hidden inside you, and use that knowledge to go deeper in your relationship with God.