What Is the Difference Between 4w3 and 3w4? (3+ Intriguing Similarities)

In this blog post, we will talk about the 4w3 vs 3w4 Enneagram subtypes.

Both subtypes contain the numbers 3 and 4, therefore, it is very easy to confuse them and think that you have a little of each. Is that so?

4w3 vs 3w4

What 4w3 and 3w4 Enneagram types have in common is that they are both pretentious and arrogant, competitive, but oftentimes shy and at peace with themselves. The 4w3 are practical, extravagant, elegant and long for success while the 3w4 long to be admired for their accomplishments, are not afraid of competition and are truly charming. 

4w3 vs 3w4? Which Enneagram subtype described you best? Keep reading to find out. 

4w3 – The aristocrat

Famous examples: Jeremy Irons, Jackie Onassis, Tennessee Williams, Judy Garland, Vivien Leigh, Sarah McLachlan, The Artist (known as “Prince”), Martha Graham, “Blanche DuBois”

Healthy subtype: Combines creativity with ambition, the desire to overcome oneself with the setting of precise goals that often aim at personal advancement.

They are more sociable than other subtypes and seek to be both distinguished and successful. 

They feel the need to impose my personality and creative efforts, so I seek both the right expression and the avoidance of any form of bad taste.

Create with the audience in mind.

Medium subtype: They are more complex and conscious than other subtypes in terms of their own value and how they are perceived.

They want their work and persona to be appreciated and typically put more effort into their image. 

They are more practical, but at the same time more extravagant – they love refinement, culture, they are sophisticated – they look elegant as if they are silent as part of high society, the cream of society and they are preoccupied with being socially accepted. 

They are competitive and even contemptuous of others; expresses more directly and openly megalomania and narcissism.

Type 4 – The individualist

• Basic fear: that he has no identity, no personal importance

• Basic desire: Finding oneself and one’s own meaning, creating an identity from the inner experience

• The message of the superego: Everything is good if you are loyal to yourself

Sensitive type, withdrawn: expressive, dramatic, egocentric and temperamental.

We call this type the “Individualist” because he maintains his identity by considering himself profoundly different from others.

Type Four thinks he is completely different from the rest of the people and therefore considers that no one can understand or love him properly. 

He considers that he is endowed with unique talents and gifts, but also disadvantages and defects that are incomprehensible to others.

More than any other personality type, Four is aware of these differences and focuses on his own shortcomings and flaws.

The healthy Four is honest with himself: he knows and accepts all his feelings and can look at his motivations, contradictions and emotional conflicts, deny them or mask them. 

They don’t like what they find, but they don’t try to rationalize either state or to hide these aspects from themselves or others. They are not afraid to look the way they are.

They are willing to reveal deeply personal and even shameful things about themselves because they are determined to understand the truth from their experiences so that they can discover their own nature and be reconciled to their emotional history. 

This ability gives them a silent resistance to the hardships of life.

The fact that they are familiar with their dark side makes it easier for them to go through painful experiences, which would probably be overwhelming for other personality types.

However, they often state that they are missing something, even if they find it difficult to identify that “something.” The will? Comfort in society? confidence? Emotional peace? – everything I see that others have in full.

I see things in perspective long enough, but I often happen to notice that I am not sure about some aspects of my self-image – the personality or the very structure of the Self. 

They consider that they lack a clear and stable identity, more precisely, a satisfactory social identity.

Even if they consider themselves profoundly different from others, they do not want to be alone.

They feel embarrassed and complex and, deep down, they want to interact with people who understand their feelings and way of being.

The “romantics” of the Eneagrama long for someone to enter their lives and appreciate their secret identity, which they have raised, nurtured and hidden from the world.

If over time, such a connection remains untouchable, they begin to build an identity based on the idea of ​​how different they are from the rest of the world.

They are thus consoled, becoming consecrated individualists: they want to do everything themselves, in their own way, according to their rules. 

Their motto is “I am I. Nobody understands me. I am different and special ”, when, in fact, they want the social comfort and trust that, apparently, others enjoy.

3w4 – The professional 

Famous examples: Barbara Streisand, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Cruise, Ben Kingsley, Madonna, Sting, Richard Gere, Michael Jordan, Whitney Houston, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Werner Erhard.

Healthy subtype: People in this subtype feel that their self-esteem comes from career and project success rather than personal qualities.

They want their work to be exceptional and admired by others, often getting very involved in their careers. 

They like any profession or trade they choose and are willing to make great sacrifices to maintain their professional integrity.

Even if they are diplomats and charming, they are often rather serious and work-oriented, so they can look like Perfectionists.

Medium subtype: People in this subtype are very ambitious, but lack self-confidence, which forces them to face huge pressures.

Their efforts to attain perfection are similar to those of the Perfectionists, with the difference that they want to be so as not to be declared inferior, rejected, and humiliated. 

They feel that they are contributing their full value when they get involved in a project.

They often appear as competent and balanced beings but can be very withdrawn from a social point of view (contrasting with the bolder and kinder expressions of the other subtype). 

They can also be pretentious and arrogant, but also shy and at peace with themselves, appearing paradoxical and sometimes contradictory.

You should also take a look at the difference between 3w4 and 3w2 to understand 3w4 personality type properly, and its interaction with other types.

Type 3 – The competitor 

• Basic fear: To be worthless, except for her achievements

• Basic desire: To feel valued, accepted and desired

• The message of the superego: You are good or pretty good if you are successful and others consider you good

Pragmatic, success-oriented typology: Adaptable, Wants to excel, Determined to Succeed, Self-aware

We call the third typology Competitive because, when it is at healthy levels, those in this typology want to “be in the first place” in many sectors of life.

They are the “stars” of human nature, and are often admired for the goodwill they show and for the accomplishments they have achieved. 

They realize how good they feel when they grow up inside and contribute through their abilities to the smooth running of the world.

They also like to motivate others to give better results than they were capable of before.

They are the embodiment of the best in one culture, and others can see their hopes and dreams reflected in them.

Competitors are often pleasant and successful people because, of all the typologies, they have the most confidence in their own sheets and in the ability to develop their talent and abilities.

Because they show qualities highly valued by society, they become true role models for others. 

Competitors want to ensure that their lives are successful, but it depends on their family, culture and social sphere how they look at it.

In some families, success means having a lot of money, a big house, an expensive and new car, and other symbols of social status. 

Others value ideas, and for them, success means standing out in academia or science. In other circles, it may mean becoming a famous actor, or model, or writer, or a public figure in general, perhaps a politician.

A religious family can encourage their child to become a priest or rabbi because these professions have a status in their community. 

No matter how they define success, Competitors will try to become someone worth remembering in their family and community. They will not allow themselves to be a “nobody”.

To succeed in this direction, they learn to orient themselves towards different goals and to behave in such a way as to be praised and surrounded by attention.

As children, they learned to recognize the activities valued by their parents and colleagues, so they joined forces to excel in them.

They also learned how to cultivate and develop the good parts that impress or attract others.

Conclusions

In this blog post, we will talk about the 4w3 vs 3w4 Enneagram subtypes.

Both subtypes contain the numbers 3 and 4, therefore, it is very easy to confuse them and think that you have a little of each.

4w3 are practical, extravagant, elegant and long for success.

3w4 long to be admired for their accomplishments, are not afraid of competition and are truly charming. 

If you are either a 4w3 vs 3w4 subtype, we’d love to hear from you!

Please feel free to leave any questions or comments in the comments section below. 

FAQ about 4w3 vs 3w4

References

The Wisdom of the Enneagram: The Complete Guide to Psychological and Spiritual Growth for the Nine Personality Types, by Don Richard Riso 

Personality Types: Using the Enneagram for Self-Discovery, by Don Richard Riso, Russ Hudson

Understanding the Enneagram: The Practical Guide to Personality Types, by Don Richard Riso, Russ Hudson

Enneagrampaths.com