Why People Confuse Them
They're neighbors, so a Three with a Four wing and a Four with a Three wing are often confused. Both want to be exceptional and both care about their image. Far more often it's Threes who mistake themselves for Fours, especially those who grew up in a family that valued artistic creativity.
What the Difference Is
The main difference is in how they relate to feelings. The Three is focused on the task and on performance. They put feelings off for later, and when feelings get in the way, they treat them as a pointless brake. They finish the work first, and if there's time left over, they process the feelings.
The Four is almost the opposite. When a difficult feeling comes up, they want to stop working and make sense of it first. The Three then sees the Four as unprofessional and immature, and the Four sees the Three as shallow and fake. Creativity itself isn't the deciding factor: plenty of artists are Threes.
Subtypes: The self-preservation Four, hardworking and self-reliant, can be mistaken for the self-preservation Three; the Four, however, feels things more deeply and often gets in their own way.
Three Questions That Settle It
Answer honestly, based on how things usually are, not how you'd like them to be.
- When a strong feeling hits you while you're working, what do you do?
3More likely a Three if you push it aside and focus on the result.
4More likely a Four if you need to stop working and feel it through first.
- What's worse for you?
3More likely a Three if it's failing and looking incompetent.
4More likely a Four if it's being ordinary and inauthentic.
- Why do you create?
3More likely a Three if you want the result to impress and succeed.
4More likely a Four if you need to express what you're going through, even if nobody appreciates it.
Not sure? The test will tell you in 10 minutes. What's my strategy? →
How to Spot a Three →How to Spot a Four →How They Work Together in a Relationship →