# What is your Enneagram type and why is competence important to you?



## Swordsman of Mana (Jan 7, 2011)

for starters: 172 (maybe 174) Sx/Sp
I value competence because I:
1) am a judgmental asshole and always notice what's wrong with everything. this is not going to change regardless of if I have the education of a hillbilly or a PhD statistician, so I figure, if I'm going to judge people, I have the responsibility to know what the hell I'm talking about.
2) deserve the best life has to offer, but the only person who can get me what I want is _me_.
3) have a fair amount of anxiety surrounding survival. I am currently not self sufficient and, apart from eating away at my ego, I require a certain threshold of living in order to feel secure.
4) want to make sure my family is taken care of. they've helped me a lot, and I want to prove to them that I am an investment rather than a charity case (and yeah, I guess I kinda-sorta care about them too lol).
5) am eternally cocky. no matter how incompetent, broke or undesirable I become, I will always think I'm the shit, so, if I expect to be taken seriously and employed I need to be able to back that shit up, because being incompetent feels incongruent with my abilities of self-expression. 
6) view strength as a virtue. competence and strength of character are the two most potent forms of power in the modern world


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## FakeLefty (Aug 19, 2013)

593 here. And off the top of my head...

1. I prefer to be self-sufficient. I don't like being indebted to anyone and prefer to live my life under my own power. By being competent, I achieve independence. 

2. I have my own standards. Falling short of those standards will be a great source of shame for me.


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## Figure (Jun 22, 2011)

For me, it's basically about being sensitive to the feeling I perceive as vulnerability when others see that I am in error. I just naturally have a really strong internal reaction to being wrong, and by instinct protect myself from that by doing everything I possibly can to be right. This basically leads me to drive myself to be actionable in keeping all of my ducks in a row. If my finances, career, and level of knowledge or skill aren't put together, it triggers a sense in me that I've made a mistake, oversight, poorly thought-through decision, etc. 

For a deeper "why," it really goes back to childhood, and having this expectation by my parents that I would be self-sufficient as an adult. My dad was largely absent from my childhood, always working to support the family which gave me (an only child) the sense that if I had an issue or couldn't communicate clearly with my parents (who are SJ's), I largely had nobody to turn to but my own judgment, which had better be flawless since it's just me. At the same time, there was this repeated expectation put on me that his work was in the interest of me being financially independent as an adult and successful in my studies. In other words, I may not be loved if I don't earn enough autonomy to make my parents' efforts worthwhile. The combination of those two things made me feel like I had to be very good at what I do, and do it entirely myself, the combination of which I now define as competence. 

Even now, I have this nagging sense that I have to do everything for myself, and that asking for help from other people makes me look helpless or incapable. The truth of the matter is that I usually look fairly _incompetent_ in trying to force myself do things I'm simply not good at or need someone else's input on, and _competent _when I know who to turn to when. And also, that I become the most wrong when I most strongly defend against being wrong, and the most right when I simply allow myself to be wrong in the moment and learn from what comes out of it later


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## The Hammer (Aug 24, 2015)

Type 853 sp/so. Being competent is important to me because it allows me to be in control of myself and and my life and not be led like sheep or taken advantage of. Also, competence allows me to minimize any dependency and grants me more autonomy to do the things I want.


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## dulcinea (Aug 22, 2011)

I think I might be a 4-5-9, and a 4w5.

I value competence in myself and in others for different reasons, first of all:

I value competence in myself because I expect a lot out of myself, and it makes me feel good, when I'm capable of accomplishing more arduous tasks with relatively little difficulty. 

I value competence in others because, it helps things run more smoothly. Businesses are run more efficiently, and can serve customers better with less waiting time, when the staff knows what they're doing. 

I value competence in general, because knowledge is power. But, with great power comes great responsibility, so, in the end I only value competence as much as I handle the amount of responsibility with which this quality is handled.


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## Darkbloom (Aug 11, 2013)

-I judge others a lot and sometimes I'm like "Wait, isn't this a bit like you?"
I always somehow manage to get myself out of it but I'd be happy if I didn't even have to ask myself that question each:

-I think there's nothing worse than being demanding and cocky with absolutely nothing to back it up. I've always judged people very harshly for that but I've been very guilty of it in the past too and tbh now I feel lots of second hand shame for the younger me, also regret, I took away from myself so much by being the way I were, I basically refused to help myself. 

-


Swordsman of Mana said:


> they've helped me a lot, and I want to prove to them that I am an investment rather than a charity case


Good thing you mentioned this, I'd probably forget if you didn't.
Anyway, I definitely wanted to make parents proud when I was younger, cared about it more than they deserved, but I wanted it to be under my own terms. My father can be pretty specific with what he wants so it was a bit difficult, and so few years ago I decided that I don't really care, if he doesn't see value in what I do it's his problem.
(I made that decision around the time when he and his wife actually expressed their concerns about me not being as good of an investment as they thought I'd be)
Still, I hope he starts seeing my worth one day regardless of what kind of investment I turn out to be according to his standards, and I believe he will.

-I just like some kind of smoothness and independence in everyday life, I'm not sure if it's really about competence but I'd like to not be that person who gets all confused every time they walk into the bank, I also don't like asking for directions and things like that.

-I'm not a fan of professionals (hairdressers come to mind) so I'd like to avoid them if possible.


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## Bricolage (Jul 29, 2012)

Swordsman of Mana said:


> competence and strength of character are the two most potent forms of power in the modern world


Meh, big tits, delusional entitlement and status are pretty potent forms of currency in the modern world as well.


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## Swordsman of Mana (Jan 7, 2011)

Bricolage said:


> Meh, big tits, delusional entitlement and status are pretty potent forms of currency in the modern world as well.


if you're a young, attractive woman (preferably white, blonde and big boobed). otherwise...people kinda just dismiss you


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## Bricolage (Jul 29, 2012)

Swordsman of Mana said:


> if you're a young, attractive woman (preferably white, blonde and big boobed). otherwise...people kinda just dismiss you


Well, you wouldn't be dismissed by most men looking to wrestle. 

At any rate, I meant those items taken separately; I sort of opened the door for those things to be lumped together into one person, though. 

I basically mean status ~ name recognition (e.g., being a rapper); delusional entitlement ~ mimics status without actually doing shit; and big tits…enough said. Class dismissed ~ kidding.


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## Philathea (Feb 16, 2015)

4w5 so/sp 469

I value competence because I:
1. Want to be seen as competent
2. Want to create the best life I can for myself


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## The Scorched Earth (May 17, 2010)

Knowing how to get things done and how to navigate life is akin to godliness in my book. People who seem to have a difficult time with either are *very* hard to respect, irrespective of what Jesus said.


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## Superfluous (Jan 28, 2014)

Hiya, I'm as sexual a 741 could get. 

-Competency from me matters because I'm critical of myself. I do want the best in life, and therefore, results that come out of me should be the best. I will admit I am scared of failure through that type of thinking, and will sometimes keep myself idle instead.
-Competence matters because everyone deserves the best version of everything. 
-Competency matters because efficiency. When shit isn't falling apart, you can play all day/week with no interruptions.

If someone is incompetent, it isn't my place to judge. If someone is incompetent they can be, peacefully, as long as it's not running into my shit.


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## Dangerose (Sep 30, 2014)

I think I'm a type 2w3, maybe 217.
I value competence in myself because I want to be able to get along in the world and for others to have a good opinion of me. It also provides social leverage (that sounds terrible, but it's the only reason I can think of that I would value competence).

I suppose it's also good for improving the world, but there's more than enough competent people out there.

I don't really value competence in others, and only really as a measure of their personality. It demonstrates intelligence or dedication or something. Social value.

That said, I wouldn't ever say that I value competence.

edit: genius, yes. talent...I think so. A get-it-done attitude...mm, probably. Competence...not really.


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## d e c a d e n t (Apr 21, 2013)

Well, there are several reasons to value it (such as, it makes it so much easier to deal with life when you actually have the ability to do stuff), but the first that came to mind is that... it's sexy. >_> I mean, not just sexy in others, but when I have a sense of competency in something (particularly that I care about), it does give this satisfied/empowering feeling that can be fairly arousing.

But yeah... having the ability to do the things I want to do is nice too. I tend to feel trapped a lot because I feel unsure of how to. Like even simple things I struggle with figuring out, and I keep doing everything wrong. It's very discouraging and inhibiting.



Swordsman of Mana said:


> 1) am a judgmental asshole and always notice what's wrong with everything. this is not going to change regardless of if I have the education of a hillbilly or a PhD statistician, so I figure, if I'm going to judge people, I have the responsibility to know what the hell I'm talking about.


Lol, sometimes I also find myself wishing I was "perfect" so I could judge others without feeling like a hypocrite.


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## 7rr7s (Jun 6, 2011)

3w4. 

Several reasons for competency. 

1. I hate incompetence, and I'm always thinking of ways to do things better. It pisses me off when people, especially people above me aren't thinking along the same lines. When I feel that I could do the job better or more efficiently, it pisses me off having to work with those people. 

2. Having a noticeable disability, and having a more reserved demeanor can both be viewed as challenges. I don't want people thinking I'm incompetent due to those things. 

3. My overall mentality is finding ways to win, finding ways to do it better, and capitalizing on opportunities. In order to outshine everyone and beat out the competition, you need to be competent. 

4. I never want anyone to be able to say that I'm not pulling my own weight, and I never want to be looked at as someone who needs special consideration. No matter what the circumstance is, I will find a way to get it done. 

5. Reputation and resume. No matter what line of work I'm doing, as long as I remain competent and above the rest, I can always have several references who can attest to my work ethic and competency. 

6. I have big goals, and in order to meet those objectives, I need to be competent. 

7. Leading by example. In order to be a leader, you have to be competent otherwise your team won't respect you, and you can't have doubt festering among your people. You have to be in top form and leading by example because wherever you set the bar at, that's where the others will set it too. 

8. Competent people get results. It doesn't matter the situation, the circumstance, I don't want to hear excuses, I want results. The only way to achieve that is to be competent. 

9. By remaining competent, you remain on the cutting edge, and it opens up your mind to always be seeking new ways to innovate, and new challenges to tackle, new opportunities to take advantage of, ect. 

10. Competent people are winners at life. Any successful person is super competent in many areas. That;s not a coincidence. To play in the big leagues, you need to be competent and be able to get results in tough scenarios, new environments, and against enormous odds.


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## ScientiaOmnisEst (Oct 2, 2013)

Competence to me means a kind of self-elevation, essentially proving oneself; it also represents the physical and psychological security that comes with it.

I expect much from myself and know for a fact I'm not as good as most people, so I need to become competent just to survive. At the same time though, competence means work, upkeep, and to a degree, competition. Stuff I tend to shy away from and can't be bothered with. So I guess I question how "worth it" that work is.


9w1 so/sp


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## d e c a d e n t (Apr 21, 2013)

Also, this isn't quite the same as valuing competence in and of itself, but I do feel I have the potential for some things (though that sense of potential can wax and wane), so it feels like a shame to waste that by not trying to attain some competency in those things so I can do something with it. Sad stuff, thinking about all the potential that will be lost once I die...

Anyway.


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## Daeva (Apr 18, 2011)

Hmm, competence.. not something I value by itself, regardless of other traits.

I value competence and capability as in being your own person, making your own choices and doing/being what's right _for you_.
In other words, strength of character is what I value, which in many cases, brings competence along with it.

I don't generally value competence in other forms, especially not when strength of character is lacking.

This, however, doesn't mean I don't work on becoming more capable in many other areas as well. I do enjoy playing with various concepts, and the more competent I am in a given area, the more I can play with these concepts. Competence also means I can use my abilities better, in a more diverse way, and in a stronger format. So I do value it for myself in terms of how much I can play with my abilities. But none of this matters if I can't pour any of it into a meaningful way of living.

*Competence without strength of character or passion is worthless to me.*


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## Animal (May 29, 2012)

It would be impossible to have a vision as strong as mine, a message as powerful as the one that spills from my soul.. and sit on my hands. When I waste away without enacting my visions, they burn me from within and I implode. They need to come out.

Any amount of striving is worth it to enact my visions. Skills, knowledge, research, practice, drafting and redrafting, lifestyle changes... whatever it takes. If the hurdle is too great for me to surpass, then _I simply have to be better.
_
But I don't see the point of competence for its own sake. I don't like to clutter my mind with extra crap, and I am proud when people tell me I'm "ignorant" about "common knowledge" because I know the reason is that I have never been one to watch tv, and instead I have written several albums and books, even as a kid. I know I have always been focused on enacting the visions that consumed me, building up any skills or self-searching that was required to give it my all and then some. And I don't care about the rest.

It's like this:






_
Nothing matters except the work._


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## Noir (Jun 20, 2014)

5w6 1w9 3w4 sx/sp/so

I value competence because I think I lack it, and thus I desire what I lack. Ever since I was a little kid I thought I wasn't capable of doing anything.

I always liked competent people. I would also like to demonstrate myself I'm competent, but no matter how hard I try I am still not pleased.


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