JK ROWLING

Enneagram Type 3 (The Achiever) with a 4 Wing

Sjhill, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Why we think JK Rowling is a Type 3

  • Speaking about failure as a motivating force. During Rowling's commencement speech at Harvard University, titled "The Fringe Benefits of Failure," she talked about the importance of failure in life and how it shaped her.

  • Workaholism. J.K. Rowling has spoken about working obsessively on the Harry Potter series, even to the point of feeling guilty if she took time off. 

  • Demeanor: Rowling presents herself with confidence and speaks with conviction, particularly about subjects she cares about, like literature, social issues, and philanthropy. Her speeches, such as her famous Harvard commencement address, reveal a reflective and inspiring character, comfortable with sharing her vulnerabilities and life lessons (which also speaks to her 4 Wing).

  • Determination and persistence. Rowling has often shared the story of how the idea for Harry Potter came to her on a delayed train ride from Manchester to London. Instead of simply daydreaming, she committed to turning her idea into a reality. She spent five years carefully planning out the seven books in the series before she started writing. Even after facing numerous rejections from publishers, she remained determined and persistent until she found her audience

  • Productive and industrious. Not only has she written the seven-book Harry Potter series, but she's also created numerous spin-offs, screenplays, and a whole new series under her pseudonym.

JK Rowling quotes that show she is a Type 3

  • "I was set free because my greatest fear had been realized, and I still had a daughter who I adored, and I had an old typewriter and a big idea. And so rock bottom became a solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life." - from her 2008 Harvard commencement speech

  • "It is impossible to live without failing at something unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default."

  • "We do not need magic to transform our world. We carry all of the power we need inside ourselves already."

  • "The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive."

  • "Achievable goals are the first step to self-improvement."

  • "You sort of start thinking anything's possible if you've got enough nerve."

  • "I just think that it's worth trying to do something that scares you."