The fakir, the monk, and the yogi.

These Are the names given to the phenomenon by Gurdjieff.

The fakir is the person who recognizes that the instinctive center is the problem, and in order to create separation the fakir does many different things to takes measures against the "problem" Such as running without stopping, sitting in extremely hot water, etc. not eating, not necessarily ascetism, but it does include it.

The monk, the devotee to god, is the one who strives to be compassionate, to do everything in god's name. This way has its drawbacks, too. Since there is no sense of separation. Often the monk becomes identified.

The yogi sets fourth to understand the whole problem, according to Gurdjieff.

What Gurdjieff means by the yogi, is the person who works through the intellectual center to be more conscious.

This too has its drawbacks, the three ways taken individually are supposed by Gurdjieff to be incomplete.

Hence the name "the fourth way"

Since his time (1930s) there has been an advancement on the fourth way by Ouspenky, Rodney Collins and, a fakir type "Alex Horn"

All three of which followed the fourth way, yet all three worked through a primary way.

Ouspensky being intellectual, most of the things I've addressed come from Ouspenky. Collins being rather emotional, about oneness and things like this. Alex Horn used to punch his students in the nose if he felt it was appropriate...

The three ways create a stunningly diverse pool of ideas around which a School of people can form, work in the way best for them, and  make self-remembering (and ultimately divine presence) the first priority in their lives.