PREVIOUS : Enneagram Subtype STACKING (#2)

SP as dominant – are the grounded version of their type.

Think – comfort & survival, habits & routine, a determination to take care of one’s needs. EXP : Setting up little homes for themselves wherever they go.
PROBLEM : Easily thrown into compulsions, becomes neurotic when fear & bad habits distort the instinct. (eating disorders….). Then the person has “issues” that drain energy & cause them to lose Presence with True Self. When called on unhealthy behavior, they get angry – not wanting to hear about Presence.

(SP/SO)
DOM = Self-Preservation, 2nd = Social (blindspot = Sexual)

Mindset: “If I can maintain position & inclusion in the group / world, I can be sure of & keep my orderly, pleasing lifestyle.”

☼ SP/SO people have a sense for being appropriate in social situations. Find ways to make contributions to (or oppose) their community – without being conspicuous or crossing the line.

☼ Don’t fluctuate widely in their personal energy, keeping even, consistent & stable.

☼ Reserved & serious, without social warmth – they have a direct, blunt communication style. Protect themselves by following & insisting on civility, general politeness, or professional norms.

☼ Lacking in psychological transparency, they’re emotionally difficult to get through to. They don’t let themself get involved in anyone’s messy personal/ emotional ‘underbelly’, including their own

☼ Have a tracking instinct for ‘shadow side’ of society & government, about financial & resource mis-managements. Have a more refined sense of implementing reverse crowd psychology than SP/SX.

☼ They can be selfish, making useful connections that support their goals of gaining material security.
OR – just be connected & appealing enough for everyone to leave them alone – to “get out of their hair’

☼  Loyalty is important, drawn to groups with like-minded people. Their choice of dress in inconspicuous, appropriate to match their status in life.

☼ Tend towards patriotic / nationalistic interests rather than the needs of the individual. Less likely to mark territory as their own.
Have a more refined sense of implementing reverse-crowd psychology than SP/SX.

☼ Physical-space SP is subject to communal-protective drive of SO.
Native-land SP combines with social-mores SO, to form : righteousness & loyalty to higher principals, history, social themes

☼ Savers & collectors. Being pragmatic, they look for resources & for political advantage. What they take in through their senses (SP) gets filtered through cynicism.

☼  Because of SO-second, are less likely to flash around their eccentricities, or be susceptible to impractical highs

☼ Archetypes: The Land Surveyor, farmer, patriot, businessman

☼ Missing SX water/fire, they have a sober even arid quality, not drawn to addictions or the fantastical

🟢   🟠   🔴

(SP/SX) Self-Preservation dominant,
Sexual 2nd, (Social blindspot)
Mindset: “I can have merging / intensity without having to leave my orderly & pleasing lifestyle.”

☼ Earthy, mysterious, quietly intense, they seem oblivious to the greater social world around them, favoring personal interests. Therefore, can be oblivious to the collective good

☼ They withdraw when the safety of imagination, safe people & relationships are challenged

☼ Can attach to others at a root level, contrasting with a surface
formality. They’re slow to commit, but when they do – it’s with an
impermeable bond & life commitment

☼ Want to live in secure comfortable environment where they can pursue their private interests in depth

☼ Sanctuary of home & decorate spaces reflect their taste & depth. Communications are intimate & personal, rather than public

☼ Psychic visibility / revelation threatens the SP/SX personal or at least social self-destruction, all part of the distilling process toward the desired one-to-one bond.

☼ Missing Social means : Shrouded / hooded quality, cave dweller, lack of fresh air / sunlight

☼ As with SP/SO, they’re a “friend-of-the-dark”,  non-judgmental about people’s underbellies & corruption

☼ Elements as metaphor: carcasses recycling into earth, decay / destruction, downward death, fertilizing, undertow

☼ The Molten fire of SX in earth’s core combines with S’s volcanic threat of eruption

☼ Archetypes: The Grave Digger, pirate, voodoo fetishist

NEXT :

PREVIOUS: Subtype STACKING (Part 1)

SITE : The Universal Human Condition — instinctual stacking trails…

↗️ This chart is intended as a universal model of the human condition & mind, the way everyone has a connection to all 6 stackings (realms) at a meta-structural level. Each is a reaction, a response or compensation in relation to —-> the next stacking in the flow —->.

★ Dominant instinct – in Part 1

☆ SECONDARY = Neutral, a fallback when the Dom isn’t active. It’s a home base where a person is comfortable, normally the instinct that causes us the least problems, since the stakes are lower when activated. It’s neither an ignored blind spot nor an extremely important drive.

It can be a resource to strengthen the Dom, & provide a sense of satisfaction whenever the Dom’s desire is achieved.
EXP : For an SP/SO, participation in the social structure would feel familiar & safe, but social activity would also be used to satisfy self-preservation concerns.

However, being an instinct – Secondary can sometimes cause problems as well, as an antagonist, if its interests conflict with the stronger ones of the Dom.

Secondary acts as a ‘playground’ of sorts because it allows us to be more flippant & exhibitionistic in its area of interests. Together – 1st & 2nd form the general focus of our life, & accounts for 60 -10% of our activity.

(CHARTS ↘️)

☆ TERTIARY = This instinct encompasses under-used interests & activities, often ignored, even to the point of being a person’s blindspot. While the first two take up much of a person’s attention, the 3rd is under-valued, therefore rarely developed.

🔺This aspect of personality is where we find our insecurities & problems – the deepest fears about the Self. There’s enormous shame associated with this variant – a sense of deficiency, of being far behind, less of a person.

You’re not practiced or proficient in this area so there can be a desperate sense of needing remedial help. But there is a tendency to resist working on it, to procrastinate, or make an end-run around it.
Fortunately, addressing our weakest skills brings balance, letting you move faster up the levels of health. You’ll feel much more grounded, like you’ve landed on the earth, getting the support you need – from the ‘right’ people. Go where it’s warm!

EXPs :
☀︎ If you’re blind to your SP instinct —
— you’ll doubt what your body is telling you. Also, you might get impatient with people who fuss about making themselves comfortable, & feel trapped in a conversation about food, home decorations, money….

☀︎ If you’re blind to SO —
— you’ll struggle to find your place in social groups, participation being more of a pressure to perform than fun. And, you might get impatient with “chit-chat”because you want to get down to business.

☀︎ If blind to SX —
— you’ll struggle to start relationships or create chemistry. You may think people don’t like you, or have a hard
time noticing when they do. And, you might get the creepy-crawlies with people making out in public – wish they’d “get a room”.  (See “BLIND-SPOTS” posts)

CONTRASTS
1st vs. 3rd instinct
Identifying which of these two is active can be confusing if they’re both under-developed. It’s not whether a person is good at using the instinct, but whether they’re  = drawn to it (1st) or = apathetic / blind to it (3rd).

Re. their Dom – out of frustration, a person can temporarily stop trying to activate this instinct, but still long to fulfill it.
Re. Tertiary – a person may not be apathetic, but avoid its interests because those don’t come easily, or become stressed when having to deal with situations that require Tertiary skills.

1st vs. 2nd instinct
While Dom activities make a person feel most fulfilled when they’re  satisfied, when they aren’t – there’s a nagging push to pursue it. Instead, Secondary activities are usually familiar & the most comfortable, so there’s not the same need to push – because they feel much more available.

2nd vs. 3rd instinct
Secondary activity can be an important help in fulfilling Dom seeds, easing our way in life. Tertiary generally doesn’t feel important because it requires extra effort to pay attention to it & use. (Take the instinctual variant stacking test)

NEXT :

PREVIOUS: Enneagram

BOOK:
“EMPATH Survival Guide & Ennea-Types”

SITE: re. INTEGRATING the 3 Drives

“STACKING” =  Sequencing the Instinctual Variants / Drives :
Self-Preservation, Sexual 1-to-1, and Social – into 6 possible combinations. (SEE charts in Part 2)

Instinctual Drives arise from the body, experienced physically through sensation. When put through the filter of Personality Type, they get structured in order of priority.
These drives motivate us to meet specific biological & emotional needs, so the stack determines where we put our energy, & which needs are given more priority or psychological weight.
Each Instinct has distinct qualities of attention, boundaries, & excitation – which encourage tracking & meeting its specific needs.

Developing the Dominant Instinct actually indicates a personality imbalance, which is at the core of egoic identity (self-image) & narcissism. Although everyone has a Dom preference, we do have access to the other 2 options, but at different levels of intensity or priority of use.

BASICS : Stacking is listing the 3 instinctual subtypes in oder of personal preference, independent of a person’s Enneagram Core type.

Stacking designations are indicated by writing the Dominant instinct first, followed by the 2nd, with a slash between them. Tertiary is not included, as its characteristics tend to be ‘invisible’.

▪️SubTypes & Stackings are combined :
Listing a Dom & 2nd together (“sp/sx”….) only looks at the preferential order of a person’s instincts, but including it with their Core Type provides a rounded picture.
EXP : An Ennea #9 with Social as their dominant subtype (SO), & Self-preservation as Secondary /neutral (SP), will have Sexual / Intimate (SX) as the blind spot. Their designation is : E9-so/sx  (Others)
ALSO :
🔹 two people can be contrasted by variant stacking apart from their Enneagram number, so a E2 – so/sp will have a different approach to relationships than an E2 – sp/sx

🔹two people can have the same stacking order, such as sx/so, but be 2 different core Ennea-types =  E3-sx/so and E5-sx/so, so their approach to work with be different (sociable vs private)

Generally, our stacking stays the same throughout life, but there can be some shifts between instincts, depending on circumstances.
EXP : Your Neutral variant (Secondary) might kick in during a particularly stressful time, temporarily over-riding the Dominant. (Neutral sp/so —-> briefly replaces so/sp, as in “freeze” mode)

NOTE : The developmental-growth goal is to bring all 3 instincts into balance. A personal effort to be fully present includes acknowledging & then integrating our (ignored) Tertiary instinct. We can express & develop it for its own worth, on the inside, not just artificially copying how others use their Dom version of our blind spot.

Incorporating those Tertiary qualities we habitually forget to pay attention to – will reveal how enlivening, powerful & satisfying our ‘weak’ instinct can be. Breath, physical & sensation-based practices are useful ways of deepening connection to the signals, energies & feedback within the body.

☆ PRIMARY / DOMINANT =
the characteristics we’re most focused on, an over-awareness or preoccupation with & desire to achieve what’s important to the Dom instinct. It’s the one where our buttons get pushed & we start decompensating, causing sleepless nights, maybe taking us on an elevator trip to a lower level of mental health.

A lot of Dom behavior is unconscious. It can seem so obvious that its needs & wishes are the most important ‘stuff’ to us, so it’s hard to imagine not going for it.
And some people may think their Dom is their blind spot (Tertiary) because it produces such automatic reactions / actions that it can feel like they’re separate from who see ourselves as.

EXP : 🔔An SP-first will have a strong focus on satisfying self-concerns, overriding the desires of the other 2 instincts
❣️ For a SX-first – when activated – their ‘object of interest’ (lover, BFF….) becomes the main focus in life
📣 With SO-first, participating in & fulfilling the expectations of their social environment – is the pull.

The DOM tendency is used most often throughout life. Self-growth shows when we can stay awake / aware at those times we act from the instincts, & can modify behavior when needed. The Dom accounts for 40-90% of our activity.

NEXT : SECONDARY instinctual variant

PREVIOUS : Subtype STACK Details (Types 4, 5, 6)

SITE: “The Enneagram System’s 27 Personality SUBTYPES” (Types & counter-types) by Beatrice Chestnut

REVIEW: The content of the 27 subtypes highlights the reasons why two people of the same type can look very different, & clarifies the impact of the operation of biological goals that drive our
behavior.

COUNTER instinct of TYPE 7 – Sacrifice
Social 7s go against ‘normal’ gluttony from a conscientious efforts to be of service to others. Deliberately wanting to avoid exploiting others, they need to feel ‘pure’, sacrificing their own needs in support of others – & passionately want to be seen as ‘good’ for it.
Their ascetic ideal is expressed by making self-deprivation into a virtue.
Their idealism & enthusiasm becomes a way of making themselves feel active & valued in the world.
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COUNTER instinct of TYPE 8 – Solidarity
Social 8s express lust & aggression – but mainly in the service of others. A social-antisocial person, the helpful 8 appears less aggressive & more loyal than the other two subtypes. The name “Solidarity” emphasizes their tendency to offer protection whenever it’s needed.
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COUNTER instinct of TYPE 9 – Participation
Social 9s fuse with groups. An internal laziness makes them work hard at being part of the different groups in their lives – fun-loving, sociable & congenial.
Externally – they can be workaholics, prioritizing the group’s needs above their own. This high level of activity makes them the 9’s countertype.
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NEXT : Subtype STACKING (#1)

PREVIOUS: Subtype Details (1,2,3)

BOOK : “The Complete Enneagram : 27 Paths to Greater Self-Knowledge“ by Beatrice Chestnut

COUNTER instinct of TYPE 4 – Tenacity
Self Preservation 4s are long-suffering, stoic in the face of their inner pain, not share it with others as much as the other two 4s. They learn to tolerate discomfort & ‘do without’ – as a way of earning love.
Instead of sitting in their envy, SP 4s act it out by working hard to get what others have & they lack. More masochistic & less melodramatic, these 4s demand a lot of themselves, have a strong need to endure, & have a passion for effort.
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COUNTER instinct of TYPE 5 – Confidence
Sexual 5s have a romantic streak. The most emotionally sensitive of the type, they suffer more, resembling 4s that way, & have more visible desires.
They express avarice (greed) by searching for fantasy-images of absolute love, with the need to find a partner who fulfills an ideal of trust. They have a vibrant inner life that may be expressed through artistic creation, but are still cut off from others in many ways.
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COUNTER instinct of TYPE 6 – Strength/Beauty
Sexual 6s express fear by going against it – by becoming strong & intimidating, trusting themselves more than the other two subtypes. So when they’re afraid, their inner programming follows the idea that “the best defense is a good offense”.
They take on a powerful stance both in what they do & how they look, as a way of holding the ‘enemy’ at bay. Their anxiety is quieted through skill & readiness in the face of real or potential attacks.
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NEXT : Subtype Details (7, 8 ,9)

PREVIOUS : Enneagram

Review
🔸 Instincts tell what our needs are.
🔸Our type indicates how we get those needs met, how we go about it.
🔸The variants (focused on the outside world) represent our priorities. Further down the levels of health, use of the instinct is more compulsive, & less a response to the actual need of the moment.

COUNTER instinct of TYPE 1 – Zeal
Sexual 1s are “counter-instinctive” to the 1’s normal tendency to repress emotions, being more impulsive & outwardly angry, which they act out through an intense desire to improve others & get whatever they want.

They’re more reformers than perfectionists, feeling entitled in the way zealots do, from the belief that they have a higher understanding of Truth & know the reasons behind “the right way to be.”.
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COUNTER instinct of TYPE 2 – Privilege
Self Preservation 2s “seduce” others (like a child around grown-ups) as a way of unconsciously inducing others to take care of them. Assuming that everyone likes children, SP 2s take on a youthful attitude to get special treatment well beyond childhood – acting charming, playful, irresponsible.

As the countertype, it’s harder to see Pride (‘normal flaw’) because they’re more fearful of & ambivalent about connecting with others. “Privilege” reflects this 2’s desire to be loved & prioritized just for being who they are, not for what they give.
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COUNTER instinct of TYPE 3  – Security
Self Preservation 3s are vain about not having vanity. They too want to be admired, but avoid openly going after recognition. Not just satisfied with looking good, SP 3s strive to BE good, determined to match the perfection model of how a person should be – which implies being virtuous, & virtue implies a lack of vanity. SP 3s try for a sense of security through being good, working hard by being effective & productive.

NEXT : Subtype STACK Details

PREVIOUS : Subtypes – motives

BOOK : 27 Paths in Life & Subtypes in Relationship ∼ Peter O’Hanrahan
POSTS :  EnneaType EMOTIONS
2,3,4s = Grief, Shame // 5,6,7s = Fear, Anxiety, 8,9,1s = Anger, Rage 

Each Type handles it’s primary emotion differently:
❖ The first Type in its triad (blue) is overt & “externalizes” – 2 its shame, 5 its fear, 8 its anger—->

◆ The second Type in its triad (pink) is covert or “represses” – 3 its shame, 6 its fear, 9 its anger

✦ The third Type in its triad (lavender) is neutral or “internalizes” – 4 its shame, 7 its fear, 1 its anger (From : Enneagram Central Blog)

☆ Psychologically – the subtype instincts are closely associated with 3 crucial developmental stages of early childhood . Studying instinctual subtypes can help identify life-long patterns, and recover from early losses & insecurities.
1. Self-Preservation (SP) : infant bonding & grounding = our right to exist
2. Sexual / Intimate (SX) : growing awareness of self vs. other in the first “dyad” (mother or primary caregiver) = our right to be loved
3. Social (SO): entering the larger community of family, friends & peers = our right to belong

☆ Archetypally – subtypes can be described as the central patterns of human consciousness. Each has a special role in our society & in the history of our culture. Each has its major strengths & drawbacks.
For anyone interested in personal or spiritual growth, on the S & I path of “individuation,” it’s vital to come to terms with these powerful archetypes & the part they play in our life.

Enneagram as ONION LAYERS

SELF-PRESERVATION Subtype ATTITUDES
2 – Nurturer – feel privileged, & earn approval through caretaking
3 – Company Man/Woman – achieve success & financial security
4 – Creative Individualist – reckless in pursuit of authenticity
5 – Castle Defender – home as refuge, or having a “womb with a view.”
6 – Family Loyalist – seek safety through kindness & affection
7 – Gourmand – enjoy fun, food & family
8 – Survivalist – protect the space & the family
9 – Collector – appetite for food & possessions
1 – Pioneer – overcome anxiety with hard work

 SEXUAL / ONE-TO-ONE Subtype ATTITUDES
2 – Lover – use seduction or aggression for attention
3 – Movie Star – have best masculine or feminine image
4 – Drama Queen or King – beat the competition through power or style
5 – Secret Agent – keep things confidential
6 – Warrior – overcome fear by maintaining strength or creating beauty
7 – Salesman/woman – fascination & suggestibility with ideas, people & products.
8 – Dictator – drive for possession, & maybe surrender
9 – Seeker – sexual or spiritual union & the urge to merge
1 – Evangelist – over-zealous or jealous

SOCIAL Subtype ATTITUDES
2 – Ambassador – seek recognition thru ambition
3 – Politician – achieve social success & prestige
4 – Critical Commentator – overcome social shame
5 – Professor – use social symbols & systems
6 – Social Guardian – do one’s duty
7 – Utopian Visionary – limitations, & make sacrifices for the cause
8 – Group Leader – fiercely committed to friends & social causes
9 – Community Benefactor – strengths & problems with participation
1 – Social Registrar – socially correct but non-adaptable
(P. O’Hanrahan)

NEXT :

PREVIOUS : SP instinct

SITE : “Your next PLANT purchase by Ennea-Type” 

SUBTYPE INSTINCTS (cont)

🔷The SEXUAL Instinct (SX) = SNAKE
NOTE : SX is about “attraction”, NOT “one-on-one”, which romance, a heart issue.
In Nature, sexual reproduction helps genetically diversify the species, for survival. This instinct is aggressive, competitive, single-minded, on display, smells, stimulation. Use of energy is intensely creative, fiery, go-get-it, a life-and-death matter.

Humans have a drive to project ourselves into the environment, form alliances & extend ourselves through the generations, to leave a legacy – either by passing on our DNA, or more symbolically through ideas.

SXs types are the most “energized”, most emotionally charged. They fear incompleteness, loss of attachment & attractiveness. It explains why some people are more interested in intensity & shared experiences within special-others, rather than career, fame…..

They look for stimulating objects in their world & need a strong energetic charge in primary relationships, with attention on coupling, & having “chemistry” with others. Without it they stay dissatisfied. They enjoy deep involvement, even merging with others, & become disenchanted with partners who can’t meet their intensity.

SX energy is ‘The World experienced as a mating dance,’ broadcasting the Self as a beautiful object, attempting to allure with the ‘art of me’ (my aesthetic, my music, my art, my taste),
It throws out a net (pheromones) for that certain someone to complete an electrical circuit, a nose for the individualized scent of the soul we long to burn our imprint into, & theirs into us.

It’s Chemistry, not Intimacy. Involuntary attraction & repulsion :
— the sense of being a half-something on the hunt for the other half
— being ‘in heat’ (psychologically), exploring for ‘electrical juice’, the narcotic of attraction
— fanning out electric-colored peacock feathers
— pouring through the keyhole for a peak at something special. but also pushing the envelope, out on the edge
— exposure to potential self-destruction in the other 2 realms of Social & Self-Preservation.

SX energy is a raw narcotic of wanting, untethered by ethics & morality. It’s Reckless, a live wire longing to burn – & be burned to death.
The classical image of Eros’ arrow (erotic attraction) shot through the heart accurately indicates the danger : potential ruin & destruction under the guise of Love.
♥️

The SOCIAL Instinct (SO) = ROOSTER
SO explains a person’s patterns & behaviors which prioritize socializing & the good of the group, the instinct to get along with others & form secure peer-bonds. Attention is on the social structures in our community, with a need to belong, be accepted & therefore feel safe. It emphasizes a high awareness of social norms & status positions / levels, with energy put into a shared purpose or the greater good.

SOs tend to warm, more open, engaging & socially responsible. They want partners who can share their social activities & get involved in projects & events along with them.
They fear alienation, inferiority & loneliness. SOs lose their sense of identity & meaning when not involved with others in activities that go beyond individual interests.

Paradoxically, they tend to avoid long periods of exclusive intimacy & quiet solitude, which feels too limiting.

SOs want to be involved with both a special someone or some group – affiliating, co-creating, participating, contributing.  This is the parenting instinct, the bridge or link between instinct & the same broad-view emotions that inspire animals to care for their young.

SO is the physical sensation of not being a closed circuit (“No man is an Island”). Bonding & relationship-building belong in this category, not with the Sexual Instinct.  “Social” gives the ‘intelligence’ to read people & respond or adapt to them, communicating & interpreting subtleties. All language / words / verbal exchanges are part of this Instinct.

Lofty eternal principles & ideologies get their first push & continued attention from the Social Instinct. It expresses wholesome cleanliness & the ‘white light’ themes of order, law, history, medicine, higher education, government.  

The SO instinct is the connection to history, the participation in the collective human journey, the drive that animates our impulse toward
— the Humanities, altruistic vision, goodwill, the ‘higher good’, the concepts of civilization & religion.

However, It can also go low. It can spark the response that :
—  burns witches at the stake
—  exterminates populations that are deemed ‘diseased vermin’ or those that are lesser/lower in some way…
— or put too much attention on status, rank, respectability, pedigree, reputation, strata, provenance.

NEXT : Enneagram

PREVIOUS – Enneagram

BOOK : “The Complete Enneagram: 27 Paths to Greater Self-Knowledge” — Beatrice Chestnut

🟩 Enneagram SUBTYPES, from INSTINCTUAL VARIANTS
Several factors influence the traits & behaviors of each type.  The INSTINCTS (Self-Preservation, Social groups & Sexual / One-to-One bonding.) are variations on each core Ennea-type, called ‘Personality’, which is our unconscious ‘putting on a face’ to individuate ourself – ways we function, interact, & communicate with the world. Thus we get a minimum 27 variations of Personality. CHART ⬇️

As we grow through childhood, we typically develop one of them more fully, & the other two in lesser degrees. Just as all nine personality types are active in every number, all three instincts are active in every person. And as with the types, one instinct tends to be dominant.
Physical Source :
Self-preservation (SP) instinct is from the brain stem
Sexual (SX) instinct is from the mammalian brain
Social orientation (SO) instinct is from the neocortex.

Recognizing subtype nuances allow us to examining how our instincts affect the way we interact with the world around us, which provides basic survival strategies, & helps explain how people of the same Ennea-number respond differently.

EXP: A Sexual (“Intimate / 1-to-1”)  Type 6 person will likely not be as fearful as a typical 6. So much so that a SX-6 can seem like an 8, & even be mistyped as such! However, the 6’s core motivations are still there.

This CHART ⬇️ shows how 81 variations are derived. 

RELATIONSHIPS : Knowing our-and-their subtypes allows us to better meet our partner’s needs for security & identity, managing the rhythms of connection & withdrawal – without taking it all so personally.
‣ What do we expect of our partner for personal time & attention, & how does this fit in with their priorities?
‣ Who initiates physical /sexual contact,  how much, how often?
‣ Who cooks & cleans?
‣ Who takes care of the finances?
‣ How do we include friends & family?

IDENTIFYING : The main way to figure out which subtype influences you – is to notice where you consistently, automatically put your attention when in public or in a group.

▪︎ SELF-PRESERVATION (SP) = PIG
SP prioritizes a person’s security for themself, the instinct to preserve our body, its life & effective function. The focus on well-being, material security & comfort – while  minimizing threats to physical needs such as health, finances, food, shelter & family.
They fear not surviving – poverty, mortality, annihilation. If stress & anxiety combines with this instinct, it can drive a person to conserve or hoard energy & resources, in response to demands from the environment or other people.

SPs tend to be more grounded, practical, serious & introverted than the other two. They can have active social lives & a satisfying intimate relationship, but if they feel that their SP needs aren’t being met, they won’t be happy or at ease. SPs are “nesters”, wanting domestic tranquility with a stable, reliable partner.

Most of the World is SP-Dom. This overall global predominance is one reason we see the general public so easily is so easily upset by news of natural disasters & imploding financial markets.

This Instinct’s ‘eye’ if forever focused on every situation or condition affecting their physical self — all about the ‘me’. SP-Dom people can put too much attention on :
⚠️ day-to-day details such as food, shelter, health & finances
⚠️ their physical environment  (hot/cold, light/dark, dry/humid, clean/dirty, quiet/loud….).
how they experience the immediate environment (inviting/disturbing, familiar/haunting, enticing/disquieting….)
⚠️ tangible resources – money, tools of all kind, time, practical know-how, material provisions & useful objects…. stockpiling for future survival.  Particular value is placed on ‘getting things done’ & building or acquiring things that will last.

How satisfied their needs & wants are at any given moment ——> will decide how they feel emotionally.

ARCHETYPE animals of the Bhava-chakra (pig, snake & rooster) plus the Life-giving elements (fire, air, water, earth) animate & shape the ecosystem.

“All relationships between people are essentially social (Rooster). Human connections involve Sexual (SX-snake) & Self-Preservation (SP-pig) in varying ways, but aren’t the raw stuff that compels bonding & closeness.

∆ The snake has no friends, no bond, no romance.
∆ A pig will ‘eat anything,’ so we call someone a pig / hog when they take-&-take & never give, or take more than their fair share.
∆ BUT – Social (SO) – in part 2 –  is the ‘human instinct,’ differentiating us from animals, with complex verbal & written language, the animal-instinctual that bridges to our hearts, connecting in commonality &/or purpose, to find our place with others.
It gives the urge to achieve, befriend, compete, excel, illuminate, improve, learn, protect & teach.” (MORE…)
♥️

NEXT : 3 SUBTYPES – Intro (Part 2)

PREVIOUS : Misusing Strengths #1

SITE : “Learn About Your Enneagram Type”

IMAGES : ” I Don’t Know What I Don’t Know, but I DO Know This” (2019)

TYPE 5
☀︎ I dismiss others’ opinions because they’re supported by intuition or emotions rather than factual analysis
☀︎ I get so content that I miss out on good things that I may really enjoy
☀︎ I get so comfortable observing – that I don’t put myself in the ring (even if it can benefit me)

☀︎ I focus so intently on planning – that it’s all consuming – so there’s no room for spontaneity
☀︎ I keep researching to the point that I can’t make a decision – because I’ve just uncovered so many more things I don’t know
☀︎ I only rely on data – without considering how decisions or perspectives will affect my emotional state

TYPE 6
☀︎ I cling so tightly to my set of plans that I can’t enjoy them
☀︎ I feel overly responsible for all the little details, & for making sure things go well
☀︎ I’m so aware of what might happen – that I forget to acknowledge all of the good that’s currently happening in my life

☀︎ I overthink everything – to the point that I’m stuck in analysis loops
☀︎ I stay fully committed to a situation that is no longer serving me – because I’m loyal, & am more comfortable with white-knuckling my way through – than with stepping into the unknown
☀︎ I take on tremendous worry and concern for those I truly care about

TYPE 7
☀︎ I choose to only see what’s going well, & overlook important problems that need to be addressed
☀︎ I consistently chase the next jolt of excitement – so I miss the chance to cultivate something I already love doing
☀︎ I make everything into a positive – even when it would actually help to look at the big picture, including the minuses

☀︎ I over-focus on an exciting solution to a problem / task / situation – to the point that I forget to consider the practical action-steps that are needed
☀︎ I pressure myself to be the cheerful & supportive person in the room, even when it feels like too much for me to do
☀︎ I recognize that I’m doing too much & running myself into the ground, but continue full speed ahead – because I assume I can handle it all

TYPE 8
☀︎ I focus so intently on being competent – that I have *negative* patience for people who work slowly or don’t know what they’re doing
☀︎ I get over-zealous toward others when trying to get them to apply my helpful suggestions
☀︎ I’m so focused on reaching the end goal of a project or plan – that I overlook others’ opinions or feelings about it

☀︎ I over-work & “push through” – way past the point of exhaustion
☀︎ I take on too much of the workload (because I’m so capable) & miss an opportunity to empower someone else to us their talents
☀︎ I take on the responsibility of fighting others’ battles, sometimes without their permission or need

TYPE 9
☀︎ I get so focused on not offending others – that it’s hard to get my point across, even though I sometimes feel it’s really important to let others know I disagree
☀︎ I over-emphasize my understanding of others – that I blur the lines between empathy & enabling.
☀︎ I often sacrifice my own needs or wants – because it’s easier to go with the flow

☀︎ I prioritize supporting others – to the point that I leave myself behind
☀︎ I’m so good at making my own “comfy space” inside – that I mentally live there instead of engaging in the real world
☀︎ I’m so understanding of everyone’s perspective – that it’s hard to identify my own opinions

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