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Instinct Stackings: How To Discern True Instinct from Learned Behavior

A

Anew Leaf

Guest
I test high in both SX and SP and pretty low in SO.

However, I have a hard time parsing through which is my dominant function. Analyzing myself I find a correlation between SX and when I am in a FiNe state of mind. I also see a correlation between SP and when I am in a more SiTe kind of mode.

I don't want to completely ignore SO on the three for if I am wrong about how I stack, I may be considering myself less SO than I truly am. However, SO feels more like a learned behavior to me... wherein being social isn't something I was good at when I was younger and I had to adapt and learn social things. But I was thinking that my newfound social nature has correlated to me feeling good about myself for the first time in my entire life.

I feel like I am rambling at this point and so I shall stop. Thank you for any and all feedback and thoughts.

(This was partly inspired from [MENTION=4324]Kasper[/MENTION]'s journey of self reflection from where he discovered he isn't an SP-dom but an SO-dom.)
 

exact

Permabanned
Joined
Dec 16, 2011
Messages
59
MBTI Type
ENTP
Surely it doesn't matter if your behaviour is 'learned' or 'instinctive'; it's still your behaviour.
 
S

Society

Guest
well, i think instinctual variants might have a lot to do with attachment styles:
Sx-dom's needing intimacy are more likely to be dependent.
Sp-dom's looking to avoid getting hurt are more likely to be avoident.
So-dom's living in a world of alternative prospects are more likely to be confident.

and as much as i would rather it not be the case (its never nice to think of yourself as dependent), i remember reading research that found that attachment styles later on in life correlate to early signs of how babies react to their mothers.

so that seems to be a win of nature over nurture.
 

Kasper

Diabolical
Joined
May 30, 2008
Messages
11,590
MBTI Type
ENTP
Enneagram
9w8
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
One of the things that helped me was understanding what was a bigger issue in my life in both working with the instinct, and working against, So doms are not only social, they also flip to anti-social, whereas Sx's are more likely to be aware of the flipping between being promiscuous and abstinent and Sp's can be both cautious and self-destructive. You tend to be both when it comes to your dominant instinct, which can skew things.

On most tests I score as very, very Sp followed by next to nothing with So and Sx, I find the tests and information out there tends to follow stereotypes which I found hard to separate myself from, they focus on So's being social and being aware of it, anti-social behaviour tends to score under Sp and there are other aspects that are similar, I expect a descructive Sp would show as Sx and an abstinent Sx as So. I did find one particularly helpful for me though, I'll PM you something.
 
A

Anew Leaf

Guest
One of the things that helped me was understanding what was a bigger issue in my life in both working with the instinct, and working against, So doms are not only social, they also flip to anti-social, whereas Sx's are more likely to be aware of the flipping between being promiscuous and abstinent and Sp's can be both cautious and self-destructive. You tend to be both when it comes to your dominant instinct, which can skew things.

On most tests I score as very, very Sp followed by next to nothing with So and Sx, I find the tests and information out there tends to follow stereotypes which I found hard to separate myself from, they focus on So's being social and being aware of it, anti-social behaviour tends to score under Sp and there are other aspects that are similar, I expect a descructive Sp would show as Sx and an abstinent Sx as So. I did find one particularly helpful for me though, I'll PM you something.

Thank you very much! I am thinking on it right now. :hug:

For me what I recognize as being "Self-Prez" is my over reaction to all things money. I never feel I have enough money to be "safe" and it causes me stress and worry. I make a budget each money and when I am just looking at numbers I get very frugal about everything... however, in the moment when I am shopping I spend more than I projected earlier in the month, and it makes me feel out of control and stressed/worried.

So I am not sure if I am Sp-dom or not.

I will see what your test yields up. :)
 

Southern Kross

Away with the fairies
Joined
Dec 22, 2008
Messages
2,910
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
4w5
Instinctual Variant
so/sp
One of the things that helped me was understanding what was a bigger issue in my life in both working with the instinct, and working against, So doms are not only social, they also flip to anti-social, whereas Sx's are more likely to be aware of the flipping between being promiscuous and abstinent and Sp's can be both cautious and self-destructive. You tend to be both when it comes to your dominant instinct, which can skew things.
:yes:

On most tests I score as very, very Sp followed by next to nothing with So and Sx, I find the tests and information out there tends to follow stereotypes which I found hard to separate myself from, they focus on So's being social and being aware of it, anti-social behaviour tends to score under Sp and there are other aspects that are similar, I expect a descructive Sp would show as Sx and an abstinent Sx as So. I did find one particularly helpful for me though, I'll PM you something.
Yeah, I'm So-first and I test very Sp also. I'm an anti-social So and I have a 5 wing, which throws things off. I think the problem is that the tests often only ask questions about the positive usage (not that it's always good though) of the instinct; eg. asking Sps about their need for safety and security, rather than their general attunement or mental alignment to risk (which covers both being risk-taking and risk-adverse) .
 

Such Irony

Honor Thy Inferior
Joined
Jul 23, 2010
Messages
5,059
MBTI Type
INtp
Enneagram
5w6
Instinctual Variant
sp/so
One of the things that helped me was understanding what was a bigger issue in my life in both working with the instinct, and working against, So doms are not only social, they also flip to anti-social, whereas Sx's are more likely to be aware of the flipping between being promiscuous and abstinent and Sp's can be both cautious and self-destructive. You tend to be both when it comes to your dominant instinct, which can skew things.

Interesting way of looking at it. I would be clearly SO by that description.

On most tests I score as very, very Sp followed by next to nothing with So and Sx, I find the tests and information out there tends to follow stereotypes which I found hard to separate myself from, they focus on So's being social and being aware of it, anti-social behaviour tends to score under Sp and there are other aspects that are similar, I expect a descructive Sp would show as Sx and an abstinent Sx as So. I did find one particularly helpful for me though, I'll PM you something.

I've always had problems with variant tests for that reason. I find that I don't clearly fit the stereotypes for any of them. Awhile back I asked the forum what they saw my variant as and I think the most common response was SO/SP followed by SP/SO. The social variant confuses me because I'm a 5, which doesn't exactly fit the stereotype of being social. I need more alone time to just sit and reflect on things. I do want be seen as valuable to society and the larger community but I would find all the social promotion and climbing the ladder stuff exhausting, yet the social descriptions seem to emphasize that. Also, there's certain social norms I'm still struggling to grasp and growing up, I was so out of touch with all of that stuff. I struggled between wanting to fit in and just do my own thing.
 

Kasper

Diabolical
Joined
May 30, 2008
Messages
11,590
MBTI Type
ENTP
Enneagram
9w8
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
For me what I recognize as being "Self-Prez" is my over reaction to all things money. I never feel I have enough money to be "safe" and it causes me stress and worry. I make a budget each money and when I am just looking at numbers I get very frugal about everything... however, in the moment when I am shopping I spend more than I projected earlier in the month, and it makes me feel out of control and stressed/worried.

So I am not sure if I am Sp-dom or not.

I will see what your test yields up. :)

You don't state anything that causes my non-Sp alerts to be raised. As a So I can assure you being anti-social, despite how often I am, is not comfortable, for a Sx not connecting isn't okay, and for Sps I must presume that being irresponsible with one's basic needs and securities would be something to cause stress.

Let me know how you went with what I sent you and if it helped or not.


Yeah, I'm So-first and I test very Sp also. I'm an anti-social So and I have a 5 wing, which throws things off. I think the problem is that the tests often only ask questions about the positive usage (not that it's always good though) of the instinct; eg. asking Sps about their need for safety and security, rather than their general attunement or mental alignment to risk (which covers both being risk-taking and risk-adverse) .

Egg-zachery!!

Unfortunately the info I sent Saturned was from a paid test that I won't reproduce in public as I'm sure the creaters would be pissed, but I believe it bypassed that simplistic view of the instincts and fully grasped what would be on the mind of each type.


Interesting way of looking at it. I would be clearly SO by that description.

I've always had problems with variant tests for that reason. I find that I don't clearly fit the stereotypes for any of them. Awhile back I asked the forum what they saw my variant as and I think the most common response was SO/SP followed by SP/SO. The social variant confuses me because I'm a 5, which doesn't exactly fit the stereotype of being social. I need more alone time to just sit and reflect on things. I do want be seen as valuable to society and the larger community but I would find all the social promotion and climbing the ladder stuff exhausting, yet the social descriptions seem to emphasize that. Also, there's certain social norms I'm still struggling to grasp and growing up, I was so out of touch with all of that stuff. I struggled between wanting to fit in and just do my own thing.

5 plus Sp are the most common type descriptions you'll read for any 5. So 5s are a pure delight to me because of the major need to maintain independence and alone time combined with a desire to fit in and be accepted as part of a greater society. In my biased view it creates a balance. I would expect many 5s would mistype as Sp's.
 
A

Anew Leaf

Guest
This test was pretty awesome.

I came out SX (19), SP (12), and SO (5).

There were 3-4 questions where it was almost a tie between SP and SX. I typically score very high on both categories within a few points of each other.

I think I am slightly more SX than SP, but perhaps having two instincts so close together is what causes the problems within me.

It's like I have the Autobots and Decepticons battling within me.
 

Rasofy

royal member
Joined
Mar 7, 2011
Messages
5,881
MBTI Type
INTP
Enneagram
5w6
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
I think you are a sx/sp. You seem to be more ''intense'' than sp/sx's.
A while ago I was in doubt on whether I was a sp/sx or a sp/so and some threads on Enneagram Institute really helped me. It helps that this is their focus, so a lot of people know very well what they talk about.
This thread is about sx/sp vs sp/sx, perhaps it can help ya:
http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=26368
 

Totenkindly

@.~*virinaĉo*~.@
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Messages
50,192
MBTI Type
BELF
Enneagram
594
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
Doctor: quick! This girl needs 12 cc's of Shia lebouf!
Me: let me die.

^^^
End of life decisions are often emotionally difficult and painful to make, with answers hard-won and terribly fought.

...However, in a few like this one, they are not.
 

Totenkindly

@.~*virinaĉo*~.@
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Messages
50,192
MBTI Type
BELF
Enneagram
594
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp

Rasofy

royal member
Joined
Mar 7, 2011
Messages
5,881
MBTI Type
INTP
Enneagram
5w6
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
Best answers:

Sx-firsts have scary rotating concentric circles in their eyes

.....

SP/SO: helium-filled balloon, morning/evening, breeze.
SP/SX: leather pouch filled with foodstuffs, midday/midnight, thunder.
SX/SP: hollowed-out tree, twilight, drizzle.
:yesss:
 
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