Instinctual variants aren’t concerned with motivations the way enneagram is; it’s about energy and drives. For instance being e9, I’m motivated to achieving inner peace however, being so/sx, I’m naturally inclined to seeking intense interpersonal connection to feel that I belong in society. If we assume you’re e7 sx/sp, we’ll find you’re motivated to feeling satisfied and content (to not miss out on anything) but you’re naturally inclined to preserving physical needs (sleep, food etc.) to satisfy the intensity you feel in interpersonal relations.
Personally, I don’t believe you should combine enneagram with instinctual variants however I found a few articles about e7 sp/sx and sx/sp you might be interested in reading (since the sx/sp descriptions are quite vague).
Ok, first off, thanks for taking the time for this and sorry about the late response. I knew I was going to need to be operating on all cylinders to process all of this clearly. It's tricky to solve a puzzle that I'm inside of.
Underlined, not so much
Bold, yes'm.
e7 sp-dom/sp-primary:
Getting Mine. In the average range, Self-Preservation Sevens are determined, energetic people, driven to make sure that their basic needs and comforts will always be met. Their attitudes and concerns tend to emphasize the practical and the material. (In the immortal words of Scarlett O'Hara, "As God is my witness, I will never go hungry again!") They tend to be ambitious and work hard to insure that options will remain open to them.
Self-Preservation Sevens are also classic consumers. They enjoy shopping, traveling, and pampering themselves, making it their business to gather information about the potential sources of enjoyment (catalogues, movie listings, travel and restaurant guides). These Sevens are especially on the lookout for sales and bargains, and like discussing these matters with friends. ("I just found the most darling mugs at the Pottery Barn.") While they enjoy socializing, Self-Preservation Sevens fear developing dependencies on others and avoid having others depend on them.
Less healthy Self-Preservation Sevens can feel impatient and panicky when their needs are not quickly met. They often experience anxieties about the loss of comforts or of material support and easily feel deprived. (Fears about going hungry are not uncommon.) They can be extremely demanding and cranky when frustrated, expecting others to meet their needs as soon as they are expressed—or even sooner.
In the unhealthy range, Self-Preservation Sevens can be extremely thoughtless and relentless in pursuit of security needs. They aggressively go after whatever they believe will make them feel more secure or stave off their anxiety, and brook no interference. Reckless with their finances and resources, spending out of control or gambling, they can be even more profligate with their own health and inner resources. They push themselves beyond reasonable limits, eating, drinking, and indulging themselves to excess.
This sounds like someone terrified of being without. While I feel this at times, as do most people, it’s not overwhelming or a main motivator.
On ambition, I may touch on this below, but I seem to be cursed/blessed, I seem to only be ambitious when passionate.
I deplore shopping, though I do like gadgets or items I think will make life easier.
The last underlined block, a smaller dose of that is true.
In general, no, I don’t think so.
e7 sp/sx:
This subtype is similar to the self-pres/social, but their plans and pursuits are more passionate in nature. There is often more of an artistic flair. They can be moodier then the other subtype. Their focus is more on relationships, although commitment can also be a problem for this subtype. This subtype can even be known to use introspection as an escape. They can go inward with a seeming depth, but they will usually avoid the most troublesome areas, the areas and characteristics most painful to them.
This subtype of Seven is overall more focused than the self-pres/social. Their focus is on their intimates although certainly not solely on them as they usually have many other fires burning also. They generally have a great sense of humor, sharp quick minds and many interests. These qualities might be common to all subtypes of the Seven, but in the self-pres/sexual subtype, the infusion of enthusiasm comes through when they are engaged in their plans and fulfilling them.
Bold is true, but “focus is on their intimates†ehhhh, it’s a priority, but not sure if it’s the focus.
"
the infusion of enthusiasm comes through when they are engaged in their plans and fulfilling them."
Definitely.
This type sounds more relationship focused. And while I need good relationships like freaking oxygen, it's a conflicting thing with me. Paradoxical. Maybe further below will help explain.
e7 sx-dom/sx-primary:
The Neophile. In the average range, Sexual Sevens are constantly looking for something new and beyond the ordinary; like Fours, they tend to reject the mundane. In all of their activities and interactions, they want to experience the intense charge of being alive. They see life through heightened imagination, idealizing themselves, their relationships, and reality. They often have wide-ranging curiosity and interests and are fascinated by new ideas and topics they see as being on the cutting edge. Sexual Sevens are magnetized by people whom they find interesting or refreshing. When the radar of their sexual instinct locks on the such a person, they do not hesitate to approach the person with charm and genuine interest. They feel temporarily dazzled and hypnotized by the object of their curiosity and may induce similar feelings in others. Sexual Sevens enjoy the excitement of fantasizing about future adventures and shared interest with the nre person. They love wild ideas, wit, and humor — their minds move very quickly, but this can also cause restlessness with themselves and their relationships.
Less healthy
Sexual Sevens can become fickle — both with their interests and with their affections. They fear commitment, preferring the intense feelings of infatuation that occur in the earliest stages of a relationship. (They love falling in love.) They revel in romance and in the process of mutual discovery, but as soon as the feelings become familiar, they are ready to explore other possibilities. Similarly, restlessness causes them to lack discernment. They may get involved in faddish or sensational ideas in glitzy packaging that are little more than temporary distractions. Disappointment soon follows.
In the unhealthy range, Sexual Sevens become even more reckless in their pursuit of charged excitement. They may involve themselves in crazy schemes and unrealistic or dangerous love affairs. They become thrill-seekers, looking for more and more extraordinary sources of entertainment while being less and less affected by any of it. They become hardened and dissipated from living on the edge, often burning out or damaging themselves in some permanent way from their excesses.
All in all, pretty accurate, bold especially.
Unfortunately, for me, true of the “Less healthy,†but I suppose we all have our “at our worst†behaviors.
As for the rest, this type sounds closest, but the
underlined, I feel pretty grounded, but maybe that has come with maturity, being a bit older. It still has some truth though.
e7 sx/sp:
The energy of the sexual instinct is, in some ways, at odds with the type Seven fixation. The Seven’s focus is future oriented and outward, away from the inner world, while the sexual variant is instinctual and dwells on the inner self as far as relationships and identity are concerned. This combination can make for a Seven that can be Four-like in many ways. They can have a flamboyant style and be very moody and intense. In relationships, there is often a push-pull quality. They are very attracted to the falling in love part. The buzz and high of that is very stimulating to them, almost drug-like for them. Their problems come when that buzz wears off. They want to recreate it again and again, but they also have a way of becoming attached and sometimes very dependent on their romantic partners. On the down side, they can be very clingy but don’t want at the same time to lose their freedom. When unhealthy, they can be very selfish in these relationships, things become one-sided in a way that favors the interests of the Seven.
The sexual/self-pres Seven’s addictive behavior with relationships can extend to other areas, like music, and performing in general. The rock star image and lifestyle can be attractive to the sexual Seven. Many rock stars are sexual Sevens the buzz they experience from music can be similar to what they experience in relationships. Creativity can also function as a release of frustration from the boredom.
At this point, I’m leaning towards sx/sp (I think we have a winner!). Bolded all especially true, but again, I feel I’ve become a bit more easy to please or be contented, which for me, is still no small feat.
And the bit I mentioned about needing relationships but also craving what's "out there" and freedom, very often creates inner and outer conflict.
The underlined, clingy, nope. With the rare SO I can and have felt that way, powerfully, but I have way too much pride to become desperate and believe myself to be too understanding to be one-sided. I will let someone go if I feel I’m not healthy for them, even if I don’t want to.
Rock Stars, ha. Too many drugs, too skeezy. Maybe a Rapper? ha
And I pulled this from another post:
I think most people aren’t aware that their secondary instinct is wielded effectively and comfortably, their primary instinct is the one in which they struggle with extremes (a sort of all-or-nothing approach).
strong-willed and energetic (very sx-dom/sx-primary)
(what I mean is that you can look after sp with ease indicating that you’re sp-secondary not sp-primary).
"You build relations quickly and boldly but struggle with the intensity of these, you can be lacking or excessive, you struggle with reaching a happy medium hence the “cold†or “hot†phenomena of an sx-primary."
Stackings in syn-flow (sp/so, so/sx and sx/sp) are drawn toward people, they tend to support and appreciate others, stackings in the contra-flow (so/sp, sp/sx and sx/so) go against people (they tend to themselves above all).
The bold definitely cleared up a LOT of my confusion. I am definitely drawn to people. Even friggin' strangers. Sometimes I'm sad to end a small talk session with the cashier, haha.
Strong-willed, energetic, definitely, as long as I haven't dipped into the unhealthy, even then though, I can be depressed, but light up around people, temporarily forgetting I'm depressed.
"You build relations quickly and boldly but struggle with the intensity of these, you can be lacking or excessive, you struggle with reaching a happy medium hence the “cold†or “hot†phenomena of an sx-primary."
^^^Also, definitely. I feel like the last 10 years of my life have been trying to find a balance. Still not there yet. The first 20ish years, external structure took care of that. Another reason that structure, and routine is critical for me, I think. At least some level of it, I'll always crave the spontaneous, always have an adventurous spirit, but a base to come back to is needed.
Going through all this constructive self-reflection felt a bit like giving birth, as I imagine it. haha, ok maybe a little dramatic, but not exactly easy, but I feel better and a little more self-aware (also, during labor, my spell checking and even thoughts may be off or unclear).
Thanks, D