[Traditional Enneagram] Impulsivity vs Spontenaeity

[five sounds]

Posted in enneagram forum because this feels 7 related to me.

I like momentum behind things. It's motivating, empowering, and I feel like decisions can be made tailored to the exact situation that way. Things might not be the same down the road and I don't know how they will be.

My question is, where's the line? How do you check yourself for impulsivity and make sure it's healthy spontenaeity? I have some thoughts on the matter, but I'll wait to share.

 

[gromit]

That is something we write in patient notes "impulsive" - usually if they are endangering themselves in some way with that kind of erratic behavior.

 

[Splash Shin]

They both are interconnected for me.

However, spontaneity is actually a product of my many interests and love of experiencing things no matter how small.
to me, it's not as spontaneous as it seems, but prehaps impulsive.
to others, it looks spontaneous because the objects i'm buying or activities i'm doing come out of nowhere or just seem random.

 

[Hitoshi-San]

I'm more impulsive than spontaneous. Easygoing, but angry. I quickly switch from one thing to the next, and often am the first to jump straight into something I shouldn't. I've literally have to remind myself not to beat the crap out of people more than I should. I seem to say all the wrong things - it's like they tumble out of my mouth.

 

[cm81]

Posted in enneagram forum because this feels 7 related to me.

I like momentum behind things. It's motivating, empowering, and I feel like decisions can be made tailored to the exact situation that way. Things might not be the same down the road and I don't know how they will be.

My question is, where's the line? How do you check yourself for impulsivity and make sure it's healthy spontenaeity? I have some thoughts on the matter, but I'll wait to share.

There's a forum for sevens? I usually get a gut jerk reaction if my spontaneity is about to get me into trouble.

* and I try not to make important decisions if my head isn't clear. learned that the hard way. a few times.

 

[cm81]

I'm more impulsive than spontaneous. Easygoing, but angry. I quickly switch from one thing to the next, and often am the first to jump straight into something I shouldn't. I've literally have to remind myself not to beat the crap out of people more than I should. I seem to say all the wrong things - it's like they tumble out of my mouth.

geez, you banshee...

 

[cm81]

They both are interconnected for me.

However, spontaneity is actually a product of my many interests and love of experiencing things no matter how small.
to me, it's not as spontaneous as it seems, but prehaps impulsive.
to others, it looks spontaneous because the objects i'm buying or activities i'm doing come out of nowhere or just seem random.

Same here. Most of my planning is carried out in my head, so to friends and family.... (mother accuses me of trying to give her a heart attack. nah)

I do stuff because I want to. (spontaneous) But I can be impulsive if I'm restless.

 

[corpseparty]

Impulsivity has weight attached to it, the consequences of impulsivity are higher than that of spontaneity.

In spontaneity it doesn't seem like either choice will have any ill effect, or the choice made doesn't influence anything but that specific event.

The impulse action is something that has major consequence, or at least a longer lasting effect that if abstained from could be avoided and if not avoided then the damage contained.

It is only a matter of risk; and a situation that was made out of impulse isn't necessarily incorrect to do.

A situation can be either, neither, or both.

ETA. Spontaneity adds an unexpected choice as well, though that unexpected choice follows the outlined role already described above.

 

[Mole]

Restraint is the sign of emotional intelligence. So to the extent we are emotionally intelligent we will restrain our impulses and give full rein to our spontaneity.

 

[Splash Shin]

Restraint is the sign of emotional intelligence. So to the extent we are emotionally intelligent we will restrain our impulses and give full rein to our spontaneity.

How would that relate to accepting boredom as a 7?

I've been wondering if I'm actually an 8w7, as some online have tried to convince me of.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you strike me as someone who could endure some amount of pain/boredom, if you know it will eventually get you what you wanted, or where you wanted to go. This is a tradeoff that most 7s aren't able to make."

I feel some truth to this, but historically i've flopped a lot of my education due to lack of interest and boredom.
The times when i can tolerate boredom/pain do exist but not often. It's more physical in nature when it happens.
I also feel like it is part of the maturity process, all be it maybe a little more difficult for the 7 to integrate into this aspect of being "grown up".

 

[five sounds]

it's interesting that most people seem to be focusing on external things, like whether they're putting themselves in danger or trouble's way.

to me the core difference between an impulse and spontaneous is being 'present', which i think of as related to being in the moment and as a consequence, spontaneous. impulses come from fears or desires, to escape something, to enjoy something...but they feel urgent. like something is hungry and needs to be satisfied. spontaneity comes from a place of being aware of your environment. observing both your feelings and thoughts and the situation and being able to move with it. like uniting with yourself and your environment rather than fighting something or trying to obtain something.

the problem comes in parsing that all out in real time. like figuring out what's coming from where and why. trying to even know what i'm actually focusing on, really. i think it's scary easy to fool ourselves.

 

[Hitoshi-San]

geez, you banshee...

Oops