sx/sp: ranges

[niffer]

For sx/sp-ers, which version of sx/sp do you most identify with from this article?:

http://www.the16types.info/vbulletin...tual-Stackings

"The three ranges for sx/sp:

"Seducer" Sx/Sp (strong sx, weak sp) - Sx in full command produces an active recruiter of potential mates, but being sx/sp this remains in the yin mode of seducing. Charismatic and overtly sexualized. Arguably the most purely Sx of all stacks and ranges. Draws from the So/Sx shadow to liven up Sx into an erotic playfulness and to keep Sx far ahead of their relatively nominal Sp. There is an emotional yearning to their mating ritual; an inherently unstable range that can lead to a pattern of serial heartbreaks. Often confused for Sx/So.

"Mystifier" Sx/Sp (midrange, balanced sp and sx) - The range where the mystique of the sx/sp stack is at its strongest. Unconsciously attracts with intense eye contact and other Sx 'feelers', but holds back enough to give them a kind of untouchable or hard to get close to quality. Depending on their true intentions, this subtype can either frustrate their Sx or reward their functional sp cooling system. Like midrangers of all stacks, there's a seemingly casual approach to meeting their variant needs as the secondary instinct is kept both in play and at bay, while others may wonder what they really want.

"Wanderer" Sx/Sp (strong sp) - The most classically 'blocked' of the Sx's, often exchanging intimacy in favor of the more immediate pleasures of the physical senses. Paradoxically the most wandering and restless of the Sx/Sp's. Pulls from Sp/So to ensure the Sx flood is contained by the Sp levee, which can provide a sense of stability at the expense of seeming put off by others. Sex can mean a hollow satisfying of the instinct, while more vulnerable feelings are suspended. Quietly charged but muted. Can seem self pres first."


I identify most with "Seducer". It helps explain why I had trouble choosing between sx/sp and sx/so for so long too.

[silke]

wanderer

[Bertrand]

I've been called wanderer and mysterious by different people on different occasions... I feel like I'm somewhere in there, with a little variance based on the vicissitudes of life

[mclane]

All of them at different points in my life, but I am currently a Wanderer (strong sp) although I don't fully agree with the description.

[Aylen]

Mystifier right now but I don't relate to the whole description of any of them. I move through them all, depending. I just wanted to remove what I wrote before because it needs more explanation, that niffer has already heard. Stuff I am not getting into on here.

[niffer]

All of them at different points in my life, but I am currently a Wanderer (strong sp) although I don't fully agree with the description.

Which parts don't match up with you? What would you change it to instead?

[mclane]

I'll go part by part.

"Wanderer" Sx/Sp (strong sp) - The most classically 'blocked' of the Sx's, often exchanging intimacy in favor of the more immediate pleasures of the physical senses.

Can't relate much to this part. I think it is referring to sex. Perhaps smoking qualifies (I smoke).

Paradoxically the most wandering and restless of the Sx/Sp's.

Sounds more or less true, except that this one, having a strong sp doesn't make much sense that would be the most restless. SP is all about stability (i.e. homeostasis).

Pulls from Sp/So to ensure the Sx flood is contained by the Sp levee, which can provide a sense of stability at the expense of seeming put off by others.

Yes. In fact, a person here I exchanged some PM's with claimed that I was an sp/so. It seems being a strong sp sx/sp strengthens the sx->sp->so pathwayof the sync-flow branch of stackings. This makes this sx/sp resemble sp/so. In my case, since my So is minimal, and my sx seems to be sort of "deactivated" ,what I'm left with is almost a pure sp. A total loner. Being "put off by others" sounds like good description.

Sex can mean a hollow satisfying of the instinct, while more vulnerable feelings are suspended.

Not true in my case. I simply don't engage with anybody, waiting for someone I want to activate my sx instinct again. Then, the full package would ensue, with passion, emotion, and thanatos sex.

Quietly charged but muted.

I think this is accurate impression of the vibe I give off.

Can seem self pres first."

Indeed.

[Samson]

"Wanderer" Sx/Sp (strong sp) - The most classically 'blocked' of the Sx's, often exchanging intimacy in favor of the more immediate pleasures of the physical senses. Paradoxically the most wandering and restless of the Sx/Sp's. Pulls from Sp/So to ensure the Sx flood is contained by the Sp levee, which can provide a sense of stability at the expense of seeming put off by others. Sex can mean a hollow satisfying of the instinct, while more vulnerable feelings are suspended. Quietly charged but muted. Can seem self pres first."

How is this Sx dom though? Sx 'blocked' by Sp is Sp/Sx.

"often exchanging intimacy in favor of the more immediate pleasures of the physical senses" "Pulls from Sp/So to ensure the Sx flood is contained by the Sp levee, which can provide a sense of stability at the expense of seeming put off by others. " "Quietly charged but muted."
==> Sp/Sx !!!!
What Sx dom can "contain the Sx flood"?
"Can seem self pres first." ==> Because it is.

[mclane]

How is this Sx dom though? Sx 'blocked' by Sp is Sp/Sx.

"often exchanging intimacy in favor of the more immediate pleasures of the physical senses" "Pulls from Sp/So to ensure the Sx flood is contained by the Sp levee, which can provide a sense of stability at the expense of seeming put off by others. " "Quietly charged but muted."
==> Sp/Sx !!!!
What Sx dom can "contain the Sx flood"?
"Can seem self pres first." ==> Because it is.

No, because the priority is still sx.

[silke]

How is this Sx dom though? Sx 'blocked' by Sp is Sp/Sx.

"often exchanging intimacy in favor of the more immediate pleasures of the physical senses" "Pulls from Sp/So to ensure the Sx flood is contained by the Sp levee, which can provide a sense of stability at the expense of seeming put off by others. " "Quietly charged but muted."
==> Sp/Sx !!!!
What Sx dom can "contain the Sx flood"?
"Can seem self pres first." ==> Because it is.

Instincts have certain "roles" and "applications" that are fixed in accordance to their positioning in the stacking. Even if one instinct is accentuated and expressed to an excess, it's "role" or "function" never changes because its position is fixed (same as in Socionics accentuated creative function never switches to become leading one no matter how strongly it is expressed). This is easier to see if you break down the instinct stackings into two parts, similar to model A. There are: 1) positions in the stacking (similar to functions of Model A), and 2) instincts that fill out those positions (similar to information elements). The combination of the two gives the full stacking. And while there's local accentuation, the position of the instinct in the stacking and the corresponding "role" of that position that the instinct will play for you never change.


Strongly expressed Sp was the reason I typed as Sp/Sx for several years when I was first introduced to the enneagram. Because most of what I could see of my life was Sp Sp Sp and more Sp. It took a while and some introspection to realize that the Sp part of me was always turned outwards, to the outside, towards the environment, that this was how I dealt with my surroundings. When I looked inside deep within, it turned out it wasn't the primary concern, and in fact it would get overriden and flung aside. There was a pocket of feelings hiding there instead.

The 'syn' and 'contra'-flows provided an additional clue - I kept attracting So/Sx's to myself as friends, which was described by at least two people on the old Enneagram Institute board, both of whom typed as Sx/Sp. This feedback was later incorporated by David Gray as part of his syn/contra flow theory.

So putting these clues together it 'clicked' for me at some point that my real stacking was Sx/Sp and that due to heavy accentuation of secondary instinct I have mistaken it for my primary one. I've developed some prejudice against Sx/Sp stacking initially, as someone who hasn't grown out of their highschool angst, so realizing that was my own stacking it was like "Noooooooooo!" LOL

Nowadays that I've got this cleared up, I see other people make this same mistake all the time: mistaking strong secondary for primary. Especially newcomers to the instinct theory, since this isn't properly explained and expanded in any instinct sources that I've seen.

[niffer]

I see other people make this same mistake all the time: mistaking strong secondary for primary. Especially newcomers to the instinct theory, since this isn't properly explained and expanded in any instinct sources that I've seen.

I had sp/sx considered for me for a time too. I want to add that another thing that confounds people figuring out their types is the concept where the secondary instinct is supposed to feel more "natural" than the first instinct. While actually the first instinct is just as natural, just the drive for the second instinct is a bit more relaxed (or so I'm interpreting it).

Strongly expressed Sp was the reason I typed as Sp/Sx for several years when I was first introduced to the enneagram. Because most of what I could see of my life was Sp Sp Sp and more Sp. It took a while and some introspection to realize that the Sp part of me was always turned outwards, to the outside, towards the environment, that this was how I dealt with my surroundings. When I looked inside deep within, it turned out it wasn't the primary concern, and in fact it would get overriden and flung aside. There was a pocket of feelings hiding there instead.

sp vs sx is tough I think because sx is actually quite abstract when you really think about it (considering it's not necessarily about sex itself). Unless you're having sex all day and night, it's hard to tell yourself you're finding evidence for how it manifests. You can essentially mostly either do it through people (which seems so), through the environment (which seems sp) or through some spiritual feelings I guess (which are invisible).