Hypothesis: each center has got it's own stacking

[lavos]

Report any evidence you might have found.

[maniac]

What do you mean?

These are the similarities between instincts and types imo:

1=so/sp
2=sx/so
3=soc
4=sx/sp
5=sp/sx
6=sp
7=so/sx
8=sp/so
9=sx

(Every type has elements similar to probably each instinct, but this is what they're most like)

[lavos]

I should have clarified. The hypothesys is that each fix a person has, carries with it its own instinctual stacking. For example, check out @Fvaelynn or @Neokortex signatures. Under this hypothesis, somebody for example could have a 8w9 sx/sp 2w3 so/sx 5w4 so/sp, as their trifix.

[Neokortex]

I voted: Yes. But! Evidence only comes with introspection and reflection on social interactions.

I read this, uhm, Oceanmoonshine's description, someone has posted them on PerC, it has descriptions to all the type (e.g. so/sp 8, so/sx 8, etc..). Now the biggest hint for me was to recognize I'm an So/Sp 4, a less intense one, than the Sx/Sp 4.

Altogether I'm a lot more adaptive with my emotions, than say, an ESTP would. Especially NTs and STs, since they aren't as good as learning languages and chameleoning/adapting to other cultures, they will be more resistant emotion/image/cultural ambience-wise to blending in. Hence, easier to bump into misunderstaning, they'd be more prone to other them, form feelings of animosity towards distant cultures and sometimes (perhaps with Sx) develop a stronger bias, "patriotism"/nationalism to their own culture (Social types also, but then their heart type is their Sx blind spot). Whereas social feelers like me, I'm compromising with my emotions to such a degree that it becomes detrimental. I allow others' emotions to come first because I'm "flexible"/open minded/"Perceiver" when it comes to different cultural logics... I even doubt the relevance of my own feelings. I'm so humble even that when according to my culture's behavior/signification logic someone else treads on my dignity I'll try first to decode their culture first before coming to an emotional-ethical conclusion about it. Sx heart types may be more unyielding with what they may perceive as injuries inflicted on them and dare to speak out if they find others' emotional display shallow, fake. I do not speak out about emotions - I also have shallow, distant, mostly fake (compared to the desperation, melancholy I feel inside but my mother's voice keeps telling me not to show them) emotional reactions. Similarly with art, I'm rather self-conscious, since so 4 is a first strategy (or "fix") I tend to postpone creativity for security, career oriented pursuits and often subordinate creativity, personal expression to those endeavors (by cultivating a style of approach, leave my signature in inconspicuous ways, etc., --- the "life is a performance" aspect of 4). I'm more like Andy Warhol, I know and worry more about the origins of my inspiration, instead of just giving it an assertive approach. Sx heart types instead appear very confident in self-image-feeling-expression in their arts, even if not absolutely genuine, they take a shape with an inherent unity to them, which makes them recognizable, memorable, with lasting impressions elevating them to cult status. + it's so/sp 4w5 because there are times when I really have to face my emotions and I switch gears and enter into this more being myself mode, then I really feel the inconfidence, the social image worry but at the same time I'm more empathetic about others' emotions, I feel them better, as well as feeling my own emotional inner life... when I'm in Sx/Sp mode, that's when I'm the least empathetic with others, except for an intellectual understanding and general ethics. So when in so/sp 4 mode I try to appeal, when my lot is bad, I even "disintegrate" or take up qualities of a 2 but don't go to such lengths as an So/Sx would, will be more withdrawn instead of a "social butterfly" bubbly or sensual.

I noticed a definite switch of focus with the 6, afraid, paranoid, I may look up some group to join to feel safer but I never identify with their cause, I'm more feline like.

And Sx/Sp 1... Beatrice Chestnut's description hits the nail on the head.

All in all, there are various "gears" I can be in, so reading the descriptions can make one realize that they aren't just this or just that. These will cease to be just "instincts;" instead, they become more like abstract attributional priorities/strategies... whether one plays out that Enneagram in the private sphere or the public sphere... usually we are all socials with our family members in the beginning, we trust them, get in sync with them. But when things don't work out, end up in toxic groups, we may learn to detach and be less trustful of herd mentality. But common sense dictates that noone survives just alone so we all keep relying on modern amenities, technology, services, cultural habits, etc.. It depends on which Enneagram has the most detached aspect that determines on which area of life we become uncompromising to an extent to become alienated partially from society as a whole. Even socials can feel this. Overall, all these "sets" do give out an average or mean "instinctual manifestation" that can be given names such as "So/Sp," "So/Sx", because if one has Sx, in their general everyday behavior, whoever they may be with, some idiosyncrasy must be apparent. It may not look like groundbreaking at first because it may be just some "spill-over," smaller bursts from that other area, although, if one brings the topic to that area, say E2, then it should come out fully (e.g.: someone who was denied to help by their parents/peer group feels that the whole society has to be gone against because there are silent victims who need help, etc.).

[VenusRose]

ooooh fun. These are probably very subjective but this is what it feels like to me:

1- sx
2 - so/sx
3 - sp/sx
4 - sx/sp
5 - sp/sx
6 - sp/so?
7 - so/sp?
8 - sp/sx
9 - sp/sx

They might be kind of arbitrary, but yeah.

I am not sure what you mean by 'centers'
if you mean heart/head/gut you could divide it up as sx/so/sp if you wanted to...
But there are a lot of centers within the enneagram types. People also associate certain instincts with Socionics quadras and/or types; but as I mentioned before, it's all very subjective.