so/sp connection

[silke]

For all that is so/sp-related.


Soc/Sp characteristics:

Energy: Outward energy is expressed calmly, steadily, broadly. There is more flow and steady energy to their social engagement, and little of jerkiness, blurtatiousness, or over-the-topness like for the sx-first stackings.

Expression: Bright, open, cordial, friendly, acknowledging, calm, balanced expression.

Behavior: Bright, smiley, interactive, open, sociable, thoughtful, flexible, aware of the interests of others.

Motivation: To attain social acceptance, recognition, and connection with others - the "friend", the "ally", the "cultured, intellectual conversation partner" and the "socialite" - more ambitious individuals of this type may seek to achieve high social status within their chosen circle or intellectual sphere.

This is the natural political type, that naturally affiliates themselves with the opinions, views, theories, and individuals that best support and defend own their social and material interests. This affiliations and shows of support are not openly declared and often happen in the background, often invisible to the on-lookers. They are most comfortable in situations with multiple individuals interacting and can be awkward in 1:1 situations where they have to express how they feel. What this stacking is lacks in personal emotional warmth and identity could lead to problems in forming personal relationships outside of their social interests.

Mindset: "If I can establish an orderly and pleasing lifestyle, I can make sure of and keep improving my position and inclusion in the group/world."

Blind spot: May not have an awareness of the need to stimulate their emotions, to build emotional bonds, and the need for personal emotional experiences. May often limerence but struggle to develop deeper attachments. May fall into routines and, despite social connection, may feel strangely disconnected even from their friends and family members.
Likely to neglect the need to ensure physical well-being and to maintain an orderly lifestyle for the sake of their primary concern of creating social connections and ties, building their sense of personal value, accomplishment, and securing their social place with others, in the average-healthy levels.


Three ranges (or 'subtypes') of so/sp stacking:

"Warmside" So/Sp (strong soc) - This stacking pulls from Sx/So to enhance outer warmth, revving up the Soc to where they can pass off as more stereotypically So/Sx than many true So/Sx's. Not surprisingly, many supposed So/Sx's and Sx/So's are in fact So/Sp's of this warmside range. Being Sx last they tend to relate less through nonverbal expression and more through talking and joking around; but what they lack in subtlety they may make up for in overt conscientiousness, whereas So/Sx's tend to be subtle and tactful.
Roles: the populist, the humorist, the fundraiser, the entertainer, the socialite.

"Cordial" So/Sp (midrange, balanced soc and sp) - This is the classic or 'true' So/Sp, not likely to be mistaken for either So/Sx nor Sp/So. The most wide reaching and moderate of the ranges; friendly, but not ingratiating, anchored by a larger sense of community but not at the expense of delicate alliances. More verbal than the formal range, but less sociable than the warmside So/Sp. Has a strong sense of fairness and equality, though with an academic or careerist bent may come off as elitist.
Roles: the journalist, the globalist, the egalitarian.

"Formal" So/Sp (strong sp) - Pulls from Sp/Sx for a more self contained style. Soc while still primary, is muted. Can seem critical and more impersonal than the other ranges. A usual focus on topics, issues, and responsibilities affecting specific levels of society. Usually well connected, but in informal settings may let others do most of the talking. Can seem Sp-first at first glance.
Roles: the pundit, the judge, the commentator.

Posted - 09 Apr 2012 : 1:58:52 PM
I don't associate soc-firstness with social finesse/polish/graces. In fact, soc-firsts are often 'culture warriors', like Bill O'Reilly or Glenn Beck or Art Skidmore. The Apollonian light, in this case, has a desperation to it - emphasis on enlightenment.

The interest is in sending light where there is a claim of enlightenment so as to show that there is in fact really darkness there. In other words, the search party (made of light) has now inadvertently (yet advertently) lit up the space that was, in their opinion, not genuinely light-filled (or enlightened). [example: spark inside us song]

Like all neurosis, it has a circular quality to it, where the soc-first person is attracted to someone who is giving off light, and yet such enlightenment is seen, by the soc-first, as a high status position, i.e.- something the soc-first is envious of. And hence the impulse is to, you might say, double the light to uncover 'truth' and bring photographic exposure into darkness, so as to bring the other person down, status-wise.

Posted - 02 Aug 2009 : 02:40:35 AM
so/sp has a drunkenness of words.... which makes for a certain flavor of ego-inflation. Think 'hot air' and the subsequent rise of the balloon. So/sp has a distinct dryness to it - it's removed somehow from the environment, raised up high, untouchable.

Posted - 14 Aug 2009 : 10:09:09 PM
So/sp seems to want to "change the earth with the voice". [Again, earth = sp. Voice = air = soc.] And since sx is last, the interest is generally in pragmatic structural change. To me, this is where the political animal tag is coming from. Regalness also comes through as a tone here. Air is high and mighty ("Putting on airs"). And communal sunlight strikes a kingly note, as the Sun is a classic 'king' symbol. 'Communal' then refers to the king's royal subjects (the society).


The Social (SO) Instinct description taken from the Enneagram Institute Instinct Workshop Notes:

* Ability to adapt behavior [including adaptibility in conversation]
* Beginning place of altruism (as animals became more complex, the young needing longer care, a need arose for an instinct that could override sp to ensure the survival of one's children even if one's own life goes)
* Soc is subjectively experienced as caring ("giving a damn")
* Play (for fun) (or flirting in case of romantic play)
* Acceptance, interested in who others really are
* Soc decides what we say "yes" vs. "no" to socially, it's how we read situations and people and decide where to invest
* Soc brings a certain humility because of the sense of interdependence. less overestimating the relative importance of one individual self
* Most communication is soc (except for territorial (sp) and mating (sx))
* Awareness of the other (compare with sx awareness of the energy between two people, soc brings awareness of the other as themselves, as a person in their own right) and of how one's self and the other are affecting each other
* Cited a study in which the biggest factor for longevity was friendship
* Bonds between species (e.g. humans and pets) are examples of soc instinct
* One way of looking at all the major spiritual teachings are as an expansion of the soc instinct; ultimately, including all life within the soc instinct's movement toward win-win
* Under ego distortion, the soc instinct is involved in war, group dominance - though those are soc in combination with sp (survival/greed) and/or sx (competition). Straight-up/undistorted 'social' instinct is always win-win.


SO/SP Facial Composites

 

Examples: Alan Watts - So/Sp 1w9 (Gamma)