Those stages are somewhat based on Spiral Dynamics. They are hypothetic and possibly wrong :

Stage I :
- Inquisitive, curious, trying to acquire the bases of socionics, and trying to type himself.
- Pitfall : confusing socionics with other models, MBTT and KTT. Mistyping oneself.

Stage II :
- Wants to know what is really socionics, structuring it to himself, not confusing it with MBTT and KTT. Can eventually begin to type others.
- Pitfall : misunderstanding or misinterpretating theoretic socionics. Mistyping oneself and others.

Stage III :
- Tries to gather lots of theoretic data and to know as most as he can, and to type others.
- Pitfall : becoming a either a socionic enthousiast, or a socionic nerd, which seems to be interested on socionics but being very impractical for using it. Not typing others correctly, because of lack of experience.

Stage IV :
- Tries to understand socionic limitations and to gather social opinions and subscribe to them, the most reasonably possible though. Begins to become practical.
- Pitfall : becoming a either a socionic conformist, or an socionic rebel.

Stage V :
- Tries to understand socionic applications, and to be as practical as possible. Can begin to "teach" socionics.
- Pitfall : not understanding what does "efficiency" really mean, of finding nonsense applications. Elaborating bogus models, on the pretext that those would be "more efficient". Getting bored of socionics.

Stage VI :
- Uses socionics for understanding and helping people, with altruistic intentions, not making socionics the centre of understanding people, but using it as a tool, a model.
- Pitfall : becoming a socionic hippie, being over-ethical and lacking theoretical foundations.

Stage VII :
- Uses socionics creatively, efficiently, finding applications, elaborating efficient models. Using socionics as ethically than logically. Wants to teach socionics and making it expand.
- Pitfall : ???

Stage VIII : ???

These stages of development are not discrete states, every socionist is caracterised by several stages with various degrees.