Saturday, September 15, 2007

Instinctual Variant Stackings

Sx/so - So/sx - Sx/sp - Sp/sx - So/sp - Sp/so

What are Stackings?

The Instinctual Variants were designed by Riso and Hudson to describe the way our essential needs as humans manifest in our personalities. The sexual instinct (sx) is related to the need to mate, the social (so) to the need to be part of a group, and the self-preservation (sp) to the need for food and shelter. Each of these is ordered within our personality as a primary instinct which overrules the others, formulating how we are more likely to act in our every day lives. The second-most influential instinctual variant in our personality acts as a support to that primary instinct.

Sexual primary
people are more likely to most of the time be intense, assertive, aggressive, impulsive, focused, idealistic, and relationship and adrenaline "junkies". When less healthy, they may be especially volatile, extreme, aggressive, attacking, addicted to alcoholism or drugs, promiscuous, sacrificing anything for a rush; or they may be psychotically experientially deprived, having especially dysfunctional and unhealthy attitudes towards sex and intimacy.

Social primary
people are more likely to most of the time be funny, engaging, witty, silly, over-the-top, warm, and friendly. When less healthy, they may be socially anxious, scattered, erratic or especially resentful of social rejection.

Self-preservation primary
people are more likely to most of the time be calm, centered, thoughtful, especially aesthetic, orderly, mindful of health issues, and concerned about establishing optimum comfort and tranquility in their environment. When less healthy they may become pack-rats, overeat, over-stock, over-shop, over-binge, or go on unhealthy diets; or they may become self-destructive towards their health and security concerns and get involved in dangerous activities that ensure self-destruction.

Read on to see further descriptions of how the supporting instinctual variant augments the personality...


Sexual Primary / Social Support

"The Sensual Player"


  • Expression: intense, outer-focused
  • Energy: intense energy expressed outwards, assertively
  • Behavior: intense, assertive, sultry and aggressive
  • Mindset: "If I can maintain position and inclusion in the group/world, I can keep up and escalate all this merging/intensity."
  • Examples: Gwen Stefani

Social Primary / Sexual Support

"The Intense Appealer"

http://www.villainouscompany.com/vcblog/archives/paige%20davis.jpg
  • Expression: bright smiley, intense expression
  • Energy: outward energy expressed intensely, broadly
  • Behavior: bright, smiley, erratic and scattered
  • Mindset: "If I can get close to people with merging/intensity, I can make sure of and keep improving my position and inclusion in the group/world."
  • Examples: Paige Davis (Trading Spaces), Tom Cruise

Sexual Primary / Self-Preservation Support

"One-Man Storm"

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  • Expression: intense, self-absorbed expression
  • Energy: intense energy expressed calmly, steadily, assertively
  • Behavior: intense, assertive, troubled and self absorbed
  • Mindset: "If I can make (us) have an orderly & pleasing lifestyle, I can keep up and escalate all this merging/intensity."
  • Examples: Harlock (Arcadia of my Youth)

Self-Preservation Primary / Sexual Support

"Beautiful Dreamer"

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  • Expression: wistful self-absorbed expression, sighing, magic is in their head
  • Energy: calm, steady energy expressed intensely, withdrawing
  • Behavior: withdrawn, calm, wistful and self absorbed
  • Mindset: "I can have merging/intensity without having to leave my orderly & pleasing lifestyle." (imagination, safe people and relationships, when the safety of these are challenged they withdraw)
  • Examples: Alanis Morisette, Amelie (Amelie)

Social Primary / Self-Preservation Support

"The Collected Engage-er"

http://media.canada.com/67bc2623-9886-4c71-9f03-edf992a0aa3a/ellen_375x375.jpg
  • Expression: bright smiley, calm expression
  • Energy: outward energy expressed calmly, steadily, broadly (more flow and steady energy to their engaging and less jerkiness, gushiness, or over-the-topness like the so/sx)
  • Behavior: bright, smiley, calm and thoughtful
  • 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."
  • Examples: Hilary Clinton, Ellen Degeneres

Self-Preservation Primary / Social Support

"The Withdrawn Submissive"


  • Expression: withdrawn calm, smiley expression
  • Energy: calm, steady energy expressed outward
  • Behavior: withdrawn, calm, smiley and submissive
  • Mindset: "If I can maintain position and inclusion in the group/world, I can make sure of and keep my orderly and pleasing lifestyle." (May try to be just appealing and connected with groups enough for everyone to get out of their hair. :) )
  • Examples: Raymond (Everybody Loves Raymond)

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I first and foremost want to say that you have put together an excellent blog which accurately describes the instincts in a way that leaves a proper impression on the reader. (I love the picture of the sx/sp guy)

However, I do feel there are a couple of things missing/out of place with the post, the first and foremost of which being that the instincts are very much a percentage. I've seen people not show a specific stacking outwardly because they have them balanced almost in even thirds. The sp/sx description seems based off of someone with a very strong sx second.

Secondly and almost jokingly, Tom Cruise is not so/sx. He is a 3w2 on the enneagram which gives him a naturally outward personality, but at his center is a very conflicted and strongly intense person making him an sx/sp. Way to much of an in his own head person (Never thought I say this of Tom Cruise) with his strong thoughts and personal convictions towards things like Scientology.