Instinct Zones
In David’s theory of the instincts, each instinct has three zones. These zones run in a cycle, but they also get “stuck” the way our instinct stacking does. Within your stacking, each of your instincts has a sub-stacking or “zone stacking.”
The Three Zones
Zone 1: Arousing/Stimulating
Correlations: Sexual Instinct/Frustration
Zone 1 is the arena of internal desire and activation to escape the rut of Zone 3. It’s the zone that knows what it wants to go seek out in zone 2. Being stuck in this zone keeps you in a place of internal frustration with the instinct. It correlates with the SX instinct because it’s the initial spark of instinctual drive. It correlates with Frustration because it’s the zone that wants/grasps at specific desires within the instinct.
Zone 1 in SX
Attraction/Repulsion, personal desire, risk/edge, internal heat, what do I need to transform me
Zone 1 in SO
The chemistry of social interaction, who makes me excited or disgusted in social space, reading/interpreting/tracking
Zone 1 in SP
Internal chemistry with my own health and sensation, pleasure/pain of well-being, energy radiating from my presence, transformative health-based inner work, retail therapy, personal tastes, transforming elements (ex. Creative cooking)
Zone 2: Transmitting/Signalling
Correlations: Social Instinct/Attachment
Zone 2 is the arena of moving out of internal space to acquire what enlivens you in Zone 1. Being stuck in this zone would keep you focused on the display/sharing aspect of each instinct. It correlates with the SO instinct because it’s the other-oriented behavioural zone. It correlates with attachment because it aims to advertise/share/adapt its instinctual prowess with/to other people; it also places itself in competition with others.
Zone 2 in SX
The self as a desirable object, the mating dance, playing the field, competition for mate
Zone 2 in SO
Influence, rank, pecking order, politics, status, who’s who, adapting for roles
Zone 2 in SP
Know-how, skill sets advertised, building a name for myself, lifestyle flexibility
Zone 3: Saturating/Fortifying
Correlations: Self-Preservation Instinct/Rejection
Zone 3 is the arena of gathering what was acquired in Zone 2 and holding onto it/strengthening it. Being stuck in this zone would keep you in a “rut” space. It correlates with SP instinct because it aims to hoard/fortify its instinctual resources. It correlates with Rejection because it aims to leverage its resources and cut off from the “other” of Zone 2.
Zone 3 in SX
Hyper-focus on one sexual object, immersion/fusion, culminating physical sex act, sexual rut, “my person”
Zone 3 in SO
Hyper-focus on existing connections/friends, entrenched partisanship, community health, “my people”
Zone 3 in SP
Nest, domesticity, home, hoarding/stockpiling, food, infrastructure, unadaptable, “my stuff”
The Zone Stacking
Each instinct in your stacking will have a sub-stacking of zones.
For example, if you are SP/SO and your SP instinct leads with zone 1 and second zone 2, you will be SP1-2.
If your social instinct leads with zone 3 and second zone 1, you will be SP1-2/SO3-1.
And if your blindspot SX leads with zone 2 and second zone 1, your complete stacking would be: SP1-2/SO3-1(SX2-1)
Zone Stems
With trifix, we’ve found it helpful to characterize fixes in groups of two. For example, if you have 9 and 6 fixes in your trifix in any order, you have a 6-9 stem. This allows us to find common themes between groups of two fixes. We have done the same thing with zone stems:
1-3 Reptilian: I know what I want and need to know it’s feeding me but get stuck in that rut
1-2 Ungrounded: I know what I want and I can get it but not solidify it
2-3 The Game: I can acquire and keep stable but not aware of if it’s enlivening me, sober machinations
The Stems in SX
1-3 The Fetish
Pursuing: Sustained Sexual Gratification
Insecurity: That I won’t be able to sustain arousal with my mate
1-2 The Flirt
Pursuing: Sexual validation
Insecurity: That I’m not desirable enough to hook/sustain interest
2-3 The Player
Pursuing: Courtship rituals that secure a mate
Insecurity: That I can’t play the game properly enough to lock down a mate
The Stems in SO
1-3 The Clique
Pursuing: Sustained Social Gratification
Insecurity: That I won’t be able to sustain connection due to lack of interest
1-2 The Flake
Pursuing: Social Validation
Insecurity: That I’m not wanted/invited; that I’m expendable
2-3 The Networker
Pursuing: Courtship rituals that secure connections
Insecurity: That I don’t have a secure place in the social sphere
The Stems in SP
1-3 The Hedonist
Pursuing: Sustained physical gratification
Insecurity: That I can’t continue to derive pleasure from my possessions
1-2 The Dabbler
Pursuing: Validation that I can get needs met without follow-through
Insecurity: That I’ll never build anything
2-3 The Business
Pursuing: Procedures and formulas that secure resources
Insecurity: That I don’t have the capacity/skill/ability to acquire commodities
Final Word…
When determining your zone stacking, it’s important to differentiate between the behaviour of a zone and your stacking/type. For example, if you’re SP blind and rejection-last, there’s a possibility you’ll relate to the 1-2 stems because Zone 3 correlates with SP and Rejection. However, these are overlaps rather than direct correlations. The zones constitute a separate set of behaviours.
Addendum:
David's original theory was about instincts within the instincts. But when trying to figure out your zone stacking, it's best to think of them as three zones that happen to correlate/overlap with the three instincts AND the three object relations (in the same way that 7 for example overlaps with SO/SX but isn't the same thing). These zones are specific behaviour clusters that differ from pure instinct or type. So it's not a good idea to say "I'm very SXish for SP/SO so I'm probably 1 everything," for example. Zone 1 is something more specific than just being extra SX.
Also, it's crucial to try to imagine each of your instincts in an isolated state (as much as that's even possible) when figuring this out. So for example, I relate a lot to zone 1 because I'm a frustration type and have SX in my stacking (and zone 1 overlaps with those things). But looking at the behaviour and deepest insecurities of my SP instinct alone, I've determined that I'm zone 3 in SP.
Be wary of jumping to 1-3 on everything. In our highly individualized modern culture, it's easy to assume you're 1-3 for the same reason that historically people mistyped as SX/SP or 4. It'll be interesting to see what comes of this. Hopefully we can start typing these soon! Thanks for engaging with this
-Joseph