instinct stacking

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Now that the three instinctual drives have been introduced, it is time to look at how all three of them interact within us. We have and require all three drives, but we become over/less identified with specific ones. The “stacking” is referring to which instincts we focus on vs. ignore. All three are in the stacking in levels. 

Dominant Instinct 

The first instinct in our stacking is the dominant one, or the one that we are most focused on. This instinct is so powerful in us that we almost can’t see it. This is similar to the way we need oxygen desperately without being conscious of it or knowing how it works. People can sometimes think that their dominant instinct is their blind spot, because it can be difficult to observe our intrinsic behaviour as being separate from who we are. Also, it just seems so obvious that this stuff is the most important, that it is difficult to imagine NOT focusing on it. This instinct can either be SP, SX, or SO. The large majority of the population dominates with SP, as it is the most basic of survival needs.

Secondary Instinct

The second instinct in our stacking is one that we focus on, but the stakes feel lower when we react to those issues. In can work to either support or antagonize the dominant instinct, where most of our energy is spent. This area is a place we might feel comfortable dipping our feet in without plunging into the deep end, as the dominant instinct pulls focus. This is the instinct that causes us the least problems. The dominant and secondary instinct dually form the general focus of our lives. Nevertheless, this area can be reactive and problematic as well, as it is still an instinctual focus.

The Blind Spot

The third instinct can be as problematic as the first but for a different reason. It is the area that we ignore due to the polar pull of the dominant. This is the area that we feel isn’t crucial or important, and we generally try to meet the aims of this instinct using the strategies of the dominant and secondary instincts. Integrating this instinct can be as challenging as attempting to tame the dominant. It is clumsy and underused. If the more dominant instincts are experiencing some level of satiation momentarily, the blind spot is easier to integrate. On the other hand, the blind spot can be something that we are good at in one small facet because it’s something we don’t worry about. It can also be something that suddenly overwhelms us in situations where our blindness to it becomes an issue. When labelling our stacking, we do not include the blind spot. For example, “SP/SO stacking” refers to dominant SP, secondary SO, and SX blind spot.

There are six instinctual stackings. In order of approximate frequency in the population, they are as follows: SP/SO, SO/SP, SP/SX, SO/SX, SX/SP, and SX/SO. The instinctual focuses are expressed differently depending on the stacking.

nicknames

The following are some nicknames for the stackings that are meant to be broad, abstract archetypes describing the energy focus of each stacking. There are MANY iterations of each stacking and no one person would ever relate to all the nicknames for their stacking. They are highly relative to one's core type/trifix. However, each stacking creates a certain energy in the world, and these nicknames are meant to illustrate how some common themes hold their origin in instinctual stackings.

Secondary instinct

The area of the 2nd instinct acts as a "playground" of sorts in support of the first instinct. We are reactive to the issues of the 2nd instinct, but much less is "at stake" than with the dominant instinct. I'm calling it a playground or play area because we can be more flippant and exhibitionistic in this area. This is because it is neither an ignored blind spot nor an extremely important dominating focus in our lives as is the dominant.

SP playground in SO/SP and SX/SP

• The body and its wellness as something to toy/experiment with

  • Cutting and distorting the body for the purpose of a social message or sexual display

  • Focus on "group" identities that are concrete such as gender/race/nationality

  • SO/SP turning themselves into a protest instrument"  

  • SX/SP doing SX "vulnerability" by physically transforming their bodies

• Money and fitness as instruments of the first instinct

  • SO/SP using money or fitness as a point of "status pride"

  • SX/SP using fitness for the purposes of being a sexual object

SO playground in SP/SO and SX/SO

• Interactions and connections are easy but not particular

  • Adept at communicating and interacting, but not being hyper-particular about who/what/where/when/how

• Travel and "culture"

  • A focus on travelling and discovering other cultures, less of a concern about establishing a firm identity in one place

  • Culture in general as something that can be discovered in a new place, you can immerse yourself in it, and then leave

• "People" as an instrument to assist with primary instinct

  • SP/SO making friends and partnered connections for shared resources

  • SX/SO playing with cultural ideas as part of sexual display

SX playground in SP/SX and SO/SX

• Loud/Accidental sexual display

  • SO/SX particularly flippantly using explicit sexuality as something to toy around with and act as an inviting aspect of their social identity

  • SP/SX accidentally allowing their sexuality to ooze out without much particular control over how

• The chase without the obsession

  • Being drawn to opening yourself up in a vulnerable way to allow the complete takeover of another being, but then being able to move on to another object without becoming completely immersed like SX-first

• Injecting "sex" into the primary instinct

  • SP/SX charging the atmosphere/physical environment with an allure

  • SO/SX pushing the glamour and spice of sex into status hierarchies, manifesting as royal themes/crews/nicknames

Blind spot

Sexual Blind Spot - SP/SO and SO/SP

The areas ignored by these two stackings are the three elements of the Sexual instinct:
1. Arousal/Repulsion, 2. Fusion, and 3. Chemistry. 

1. Arousal/Repulsion: Sexual-blinds are often not as in-tune with what turns them on energetically. They can have strong passions and interests, but the level of whole-self immersion in someone/something is less. The SX-blind stackings are perfectly capable of having enjoyable sex, but this area might be less of a “sacred” place for them. Some SX-blinds will not want to have sex unless they’re in “love” (or feel a social bond), and others are comfortable satisfying their sexual urges as simply a bodily function that’s enjoyable (especially SP/SO). This is contrary to the mating dance that SX-doms play into, the attraction strategy is the things they’re over-identified with, rather than the physical
   “doing it” part. However, all people are capable of enjoying sex (unless asexual). Sometimes SX-blinds are less immediately aware of who’s into them, who’s attracted; it might take them a bit longer to know if they’re completely interested or drawn in. Some SX-blinds can feel basic arousal immediately when attracting a new mate, and some need a bit of time. They often aren’t always aware of what makes them attractive or engaging in a way that hooks people.

2. Fusion: SX-blinds will attempt to “merge” with people using Social strategies, being more interested in meeting a person where they’re at. There is a stronger sense of reciprocity in the connection, vs. the Sexual connection being somewhat objectifying the other for an energy fix. They will also lack the psychological androgyny of SX-doms in the sense of having a boundary up that blocks their “opening” or “penetrating.” The idea of tossing Social rules aside and allowing yourself to yield to another can feel like “too much.” SX-blinds can feel strongly about another sexually or romantically, but they are not identified with completely losing themselves as a slave to attraction. SX-blinds might focus their attraction strategy on their dominant instinct instead, with SP/SO often assuming that the “body” being fit or thin is the key to attraction, and SO/SP assuming that their social display/affiliations/successes/friendliness is the key to attraction.

3. Chemistry: SX-blinds will be less aware of energetic chemistry between two people of being magnetically drawn to each other like a moth to a flame. This is something that might be subverted or seen as “intense” or “dangerous” in the psyche. In a way, SX-blinds like to believe that they have some cognitive human power over who they’re attracted to and what they’re drawn to, rather than being a slave to our own animal instincts. The idea that we actually have no choice in the matter of strong attractions is something that is ignored or overridden with Social choice. SX-blinds may try to create chemistry by using “activities” on dates, watching intense movies, drinking alcohol, etc.

The main focus of SP/SO and SO/SP:

• A focus on survival and society, cooperation as a whole, ideas and systems about how we are all together and how we live, group affiliations, politics, contribution. 

• Lack of awareness of the body’s own primal urges, the things that make society fall apart, the things that can remove/transform the self, the narcotic within

• can lead to a fear of one-on-one or overly personalized interactions, groups are safer because there’s less onus on you to be interesting

• state of the earth, climate, objects, things that are concrete and manmade, social monuments

• Innovation for humanity, building structures for the people, focused on things that will last, monuments 

• Outsource SX to movies, art, substances, vicarious SX

Social blind spot - SP/SX and SX/SP

The area that is ignored by these three stackings are the three elements of the Social instinct: 1. Connection/Care, 2. Mindreading, 3. Harmony/Role.

1. Connection/Care: The connections made by the sexual instinct do not involve bonding or reciprocity. This is not to say that they can’t feel love, but the instinctual drive itself is more concerned with connecting chemically as if getting a drug fix, and maintaining that locked-in high. They can make friendship bonds or other types of relationships with people, but they are often less “close” than it seems. Once the energy of attraction wears off, they might forget to maintain that bond as they search for a new energy fix. They also have less of a “screening process” for the people they interact with. SO has a sense of “good and bad people” built in, or an innate sense of knowing who has the same moral values or psychological understanding of the world. These similarities will bond them together. SO-blinds often ignore this, and the people in their life are less of a “big deal” or of something that needs to be focused on.

2. Mindreading: SO-blinds are often unaware of certain social cues, or they might ignore them without even intending to rebel against them. The big societal lattice-work of mental mindreading is muted in favour of SP and SX. They may create beautiful art or have great ideas, but they often lack the superb communication skills of a SO-dom who is highly aware of how everything they do is received by others, and is able to respond to their social cues. Lacking this arena of social has behavioural similarities to autism, but is not the same thing.

3. Harmony/Role: SO-blinds forget to present a sense of “me” and identity beyond being an attraction object for themselves or others. They are less concerned with how others see them and how they fit into the greater context of society or even their own small circle. In a sense, they lack a “genre,” the SO-doms having the clearest sense of this. They will take little pride in being part of any team, being from a particular city/place, having a “crew” or group, etc.

The main facets of SP/SX and SX/SP:

• A focus on the self and its needs, the objectifying of others for sex/arousal or instinctual resources

• Lack of focus how to present themselves in a way that properly communicates their own message of who they are 

• Lack of awareness of what makes them bonded to others, who they are in relation to others, how they are relating to others reciprocally

• Not being “met,” no communication just for the sake of talking, not looking to connect on something shared, may connect on something but do not identify with the space between two people that the connection brings, they are not bonded by communication 

• Lacking a sense of social order (Socials can rebel against order but it’s deliberate), and a sense of being “civilized” or “human”

• Outsource social to others, have other people keep them in the loop

Self-Preservation Blind Spot - SO/SX and SX/SO

The area that is ignored by these stackings are the three elements of Self-Preservation: 1. Well-Being, 2. Self-Regulation, and 3. Resources/Foundations.

1. Physical Well-Being: SP-blinds can have a deep belief that they will survive no matter what. They may cognitively know that they are mortal and susceptible to harm, but there’s an immaturity around accepting that their body is a physical vessel and not “them.” SP-doms know that the body is completely fragile and that their living consciousness depends on protecting it at all costs. SP-blinds find crafty ways of ignoring that basic survival fact. They might have no problem pleasuring their body with food/sex, etc. But there’s a difference between focusing on the body’s pleasure and actually taking care of it. Some SP-doms take care of their body by testing its limits, and strengthening it. SP-blinds are out of touch with this need to preserve their own health. They are less fazed by illness or injuries; either that or are completely shocked and stressed that their bodies would fail them and suddenly stressed by the idea of having to consider it. Nobody is particularly excited about illness, but there’s a sense of inevitability around the idea of illness that is lost with SP-blinds. On another level, SP being the most crucial instinct, SP-blinds often find ways to take care of it so they don’t have to experience the extreme anxiety of thinking about it. They might set up structures that allow them to coast around it. For example, both a SP-dom and a SP-blind might sell their soul for a boring government job to gain security. The SP-dom wants the security because they feel it’s safest. The SP-blind knows that they don’t have the necessary survival skills to exist without a safety net and thinks this is the easiest way to ignore that facet of life. It’s worth mentioning the opposite scenario because instinct is complicated. The SP-dom might avoid that boring job because they actually feel equipped to survive something more challenging. And the SP-blind might avoid that secure job because they have the toddler style of SP-blind where they just don’t think about it at all. Motivation is key.

2. Self-Regulation and Skills: SP-blinds view all this stuff as “boring and unimportant.” Many SP-doms enjoy cultivating particular hands-on skills, and others see these responsibilities as boring as well. However, with SP-blinds, they often lack the ability to build things piece-by-piece long-term and the hard work it takes to get results is blind to them.

3. Resources and Foundations: SP-blinds can often not make the connection between work and money. Some SP-blinds like 3’s for example will work very hard and in turn make a lot of money. But there’s still a blind spot between toil and monetary reward. The idea of securing oneself is ignored. They are the opposite of a business person. This is not to say they can’t be rich or successful in business, but building foundations for themselves long-term is something that doesn’t seem important. SP-blinds are the least likely to be hoarders, or just accumulate “stuff” in general. There’s a blindness around physicality of objects and bodies.

The main facets of SO/SX and SX/SO:

• A focus on people, lots of display from both SX and SO, showing their colours, who they are, what they’re into, open, overly personal, one intense connection at a time

• Lack of awareness of what people actually need to survive, irresponsible, “It’ll all work out, who cares.”

• Want influence, Social realm is toyed with playfully 

• Not good at regulating themselves, may have strong sensation, but unable to regulate, Considering health on a daily basis is exhausting, ex. Healthy eating, working out, making money; may feel a strong impulse to just ignore this or want is all done for them

• There’s a sense of care-free attitude, since SP-blinds don’t worry about all that “important stuff,” and in a way it may seem like they just get whatever they want in life without trying or considering the hard work it takes to get it

• SP-blinds might delegate SP to others, knowing in the back of their minds that someone will take care of their well-being, acquire the practical skills they need, and perhaps be their financial safety net​

Want help determining your instinct stacking? Or maybe you want help typing a loved one?

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