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Enneagram Type 5 Instinctual Subtypes: SP 5, SX 5, SO 5

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The core focus of Enneagram type 5

Enneagram type 5
A man should look for what is, and not for what he thinks should be.
- Albert Einstein

Early in life we develop an initial belief about ourselves and a compensation for that self-belief.

  • Type 5 Initial Self-Belief: “I am uninformed as I am.”

    Type 5 Compensation: "I must objectively observe the world as it is in order to clearly make sense of and navigate it."

Over time this gets generalized beyond the self into a core focus that also shapes how we perceive and interact with the world at large.

  • Type 5 Core Focus: Comprehension comes from objectively observing the world and logically distilling the facts. This often requires that I detach from experiences as they happen in order to see things clearly and not feel overwhelmed. I need time and space to later process those facts and experiences.

    Personality characteristics that might arise from the type 5 core focus include:

    • Narrows area of interest to specialized niche
    • Minimizes needs to avoid dependency on others
    • Guards against intrusions upon privacy
    • Lives life from the sidelines instead of fully participating
    • Withdraws when feeling overwhelmed by people
    • Postpones action in favor of more research and analysis
    • Detaches from emotions by going into the head
    • Delays experiencing life in the moment, rehashing it when alone
    • Requires time to think and reflect before responding


Enneagram type 5 instinctual subtypes

Type 5 Instinctual Subtypes

The Enneagram instincts are self-preservation (sp), sexual (sx), and social (so). The sexual (sx) instinct is also called the intimate or one-to-one instinct.

The instincts are traditionally used to define three instinctual subtypes or variations of a basic type (e.g., SP 5, SX 5, and SO 5). One of these three subtypes is called the counter-type because it can look different from the basic type.

Below are brief descriptions of the three type 5 instinctual subtypes.

  • SP 5 - Castle, Castle Defender: hides within “castle walls” to protect against intrusion and maintain privacy; hoards resources and minimizes needs to avoid dependency on others; observes life from a distance instead of participating in it.

  • SX 5 - Confidence, Confidant (counter-type): searches for someone they can trust to share their secrets with; emotionally sensitive with romantic streak; may connect to inner emotional world through artistic expression.

  • SO 5 - Totems, Symbols: relates to people through ideas, values, and ideals; searches for ultimate knowledge, truth, and meaning to avoid experiencing life as meaningless; obsession with ideas and the extraordinary which disconnects them from everyday issues and concerns.

While an individual may be identified with type 5 in general, that same individual may be more specifically identified with one of the three instinctual subtypes as well.

A more recent approach to using the instincts is instinctual variant stacking which can be used independent of Enneagram type.


What Enneagram authors say about type 5 instinctual subtypes

Enneagram type 5 names

Below are Enneagram 5 subtype description samplings from some popular or well-known Enneagram authors. Click on the sources after the descriptions to further explore these interpretations.

  • In the average range, Self-Preservation Fives attempt to gain independence and separation by reducing their needs.1

    In the average range, Sexual Fives like sharing secret information with their intimates ("I've never told anyone this.")1

    In the average range, Social Fives engage with others and find a social niche for themselves through their knowledge and skill.1

  • Castle (Home) in the Area of Self-preservation: Fives see home as the secure refuge from an invading world. There is a preoccupation with the control of private, personal space.2

    Confidence in the One-to-One Relationship: Fives experience private bonding in the one-to-one relationship through the exchange of a confidentiality.2

    Totems in the Social Arena: Fives feel a need to align with the source people of the tribe, to give advice to, and get advice from, the inner circle.2

  • Self-Preservation Fives: Chief defensive tendency is to withdraw. Sensitive to feeling saturated by the world, Fives with this subtype lose their sense of privacy easily.3

    Intimate Fives: Trust only a few people but then do so totally. Friendship is based on the sharing of confidences. Intimacy is equivalent to exchanging secrets.3

    Social Fives: Connect with groups of like-minded people. Enjoy living in the flow of a group interest, sharing knowledge and affiliations.3

  • Type 5 Instinctual Subtypes by Beatrice Chestnut

    Self-Preservation Five: "Castle"
    Expresses avarice through a focus on boundaries--a need to be "encastled" in a santuary where they feel protected from intrusion and have control over their boundaries. They try to limit their needs and wants so that they can avoid being dependent on others.4

    Sexual Five: "Confidence"
    Expresses avarice through a search for ideal exemplars of absolute love. The name reflects their need to find a partner who fulfills an ideal of trust. The most emotionally sensitive of the Fives, they suffer more and have more overt desires.4

    Social Five: "Totem"
    Expresses avarice through a need for "super-ideals," relating to others with common interests through knowledge and shared values. "Totem" refers to the need to idealize experts and seek knowledge connected to whatever ultimate values this Five adheres to.4

Sources


To learn more about the instincts click on a link below.


Enneagram Tests to Help Determine Instinct

Enneagram instincts

There are two approaches to using the Enneagram personality instincts.

The instinctual subtypes describe three variations of each of the Enneagram types: a self-preservation (sp), sexual (sx), and social (so) subtype.

Instinctual variant stacking can be used with or without reference to Enneagram type by determining an individual's preferential order for the the three instincts (i.e., sp/sx, sx/sp, sp/so, so/sp, sx/so, or so/sx).

  • Instinctual Subtype Test
    This test compares the three instinctual subtypes for a given type.
    Use when you know your type and want to find your instinctual subtype for that type.

  • Instinctual Variant Stacking Test
    This test ranks the three instincts to determine your preferential order of the instincts.
    Use when you want to know your instinctual variant stacking independent of type.

To learn more about Enneagram personality type 5 click here.

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  • the nine Enneagram personality types
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