What do you do when you first get to an event, gathering?
Do you check out the space, quickly scope it out to make sure you can take care of your needs, and find the food, bathrooms and the exit?
Do you scan the room to see who is there that’s interesting and that you may want to connect with? What individuals or groups?
Do you walk into the room and see who is the most interesting person there, who you’re attracted to, and try to connect with them?
Your answer gives you a hint to your instinctual driver…. your dominant instinct. Instincts are hardwired in you/ us as living beings. And, you’re thought to have a dominant instinct and a repressed one. Finding what’s your dominant and repressed instinct is a key growth catalyst.
{Video share} Susan, at Bend of Ivy’s koi pond.
In the Enneagram systems, there are 3 instincts: Self-Preservation, Social and Sexual. Some teachers use different terms, names, for an instinct. The instinct term in italics is used by some when referring to instincts in business or organizational settings.
The 3 Instincts are:
Self-preservation (SP) or Preserving - a ‘Me’ focus
Social (SO) or Navigating– a ‘We’ focus
Sexual (SX) or Transmitting – an ‘It’ focus
Another quick way to explore on this, is to ask your self:
In your thoughts and words, do you normally respond from a perspective of:
Me
We
It (what attracts you…person, place, cause)
How did you answer?
If:
1 -> SP
2 -> SO
3 -> SX
If you’re still uncertain, that’s normal. Just continue to explore and be curious.
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