[Enneagram Type 4, the Artist] Behavioral Differences Across Instinctual Variants (sp/sx/so)

Type 4 and instinctual variants

If you are Type 4, you are likely a unique person with feelings and thoughts quite different from your surroundings. Yet even within descriptions of Type 4, you may find aspects that differ from your own experience. Instinctual variants offer one perspective for looking at these differences in expression.

My instincts, my variations

Instinctual variants describe how people of the same basic type may express themselves differently depending on which instinct—self-preservation, social, or sexual—draws their attention first. They do not mean that the basic type changes into another type. Understanding these variants can be a great help in understanding yourself more deeply.

Type 4 with the sexual instinct

People of Type 4 with the sexual instinct possess distinctive creativity and artistic sensibility. They strive to create unique and original works, expressing their feelings in the process. They want to express their feelings not only in love, but also through creative work.

Type 4 with the social instinct

People of Type 4 with the social instinct try to express their feelings in social relationships. They seek to understand and express their feelings through social interaction. People of this type are generally known as highly emotional, and they try to express or understand their feelings within their social relationships.

Type 4 with the self-preservation instinct

People of Type 4 with the self-preservation instinct place the highest priority on their own safety and stability. They try to understand and express their feelings while maintaining their safety.

Finally

Instinctual variants are an important part of understanding the characteristics of Type 4. They can serve as a reference for exploring your feelings and ways of expressing yourself, but they are not a basis for determining your basic type. By understanding instinctual variants, you can understand yourself more deeply and develop the ways you express your feelings.

To explore which type is close to your own experience, it is important to observe the reasons behind your recurring feelings and behaviors together. Yet through the ways you understand and express your feelings, you can come to understand yourself more deeply and grow.