The Architecture of Instinct

Chart your instinctual patterns with this exclusive downloadable PDF chart.

The Enneagram’s instinctual subtypes remain among its most misunderstood and misapplied dimensions. While everyone has a dominant instinctual drive, social, self-preservation, or sexual/intimate, many people mistype themselves due to cultural narratives, temporary life circumstances, or idealized self-perceptions.

This chart was developed to clarify the real-world manifestations of the instincts, not as abstract or theoretical categories, but as observable patterns that shape how we move through life. From how we communicate to what we fear, desire, or seek in relationships, our dominant instinct influences the texture of our attention, choices, and energy.

It is essential to recognize that your instinct cannot be accurately identified by focusing on recent circumstances or isolated seasons of life. Moving to a new city, recovering from illness, or entering the dating world may temporarily emphasize one instinct over another. These fluctuations are situational overlays, not your foundational orientation.

To identify your true dominant instinctual domain, it’s crucial to reflect across the entire arc of your life. What has been consistent in your desires, tensions, and relational patterns since early adulthood or childhood?

This premium handout, Instinctual Type Qualities, breaks down the three instincts across multiple domains: communication, orientation to others, focus of attention, core desire and fear, projected shadows, and more. It is intended to clarify your dominant drive and shed light on your instinct’s subtler, less conscious manifestations.

We'd like to encourage you to use this not as a test or identity badge, but as a tool for discovery. When engaged with honesty and self-reflection, instinctual awareness can illuminate corners of the psyche that personality typing alone cannot reach. It invites a fuller integration of our human nature, defense patterns, and unconscious motivations, opening the door to lasting growth and freedom.

Download the Chart below, and go to our course platform to watch our new free 4-hour Enneagram class on demand!