August 28, 2016Olimpia

The Most Common Instinctual Stackings for each MBTI Type

Last Update: January 2024

Everything in our lives can broadly fit into one of the 6 instinctual stackings, made up of the 3 instincts (Social, Sexual, Self-preservation) that drive us all (in varying degrees). 

Each stacking is more commonly represented by certain MBTI types. And vice versa, each MBTI type has a tendency to have particular instinctual stackings. 

The following instinctual stacking – MBTI correlations are based on the theory, my typings of celebrities, as well as people in “real life” (either clients or people I came across).

Sp/So: ESTJ, ISTJ, ISFJ, ESFJ

So/Sp: ESTJ, ISTJ, ESFP, ENFJ, ENTJ, INTP

Sp/Sx: ISTP, ISTJ, ISFP, ISFJ, INTP, INFP, INTJ, INFJ

Sx/Sp: ISFP, ESFP, ENFP, ESTP, ISTP, ENFJ, ENTP, INFJ

Sx/So: ENFP, ENFJ, ENTJ, INTJ

So/Sx: ESFJ, ISFJ, ESFP, ENFP, INFP, ISFP, INFJ, ENFJ, ENTP

INFP: So/Sx, Sp/Sx, So/Sp
ENFP: Sx/So, Sx/Sp, So/Sx

INTP: Sp/Sx, So/Sp
ENTP: Sx/Sp, So/Sx

INFJ: Sx/Sp, Sp/Sx, So/Sx
ENFJ: Sx/So, So/Sp, So/Sx, Sx/Sp

INTJ: Sp/Sx, Sx/So, So/Sp
ENTJ: Sx/So, So/Sp

ISFP: Sp/Sx, Sx/Sp, So/Sx
ESFP: Sx/Sp, So/Sx, So/Sp

ISTP: Sp/Sx, Sx/Sp
ESTP: Sx/Sp, Sx/So

ISFJ: So/Sx, Sp/Sx, Sp/So, So/Sp
ESFJ: So/Sx, So/Sp, Sp/So, Sx/Sp

ISTJ: Sp/Sx, Sp/So, So/Sp
ESTJ: Sp/So, So/Sp

Note: Just because a stacking is not common for an MBTI type, does not mean it is “impossible“. The following “impossibilities” are based on my observations, which might have to be updated as I gather more experience: Sx/Sp occurs in all introverts (to varying degrees of commonality) – with a possible exception being ISTJ. In the case of So/Sx, the IxTx types seem to be excluded. Sx/So seems to exclude xSxJ and IxTP types. Sp/So seems to exclude xSxP and xNxJ types. Sp/Sx seems to exclude ExFJ types. The So/Sp stacking seems to exclude ISTP.

20 comments

  1. Being an INTJ, my eyes are immediately drawn to that. I don’t see how ‘So’ can be first for the solitary INTJ since we have little regard for community-mindedness, social status, belongingness, etc. Care to explain?

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    • It might not make much sense at first, but then there are INTJs like Stephen Hawking who are So/Sp. Those INTJs may not outwardly show that they care for social status, and in some way they don’t. It depends a lot on what kind of Enneagram type someone has, too. Stephen Hawking is likely a Type 5w6, which is generally not stereotypically all about fame and fortune (this is rather an So/Sp Type 3 concern). However, So/Sp 5s yearn to have an impact on the social world through their knowledge and expertise. Another likely example of an So/Sp 5w6 (or possibly 6w5 with a strong 5 wing) would be John Nash in “A Beautiful Mind”. Winning a Nobel Prize is usually a desirable goal of Social first individuals, esp. those that are So/Sp.

      I am assuming you are Sp/Sx yourself, which seems to be the most common stacking for INTJ. And yes, Sp/Sx fits the stereotype of the solitary INTJ better. But this does not mean the So/Sp kind does not exist. The So/Sp INTJ is mostly found among scholars/college professors, philosophers, and CEOs.

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  2. INTJ and sp blind just seem really…surreal. It doesn’t actually even make any sense to me tbh. Then again, I’m sx/sp INTJ and if those variants really are common, then it’s kinda depressing. I really want to find more people to relate to and that doesn’t help x’D

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  3. Hi! do you mind explaining why Sx/Sp is not included in your common INFP stackings? Why is it that INFPs are more likely to be So/Sx or Sx/So than Sx/Sp

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    • Hey Naila! Good question. I can only speculate why that is. NFs are humanitarians, especially in combination with Extroverted Intuition. And that tends to involve a focus on the social instinct/social world. Sx/Sp is not impossible for INFP, but in my experience quite rare. Sp/Sx is more common for them. I’m assuming Sp/Sx is the exception because differently from Sx/Sp, it is not overtly focused on obtaining a significant other, which can be a rather extroverted and sensorial focus. Sp/Sx goes pretty well with introversion (the stereotypical introverted stacking).

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  5. Wow, I’m INFP, but the stacks for Sx/Sp resonate with me most for type 7… I wonder if I could actually be ENFP or be a rare instinct stack for my type.

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  6. Hi , it’s not possible an isfj be a Sx/Sp? I think that an isfj be an 9w1 Sx/Sp could be a possibility. Because isfj lives for soulmate, relatioship and maybe be this type of person that forge himself to please his soulmate, with a lot of agreeableness.

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  7. I’m an Infp sx/sp enneagram 451, is that rare? But I also saw many other people being infp 451 sx/sp on online forums. But I’m definitely not 458 or intj.

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    • That combo is definitely possible. Sx/Sp is more on the rarer side for INFP, but I have definitely seen it (irl even). Same for 451 being rare, I actually cannot recall an example of that on the top of my head but it is theoretically possible (I might change my mind on that though). Having said that, I would not rely on what people on online forums report because that is not always accurate. Honestly, if you see many people claiming to be that combo then it is either an anomaly or some of them are simply mistyped.

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  8. Actualy this weren’t that many people, because it is very hard to find any realated stuff to it, but since I especially searched for this combination I already found some entrys about it, so I knew it isn’t quite impossible. Also do you know any good websites or knowledge about this personality? Because I just want to learn as much as possible about it (to be even more sure).

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    • Hey, it is not entirely impossible but highly unlikely, never came across a case like this. The Sp/So stacking is connected to Introverted Sensing, which INTJ does not value. So/Sp would be much more likely for an INTJ, in comparison.

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  10. Hey Olimpia my name is Marvin i’m writing you from France i’m an INFP 9w1 but i’m not sure about instinct stacking, i’m torn between so/sp, sp/so or so/sx i would like to know how do these instinct stackings interact and influence my enneagram type ?

    I wanna to finally figure out which one of these stackings i relate to the most in relation to my enneagram type, thanks in advance for any reply i’m looking forward to hear from you.

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