Typology

Discover Your Instinctual Stack, with Elan Benami, EnneaApp Creator

Oct 9, 2025
Elan Benami, a licensed professional counselor and the creator of the EnneaApp, shares insights into the Enneagram's instinctual stack. He discusses the three instincts—self-preservation, social, and one-to-one—and their impact on behavior. Elan explains how these instincts shape subtypes and influence personal dynamics. Drawing on his experiences as a self-preservation Six, he illustrates how differing dominant instincts can create relationship challenges. This engaging conversation helps listeners deepen their Enneagram understanding and self-awareness.
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ANECDOTE

Life Changed By A Therapist's Suggestion

  • Elan discovered his Six type after a therapist casually suggested reading about Six.
  • That revelation upended his life and led him to change careers into counseling and Enneagram work.
INSIGHT

Instincts Are Basic Survival Wiring

  • Instincts are more basic, hardwired survival strategies beneath personality.
  • They operate like an elevator to our behavior and feel more animal than intellectual.
ADVICE

Watch For Self-Preservation Signals

  • Learn to recognize self-preservation focus by noticing attention to bodily needs and resources.
  • Use that awareness to see when you over-prioritize comfort or security at others' expense.
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