Self-Preservation Seven — “Keepers of the Castle”

Self-Preservation Sevens express gluttony through the formation of alliances. They typically collect around them a kind of family network, in the sense of banding together with trusted others and creating a good “mafia” or partisan group through which they can get their needs met. They rely mostly on those they trust. These Sevens create a kind of surrogate family of people they value—a family in which they typically occupy a privileged position.

These Sevens are very practical, good at networking, and skilled at getting what they want and finding a good deal; they tend to be opportunistic, self-interested, pragmatic, calculating, and clever. They readily recognize opportunities for creating an advantage for themselves. In this way, Naranjo explains, gluttony expresses itself in the Self-Preservation Seven in an excessive concern with making a good deal at every opportunity.

Self-Preservation Sevens always have their nose to the wind for good opportunities. They find ways to get what they need and want, and they have an easy way of finding pathways to making things happen for themselves—whether it’s finding the right people, the most advantageous connections, or a fortuitous career opportunity. They have their ears to the ground and are socially adept. These Sevens make business connections and network easily because they are alert and mindful to the opportunities that come along that can support their survival. They hold the position that if you are not alert to opportunities, you will lose out. This Self-Preservation theme is expressed well in the proverb “The alligator that sleeps becomes a bag.” There’s an element of self-interest in the alliances the Self-Preservation Seven makes that may or may not be denied by (or unconscious in) someone with this subtype. Naranjo says there is a kind of reciprocal interest in these relationships, expressed in the idea that “I will serve thee, and thou will serve me.” On the low side of this kind of arrangement, an element of corruption can be present.

Stylistically, Self-Preservation Sevens are cheerful and amiable, with traits that resemble a hedonistic, “playboy” or “playgirl” type. They tend to be warm, friendly, and talkative. (They love to talk.) They can express a kind of greed and impatience that reflects their desire to consume as many pleasurable experiences as possible; they want to eat everything. They expend a lot of energy on controlling everything, handling things without being noticed. And most of the time, they get away with getting what they want.

The dominant traits of the Self-Preservation Seven subtype stand out as a love of pleasure and a self-interested focus on getting what they need to feel secure. In seeking security, however, they can often confuse desires with needs. These are people who usually feel a need to have a lot of resources, including money and other supplies that support survival, and they may panic if they feel a sense of scarcity.

According to Naranjo, the three main fixations of the Self-Preservation Sevens are strategy, rebellion, and isolation, though it may be hard to see these characters as isolated because they tend to be very popular. But their strategic and mental nature, together with the prominence of their self-interest, can isolate them from others at a deeper level.

Self-Preservation Sevens cultivate a sense of being kind and generous—they like to feel that everyone depends on them. They may feel omnipotent and they may sometimes use people. They may also feel that normal rules don’t apply to them—that for them, there is no law, and they can do what they please. This kind of assertion of their freedom and their ability to do whatever they need to do to support their self-interest helps them feel safer in the world.

Self-Preservation Sevens’ desire for pleasure and hedonistic self-indulgence can sometimes be seen as a kind of retroactive compulsion to return to the womb—they dedicate their lives to the pursuit of a kind of primordial or utopian paradise state of perfect pleasure. In pursuing positive and stimulating experiences, they may use sex, food, and drink as an escape from the more difficult parts of life.

The Self-Preservation Seven and the Sexual Seven should be easy to tell apart, as they represent two opposite ends of a continuum, from pragmatic and materialistic (Self-Preservation) to idealistic and ethereal (Sexual). The Self-Preservation subtype is more earthy and sensuous—more gluttonous in the literal sense of the word—while the Sexual Seven is more “heavenly” and enthusiastic, more “upward-looking” in terms of both positivity and high ideals. While both of these two characters focus on distinct kinds of excess, the elf-Preservation Seven is the most sly, cunning, and pragmatic personality among the Sevens, while the Sexual Seven is more of a light-hearted enjoyer.

In contrast to the Sexual Seven, the Self-Preservation Seven is not so much idealistic as they are cynically distrustful. They’re not gullible people who are easily hypnotized (as the Sexual Seven is); they are more practical and concrete. The Self-Preservation Seven is the most astute and strategic character of the three Seven subtypes. They may display elements of Type Six in that they can at times be fearful or even paranoid, though this is not their regular mode. And perhaps paradoxically, the Self-Preservation Seven is more actively flirty, seductive, and sexual than the Sexual Seven, who often focuses more on an imagined, idealized kind of communion than actual sex. While the Self Preservation Seven character resembles a “playboy” or “playgirl” type of person—an enjoyer of food and sex—the Sexual Seven can be content with the perfume of things.

Self-Preservation Sevens may experience less difficulty than other Sevens with making commitments. For instance, many Self-Preservation Sevens report that they have been married for many years or that they have had a solid relationship with a partner for a long period of time. When they participate in groups, however, it may be so they can feel a sense of having access to resources if they need something at some point. Often, having close relationships is something they view as an investment, like putting money in the bank—you always have someone you can call on if you need some specific kind of help. For that reason they tend to be very active in the groups they join and the networks they are affiliated with.

Naranjo explains that spiritual aspiration is not so common in Self-Preservation Sevens; they often reject religion and tend not to believe in anything. They’re more practical, more materialistic, and more rebellious than the other two Seven subtypes. They’re very cheerful and friendly, but also disconnected from their emotions. They are sensuous, earthly, worldly characters who can be very entertaining and who display a light-hearted lack of seriousness — though when it comes to finding security through making money and establishing a network of associates, they display keen self-interest. When Self-Preservation Sevens have the Sexual instinct as their second most dominant instinct, they can look more like Sixes (more isolated, overly careful, and strategic), and when they have the Social instinct in second place, they may look more like magnanimous Eights (people-oriented and impulsive). However, unlike Sixes, they tend to be relentlessly positive and to find security through pursuing their self-interest; and in contrast to Eights, they tend to be motivated by a survival fear or anxiety deeper down, even if they aren’t always aware of it.

Joe, a Self-Preservation Seven, speaks:

There is a gluttonous element in me that I believe stems from an early understanding in childhood that life is inherently evanescent. Opportunities missed are not easily regained. In that light, as I approached my graduation from middle school and prepared to go to high school, I realized that it was time to weigh my priorities and start planning for a career and a life maximally lived. So, at thirteen years old, I prioritized: 1) living and enjoying life to the fullest while it was possible; 2) helping others do the same; 3.) not hurting others along the way. That was in eighth grade.

The road to medical school and beyond involved painful sacrifices in regards to quality of life. I endured a decade of deferred pleasure and buried myself in my studies by making the most of my intellectual interest in medicine and the awesome experience of becoming a surgeon. What got me through the hard work was the clear vision I had of a complete life: weighing the short-term missed experiences against the long-term pleasures and security over the span of a full life as a plastic surgeon helped me see that the hardships involved in becoming a doctor were worth it. To keep things balanced, I played hard during my brief breaks from work and tried not to miss a minute of fun with friends on weekends or nights off.

While the sacrifices involved in becoming a surgeon weren’t easy, I now find myself in the most wondrous position of having fulfilled my “mission statement”—I’ve done the most good with the least harm while reaping additional quality-of-life benefits. I love my artist wife beyond words. We sail and grow organic vegetables together. I enjoy the challenges of growing grapes and making wine, and we are creating an aesthetically beautiful and self-sustaining homestead. I relish the rewards of time at work and even more at play. What could be better than or wrong with that?

I am aware, however, that I am less in touch with my emotions than might be ideal, as experiencing life more intensely on many different levels makes sense to me. I enjoy the experience when love, empathy, and other emotions well up into my consciousness, but I usually function quite happily on a more cerebral plane. Other times, fear or anxiety may enter the room, but I am less eager to tolerate their presence. I have learned to listen to my intuition and emotions, but unless they present an actionable warning, I prefer not to dwell on negative moods.

The Path from Vice to Virtue:

Self-Preservation Sevens can travel the path from gluttony to sobriety by observing and owning the way self-interest in support of the drive for security can lead you to unconsciously close yourself off to a greater realm of experience. If you are this Seven, be aware of how you may narrow your focus on what's important in life based on fears and anxieties you may not be aware of and then work to open up to experiencing the presence of these deeper motives. You can aim for sobriety by noticing how you stay alert for opportunities and seeing that tendency as a potential sign of a deeper fear that you won't have enough to survive to stay comfortable. When relating to others, work to be conscious of all the motives and underlying feelings that influence your actions. Surface any anxiety and pain as a first step to tempering your drives for self-preservation and pleasure. Recognize when your pursuit of your needs and your self-interest may impact others in negative ways, and explore the ways in which you might rationalize doing whatever you want and getting whatever you need, even when it narrows your perspective or allows you to justify harm you might (unintentionally) do. Allow yourself to sink more deeply into an enjoyment of the people you are close to by connecting more consciously with all of yourself. As you work to accept and allow all of your feelings, you will be reminded that the greatest joy comes from a total and complete openness to the full experience of yourself and others.

Sourced with permission from The Complete Enneagram by Beatrice Chestnut.

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