The self-preservation instinct is the instinct in all of us to stay alive and healthy. Although all three of the instincts are about survival, this one is directly about that. The priorities and preoccupations expressing the self-preservation instinct centre on the physical and emotional wellbeing of “me and mine”.
This instinct has us pay attention to all things practical and sensual, for example, our health, money, home, family, and lifestyle. We care about optimising the quality of life.
The self-preservation instinct has us monitor our physical state and drives us to express and push our physical capacities, as well as telling us when to rest and relax.
Names given to the self-preservation instinct
‘Conservation’ (Ichazo), ‘self-preservation’ (Naranjo), ‘the preserving domain’ (Mario Sikora).
Names given to self-preservation types (Hudson’s)
Type 8: ‘the Survivor’; Type 9: ‘the Comfort Seeker’; Type 1: ‘Self-Control’; Type 2: ‘Entitlement and Rewards’; Type 3: ‘Security’; Type 4: ‘Sensualist’; Type 5: ‘Solitude’; Type 6: ‘Affection’; Type 7: ‘Getting Mine’.
Zones of the self-preservation instinct
To help students to identify their relationship with the self-preservation instinct, Enneagram teacher and developer Russ Hudson has identified three zones (or domains): (1) self-care and wellbeing, (2) maintenance and resources and (3) domesticity and home. Enneagram teacher Mario Sikora, who also emphasises the instincts in his awareness to action framework, categorises them slightly differently. Nobody’s teachings in the Enneagram should be treated as gospel, although some sources are clearly better than others.
I use Russ’s categories because I have been a student of his. He has broken the categories down further as below. Again, the idea is to support someone in identifying where they are investing time and energy.
Zones of the Self-preservation instinct
Zone 1: Self-care and wellbeing
(1) Diet, (2) exercise, (3) sleep/rest, (4) relaxation (time in solitude, walk in nature, meditation, yoga, etc.), (5) adequate stimulation (reading, listening to music, healthy sex life, watching documentaries, etc.)
Zone 2: Maintenance and resources
(1) Money/finances, (2) time-management (self-management, time to self, time with others, being on time, etc.), (3) practical application and skills (being able to address practical needs, fix things, manage life, etc.), (4) work habits/persistence (the ability to follow through, finish tasks, discipline, habits around practical ventures, ways you are handy, etc.), (5) energy management ((how we use our energy, deal with stress, balance silence with activity, etc.)
Zone 3: Domesticity and home
(1) Comfort/domesticity, (2) safety/security, (3) structure supports life/base of operations (home management, home as a solid launchpad), (4) beauty and holding (comfortable and inviting living/workspace, feeling held by your home, etc.), (5) recharging/restoration (home as a place to restore).
How it looks when self-preservation is present, dominant, ‘blind’/repressed
It can happen that people who are dominant in the self-preservation instinct think that they are blind/repressed in it due to dysfunctional habits in the areas. However, being dominant in an instinct often means some sort of dysfunction, whereas when we are blind or repressed in an instinct, it tends to fall off the radar.
Characteristics of those present, dominant and blind in self-preservation*
*According to Russ Hudson
Present
Self-care and health: Listening to body awareness, engaging in genuine self-care and getting real nutrition and exercise.
Practicality/Resources: Having a practical streak, a sense of persistence and going for long-range goals. Also, working to maintain the foundations of life
Domesticity and home: Enjoying a grounded, stable domestic life and preferring to be at home than travelling and going out. Developing skills for making the home comfortable and practical, even beautiful.
Dominant (distorted)
Self-care and health: Overeating or starving, not exercising or over-exercising.
Practicality and resources: Constantly worrying about resources and having a grasping approach to life, never feel relaxed or sufficiently secure.
Domesticity and home: Having a pattern of lethargy and becoming stuck in ruts. Fearing stepping outside of familiar tracks.
Repressed or ‘blind’
Self-care and health: Avoiding medical and dental checkups. Also, having haphazard relationships with exercise, rest and diet.
Practicality and resources: Lacking focus on resources, hoping others will handle this part of life. Overall, life lacks structure and regularity. We do things more randomly and our schedule tends to be more changeable.
Domesticity and home: Avoid focusing on domesticity. Our home may be more of a ‘crash pad’. May fear getting trapped by domestic life, seeing it as drudgery and heaviness.
Things to remember
Being present in the self-preservation instinct means attending to these life areas without excess thought. On the other hand, being neurotically over-concerned or fearful about self-preservation is a pointer towards the self-preservation instinct being on overdrive. Being apathetic, negative or judgmental towards others who behave slavishly with this instinct may indicate a repressed relationship with this instinct. Know that it is unusual for a person to enjoy high functionality in all three areas of any instinct!
John Luckovich’s work
In 2021, Enneagram teacher John Luckovich published an Enneagram book devoted to the instinctual drives and the Enneagram. The book goes into more depth than elsewhere on the characteristics of people with this drive at the helm, and those who repress it. This can offer further support to anyone in the inner inquiry.
(For an interview with John about a particular teaching from the book, see here.)
General characteristics of self-preservation types*
*According to Enneagram teacher John Luckovich, from his book, the Instinctual Drives and the Enneagram.
Tend to seek experiences that contribute to a healthy and full life. Their attention naturally lands on what encourages and sustains growth and what allows themselves and others to thrive.
The most focussed on the body’s direct feedback and state, becoming easily preoccupied with it. When healthy, they’re skilled in balancing activation with relaxation, value and make time for themselves, and give themselves permission to just be.
Value personal autonomy and self-reliance. Self-preservation types typically have carved out living and working situations where they won’t have to rely on other people to meet their basic needs.
Sensitive to levels of comfort, sensual pleasure, and the emotional associations and impact of food, environments and material things. This one is self-explanatory.
Live the struggle in the polarity between indulgence versus abstinence.
Value consistency and stability, but commonly have an athletic or adventurous streak. Self-preservation types often have an outlet that provides a consistent way of engaging the body’s aliveness directly that enhances physical capacity and health.
Enjoy challenging and testing aliveness through acts of endurance.
Usually have a strong capacity for working and for putting effort in a focused direction. Ambition is a major theme, although it means different things for each type.
Struggle to find a creative direction to apply their drive. Self-preservation types can be challenged to find a meaningful focus for their tenacity.
General characteristics of self-preservation blind/repressed types*
*According to Enneagram teacher John Luckovich, from his book, the Instinctual Drives and the Enneagram.
Difficulty anticipating benefits of working on own self-interest. They may rationalise this as selflessness.
Struggle to muster the force for moving in an independent direction unless there is significant sexual or social interest. They might fail to cultivate self-reliance in a number of areas.
Unconsciously outsource facets of care for their well-being onto loved ones, friends and acquaintances.
Often in the position of waiting for others to initiate new directions and endeavours that lead to growth or sustainable changes.
Often don’t give the task at hand the necessary complete attention for it to unlock, nor trust in their own resourcefulness.
Can lack discernment around relationships. There is a lack of input of the self-preservation’s eye to whether a specific connection might be a divergence from one’s own path, a waste of time, or dangerous.
Can stay locked into relationships that seem to support the self-preservation needs they don’t feel prepared to address themselves.
Can easily become scattered and depleted of energy because they are typically poor at cultivating habits that are restorative or authentically restful. Frequently mistake ignoring the body as a form of physical resilience and strength, blind to the cost.
Susceptible to fostering grandiose fantasies about themselves due to a lack of groundedness.
Actualised self-preservation instinct
According to Hudson, the ultimate ‘purpose’ of the self-preservation instinct from the spiritual perspective is to create a lifestyle that supports the wellbeing of the soul, a platform for the flowering of who we are. The awake self-preservation instinct helps us to live and to create the external conditions that allow unconditional presence to thrive within us. I don’t know about you, but I love that description.