Other Characteristic Traits and Psychodynamic Considerations

Coldness

Within E2 personality type, which is the most emotional of the Enneatypes, the Social 2 subtype is the least emotional of the three. If the defense mechanism of E2 is repression, which makes unacceptable thoughts, desires, or needs unconscious, in the Social 2, this strategy manifests as a general emotional coldness. There are times when, in response to a significantly painful event, they "freeze" and lose contact with part of their emotional world.

I was at my grandmother’s funeral. She had been very present in my upbringing, and I cared for her deeply; I’m named after her. My cousins were affected, each in their own way. I, on the other hand, was walking back and forth, criticizing the priest and everything related to the funeral but showing no trace of pain or sadness; I don’t think I shed a single tear.

In less than a year, I had lost three of my grandparents. Fifteen years later, I realized that I hadn’t cried since then. How could I have been so detached from myself? —Ana Baza

The Social 2 can remain impassive, without anything or anyone questioning their self-glorification. If someone sees that they cannot, do not know, or are not good enough, it would be catastrophic because a reference figure cannot afford to fail. At the same time, this coldness and hardness protect them and help to hide their fear of being betrayed again, with no one to catch them in a fall without a net.

"To protect themselves, sometimes they make fun of their emotions, ironizing over them; they try to evade them, trivialize them, or avoid taking responsibility for them." —Karen Horney

Egocentric

Their desire to be the center of attention—by giving, organizing, doing, or speaking—is another way to alleviate their sense of loneliness and inadequacy while confirming the belief that they are the center of the universe. They think that from this position, they are

needed, and no one can question or degrade them by bringing them down from the pedestal where they receive fleeting admiration, which they confuse with love.

In the end, they are in love with themselves; they themselves are their most interesting conquest. From this perspective, they interpret others’ behaviors always in relation to themselves, either positively or negatively. And they demonstrate a great talent for entangling the other person to satisfy their needs.

Demanding and Hypercritical

Within the Social 2, there exists an internal, fierce, and insatiable parent figure who is demanding, cold, and ruthless, both outwardly and inwardly, in the form of two coexisting internal currents. One does not tolerate being diverted from the desired goals and the ideals they have set for themselves. They will only value themselves positively when they achieve them, but for a brief period, as there will quickly be another objective or territory to conquer. The other current, flowing in parallel, is an aggressive intent, a buried, not always conscious rage, usually directed inward, neglecting their own self-care, health, rest, or allowing themselves to receive affection or care.

It may sound scandalous or painful, but sometimes, the only way to escape from a dizzying, demanding, suffocating, painful life, full of "shoulds," is to consider the possibility of dying. —Ana Baza

The Social 2 follows the internalized message from their parents: "No matter what you do, it’s never enough." That is why they sometimes resort to self-indulgence to reduce the anxiety of persecutory thoughts or the negative judgments they develop about themselves, which they see in the gaze of the person they have validated as an authority.

Despising

Just like the Self-Preservation 2, the Social 2 has somehow invalidated their parents and developed, though it remains in the shadows, a deep disdain for error, imperfection, slowness, stupidity, pessimism, or fragility, both in themselves and others.

Devaluation begins to form in the Oedipal stage, with the polarization of the paternal and maternal figures, where one is idealized and the other despised, later devaluing both. This invariably leaves them in a relational place that does not correspond to them and is horizontal or above their parents. By devaluing both, parental figures to idealize and

identify with are missing. This will later become the germ for not recognizing, as an adult, power figures, self-referencing as the only trustworthy authority.

"My father, to me, was a reference of power and strength, in contrast to my mother, who remained silent. But I, as a child, and especially as a teenager, hated him for the way he treated us. I understood it as an abuse of power." —Rosa Useleti

Rebellious and Tyrannical

As children, they realize that being close to authority grants them preferential treatment and certain benefits over their peers. They have learned that having privileged information or being part of decision-making in certain matters carries power.

Social 2s are characterized by thinking they know more than others or that they are more efficient, and they despise, like good envious people, others' attributes. It is truly difficult for them to grant authority to anyone other than themselves and their convictions.

Many biographies of Social 2s feature intense and unstable life stories. These experiences, coupled with their ideas of grandeur and importance, make them believe they have certain privileges above others. They may resemble the preservationist E2 in this regard; however, the ambitious ones do so with manifest anger and a proud, despotic demand.

They have their own ethical code, which determines which norms must be respected and which should be rejected. This code can change over time, at their whim, displaying complete indifference to the ethical implications or others. They use and abuse selective memory when it comes to their responsibility in their matters.

Some Ideas from Social 2s:

• "The rules were made by ordinary men for ordinary men. These men only legislate. I have lived experiences that make me know more about life and better than those who legislate, so their rules do not apply to me." —Rosa Useleti

Intolerant to Limits

The Social 2 cannot conceive of external limits to achieving what they desire or even regarding their own possibilities. Curiously, despite their aggressive and confrontational ways, they do not know how to set limits for others (though they know how to humiliate

them). They typically do not register abuses or aggressions as such and can even humiliate themselves to avoid losing a relationship. However, the pain they feel from the potential loss is not as related to the bond that is in jeopardy, but to the fear of facing the idea that they are worthless and the consequent abandonment, which would be a greater humiliation.

Intolerant to Criticism

Without engaging with their own frustrations, the ego grows exponentially, making it very difficult for people of this subtype to bear the possibility of failure, mistakes, or being seen as flawed in others’ eyes. Criticism seems unbearable to them.

Some Ideas Related to Intolerance to Criticism:

• "If someone criticizes me, I’ve failed. I no longer have all the social recognition. I am no longer the best or the most special to everyone in the group. If this happens in a group where the feedback is public, I feel humiliated." —Mónica Angulo

Competitive

From this exalted self-image, no competition is possible. If you ask a Social 2 if they are competitive, they will firmly say no.

"I am competent, not competitive. I don’t need to compete. It would be... vulgar." —Ana Bala

They "know" they are the best and want to be given the place they deserve. And while they try to maintain an attitude of composure, security, and confidence, it doesn’t always go as planned. Entering into competition means wanting something they don’t have, which would connect them to a sense of inadequacy or envy that lies within their character, or even more terrifying, to the emptiness that comes from feeling powerless.

"I never would have called myself competitive because, honestly, as a child I saw all the other girls as so inferior to me that there was no competition possible. Until I started getting sick, because a brilliant girl appeared in my class and I couldn’t bear it. I subjected myself to stress and effort that kept me sick for a year, with severe headaches and dizziness. I never acknowledged it; what I do remember is that when I repeated the year due to my absences from going from doctor to doctor, the first thing I thought was: ‘If I was

doing well before, now I won’t have any rivals.’" —Rosa Useleti

At work, I have also suffered from this hidden competitiveness when a possible rival appeared. I suffered greatly when I saw someone more capable than me in some aspect, near my significant other, whether male or female. That’s when I saw my shortcomings, and I crumbled because I wasn’t at the same level. —Rosa Useleti

Their ego cannot conceive of there being a worthy competitor to consider. They have already defeated the most difficult and powerful competitor in their childhood: mom or dad. Hence, their enjoyment in conquering the giant, only to later despise or abandon them. The underlying fear is that, if they fail, they will become what they fear the most: useless. Then comes the contempt and expulsion, being abandoned, just like in their childhood, to a chaotic emotional world and loneliness.

"Normally I am chosen, but when I am not, it’s because they haven’t seen me or because they are fools, not because someone else is better." —Ana González Tejera

Hunger for Success and Blindness to Failure

This character has early internalized the high expectations placed on them, driving them to be successful in whatever they set out to do. However, they are not at all prepared for failure. Thanks to their fantasies, defense mechanisms like repression and sublimation, and their self-concept of being grandiose, they hide it so well that they don't even see it.

Since childhood, they have spoken eloquently about themselves as someone who does many things, which is true; and that they do "all" of them well, which is not entirely true. The key is that adults believe them and encourage them to continue this way, which makes them feel admired and very powerful. They see themselves as capable of convincing others, even of their lies. Over time, they adopt an image of themselves where they are expected to do important or innovative things and to succeed in whatever they undertake.

As an adult, the Social 2 attempts to reproduce the same situation, imagining many projects and speaking about them as they did in childhood. Thus, they focus almost all their energy on the professional world, confusing the conquest of territories with receiving love. They stay in constant contact with challenges and objectives that can reinforce their self-image as competent and admirable. They are experts at sublimating any setbacks and make it seem to others that, even under pressure, their efforts don’t cost them. They gather

successes in their personal and professional campaigns, which benefits them in maintaining the feeling that they achieve whatever they set out to do. However, even though they accomplish important milestones, they end up selling more than what they actually achieve. In this selling, they fail to see the casualties left along the way, and they don’t share that, confirming their own neurosis.

Workplace failure is one of the few opportunities for the Social 2 to become aware of the extent of their self-sabotage and the pain they inflict on others.

"When I was a middle manager in a human resources consultancy, I demanded so much from the team regarding results that I ended up burning out, and I, changing companies. I navigated between being an autocratic authority and the best colleague, the funniest. I firmly believed that everyone could keep up with my pace, the high commitment in terms of energy and time dedication. And always arguing that it was for the benefit of the company, that it was necessary, and it had to be this way. I came to believe that I was so competent that I could handle anything or any project better than anyone. And it wasn’t that I didn’t recognize others’ attributes or contributions; I simply didn’t even see them. Ambition is so blind that I didn’t see the person, and at times, I lacked any empathy." —Mónica Angulo

Starvation for Success and Blindness to Failure

The energy, creativity, effort, and passion they put into their work come at the expense of their personal life. They relegate everything that is loving, familial, fraternal, or their own physical and mental health to a barren land they hardly visit. They have even forgotten how to play, how to enjoy the world of love and affection; all of this to avoid connecting with their vulnerability.

When taken to the extreme, the Social 2 doesn’t care for their nutrition, health, or even their most basic and urgent needs, considering them inconvenient compared to other more important tasks that deserve their attention.

"I’ve been working on the computer without stopping even to eat, until sometimes five or six hours had passed. If I felt like I needed to pee—well, when I realized I had been holding it for a while—I looked down and scolded myself: ‘Do you want to stop bothering me? Don’t be so inconvenient; I’m doing something important right now.’" —Ana Baza

Failure and Success

Their ego cannot bear the idea that they might be unworthy. They were taught from an early age that failure is unacceptable. If anyone critiques them, it will feel like humiliation to them. For the Social 2, to fail is intolerable.

"When I was a child, I was given everything easily, but later, if I didn’t earn it, I couldn’t get it. And even then, it was never enough for my mother. I want to clarify that ‘not enough’ isn’t just about how you behave but about who you are: You must be smart, good, interesting, have a conversation, be dynamic, be an atheist and left-wing, not have shame, not be afraid, understand and comprehend the world and what happens in it. You must know about politics, religion, economics, philosophy... and become a modern, educated, proactive, brave woman. You must be fun... the joy of the house." —Ana Baza

Envious

Envy is the monster of the Social 2. Realizing that they feel envious would mean confronting their lack, that something is missing, which would lead them to feelings of inadequacy and emotional emptiness. Unlike the Four, they use envy as a driving force to surpass others, as a springboard to conquer what the other has. But the truth is, their gaze is always on the other person—what power do they have? What talents, what gifts do they possess that they don’t?

Of course, unlike the Four, feeling envy is not practical for them to be seen. To be admired, they must be useful.