Introduction

Main Contrasts Between The E4 Subtypes: Conservation, Sexual and Social

With contributions from Eva Morote, Chiara Fustini, and Rossana Pavoni Gallo

Once the Christian idea of envy is transcended as a grudge against the good fortune of our neighbor, we see that it goes beyond that insatiable desire that, as Dante describes, implies a "love for one's own goods perverted to the desire to deprive others of their own." These "assets" are tangible or intangible, meaning they also include talents or privileges. The desire for what the other possesses (or is supposed to possess) is accompanied by the painful feeling that it is lacking, which the person reads as an injustice. To this must be added a desire for the other to suffer misfortune or punishment, which, if it happens, is satisfying. This tells us, from the beginning, of a double nature of this passion that is evident in its characteristic subtypes. In some cases, envy is felt primarily as lack and sadness for one's own condition, whether real or imagined, and in others, it becomes voracity and the desire to harm others or take revenge on them.

One of the most obvious differences between the Self-Preservation 4 subtype and the other subtypes is the lack of expression of this passion. Self-Preservation is the subtype where envy appears most denied, and it is difficult to recognize because the person does not dwell in the lack or in envy toward what they do not have. Instead, through effort, they transform in a compensatory way what they lack, thus defending themselves from the envious feeling. "I visit a friend's house, and I think, 'What a beautiful house...' The next thing is that I put new curtains in mine, make changes, and compensate for the idea and the feeling that my house is worse," says a testimony from this subtype.

In the Sexual and Social 4 subtypes, no action appears to compensate for what one does not have. The Social 4, where a clear awareness of the feeling of envy does appear, remains lamenting and complaining about what they do not have. Meanwhile, in the Sexual 4, where envy is felt as something very instinctive and difficult to contain, one destroys what they want so as not to feel envy.

The compensated lack of Self-Preservation 4 is accompanied by an intolerance toward the feeling of weakness and a great personal effort not to feel need. This contrasts with the lack of modesty of the Social 4, who openly show themselves as weak and needy.

This tenacity in effort constitutes a certain narcissistic attitude in the Self-Preservation subtype, which tends to think they can handle everything and refuses to show their lack, interpreting it as humiliating or an unbearable feeling of vulnerability. This type of person, in childhood, had to care for others instead of being cared for. They are, therefore, hardworking, independent, serious, self-assured, and endowed with integrity, honesty, and

sobriety. Not feeling cared for, they do not ask for it and instead project that need onto others, caring for them from an attitude of self-sacrifice. In contrast, a Sexual 4 expresses their need unceremoniously, turning it into a demand toward others, while the Social 4 is an eminently begging character, expressing lack openly.

In E4, there is a deficient self: the person feels worthless, that they lack something, creating an impoverished image of themselves. At the same time, there is a strong idealization of what they would like to be. This idealized image becomes tremendous in the Self-Preservation subtype: there is a strong superego that constantly demands the person reach an ideal of perfection and omnipotence, which they never achieve because it is, in reality, an impossible goal. Effort, then, is put at the service of reaching this ideal. As the following testimony points out: "In my work, if I feel that I am making a mistake, I sign up for a course to remedy it, but I am not satisfied with what I have done. I learn, but then I see that I have made another mistake, and I am already thinking about doing a new course."

Self-boycott, relentless action, a feeling of unworthiness, and a dry character mix with a tendency to self-idealization and idealization of others, to whom they grant authority. The bar of self-demand is so high that there is no permission for legitimate anger. There is also fear of direct conflict with others since they are seen as superior, causing belittlement and submission. At the same time, they "cut heads" (sharply criticize others) and express their opinions, but they do not need the constant approval that Social 4s seek.

In the Sexual and Social 4 subtypes, the image of the other is also highly idealized, and the bar for one's own ideal is also set very high. The significant difference with Self-Preservation is that the Sexual subtype seeks to achieve the ideal without making great efforts, and the Social subtype experiences a "I want and I can't" dynamic, feeling they are not up to the task and cannot reach it.

In Conservation, effort becomes a tool to achieve the love and recognition of others, a fundamental yearning of E4. However, in Conservation, this yearning becomes an intense internal demand accompanied by a high degree of self-control, as expressed in the following testimony: "My mother was a persecutor. I tried hard so she wouldn't catch me in a mistake, and there came a point where she saw that I had tried so hard and worked so hard that she told me: 'Okay, now it's fine, rest,' and thus I would get a warm look from my mother."

In this, the Self-Preservation subtype clearly differs from the Sexual subtype, for whom their need for love becomes an aggressive claim toward others, and from the Social subtype, who tries to gain affection by eliciting pity, moving others, or seducing them through their suffering.

The Self-Preservation 4 subtype, through effort, wants to give more than anyone else. They strive to be the best mother, the best sister... "At school, they told us that we had to sacrifice ourselves for a Christian ideal of holiness. I put pebbles in my shoes; I sacrificed myself." In this testimony, it becomes clear that suffering and hostility toward oneself are not directly sought but are conditions to achieve something greater—to reach the ideal.

Regarding social relationships, the Self-Preservation 4 subtype is blocked in relationships. The degree of vigilance toward the gaze of others and their own performance is so high that it creates enormous inhibition, making relationships unbearable. These individuals feel better in solitude because they do not have to contend with this intense internal dynamic.

Regarding relationships, some Self-Preservation 4 individuals can endure difficult situations, believing that if they persist, the relationship will improve. On the other hand, some feel it’s better to be alone and don’t put much effort into forming relationships because they find it challenging. They believe it’s easier to be on their own, and therefore, they don’t prioritize this aspect of their life.

Deep down, they avoid discomfort because they struggle with dependency and emotional dedication. Their internal structure has been shaped by the need to become self-sufficient and meet their own needs. They fear that if they break down, they will be left with nothing.

E4s also prioritize other aspects of their lives, particularly work, as they aspire to perfection in this area. This stems from strong familial introjects (often from families where sacrificial work has been highly valued, and where the threat of precariousness or survival looms).

On a global level, the main difference between the Sexual 4 and the other envy subtypes is the open expression of passion and the energy invested in romantic relationships. In Sexual 4s, envy is not always conscious, but rather instinctive, experienced as a prick when they compare themselves to others and feel inferior. This stems from a desire to occupy a significant place in the relationship. While comparison is common across all E4 subtypes, in Sexual 4, it is expressed in a visceral and uncontrollable way, like a drive that can’t be contained. This expression can manifest in various forms, such as revenge, clear confrontation, blatant denial, disqualification, and blaming the other through words, contemptuous gestures, or hateful looks. The idealization of the other as a source of satisfaction ultimately turns to contempt for their limits. The love relationship becomes a battlefield where the Sexual 4 competes until both the other and what they love most are destroyed. In many cases, these individuals are not fully aware of the scope of their actions, as their response begins with a reaction to what has hurt or bothered them.

In the other subtypes, this management of envy is entirely different. In Self-Preservation 4 (tenacious), this reactive expression is completely contained, even exaggerating the position of control over instinct and emotion. In Social 4 (shame), there is no audacity to express

anger or hatred—not because they don't feel it, but because they believe they cannot express those emotions and retroflect them, hating themselves and seeking other, more hidden outlets.

In all E4 subtypes, there is a mystification or idealization of the other, but in Sexual 4, this idealization is exaggerated and passionate. They want to get closer to the idealized person without putting in the effort, unlike Self-Preservation 4, which is willing to make an effort. The Sexual 4 tends to adopt a more dramatic attitude, playing theatrical roles. They need to be the diva and have all the attention on them, something that the other subtypes are less interested in or dare not do.

The Sexual 4 does not easily show their weaknesses or needs, while the Self-Preservation or tenacious subtype avoids acknowledging their envy or weaknesses. Hatred serves as protection from vulnerability, and they try to make it disappear. The difference lies in the clarity with which the Sexual 4 damages what they envy, compared to the self-restraint of the tenacious subtype. The Sexual 4 demands, often in a veiled or seductive way, something that the other subtypes would find nearly unthinkable. The tenacious subtype, on the other hand, demands from themselves, while the Social or "shame" subtype hides their demands.

The movie What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? depicts the relationship between two sisters, both E4. One is paralyzed, and the other acts as their caretaker. One sister constantly complains (Sexual subtype), while the other plays the role of the resigned victim who endures everything (tenacious). Throughout the film, the audience sides with the victim until, at the end, the latter rebels, revealing all the hatred she had been containing. The hateful expression of the other is understood as stemming from an unresolved childhood issue. In the Sexual subtype, the “bad” role is chosen because it seems more glamorous than the hidden role of the Social 4 (shame) or the contained role of the Self-Preservation 4 (tenacious).

The feeling that one deserves something by right and must be heard is a central trait in the Sexual 4. While this feeling also exists in the other subtypes, the Social subtype likely feels stronger invalidation, and the Self-Preservation subtype struggles more with feelings of helplessness.

The Sexual subtype is more irresponsible, feeling special and expecting others to solve their problems. In this regard, it contrasts with the tenacious E4, which avoids asking anyone for help and adopts the “I don’t need anyone” mentality. The Social 4 also expects others to resolve issues, but they do so in a more hidden, manipulative way.

The Social 4 tends to act childishly, while the Sexual 4 behaves like an adolescent, using transgression as a flag. The Self-Preservation 4, in contrast, tends to act older, more reserved, and self-sufficient.

The extroversion, exaggerated joy, eloquence, and ability to stand out in the Sexual subtype is perhaps the most noticeable difference from the shy Social subtype and the self-sacrificing Self-Preservation subtype, which can be ironic but generally don’t display such charismatic behavior or seek the same level of prominence. Additionally, the Self-Preservation subtype is emotionally more stable than the others due to its containment: they do not immediately express what worries or bothers them, such as sexuality, and are generally more tolerant than the other subtypes. They can also reserve their final words in a conversation without drama.

However, neither the Self-Preservation nor the Social 4s tend to defend their position fiercely in an argument, nor do they feel the same need as the Sexual 4 to be right at all costs, to come out on top, or to engage in intense competition.

In terms of sensitivity, all E4 subtypes share a similar level of emotional sensitivity, though it manifests differently. The Self-Preservation subtype is more entrenched, resistant to pain, and reserved, showing endurance. The Sexual subtype, however, does not engage in victimization as much as the Social subtype, but lacks the endurance and containment of the Self-Preservation subtype. Instead, they often prefer dramatic, aggressive performances, hoping for others to notice their emotional outpouring.

The Social 4 shows more emotional insecurity and tries to manipulate others through a childish approach to get what they want. The Sexual 4, like the Self-Preservation subtype, attempts not to show insecurity, but in a polar way: while the Self-Preservation subtype appears moderate, the Sexual 4 tends to adopt a proud, arrogant stance, switching between hate and tears in a volatile emotional process of devaluing others.

The impudence and aggressive demands are common in the Sexual 4, making their relationships often unsustainable. In contrast, the other subtypes usually display veiled discomfort—something that lingers in the air but is harder to identify—where direct confrontation is typically avoided. Instead, the Sexual subtype expresses hurtful and guilt-inducing behaviors when reality does not meet their idealized expectations. Contempt, rage, and anger are frequent indulgences for the Sexual 4, particularly with those close to them. They often have a real problem with boundaries, tending to overstep and try to impose themselves on others.

The Social 4, on the other hand, is highly dependent on relationships and tends to endure more within them. They are shy and often feel ashamed. While the Sexual 4 is polarizing,

they are not phobic: their aggressiveness often makes relationships unsustainable, and they struggle with boundaries, as they try to assert themselves forcefully.

The Self-Preservation 4 expresses aggression through irony, and their problem with boundaries lies in not knowing how to establish healthy limits with themselves in relation to their effort or with others. There is no limit to the care and help they offer, especially when they feel needed. However, they often lack close relationships and fail to engage in activities that bring pleasure or enjoyment. This lack of enjoyment in childhood is part of the explanation: "I don’t remember going to the park or on vacation with my parents, but I do remember them talking a lot about illness and sorrow."

A unique characteristic of the Social subtype E4 is their breathing pattern: they breathe with their chest down, shoulders shrugged protectively, and their belly projecting forward and down, like a dead weight. This pattern shows minimal tone in the lower body, muscles, and abdominal organs. Their exhalation often sounds like a held sigh, and they frequently gasp or sigh in an attempt to take in more air. Unlike the other subtypes, dismantling this breathing pattern requires an increase in body tone. Finding the strength to root their feet into the ground and stretch their body is a challenge for this subtype. Without this strength, they are prone to a chronic sense of low energy, which is further drained by self-judgment and self-harm.

The Social 4 is an introverted subtype—unlike the Sexual 4, which is extroverted, and the Self-Preservation 4, which alternates between introversion and extroversion. The Social 4 appears sweeter than the other subtypes of envy. The word "shame" defines them not only as struggling to accept themselves or show themselves freely due to a sense of ridicule or self-disqualification (believing they are defective or unlovable) but also as feeling an intrinsic inadequacy and loss of dignity. This prevents them from expressing their hidden desire to be visible or recognized socially. As a result, they often manipulate others with hints, tears, and drama instead of directly asking for what they need, believing they do not deserve it. When they admire or envy someone, they place themselves immediately below the other. In such situations, they attempt to hide their sadness and feelings of inadequacy behind a smile that is often not very genuine. They have secrets and are reluctant to share their truth, which they consider despicable.

With these feelings, the Social 4 avoids expressing anger, as they fear rejection and feel they do not have the right to be angry. They easily enter into dependent relationships and often appear insecure, usually losing in their constant comparisons with others. They typically seek approval for everything. Internally, they experience a sense of depression, contrasting with the integrity often displayed by the Self-Preservation 4 and the impulsiveness of the Sexual 4. The Social 4 blames themselves for everything, both for

what they did and what they did not do, while the Self-Preservation and Sexual 4 not only internalize guilt but also have strong judgment toward others.

E4 Equivalences In The Academic World: Conservation, Sexual and Social Subtypes

Envy

In her work Envy and Gratitude (1975), Melanie Klein defines envy as “an angry feeling against another person who possesses or enjoys something desirable, with the envious impulse being to take it away or damage it. Furthermore, envy implies the subject's relationship with a single person and traces back to the earliest and most exclusive relationship with the mother” (p. 186). Klein also associates the origin of the desire to possess what the other has with a feeling of lack and internal badness. This leads the individual to eagerly seek the good outside themselves, hoping to incorporate it internally. Unfortunately, for the envious person, that feeling of badness contaminates everything they take in, preventing them from ever feeling satisfied. This only intensifies their frustration and despair, forming the basis of their insatiability.

Regarding the voracity of the envious, it could be said that the envious person is inherently insatiable. They can never be satisfied because their envy originates from within. As a result, they always find an object to focus on (p. 187).

Klein provides an example of a patient who “wanted to be cared for but, at the same time, repelled the very object that was supposed to gratify her. This woman was suspicious of the gift she wished to receive because it was already tainted by envy and hate, accompanied by deep resentment over every frustration. This was characteristic of her attitude towards others, and it clarified her earlier relationships with the breast—she wanted to be cared for but simultaneously repelled the object that was to fulfill that need. Suspicion about the gift, combined with her imperative need to be cared for—ultimately a desire to be fed—expressed her ambivalent attitude towards the breast. I have referred to babies whose response to frustration is to make insufficient use of the gratification that, though delayed, the breast might provide. Even if they do not relinquish their desire for a gratifying breast, they fail to enjoy it and thus reject it” (p. 210).

Klein identifies several defenses against envy encountered throughout her work. Envy is overtly hateful in the Sexual subtype, while in the Social subtype, it manifests as admiration from a painful position of impotence—marked by renouncing desire due to the inhibition of aggressiveness. In the Social 4, envy takes the form of idealization of the other, accompanied by a devaluation of the self.

Some individuals manage their inability (stemming from excessive envy) to possess a good object by idealizing it.

In a previous section, I suggested that idealization not only serves as a defense against persecution but also as a defense against envy. “The great exaltation of the object and its gifts is an attempt to reduce envy. However, if the envy is very strong, it is likely that sooner or later it will turn against the primary idealized object and the other people who, in the course of development, come to represent it” (p. 221).

Typical of E4 is the devaluation of the other as a form of compensation: “The defense against envy often takes the form of devaluation of the object. I have suggested that ruining and devaluing are at the heart of envy. The object that has been devalued no longer needs to be envied. This soon applies to the idealized object, which is then devalued and ceases to be ideal. The speed with which this idealization is destroyed depends on the strength of the envy. But devaluation and ingratitude are the resources used as a defense against envy at each stage of development.”

In the Social subtype of Four, self-devaluation is particularly relevant: “A particular defense of a more depressive type is the devaluation of one's own person. By devaluing their own gifts, they deny envy while simultaneously punishing themselves for it. However, it can be observed in analysis that the devaluation of the self arouses envy once more in the presence of the analyst, who is perceived as superior—especially given how distorted the patient’s perception has become. I have found that one of the deepest causes of this defense is guilt and misfortune for not having been able to preserve the good object, due to envy. People who have established their good object in a somewhat precarious way suffer from the anxiety that it may be ruined or lost as a result of competition and envy, which is why they avoid success and competition” (p. 223).

In the Self-Preservation Subtype, the subject denies envy and hatred to resolve the experience of loss and the feeling of worthlessness. Envy is not so much about the object itself but rather the identity that the object gives to the person who is envied. The subject demands of themselves to repair the guilt and the feeling of inferiority through self-demand, idealizing a self that can be adequate and perfect. However, this process results in the subject continuing to persecute themselves, reflecting the aggression originally aimed at the other (particularly the mother) back onto themselves.

An Oral Character

E4 can be recognized as an "oral character." This character emerges from a suddenly repressed desire for the mother, resulting in an insurmountable dissatisfaction that

generates ambivalence between the desire for the other and the fear of rejection and disillusionment. The child feels depressed or angry and will continue to experience the wound of abandonment throughout their life. However, they do not definitively give up on their needs, which are constantly activated.

The other is experienced as a source that can satisfy their thirst for love. However, their need for love does not correspond to their capacity to love and give, as they have not developed the independence required for a mutual and adult love relationship.

In psychoanalytic theory, which explains the structuring of personality based on libidinal development during the first years of life, Claudio Naranjo points out that it was Karl Abraham who first drew attention to the E4 syndrome in his description of the "oral aggressive character." The following quote from Goldman-Eisler describes this character:

“This type is characterized by a deeply pessimistic outlook on life, sometimes accompanied by states of depressive moods and withdrawal attitudes, a passive-receptive attitude, a feeling of insecurity, a need to have a livelihood guaranteed, an ambition that combines an intense desire to rise with a feeling of inability to do so, a spiteful feeling of injustice, a competitive susceptibility, a disgust at the idea of competing, and an impatience-filled importunity.”

From the bioenergetic approach developed by Wilhelm Reich and Alexander Lowen, the fixations of this character are located in the oral stage. According to Lowen, oral characters are lax and prone to depressive states. They have flaccid muscles and a fallen tone. In the Sexual subtype, we observe more psychopathic traits, with fixations that are more phallic than in the other envious subtypes.

Lowen explains that, from an energetic perspective, the oral structure is a state of low charge and a low degree of sexual arousal. In his description of this character in bioenergetics, he aligns it closely with the Social subtype of E4:

“We say that a personality has an oral character structure when it contains many typical features of the oral period of life, that is, of childhood. These traits include a weak sense of independence, a tendency to be attached to others, decreased aggressiveness, and an inner feeling of needing to be held, attended to, and cared for. [...] The essential experience of the oral character is deprivation.”

The oral character has an exaggerated need for contact with others, seeking warmth and support. The oral type suffers from an internal feeling of emptiness and is constantly searching for someone to satisfy this need, even if they sometimes act as though they are the ones providing support. Due to their low energy level, they are prone to mood swings of depression and exaltation. The tendency toward depression is typical of the oral

personality. Another characteristic is the feeling that they are owed something by the world, a direct consequence of early deprivation.

The physical description of this type resembles that of the Social 4, with a body that tends to be long and skinny, with underdeveloped musculature. Their bodies show a certain tendency to collapse and often exhibit signs of immaturity, with an appearance that can be perceived as somewhat childish.

According to Lowen, the oral character's relationships reflect the same alterations as their work activities. They have narcissistic interests, their demands are considerable, but their responses are limited. They expect understanding, sympathy, and love, and are excessively sensitive to any gesture of coldness from their partner or others. Unable to satisfy the other person's narcissistic needs, the oral character experiences rejection, resentment, and hostility. The relationship is marked by almost permanent conflict, as the couple has their own needs that the oral nature cannot fulfill. Dependence is considerable, often hidden by hostility.

The psychiatrist Juan José Albert Gutiérrez, in his book Tenderness and Aggressiveness, relates Reichian characters to the Enneagram, dedicating a chapter to the oral character. He explains that the distorted perception of their needs as sources of tension and anguish, coupled with a lack of aggressive energy, predisposes them to perpetuate their lack and suffering. This creates a masochistic component in this character, making it one of the most masochistic types, after the proper masochistic character.

Juan José Albert notes that the Sexual subtype concludes the oral phase with the greatest amount of energy directed toward aggression. It is the envious subtype that has the most energy to get what it needs, although their perception of their needs and abilities is distorted by envy. This increases their sense of lack and damages their self-image. In this subtype, smug and brash responses serve to hide both.

Reich mentions many oral characteristics when describing the masochistic character. The primary difference between the oral and masochistic characters is that the former develops on a hysterical personality structure, leading them to extrovert their feelings of suffering, while the masochistic character tends toward emotional introversion, rationalization, and resignation. I often say that while the oral character dramatizes suffering, the masochist sanctifies it through resignation.

Self-Preservation 4: Helpfulness and Powerlessness

The feelings of hopelessness and helplessness characteristic of the Self-Preservation subtype of Four are often linked to various classifications of depression and masochism.

These feelings stem from early disruptions in the mother-child relationship, forming the foundation of the individual’s character. In 1945, Spitz's concept of analytical depression highlighted the importance of the mother-child bond in early childhood development, particularly within the first year of life.

Markson’s (1993) concept of the masochistic-depressive syndrome of character notes that the key element is the renunciation of personal needs and pleasures, alongside the idealization of pain and self-sacrifice. The origin of this malaise lies in the experience of feeling like an unhappy child—a source of grief and disappointment to the parents, and the failure to repair the harm for which they might feel responsible. This developmental setback leads to the impoverishment and guilt of the individual, affecting various critical psychological abilities such as entitlement, operational efficiency, and initiative. According to Markson, these abilities are crucial for producing self-esteem, initiative, and hope.

A key aspect of the three subtypes of E4 is a deep sense of guilt. Markson discusses how this guilt arises from the perception of having caused parental suffering and the inability to alleviate it. He also observes that this guilt and the resulting diminished self-image come from feeling like a burden to suffering parents, whose exhaustion and pain have been idealized. This sense of guilt and inadequacy manifests differently in the subtypes: while Sexual 4 types may express anger openly, the Self-Preservation subtype tends to suppress or deny such emotions. A significant factor in the formation of depressive character traits is the identification with depressive parents (Bleichmar).

In all depressive disorders, there exists a feeling of impotence and hopelessness in relation to an unattainable desire, a fixation that the individual cannot escape, as Bleichmar explains in his modular-transformational model. The root cause of depression in this context is a fixation on feelings of impotence and helplessness that permeate the psyche, gradually shaping the individual’s sense of self as incapable, inferior, and weak. As a result, the person perceives the world as threatening. This pattern is commonly observed in E4 individuals, who often have early experiences that reinforce these feelings of powerlessness.

Another contributing factor to depression is persecutory anxiety, which is prevalent in the Self-Preservation subtype. This anxiety arises from either actual external threats or internal projections, stemming from early childhood identification with parents who lived in a constant state of imagined persecution. Persecutory anxieties disrupt the self’s development, cognitive growth, and relational capacities, hindering emotional expression

and limiting one's ability to engage with reality. These defense mechanisms—obsessive control, withdrawal, phobic avoidance, and unspoken aggression—contribute to feelings of powerlessness and frustration. Depression arises when these mechanisms become entrenched. Bleichmar illustrates this cycle: "Persecutory anxieties → phobic avoidance → inhibition → failure in narcissistic achievements → deterioration of self-representation → depression."

Persecutory anxiety may also lead to episodic depressive reactions. These occur when the person is overwhelmed by a task or fear of failure, resulting in feelings of impotence, demoralization, and withdrawal from the task at hand. Once the triggering stressor is removed, the depression typically lifts.

Bleichmar differentiates between guilty depression and narcissistic depression. In the case of guilty depression, the individual cannot achieve the well-being of the object of their desire, nor a moral sense of worth. In narcissistic depression, the failure to align with the idealized self leads to feelings of inadequacy. Both forms are evident in the Self-Preservation 4 subtype, where unattainable desires—such as the desire for emotional relief, attachment, and self-recognition—play a central role.

Unexpressed aggression is another important factor in the generation of depression. When anger is directed inward, through self-criticism and devaluation, the individual loses a sense of self-worth. If the object of this devaluation is the source of their self-esteem, the individual becomes even more helpless, trapped in a world devoid of valuable or stimulating objects. This imaginary world, populated by idealized objects, feels unattainable and adds to the person's despair.

Bleichmar also addresses the damaging effects of self-directed aggression in the form of self-criticism. It not only diminishes the individual's self-representation but also undermines their functional capabilities. Consumed by internal conflict, the person’s energies are spent in self-attack, resulting in a depleted ego that inhibits movement toward fulfilling desires. This ultimately leads to a diminished sense of self-esteem.

Guilt plays a significant role in depression within this subtype. It manifests in two primary forms: a) guilt due to identification with guilty parents, internalizing their attributes and sense of guilt, and b) guilt from introjecting aggression, leading to self-reproach while unconsciously reproaching the parent, typically the mother.

Regarding narcissistic disorders, depression can manifest in two ways: a) directly, when the individual’s poor self-representation leads them to feel incapable of achieving their desires, and b) indirectly, due to the defensive mechanisms put in place to avoid fear or shame. These defenses, such as avoidance of interpersonal contacts, result in the erosion of ego functions and personal resources.

The creation of feelings of hopelessness and helplessness is further compounded by a traumatic external reality. Blatt’s concept of anaclitic depression aligns with the dependency of Self-Preservation 4 individuals on others for emotional support. This dependency creates intense sensitivity to perceived losses in love or affection, resulting in introjective depression.

Schneider, in his book Psychopathic Personalities (1962), proposes a classification of depressive psychopathy. He describes individuals with a pessimistic, skeptical, and negative worldview, often driven by unrequited love and a tendency to take everything too seriously. This description aligns with the Self-Preservation 4 subtype, which experiences internal restlessness and uncertainty, making it difficult for them to feel calm or settled. Schneider further notes an exaggerated intensity in their "sad experiences," where rest is seen as dangerous, as it may bring back troubling thoughts.

In Personality Disorders in Modern Life, Millon and Davis describe depressive personality traits in Self-Preservation 4 individuals, highlighting their fear of abandonment, demand for affection, and tendency toward asceticism and self-denial. They often feel the need to atone for perceived faults by depriving themselves of pleasure, harshly judging themselves when things go wrong.

Dysthymic disorder, as outlined in the DSM-IV, is closely related to the traits of Self-Preservation 4. Symptoms such as sadness, low self-esteem, difficulty concentrating, and feelings of hopelessness are common. These symptoms, although part of everyday experience, are often not recognized by the individual as being tied to their own identity.

Social 4: Melancholy

The Royal Spanish Academy defines melancholy as “vague, deep, calm, and permanent sadness, born of physical or moral causes, which leads those who suffer from it to find no pleasure or joy in anything.” Just reading this definition, one immediately thinks of the Social 4 subtype as the epitome of melancholia: languid, nostalgic, sunk in sadness, self-absorbed, and complaining.

Melancholy is an intrinsic part of the human condition, and many brilliant minds have dedicated their efforts to understanding and defining this state across various disciplines throughout history. To trace its origins, we can note that the term "melancholy" comes from the Greek melanos cholés, meaning "black bile." It was Hippocrates who first named it as one of the four humors that were believed to animate the human body, and whose imbalance was thought to cause diseases—melancholy being the result of an excess of this "black humor."

Galen of Pergamum (131-201) devotes a chapter of his work On the Affected Parts to melancholy, describing it as a condition caused by black bile. He writes: "Although each melancholic patient acts quite differently, they all share fear or despair. They believe that life is bad and they hate others, although not all want to die. For some, the fear of death is the primary concern during melancholia. Others, strangely enough, fear death and yet wish for it." (Galen, Of the Affected Parts, Book III)

Pioneering psychoanalysts Abraham and Freud were the first to explore the psychology of melancholy, emphasizing the role of introjected aggressiveness. In his letter to Wilhelm Fliess, known as "Manuscript G," Freud reflects on melancholy and its potential causes, linking it to the loss of libido.

The emotional core of melancholy is similar to mourning or grief, characterized by longing for something lost. Thus, melancholy can be seen as mourning a loss, often in the instinctual life (sometimes described as "drive") of the individual. Freud proposes that melancholy is essentially mourning the loss of libido.

In his 1917 essay Mourning and Melancholy, Freud contrasts the two concepts. Mourning is a natural process, whereas melancholy is pathological. Both arise from the loss of a loved object or situation, or an abstraction in its place. In both, there is pain and a sense of depletion, but in melancholy, there is a critical difference: the loss of self-esteem, an overwhelming reduction of self-feeling, self-reproach, criticism, and self-denigration.

In the process of mourning, the individual recognizes and accepts that the lost object no longer exists, and is capable of transferring their emotional attachment to another object. In contrast, melancholy is an endless mourning. Unlike mourners, who understand what they have lost, melancholics either do not know or cannot comprehend their loss. Sometimes, melancholic processes begin without any manifest loss; Freud suggests that the loss is unconscious in these cases.

Freud proposes a four-step circuit for melancholy:

1.A narcissistic choice of object, often the mother. 2.The loss of the object, through abandonment or disappointment, either manifest or unconscious. 3.Identification of the ego with the lost object: "The shadow of the object has fallen on the ego," Freud notes. 4.The self, through the critical instance of the superego, treats the ego as if it were the object itself. Freud's idea is that, by mistreating themselves, the melancholic is also mistreating the object, but since the object is identified with the ego, the self suffers the consequences.

An object in the world once held the self of the subject, and when that object is lost, a profound melancholic reaction is triggered. The E4 subtypes differ in how they manifest damage—either by persecuting themselves or the "lost" object. Thus, melancholy can be seen as a form of aggressiveness, a destructive tendency that, whether explicitly expressed or not, harms the individual by turning inward. This primary mechanism reflects a return against the self.

Claudio Naranjo, in his theory of the three loves applied to character types, suggests that each subtype has an imbalance, marked by the excessive and neurotic development of one form of love—erotic, admiring, or compassionate—at the expense of the others. For the E4, maternal love is overdeveloped, despite the Sexual subtype’s cruelty. In contrast, for the Self-Preservation and Social subtypes, it is erotic love (instinctive, sexual, and aggressive) that is underdeveloped, creating a longing for spontaneity and freedom—traits of the inner child.

It’s important to distinguish the Sexual subtype, which lacks compassionate love and tends to cope with melancholy by attacking the lost object. This subtype fails to develop empathy for the object of love, often perceiving it as defective or guilty for the loss.

W. Reich also points to the repression of instinct as the root cause of depressive and submissive tendencies.

The opposite of the impulsive character is the one with inhibited instincts. The former shows the impact of a fully developed instinct suddenly frustrated, while the latter experiences constant frustration throughout their life. This character armor inhibits psychic mobility, creating a foundation for depressive reactions and compulsive symptoms linked to repressed aggression. Sociologically, this can lead to submissiveness and the loss of critical faculties. (Reich, Character Analysis, p. 136)

The Sexual and Social 4: Aggression and Suffering

The Sexual 4 is characterized by aggression, while the Social 4 is marked by sadness. In the latter, the Social 4 has inhibited their aggression and transforms it into suffering. Gabbard explains in his chapter dedicated to affective disorders:

"...the melancholic patient feels a profound loss of self-esteem, accompanied by self-reproach and guilt, while the mourner maintains a reasonably stable sense of self-esteem. Freud explained the marked self-contempt common in depressed patients as the result of inward-turned anger. More specifically, the anger is directed inward because the patient has identified with the lost object.

In 1923, in The I and the Id, he postulated that melancholic patients have a severe superego, which he related to the guilt of having shown aggression towards loved ones."

Melanie Klein also contributes to this understanding, stating: "Experiences of depression and guilt imply the desire to avoid harm to the loved object and to restrict envy." (Klein, Envy and Gratitude, p. 225).

According to Gabbard, for Klein, "depressive patients are desperately concerned that they have destroyed the good loved objects within them as a result of their own greed and destructiveness. In other words, patients may feel devalued because they perceive that they have changed their internal good parents into persecutors as a result of their fantasies and destructive impulses."

Twenty years after writing his aforementioned Manuscript G, Freud published his article Mourning and Melancholy, in which he claims that melancholy "is singled out in the psychic by a deeply hurt despondency, a cancellation of interest in the world exterior, the loss of the capacity to love, the inhibition of all productivity, and a reduction in the feeling of self that is externalized in self-reproach and self-denigration, extreme towards a delirious expectation of punishment." Later, he adds more to his portrait of the melancholic, which mirrors the Social 4 with their suffering, sadness, and self-contempt:

"...melancholic inhibition impresses us as something enigmatic because we fail to see what absorbs the patient so completely. The melancholic still shows us something that is missing in mourning: an extraordinary reduction in his ego feeling, an enormous impoverishment of the ego. In mourning, the world has become poor and empty; in melancholy, that happens to myself. The patient describes himself as unworthy, sterile, and morally despicable; He reproaches himself, denigrates himself, and expects repulsion and punishment. He humiliates himself before everyone else and commiserates with each of his relatives for having ties to such an unworthy person. He does not judge that an alteration has come over him but extends his self-criticism to the past; He asserts that it was never better. The picture of this delusion of insignificance—predominantly moral—is completed with insomnia, rejection of food, and a collapse, psychologically astonishing in the extreme, of the drive that compels all beings to cling to life."

Gabbard also references Blatt (1998), who suggests two different types of depression: anaclitic and introjective. Anaclitic depression is "characterized by feelings of helplessness, loneliness, and weakness related to chronic fears of being abandoned and unprotected. Individuals with this type of depression long to be nurtured, protected, and loved. It is also

characterized by vulnerability to ruptures in interpersonal relationships, and depression manifests itself initially as dysphoric feelings of abandonment, loss, and loneliness."

Although we do not find an exact equivalence with the Social 4 among Jung's psychological types, we agree with Claudio Naranjo that the traits Jung describes as typical of the "sentimental introvert," such as coldness, indifference, and rejection, are more in line with the detached and withdrawn Enneatype Five.

However, we do find a description of the Social 4 among Schneider’s psychopathic personalities, specifically melancholic depressives who are "soft, kind, delicate, full of understanding with the sufferings and weaknesses of others, and shy and discouraged in the face of unusual events and tasks."

In general, the traits of the Social 4 appear in many typical depressive pictures, particularly in the depressive personality disorder (PDD) proposed in the DSM IV appendix B for potential inclusion in later revisions, although it was ultimately eliminated in the current DSM V. According to Gabbard (2003), the criteria for depressive disorder include "a mood dominated by discontent, sorrow, and sadness; a self-concept centered on devaluation and low self-esteem; a tendency to blame and criticize oneself; a propensity to feel guilt or remorse; a pessimistic attitude; a negative and critical attitude towards others; a tendency to brood and worry."

Research Criteria for Depressive Personality Disorder

A. A permanent pattern of depressive behaviors and cognitive functions that begins in early adulthood and is reflected in a wide variety of contexts, characterized by (one or more) of the following symptoms:

1.A habitual state of mind dominated by feelings of despondency, sadness, discouragement, disappointment, and unhappiness. 2.A self-conception focused on feelings of impotence, uselessness, and low self-esteem. 3.A tendency to criticize, accuse, or disqualify oneself. 4.A tendency to brood and worry about everything. 5.A tendency to criticize, judge, and contradict others. 6.A pessimistic outlook. 7.A propensity to feel guilty or remorseful.

B. The symptoms do not occur exclusively during Major Depressive Episodes and are not better accounted for by Dysthymic Disorder.

The Suffering of the Social 4

Another significant feature of the Social 4, which may seem paradoxical given their shyness and sense of shame, is the dramatic expression of suffering. Freud observes:

"It is significant that the melancholic does not behave entirely like someone who constructs regret and self-reproach. He lacks (or at least does not display) the shame in the presence of others, which would be the main characteristic of this last state. In the melancholic, one could almost highlight the opposite trait: an urgent frankness that takes pleasure in revealing itself."

If the love for the object—this love that cannot be resigned to the object itself—is displaced into narcissistic identification, hatred mercilessly targets this substitute object, insulting it, denigrating it, and making it suffer, finding a sadistic satisfaction in this suffering. This self-martyrdom of melancholy, unequivocally joyful, involves, much like the parallel phenomenon of obsessive neurosis, the satisfaction of sadistic tendencies and tendencies toward hatred that initially targeted an external object but, through this path, turn inward. In both afflictions, patients often achieve, through self-punishment, a sense of retribution toward the original objects and torment their loved ones by becoming patients, surrendering to the disease to avoid showing direct hostility.

This externalization of suffering, as Karen Horney explains and we will discuss below, serves various functions, including moving others and attracting their love, but also fulfilling a vindictive purpose.

In her theory of neurosis, Horney categorizes neurotic tendencies into three types of neurotic personality, based on the unconscious strategies a person uses compulsively and indiscriminately in their search for security, their effort to reduce feelings of anguish, and their way of relating to the world and others.

These categories are as follows:

• Submission (modesty): Individuals in this category tend to submit and try to please and indulge others, seeking to get closer to them.

• Aggression: These individuals view life as a struggle, seek control and dominance, and show hostility or aggression towards others.

• Resignation: Their "intimate need to put an emotional distance between themselves and others" leads them to a neurotic detachment (Horney, 1959, p.73).

The solution of modesty is to approach others through personal suffering and martyrdom, a strategy that can undoubtedly include the Social 4, with its intense need for affection and approval. While this also applies to the Self-Preservation subtype of E4, Claudio Naranjo suggests it is more realistic to consider the Social 4 in terms of resignation, or estrangement.

In summary, this type needs to be wanted, loved, accepted, appreciated, and needed; to be important to others, especially to a particular person; to be helped, protected, cared for, and guided (Horney, 1945, p. 51).

Behind the submissive's compulsive search to be in harmony with others, avoiding all friction, lies a desire to excel, immense competition, and unrecognized feelings of anger and hostility. They have idealized the qualities of suffering, helplessness, and martyrdom, only capable of sustaining hostility if they see themselves as an innocent and harmless person.

The needs for love, affection, understanding, sympathy, or help become internalized as: "I have the right to love, affection, understanding, sympathy. I have the right to have things done for me. I have the right not to pursue happiness, but to have happiness come to me." It should be noted that these claims are more unconscious compared to the expansive type (p. 232).

The submissive person feels entitled because of their great need and suffering. Suffering is valued by one who believes themselves to be very holy, and it becomes even better if it can be extended to others.

Suffering is unconsciously used to affirm one's claims, which not only slows down the drive to overcome it but also contributes to exaggerating it. They must feel that their suffering is so exceptional and excessive that it gives them the right to be helped. This process makes them feel their suffering more intensely than they otherwise would, as it has acquired an unconscious strategic value (p. 233).

In the chapter "The Modesty Solution: The Love Appeal," Horney describes how this person uses suffering, helplessness, powerlessness, and martyrdom, providing a good description of the Social 4, with typical traits like devaluation, self-denigration, inhibition of hostility, and a strong internal judge. Some examples include:

• The emphasis on emotion: This generates the illusion of being intensely alive and deep, compensating for feelings of inner emptiness.

• The focus on feelings: These include feelings of joy or pain, not just for individuals, but for humility, art, nature, and values of all kinds. Having depth of feeling is part of

their image (p. 225).

• Constant devaluation: The process of shrinking begins, leaving them feeling helpless. It becomes impossible for them to identify with their glorious and proud self, and they can only experience themselves as subjugated and victimized. They feel small, helpless, guilty, rejected, unlovable, stupid, and incompetent. They identify with all the fallen (p. 226).

• Helplessness: The need is so great that any wish for help seems reasonable. In reality, it represents the hope that everything will be done for them. Others must take the initiative, do their work, take responsibility, and give meaning to their life.

In general, E4s have a very low tolerance for frustration, but each subtype reacts differently: the aggressive one in the Sexual 4, the redoubling of efforts in the Self-Preservation 4, and the response to withdraw and suffer in the Social 4.

In the Social 4, their typical response to the frustration of their claims is not righteous indignation, but self-pity for feeling unfairly treated.

They may tell heartbreaking stories of their sorrows, arousing compassion and a desire to be treated better, but soon find themselves in the same situation.

Horney extensively explores the functions that suffering serves in this neurotic type, which perfectly align with the masochistic traits of the Social 4. These include providing an outlet for repressed aggression and serving as a pretext for justifying impotence and inhibition of action:

The passive externalization of self-hatred goes beyond merely feeling mistreated. One may provoke others to mistreat them, thereby externalizing their inner turmoil. This allows them to become the noble victim who suffers under a cruel and unjust world.

Feeling mistreated also serves an important function. It provides an outlet for repressed expansive tendencies while keeping them hidden. It allows the individual to secretly feel superior to others (the crown of martyrdom), gives legitimacy to hostile and aggressive feelings, and disguises their hostility. Most of the hostility is repressed and expressed through suffering (p. 235).

His most characteristic means of expressing vindictive resentment is through suffering. Anger can be absorbed into increased suffering from psychosomatic symptoms, or by feeling prostrate or depressed.

Thus, suffering acquires another function: that of absorbing anger and making others feel guilty, which is the only effective means of taking revenge on them (p. 238).

His suffering accuses others and excuses him. It gives him a total cut, for not making his life brighter and not reaching ambitious goals. Although, as we have seen, he eagerly avoids ambition and success, the need for success continues to operate. His suffering allows him to save face, keeping in his mind—consciously or unconsciously—the possibility of supreme feats if he were not afflicted by mysterious ailments (p. 239).

In the chapter "Morbid Dependence," Horney develops the theme of the longing for love in this type. She explains how romantic love "is and seems like the ticket to paradise, where all evils end; no more loneliness; no more feeling lost, guilty, and unworthy; no more self-responsibility; no more struggling with a harsh world for which he does not feel equipped. Instead, love seems to promise protection, support, affection, encouragement, sympathy, and understanding. It will give you a sense of value. It will give meaning to your life. It will be salvation and redemption." It is, therefore, not surprising that for him, people are often divided into haves and have-nots, not in terms of money or social position, but in terms of being (or not being) married or having an equivalent relationship.

We also find in Horney the intense longing for a place of belonging characteristic of this Social subtype—a place that he desires intensely but never dares to take. This search, time and again, results in painful frustration, driving him to withdraw, disturbed by deep feelings of shame, inadequacy, and helplessness. It creates a pendulous movement that exhausts him and fills him with despair.

He looks to others to strengthen his inner position by giving him a feeling of being accepted, approved, needed, wanted, loved, and appreciated. His salvation is others. Hence, his need for people is not only greatly reinforced but frequently reaches a frenzied character. We begin to understand what love means to this person (pp. 228 and 229).

They need to feel accepted by others—need such acceptance that it can come in whatever form is available: attention, approval, gratitude, affection, sympathy, love, or sex. He is worth as much as they want him, need him to be (p. 230).

Being alone means, for him, the proof of not being loved, and therefore it is a dishonor that must be kept secret. It is a shame to go alone to the movies or on vacation, and it is a shame to spend the weekend alone when others are in society (p. 230).

Anorexia

His orality, feeling of painful deprivation, and voracity make the E4 prone to eating disorders. Both bulimia and anorexia nervosa manifest in this type, with bulimia being more characteristic of Sexual 4 and anorexia of Social 4. Freud, in his already mentioned "Manuscript G," relates anorexia and melancholia in this way, attributing it to the loss of libido, or, if we use the words of Claudio Naranjo, the loss of healthy erotic instinct:

"The food neurosis parallel to melancholia is anorexia. The well-known anorexia nervosa of adolescents seems to me to represent, after careful observation, a melancholy in the presence of a rudimentary sexuality. The patient asserts that she did not eat simply because she had no appetite, and nothing else. Loss of appetite is equivalent, in sexual terms, to loss of libido."

Gabbard, in Dynamic Psychiatry in Clinical Practice, in the chapter dedicated to substance-related disorders and eating behavior, discusses the psychodynamics underlying this disease, showing correspondences with the Social 4.

Most patients with anorexia nervosa have an exhaustive conviction that they are utterly ineffective and powerless. The disease typically features "good girls who have spent their lives trying to please their parents, only to suddenly become stubborn and negativistic adolescents. The body is almost always experienced as separate from self, as if it belonged to the parents."

For Bruch, the origin of anorexia nervosa goes back to a failure in the relationship between the baby and the mother. Specifically, the mother raises the child according to her own needs rather than the child's.

Although there is also a propensity for anorexia in Enneatype Three, this would have more to do with a motivation to "get better," increase their attractiveness, and be the best. And although we cannot forget that the E4 is also located in the enneagram on the side of the image, we can understand anorexia in the envious as a manifestation of the difficulty this Enneatype has in integrating what nourishes them, thus remaining lacking and in need of their voracity. This is also another way of suffering and punishing those around them. Gabbard cites Palazzoli and Boris, whose explanations seem to perfectly illustrate how the E4's deficiency motivation sustains the dynamics of this disease:

Selvini Palazzoli (1978) noted that patients with anorexia nervosa have been unable to separate psychologically from their mothers, resulting in a failure to achieve any stable sense of their own bodies. The body is then often perceived as being inhabited by an introjected bad mother, and starvation may be an attempt to stop the growth of this intrusive and hostile internal object.

Boris (1984b) noted that intense greed forms the heart of anorexia nervosa. "Through projective identification, the representation of the self, gluttonous and demanding, is transferred to the parents."

In a formulation influenced by Kleinian thought, Boris conceptualized anorexia nervosa as an inability to receive good things from others due to an inordinate desire for possession. Any act of receiving food or love honestly confronts these patients with the fact that they cannot have what they want. Their solution is to receive nothing from anyone. Envy and greed are often closely linked in the unconscious. The patient is envious of the mother's good possessions—love, compassion, nurturing—but receiving these things increases her envy. Giving them up implies the unconscious fantasy of harming what is envied, as the fox does in Aesop's fable who argued that the grapes he could not reach were sour.

The patient conveys the following message: "Since there is nothing good available for me to possess, I simply give up all my desires." Such renunciation makes the anorexic patient the object of others' desire and, in her fantasy, the object of their envy and admiration because they are "impressed" by her self-control. Food symbolizes the positive qualities of others that she desires in herself; being enslaved by hunger is preferable to wishing to possess the mother figure.

As Juan José Albert explains, if the Social 4 also has Self-Preservation as its second subtype, it will be joined by an extreme tenacity that will greatly complicate the remission of the anorexic condition.

Bruch understood the behavior of the anorexic patient as a frantic effort to gain admiration and validation as a unique and special person with extraordinary attributes.

Sexual 4’s Histrionism and Borderline Disorder

The Sexual subtype, due to its high degree of histrionics fueled by a strong reliance on the projection defense mechanism, is the most extroverted and histrionic of the three E4 subtypes. This subtype often struggles with boundaries, sometimes significantly so. They tend to be invasive in their relationships and establish a form of anaclitic attachment typical of borderline personality organization.

While individuals of the Social subtype (the "shameful") also lean towards anaclitic relationships, their style is more submissive, whereas the Sexual subtype is demanding and manipulative. As Jean Bergeret states:

"As the etymology indicates, the Greek term anaclitos means to be thrown back, lying on one's back, in an essentially passive manner. The meanings

derived from the term anaclitos account for the movements of 'withdrawing into,' 'leaning towards,' and 'leaning against.' This is precisely characteristic of the borderline organization: the necessity to lean on the interlocutor, either through passive waiting and pleading for positive satisfaction or via more aggressive manipulations, whether overt or subtle, of that indispensable partner."

Sexual 4, Social 4, and Borderline Disorder

By Elena Curiel

The DSM-5 includes traits of both the Social and Sexual 4 subtypes within the diagnostic criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), classified under Cluster B personality disorders.

The key distinction lies in expression:

• Sexual 4: More expressive, impulsive, and aggressive in their complaints. • Social 4: More inhibited, experiencing emotional turbulence privately, often expressing suffering through tears and a more subdued demeanor, though their emotional intensity is equally profound.

Diagnostic Criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder

BPD is characterized by a pervasive pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affect, along with marked impulsivity. This typically begins in early adulthood and is present across various contexts. Diagnosis requires the presence of five or more of the following criteria:

1.Desperate efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment. 2.A pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships, alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation. 3.Identity disturbance, with unstable and persistent self-image or sense of self. 4.Impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (e.g., spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating). 5.Recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, or threats, or self-injurious behaviors. 6.Affective instability due to marked reactivity of mood (e.g., intense episodic dysphoria, irritability, or anxiety lasting a few hours to a few days). 7.Chronic feelings of emptiness.

8.Inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger (e.g., frequent outbursts, constant anger, recurrent physical fights). 9.Transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms.

Key Features and Behavioral Patterns

1.Fear of Abandonment: People with BPD exhibit an intense fear of abandonment, even in situations involving time-limited separations or unavoidable changes in plans. This fear often leads to drastic shifts in self-image, emotions, and behavior, as well as inappropriate anger. 2.Unstable Relationships: Relationships are often marked by extremes, ranging from idealization to devaluation. They may quickly shift from viewing someone as their best supporter to perceiving them as cruel or neglectful. 3.Identity Disturbance: These individuals frequently experience a lack of stable identity, resulting in abrupt changes in goals, values, and self-perception. They may swing between roles, such as the helpless victim and the vengeful avenger, often feeling like they don’t exist at all when lacking meaningful connections. 4.Impulsivity: Impulsive behaviors can manifest in harmful ways, including reckless spending, substance abuse, unsafe sex, and other self-damaging activities. 5.Emotional Instability: BPD is characterized by intense mood swings triggered by interpersonal stressors. Dysphoria, panic, or despair are common, with few moments of genuine relief or contentment. 6.Chronic Emptiness: Persistent feelings of emptiness often lead to boredom and a constant search for stimulation. 7.Intense Anger: Inappropriate anger, triggered by perceived neglect or abandonment, often results in verbal outbursts and long-lasting resentments. These episodes are typically followed by guilt and shame, further reinforcing a negative self-image. 8.Paranoia and Dissociation: Under extreme stress, transient paranoid ideation or dissociative symptoms, such as depersonalization, may occur.

Suicidal and Self-Injurious Behaviors

Self-harm and suicidal behaviors are common in BPD, often triggered by fears of rejection or separation. Acts of self-mutilation may provide relief by reaffirming their ability to feel or as a way to "atone" for perceived faults.

Associated Features Supporting Diagnosis

• Self-Sabotage: Individuals may sabotage their own progress (e.g., dropping out of school before graduation or ending relationships showing potential). • Psychotic-like Symptoms: Stress may induce hallucinations, body image distortions, or other psychotic symptoms. • Reliance on Transitional Objects: Comfort may be sought in pets or inanimate objects rather than interpersonal relationships. • Comorbid Conditions: Common co-occurring disorders include depression, bipolar disorder, substance use disorders, PTSD, and eating disorders (especially bulimia nervosa).

Childhood History and Contributing Factors

Childhood histories of individuals with BPD often include physical or sexual abuse, neglect, parental conflicts, and early loss or separation. These experiences significantly shape the development of borderline traits, contributing to the disorder’s characteristic instability in relationships, emotions, and self-perception.

The definitive work on the enneagram comprises nine volumes that bring together all the knowledge generated by Claudio Naranjo and his team on the 27 types of personality.

Envy is the passion to control and calibrate one’s own existence by comparing it with that of another. Their objective is not to satisfy themselves, but to perpetuate a state of unhappiness and lack with which people of this character try to fill their existential void. The envious person idealizes love so much that nothing and no one can satisfy him, while condemning himself to look at the other with eternally demanding eyes. The subtypes of envy are also the most contrasting in the Enneagram, with great differences between the self-sacrificing ones who have learned to introject their voracity and swallow their tears, the haters-competitive, with intense cannibalistic desires, and the melancholic species,

complaining mermaids with an exaggerated affective dependence who, at the same time, know how to stimulate in others their need to feel protected.

Envy, the seventh volume of the work Psicología de los eneatipos, describes the Enneatype Four as a character prone to relationships of dependency and abuse, with self-injurious tendencies and even illness, and with a great sensitivity to the suffering of others that the own underline function. At the same time, the envious tend to invalidate, despise, and undervalue the envied object, reminding us, not in vain, that envy is the sin of Cain.