The Social Subtype

Obsessive-Compulsive Style

Among the "neurotic styles" developed by David Shapiro, we can see clear reflections of the Social 6 in the obsessive-compulsive style.

Wilhelm Reich already described compulsive characters as “living machines.” Starting from this description, Shapiro identifies rigidity as essential to the obsessive-compulsive: it is evident in a stiff body posture, a controlled course of action, and an obstinate style of thinking—dogmatic and oppositional—which implies a restriction of attention.

The obsessive focus of attention is intense and selective, concentrated on detail, which leads to narrow-mindedness and cognitive narrowing. Affective experience is withdrawn. Activity focuses on work and is carried out with tension, even in playful aspects. Even leisure becomes a strenuous activity.

Painful deliberation and premeditation are recurrent in the obsessive-compulsive, who functions by issuing orders and warnings. Their maxim is, "I must...". Willful in every sense, their strength lies in their willpower.

Their self-awareness is that of a severe inspector. Subject to the need to meet expectations and threatened by criticism, they function like a laborious automaton.

On an emotional level, severity completely restricts spontaneity, with a constant fear of situations that could imply a potential loss of control.

The narrowness of attention distorts reality. Confined to norms and indicators, they suffer a loss of perspective and a restriction of life's nuances. They also lose conviction, giving rise to doubt and a compensatory tendency toward dogmatism. Both factors prevent direct contact with life, serving as defenses against it, while ritualistic behavior provides mechanical security.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, as diagnosed in the DSM-IV, aligns more closely with Enneatype 1, but the social Enneatype E6 also displays some of its characteristics.

The general pattern involves a preoccupation with order, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal control, often at the expense of flexibility, spontaneity, and efficiency.

A concern for details, rules, lists, order, organization, or schedules leads to losing sight of the activity's purpose. Perfectionism interferes with task completion. Work is prioritized excessively, excluding leisure activities and friendships.

Rigid and stubborn, they are scrupulous and inflexible in matters of morality. They are also unable to discard used or useless items, even if they have no sentimental value. Reluctant to delegate tasks, they only do so if others conform precisely to their way of doing things. Greedy, they view money as something to be hoarded in preparation for potential future catastrophes.

Ideal Me

We are accustomed to highlighting diagnostic profiles from a symptomatological perspective. Here, we will address the psychodynamic understanding of Enneatype Six, the fearful one, from a structural perspective, using the concept of the superego and Hugo Bleichmar's "topography" of the psyche.

This psychoanalyst directly refers to the atmosphere of the conscience of Enneatype Six, particularly the social subtype, which has an imperative (Kantian) ideal of immediate and precise obedience. There is a judicial climate. The superego acts as a court where a judge, an idealized observer with overwhelming expectations, enforces a code filled with certainties.

As Bleichmar explains:

“The norms and ideals would be like the code before which the judge (the critical conscience) dictates a sentence. The activity of the superego activates a whole surveillance of compliance with the norms associated with the ideals. This exemplifies one of the splits within the subject, which [...] threatens, apologizes, punishes... and provides satisfaction.”

Bleichmar finds within the superego both moral mandates and those of a narcissistic nature. The moral aspects, extensively analyzed by Freud, link the superego to guilt concerning instinctive drives and the emotional world. In narcissistic experiences, ideals are tied to the polarity of devaluation (inferiority) and feelings of superiority.

Distinct from the ego ideal (aspirations of the ego), the superego's ideals form the core beliefs that manifest as all-encompassing imperatives.

These normative constellations have a powerful magnetism. We can imagine them as octopuses with innumerable norms and principles, whose tentacles fall heavily on the psyche of this character.

References:

93. See W. Reich, Analysis of Character, Paidós, Barcelona, 1974. 94. H. Bleichmar, Advances in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, Paidós, Barcelona, 1997, pp. 278-280.