Introduction

Beyond the Christian description of gluttony as a disproportionate fondness for food, it can be described as a passion for more and better. This manifests particularly as a fascination with novelty, the unknown, and the exotic, an excessive dependence on pleasure, an automatic tendency to avoid pain and frustration, and a desire to be liked, popular, and admired. The strong mental energization of this type is accompanied by difficulty integrating intellect with emotions and desires. This overinvestment in the rational aspect is expressed through a strategic vision of life (often referred to as planning), coupled with strong self-indulgence (the fixation of this character) and a more or less tacit self-perception of superiority.

In the background, there is a belief that intelligence can be used to escape any circumstance. However, there is also an ambivalent experience where this character wears a mask of intelligence and superiority to hide an inner core of deficiency and low self-esteem.

The E7 uses their undeniable intelligence to explain, manipulate, and arouse admiration. Their gluttony also manifests as intellectual gluttony, making them the most curious of characters. They constantly seek new horizons, mysteries, and abstract or extravagant ideas that seduce them.

Their intelligence, combined with their self-concept as an enjoyer or bon vivant and their strongly projected positive vision of life, serves as a means of seduction. This intellectual seduction is closely tied to the strong narcissism of E7: an internal sense of value (though ambivalently colored by a diffuse sense of self-invalidation). This is usually accompanied by an exhibitionism of talents, a sense of entitlement, and a loquacious compulsion to explain things or narrate life.

E7 is often a charlatan. They talk excessively, both to seduce and to persuade. Their loquacity serves their gluttony as a means of achieving desires through rationalization and as a way of metaphorically consuming others through words. Their charm is further supported by their fresh and seemingly humble demeanor. They are eager to help and be useful—though always with a strategic motive behind it. This is the foundation of their success. However, in order to achieve this apparent satisfaction (a kind of cosmic well-being), they must first deceive themselves by denying any hint of discomfort.

Even more important than the desire for pleasure is, for this character, the avoidance of pain. Their apparent satisfaction and enthusiasm keep frustration far from their consciousness. They are often unaware of their own insatiability, a blindness reinforced by their sense of entitlement to gratification. Thus, they exude the energy of a child in an adult body who permits themselves everything, operating under the assumption that everything is fine. This functions as a protection against pain and frustration. Their self-indulgence is, ultimately, a form of optimism that smooths life’s path and allows them to forgive their own failures.

At the same time, E7 is a rebellious character. They despise authority and go against it (though often from behind, avoiding direct confrontation). They lack discipline, are excessively fanciful, optimistic, and self-confident. This, combined with their superficiality, allows them to present themselves as brilliant and interesting—particularly when displaying their verbal skills. As a result, they frequently procrastinate, living more in the realm of fantasy than in practical execution. They constantly generate new ideas but abandon them just as quickly for new ones, rarely bringing anything to fruition. This lack of commitment conceals a magical illusion of maintaining an ideal world—one that preserves their mask of being in a good place and being a special person.

Their seduction and manipulation sometimes lead to the exploitation of those who fall under their enchanting influence. They often have a talent for getting others to work in service of their ideas or needs. Their rebellion is most evident in their sharp criticism of conventional morality, often expressed through humor and irony. In reality, they oppose anything that limits their gluttony, which necessitates being unconventional and resistant to hierarchies. Thus, they present themselves as apparent egalitarians. This rebellion also ties into their search for utopias and alternatives to the ordinary.

However, their unconscious rebellion prevents them from truly enjoying the small pleasures of life—the so-called ordinary things—ultimately making them slaves to their own freedom. This is just one of many contradictions inherent to E7. In them, imagination and reality blur. They overestimate their worth and time while underestimating effort and sacrifice. Anxiety hides behind complacency, aggression behind a soft and affable demeanor, and exploitation behind an appearance of generosity. Their lack of commitment to truth is striking, making them a fundamentally disengaged and fraudulent character.

Among the different subtypes of E7, there are significant contrasts, which can broadly be summarized as a polarity between idealism and lack of it, credulity and cynical distrust, and an overly dreamy nature versus excessive materialism. Within this polarity, the Self-Preservation 7 embodies the extreme of distrust, cynicism, and materialism. Among E7s, this subtype could be described as pseudo-idealistic or, more precisely, as an anti-idealist driven by visceral distrust and a clear love for the concrete. They present

themselves as oral-aggressive characters and, unsurprisingly, as the most rebellious of them all.

This subtype is fueled by adrenaline due to their intensity, bringing them closer to the lustful instincts of E8. They are both the most masochistic and the most psychopathic of the E7s, to the point where they can, on occasion, distance themselves from their gluttony and adopt a sober, self-punitive demeanor.

At the same time, his radical disbelief leads him to compensate by prioritizing material aspects and survival above all else. In the erotic sphere, his lack of empathetic capacity results in radical hedonism. He substitutes quality in romantic bonds for quantity in sexual encounters, exhibiting insatiable desire in erotic conquests. This contrasts with the social and Sexual subtypes, who struggle more to initiate erotic situations beyond the intellectual deployment of seductive arts. In this sense, the Self-Preservation subtype is often portrayed as a sensuous being, described as a playboy and hedonistic charlatan.

Unlike the Social and Sexual 7, which are idealists, the Self-Preservation 7 can be ruthless if his security is compromised and is generally more prone to confrontation and violence than the other E7 subtypes. The E7 type itself is not naturally inclined toward physical aggression, making this an exception. In contrast to other E7s, the Self-Preservation 7 tends to be highly territorial. While all three subtypes share a gluttonous craving for novelty and new experiences, the Self-Preservation subtype is far more traditionalist. Rather than constantly seeking new worlds and thrilling experiences, he exhibits habitual behaviors—always sitting in the same place at the table, sleeping on the same side of the bed, or buying multiple identical shirts.

The Self-Preservation subtype is less disciplined than the Social 7 but more so than the Sexual 7 and tends to demonstrate a strong work ethic. However, his self-indulgence finds a clear limit when it comes to protecting those he considers part of his clan. He is more indulgent toward others than toward himself. He also exhibits a higher degree of hedonistic permissiveness than the Social subtype but less than the Sexual subtype. Additionally, he possesses a strong sense of practicality, particularly regarding money and material or intangible goods, often displaying opportunistic and advantageous tendencies.

He is deeply attached to his own desires and, being conservative, to basic concrete needs, which he pursues with a spontaneity that brings him closer to his instinctual nature. Unlike other E7s, he is less prone to the imaginary satisfaction of desires and instead takes proactive steps toward self-satisfaction.

His realism and lack of idealism make him more cynical, as well as more openly critical and self-critical than other E7s. According to Karen Horney’s theory of interpersonal coping strategies ("moving toward, against, or away from others"), the Self-Preservation 7 moves

against others, often showing himself to be a skilled debater. He frequently takes on the role of leader within a group and becomes the protector of his family, clan, or close affinity group, reflecting his passion for involvement and complicity beyond norms and morals. Within his group, he is generous and affectionate, defending its members fiercely. However, this generosity is often a form of manipulation to secure recognition in return.

The Sexual 7

On the other hand, the Sexual 7 can be defined as an idealist who shifts his ideals according to his whims, often without much awareness of his contradictions. Generally credulous, he fits the archetype of a high-flying dreamer, with extreme hedonistic permissiveness, a lack of discipline, and a greater tendency to satisfy his desires through imagination rather than action.

Much more fanciful, ethereal, poetic, and dreamy than the other E7 subtypes, the Sexual 7 is more emotional, tender, and excitable. He tends to inhabit a virtual reality where everything is perfect and everyone is good. Among all E7 subtypes, he is the most orally fixated, indulging in gluttony with greater sincerity and without pretense. He is also the most self-indulgent and least self-critical.

According to Horney’s framework, the Sexual 7 moves toward others. He is an integrator and seducer, whose core wound (intimacy) compulsively drives him toward deep connections—though he struggles to sustain them. At the slightest frustration of his expectations, he becomes an escapist or experiences childish fits of rage.

Among the three subtypes, the Sexual 7 is the one most inclined to remain in a childlike state, using it as a defense mechanism against life's hardships and frustrations. It is no coincidence that he is often compared to Peter Pan—he avoids responsibility, neglects obligations, and refuses to grow up.

He is driven by a kind of euphoric joy, idealizing himself and his unique gifts. In a narcissistic sense, he is the most self-focused and disconnected from reality. To such an extent that, when his behavior ceases to be entertaining, he can become irritating, exhausting, and highly invasive.

The Social 7

The Social 7 is the most idealistic of the three. Within Horney’s framework, he is the one who moves away from others, often isolating himself in an intellectual ivory tower from

which he observes others with a sense of superiority. He is the most detached and "schizoid" among the E7 subtypes.

He tends to have a more active and demanding superego, demonstrating more discipline and a greater capacity for guilt. He strongly believes in ideas and theoretical abstractions, which he expresses with an eloquent, sometimes excessive, intellectual sophistication. He can be helpful and even self-sacrificing—but only up to a point. Deep down, like all E7s, he remains non-committal and an escapist.

He perceives himself as a saintly figure—a good and well-intentioned person, careful with everyone, and deserving of admiration for his moral excellence. In this sense, he often behaves like a Rasputin, acting as a counselor or ideologue who rationalizes even the most questionable actions. He positions himself as a community builder, exchanging his services for admiration and indulgence.

Unlike the Social subtype, the Self-Preservation 7 focuses on serving his immediate group rather than society as a whole. The Sexual 7, disconnected from reality, has little interest in service, despite his well-intended aspirations. The Social 7 is also the subtype that most represses gluttony, to the extent that he has been described as the "anti-seven." He also restrains his indulgence more than the other subtypes, maintaining an appearance of self-control.

Love

Despite being the most erotically developed Enneatype among the mental types, the E7 also exhibits a form of admiration-based love. This admiration takes different forms: idealization (Social subtype), self-idealization (Sexual subtype), and pseudoor anti-idealism (Self-Preservation subtype, which tends to rebel against idealism).

Claudio Naranjo divides the three E7 subtypes into:

• Compassionate love (Self-Preservation 7): Acts with a maternal orientation, protecting those within his inner circle. • Erotic love (Sexual 7): Celebrates life in alignment with the free will of his inner child. • Admiring love (Social 7): Idealizes others, believing in their greatness and noble qualities.

Physical Traits

While these observations are not absolute truths, they provide general trends among E7 subtypes:

• Self-Preservation 7: Dresses in a classic and understated way, prioritizing practicality. He may buy multiple identical shirts or suits. His features tend to be more "earthly" and less angelic than the other subtypes. Common traits include broad jaws, full cheeks, wide faces, fleshy noses, and deep-set, observant, and distrustful eyes. • Sexual 7: Tends to exaggerate in dress, combining bright colors with exotic accessories. Physically, he often has large mouths and teeth, youthful features, big and expressive eyes, and a permanently smiling expression. • Social 7: Is less concerned with fashion or appearance, displaying a general lack of interest in how he presents himself. His facial features tend to be more balanced, reflecting the greater sobriety of his personality.

CHAPTER 1: THE Self-Preservation 7

Iconoclastic, rebellious, provocative, intellectual challenger, seeker of novelties... as well as easygoing, opportunistic, lover of privileges and central heating, the Self-Preservation 7 character moves through life, crossing from one side to another on a basic polarity: that of someone who is, at the same time, revolutionarily heterodox and secretly conservative. Here is the quintessence of the Flaubertian bourgeois: a great moderate, capable of punishing himself with sober regimens after a binge or with large doses of work after a period of laziness.

He is also a playboy (or playgirl) and a cheat, both in business and in emotions. A clever trickster, a satyr in need of constantly proving his seductiveness. A planner and sagacious bon vivant, whose definition is, by the way, that of one who is dedicated to enjoying the pleasures of life, especially food and drink, as well as leisure and social activities.

In the game of polarities typical of each Enneagram type, we can observe among the E7s, on the one hand, the helpful and social idealists and the sexual fantasists and charmers, and on the other, the cynical, practical, and earthy Self-Preservation 7, who are not idealists at all. With this starting point, gluttony taken to the field of Self-Preservation becomes a very materialistic gluttony of concrete sensory pleasure, making this subtype a cheerful, easy-going hedonist, light-hearted and enjoying himself, interested in sex, money, food, and the good life. But with a schizoid background, disconnected from feeling and emotionally stingy, which usually appears more resoundingly in private, while publicly maintaining a pseudo-social facade intended to satisfy its gluttony. In someone whose most acute instinct

is the always-reptilia Conservation, all this yearning for pleasure is very uninterested in theoretical abstractions.

The Self-Preservation 7 is clear about what it wants: always more and better, and as soon as possible. To implement his gluttony in the world, he deploys networks of influence and mutual favors based on common greedy interests or on ties of empathy or blood (hence the specific use of the word "family," which generates so much confusion to define him), which lead others to describe him with more or less grandiose terms, such as “mafioso” or “gangster.” (Terms that, after all, end up generating a certain mythomania around this character, which we will review over the next few pages.)

He is a mental character, which occurs more often in men. The Self-Preservation 7 women present very specific traits. They tend to be somewhat "masculinized" women, who put strength and cunning ahead of what is typically understood as "femininity." As befits this trait, they stand out for their practical mentality, often also for their sexual gluttony and their few prejudices in the erotic field, as well as for their enormous capacity to support the clan or the intimate circle where, as is usual in all E7s conservation, they usually occupy the place of the head of the family.

Family Stories of Survival

The world was made to the conservative E7 preservation too dry in its infancy, especially emotionally, but often also materially. It is about a person who felt very unprotected at a tender age. Stories of broken families, patriarchal violence, parental alcoholism, having to take care of siblings, large families where there is not enough care, or a general sense of feeling threatened that is transmitted from parents to children are common. The person with this character continues to stay, even now, in a constant state of alert, with a strong initiative and even aggressiveness at the service of his needs, which translates into a great capacity to improvise in order to nurture himself: the Self-Preservation 7 is a hustler. And so he doesn't tolerate deprivation without being able to get what he thinks he needs to achieve his neurotic goal that “I'm fine, and everything is fine.”

Either through the effort to satisfy himself or, more commonly, through his more or less disguised aptitude for robbery, which does not call his honor into question, but in which his aggressiveness and possessive tendencies shine. It is common to find in this character stories of family survival, of absent parents or direct abandoners. Humble and suffering children who are not very compatible with the usual idea that the E7 lived in a children's paradise. (In this case, if there was, it ended early and abruptly.)

“I have not been an adventurer, an insatiable explorer, or a compulsive liar. Nor would my humble family economy have allowed it. I felt that I had to make a living, that I had to be smart, that I was better equipped for it than the rest, but everything at a very homely level,

without large companies, expeditions, or scams (some minor theft from time to time), much more from the neighborhood... It is also true that my desire for exploration was directed more toward knowledge than real life. That way of moving in the world made me feel superior, certainly smarter than the rest. Our stories are more about home-grown rogues, who justify their excesses and nonsense with verbiage and self-indulgence.” (ORI)

The Self-Preservation 7 can be described as a survivor of its own family atmosphere. Traps, fraudulence, opportunism... everything is put at the service of covering up the anguish of the threat to the Self-Preservation of the childhood stage. That lacerating wound is still so alive that he runs toward hedonistic pleasures to try to leave his psychic footprint behind, forgetting that pain is a tireless long-distance runner that always ends up catching those who shun it: depression or alcohol can become the last subterfuges of the Self-Preservation 7 ego so that life does not hurt.

“I think I first got depressed when I was five years old, when my mother left home without telling me because my father had threatened her with a gun. Then, at fourteen, I had a car accident that left my face covered in scars. I became depressed again. I had manic and depressive cycles for the next few years. The last moment of depression I remember ended the day Claudio Naranjo asked me: ‘How are you doing with your depression?’ I replied: ‘I already feel less pain.’ He looked at me and said: ‘Pain? You mean fear of pain.’ The answer made me open my eyes. Depression was but one more evasion not to touch the wound.” (DAVID)

Added to the stories of abandonment are childhood deprivations; sometimes, having to improvise to survive in a suffocating environment that does not allow the physical or intellectual expansion of children. There is suffering, therefore, related to material scarcity, and another that comes from a lack of love and parental attention, which is displaced toward that experience of hardship. It is not surprising, then, that the Self-Preservation 7 is someone who develops the biting instinct early on, as if he soon came to the conclusion that if he does not personally take care of himself, no one will do it for him.

The picaresque novel seems to be a genre dedicated to the celebration of this character, his cheekiness and cunning. The bigardo, picaro, or buscón, like Lazarillo de Tormes, Don Pablos, the Guzmán de Alfarache, or the mischievous Justina, is usually a wandering anti-knight, in an “epic of hunger through a miserable world, where one only survives thanks to fraud and deception. La Celestina is another example: a cunning and greedy old woman who, with her tempting words, manipulation, and greed, ends up breaking Melibea's virtue. Underneath a clear satirical intention lies a moralizing and pessimistic ideology, a determinism with which their own mistakes are justified and a praise of failure.”

“At home, we used to go to bed grounded without dinner. The reasons could not be more absurd. What was happening? There was nothing for dinner, and my mother invented

punishments to make the lack become something else. We lived nine people in 60 square meters. Faced with such a scenario, I developed a skill to get them to share the sandwich with me. From my older brother, I learned to make a fool of myself in front of the gate of a school for middle-class children. What a good heart they had! When we drooled pretending to be disabled, food rained down on us.” (DAVID)

“I have the powerful experience, in a care workshop with Albert Rams, of feeling how I could kill to get food, the experience of touching a regressive deficiency state that I have been fleeing from all my life because of its power, virulence, and the violence that I felt in it. It was six hours in silence through the streets of Barcelona. I made up my mind not to eat during that time and walk through the ugliest places: dumpsters, garages, and gloomy streets. My own proposal not to eat triggered fear in me, and at the beginning of the trip, I bought a sandwich in case something happened to me. In the final stretch, I was so taken by discomfort that I was stumbling and folding in on myself. I ended up devouring the sandwich I had in my backpack with animal voracity. Seeing myself in that state made me feel very ashamed.” (Meka)

Family histories of violence are not uncommon, with a father or mother being the perpetrator, and a generalized situation of chaos and disorder that the Self-Preservation 7 tries to solve by taking on responsibilities that do not correspond to them, sharpening their skepticism before any form of authority, and with an emotional retreat bordering on the schizoid in the face of intimacy.