Passion In The Sphere Of Instinct: How Gluttony Works In The Social Subtype

It is characteristic of the glutton's gluttony that he does not pay attention to the common but instead addresses himself to the most remarkable, to the extraordinary. Claudio Naranjo, Character and Neurosis

A Social 7 is recognized because a part of his body is always in motion: a tapping foot, a drumming hand, an almost imperceptible movement of the jaw. Although the body appears to be fully present and engaged in one activity, one part, one detail, will carry the movement in another direction.

The general posture is relaxed and peaceful; his step is light yet dynamic. It could be said that he is a relaxed person, capable of responding fluently to different demands. Often lean (ectomorph, in Sheldon's terminology), with a muscular, tonic, and harmonious but inconspicuous physique, he moves quite agilely, with light movements and childlike gestures on the spur of the moment.

His face often expresses an inner conflict: bright, childish, and lively eyes illuminate a face that, although smiling, is marked by wrinkles of expression, suffering, and the tenacity with which he elaborates each event through thought, without truly living it. All of this can only be perceived through careful observation because the facial mimicry of the Social 7 is highly varied. Absorbed and detached, or malicious and intriguing, he has a wide range of expressions that confuse and seduce the interlocutor.

The image and aesthetics of the Social 7 express a comfortable and informal style, apparently of secondary importance to him. His appearance gives the impression of relative carelessness, where the disheveled look is the result of a precise choice. His haircut, beard, and scant makeup reflect a stylistic decision that prioritizes a controlled naturalness without falling into neglect. The idea is that the external image represents the internal self and, therefore, must be clean, essential, pleasant, without frills, functional but not flashy. Deliberately avoiding the clichés of sexual seduction, the aesthetic choice of the Social 7 also expresses his narcissistic desire to be liked without admitting it, thus taking care of his

apparent carelessness. The details make the difference: a shoe, a color, an embroidery, or a combination of colors that reveals a search for originality.

The Social subtype of E7 transforms the passion of gluttony into an apparently virtuous form of counter-gluttony by being good, disinterested, and moderate with others, making the neurotic core less evident and more hidden than in the other subtypes.

The Social 7, with his sympathetic, kind, and seductive behavior, facilitates interpersonal relationships until they transform into intimacy—which he fears the most. He differs primarily from the sexual and self-preservation subtypes by his greater ambivalence regarding the passion of gluttony.

He acknowledges his attraction to gluttony and judges it. Hence, desire tends to be frustrated and more aligned with social norms. His adherence to the norm preserves personal autonomy, the result of a compromise between rebelling against authority and pleasing the group.

The social instinct revolves around the image perceived by others and oneself. Therefore, self-image becomes the neurotic battlefield. In general, he tends to create horizontal relationships, identifying with his ideal of a good person and seeking to please others through humor and verbal expression.

Verbal seduction is also typical of the Sexual 7, from whom the Social 7 differs by using verbal intelligence in a more empathetic way. The objective is not so much to create joy and good humor but rather comfort and pleasure, with a stronger intention of achieving depth in communication. Additionally, while the loquacity of the Sexual 7 is primarily directed toward an erotic object, in the case of the Social 7, the recipient of his seduction is the group.

His secret object of desire is not obvious, as it is camouflaged by a strategic intelligence that emphasizes his sacrifice and service. The egotistic movement remains in a more private dimension, where greater greed and an objectification of the other become evident.

In his relationship with authority, the Social 7 stands out for his lack of faith in it. He generally does not recognize authority, which he identifies with an incompetent parental figure, confronting it in a passive-aggressive way by avoiding it or transforming it into a peer. One of his greatest desires is to find a father figure he can trust.

Among the subtypes, the Social 7 is the one that most seeks authority, the Self-Preservation 7 is the one that most confronts it, and the Sexual 7 is the one that questions it the most. Without authority and order, the E7 becomes an easy victim of jouissance, as what could protect him is not authorized to act internally. However, unlike the other subtypes, the Social 7 has a stronger presence of the superego, a tacit and

unconscious loyalty to the paternal, with a desire to discipline himself, assume responsibility, and carry out projects.

The adaptive movement of the Social 7 is the superego's control over the pleasure principle. Adherence to reality results from a tiresome internal mediation between duty and pleasure. The sacrifice of personal pleasure is compensated by a deferred ideal pleasure, bearing a strong neurotic and narcissistic stamp. In this way, the Social 7 denies himself the possibility of moving in the world to fulfill his desires and needs, distancing himself from them by judging pleasure as gluttony in a generalized way. Thus, he creates the conditions to prevent self-realization and sustain dependence on the recognition of others.

In these terms, the Social 7 exhibits traits of masochism in two ways: having difficulties in connecting with pleasure and maintaining a persecutory superego that applies internal pressure.

Compared to the other subtypes, the Social 7 controls their public image more. They are more in touch with shame and highly sensitive to social criticism, which leads them to invest more in their skills. Similar to the Enneagram Three, the Social 7 tends to pursue multiple secure paths of development.

The different combinations between the Social subtype and the other subtypes reveal distinct balances. The social-preservation subtype is more active and pragmatic, reacts to rejection with emotional isolation and distance from others, and is in touch with a sense of guilt and shame. The social-Sexual subtype possesses higher verbal and bodily intelligence, which it uses to keep attention on itself, to be seen and accepted.

Claudio Naranjo defines the gluttony that motivates E7 as the passion for pleasure or the passion for more and better. We are therefore dealing with a character whose main motivation is to accumulate hours of increasing and enhanced pleasure. This accumulation, as we shall see, is driven both by the presence of pleasure and the absence of pain. It is not only the avoidance of suffering but also the avoidance of psychological pain that makes this character ill.

This escape from life takes different forms depending on the subtype. In the case of the Social 7, the effort is directed toward creating a self-image of an extraordinary person, one that places them beyond the ordinary human experience. This image is created from within, requiring external validation from others, and serves as a shield against the threat of psychological pain.

The concept of “more pleasure” in the Social 7 is nuanced by their search for relational enjoyment. Furthermore, this pleasure is narcissistic in nature—linked to the reflection they receive from others. The world becomes their mirror, in which they seek to see the image

dictated by their ideal self. Although all E7 subtypes exhibit strong narcissism, none are as dependent on group validation as the Social 7. While they are not immune to physical and emotional pleasures, their priority is securing narcissistic gratification in social settings.

The need for recognition, appreciation, and admiration from others is vital for the Social 7. At more neurotic levels, even acts of generosity contain an underlying desire to receive something in return—an image. "I give to you, and in return, you give me an image, a feeling." They enjoy making others feel pleasure, well-being, and fluidity, as this, in turn, sparks admiration. A subtle yet powerful admiration—a gaze that conveys everything, affirming that they are exceptional.

Gluttony manifests in the continuous search for stimulating and gratifying social situations in a neurotic pursuit of admiration, hoping to reinforce the idealized self-image they project in social interactions. This ideal ego is largely built from the remnants of maternal desire, a topic we will explore further.

Another method of increasing neurotic satisfaction is avoiding pain. While the tendency to avoid pain is a natural human impulse, for the Social 7, it becomes compulsive. It is important to distinguish between different types of pain. Physical pain, for instance, can be tolerated if there is a narcissistic goal attached to it, such as running a marathon. Emotional pain, however, is much harder for them to handle. They perceive it as proof of their existential incompetence: “If something hurts, it must mean I am doing something wrong.”

The worst kind of pain for the Social 7 is narcissistic pain—the suffering they experience when the gap between their real self and their ideal self becomes evident. While this is a common struggle among all humans, for the Social 7, it is particularly terrifying, as it threatens the very foundation of their identity. Unlike the social Three, who fully identifies with their image, the Social 7 is more aware of their own fraudulence—the disparity between their inner self and how they present themselves to others. This awareness leads to an underlying sense of guilt.

The avoidance of narcissistic pain and the pursuit of narcissistic pleasure can take on countless forms. In the Social 7, gluttony assumes a specific expression: the need to appear extraordinary. There are two fundamental mirrors—the external world and the ideal self, the reflection from others and the internal self-image. Given the mental nature of this character, sight becomes the primary means through which they relate to the world.

Additionally, seeing oneself recalls the mirror stage in early childhood, when a child looks into their mother's eyes and receives a reflection made up of emotions and words—an image they later confuse with their identity. In the case of the Social 7, the reflection in the mirror is distorted, emphasizing only positive traits while excluding the negative ones. When the mirror reflects an extraordinary, capable, enthusiastic, intelligent, good, funny,

and self-sacrificing self, the child experiences a surge of energy—a substitute for love. This neurotic functioning then becomes sealed: as long as they see themselves close to that ideal self, they feel at peace; if they drift away from it, they experience anguish.

“I don't stop until I get that sparkle in their eyes—that shine that tells me I have sparked admiration and desire in them. Once I have conquered the person, I have already received my dose.” (TESTIMONIAL, ARACAJU SYMPOSIUM, 2016)

The sacrifice they make for their gluttony functions like a Trojan horse, concealing their deep need to appear extraordinary. This adjective perfectly encapsulates the spectral image they receive from the mirror. "Extraordinary" means being outside the natural or common order. Therefore, anything that enhances their extraordinary image is sought after voraciously—extraordinary trips, extraordinary knowledge, extraordinary experiences, extraordinary people. All experiences that reinforce their sense of being "extraordinary" become their primary objective.

In essence, the Social 7, driven by gluttony in the social sphere, is addicted to experiences that reflect an extraordinary self-image. This allows them to sustain the belief that they are beyond the ordinary. Among these experiences, the tendency to self-sacrifice stands out, as it becomes a shortcut to achieving extraordinariness in the eyes of others and themselves. Through such experiences, they extract the feeling that life has meaning and is on the right track.

The story of the Social 7 is that of someone who refuses to settle for an ordinary fate. Their gluttony is always directed toward an extraordinary mission.