The Persona And The Shadow: For Those Who Are Destructive To Themselves And Others

Let us briefly recall that Carl Gustav Jung coined the concepts of persona and shadow to differentiate between the mask—the persona—with which an individual presents themselves to the world, and that which they consciously (or unconsciously) try to hide—the shadow: all the content of the psyche that is experienced as unacceptable and is not lived on a conscious level.

In the case of a Self-Preservation 7, the persona is built around the trait of self-indulgence. They present themselves as pleasant and gentle on the surface, but deep down, they are exploitative, constantly searching for opportunities, markets, and self-promotion.

“I can use my trickster side, seducing or with stronger arguments, to convince and carry out some project, thus gaining recognition. I have ideas (which, according to me, are very good) in which I will try to involve others. The shadow here is that I don't recognize that, deep

down, I seek my own benefit above all else. Self-deception occurs when I see that the benefit is for others.” (NÉSTOR)

This lack of genuine connection with others hides their exploitative nature, as well as a schizoid tendency to focus more on themselves than on others, to the point where this form of selfishness would be unacceptable if it were not compensated by at least an equivalent dose of gallant generosity. Utilitarianism disguises itself as friendly relations, but in reality, it weaves networks where contact remains superficial and is often just an exchange of favors. This selfishness is difficult to recognize and originates from a deeper shadow: the disconnection between feeling and thinking. Narcissism arises from the denial of feeling; once empathy fades, so does love for others. This leads to selfishness and opportunism.

“Recognizing myself as selfish without further ado, without justification, has been hard. One part of my childhood learned to survive without others. This is embedded in my body, and the individualistic attitude persists, even when I catch myself speaking about teamwork. That's why I think a challenge for my (our) character is to take true actions without expecting anything in return.” (NÉSTOR)

The Self-Preservation 7 is a cynic. Their disbelief in everything and everyone, along with mistrust and skepticism, also reveals a sense of disillusionment with life that is seldom expressed. Behind this is a tendency towards nihilism, tied to the fear they experienced in childhood when faced with the sensation of a threat to their own survival. This fear feeds their permanent insatiability: filling the void with abundance to avoid feeling deprived.

“For me, a crazy idea is not knowing what the purpose of being in the world is. I want it all at once, but I don't even know what I really want. In the end, I don't focus on almost anything; instead, I try different things to fill the void. I only focus on something when I truly feel a clear desire for it.” (SIRNE)

From the Mask to the Being

The difficulty in connecting with others and the feeling of emotional emptiness are compensated by intense seductiveness. The Self-Preservation 7 can spend their life in games of seduction, engaging in shallow-touch relationships (again, not real relationships). Depth is replaced by quantity and diversity, with multiple contacts followed by more or less instantaneous withdrawals and an evident fear of intimacy. This aligns with their usual escapism in situations that make them uncomfortable or that they simply dislike. Of course, they avoid everything that makes them uncomfortable, not just emotional pain.

But beyond the obvious and superficial tricky or seductive behavior, the shadow of the Self-Preservation 7 reaches more subtle dimensions. They present themselves as strong but are, in reality, afraid, and they hide it.

They also present themselves as apparently satisfied, concealing a low self-esteem and a fear of impotence and frustration that they cannot tolerate. The generalized fear of emotions is, of course, their most intimate, fragile, and defended part. Their fear of vulnerability is masked by cynicism, and they also disguise their enormous fear of depression in the same way. A profound aspect is involved here, including contact with their mother’s experience of depression, which they could not "save" from her sadness. This is why they also fear relationships—these often recall their fear of pain and helplessness from their relationship with their mother, and even bring up the specter of depression.

This fear of intimacy primarily stems from the emotional castration they experienced at the hands of their mother. In reality, it is nothing other than a rejection of maternal love, fearing being swallowed up and invalidated by her once again. This is compounded by their lack of recognition towards their father, who was not present enough to protect them from this invalidation.

The fear of illness (both present and hidden) and even the fear of dying are also tied to this emotional invalidation and the ambiguous relationship with the mother. Any emotional pain is amplified, and they fear it will develop into chronic suffering, which can lead to hypochondria.

Lastly, another prevalent fear is the fear of being a man, often masked by the machismo or misogyny typical of men of this subtype—or the fear of being a woman, masked by a form of masculinity in women of this character.

“Suffering is difficult to manage. I become totally incredulous before life and enter a kind of emptiness; I keep all my feelings in suspension. To avoid the pain, I move. When I get into a spiral of doing a lot of things but accomplishing nothing, I know I’m in a stress phase.” (JUSSARA)

Another typical trait related to escapism is the denial of aggressiveness. While they can sometimes experience outbursts of bad temper or violent reactions when put in a difficult situation, Self-Preservation 7s often react with contempt and denial of the other, to the point that they may abandon loved ones through emotional cooling.

“The avoidance of conflict or direct confrontation contains an internal attitude of superiority and a certain arrogance. I am understanding with others, but in a rather condescending way, which surely hides a deep disinterest, distrust, and even contempt for other people. Why don't they look for life as I have always done?” (ORI)

“With one of my best friends from adolescence, with whom I spent most of my time for ten years, I ended the relationship abruptly and with little feeling. A couple of years ago, reviewing why, I realized it felt like a betrayal that I was not there for her during a conflict I had with my father. I ended the relationship by telling myself that our lives had gone in different directions. In reality, I felt such pain that I expelled her from the 'family.'” (MÓNICA)

“Beneath the apparent indifference, many times I have anger, and I don't know how to deal with it; it's explosive. When it arises, it’s as if I were six feet tall with a sharp sword in my hand. People get scared because most of the time I’m calm and controlled.” (JUSSARA)

The mask is completed with a belief in one's own wisdom, superiority, respectability, and good intentions. However, beneath all of this lies the shadow not only of a freeloader but of someone who desperately seeks narcissistic satisfaction. Why? Because there is also a diffuse, unacknowledged feeling of low self-esteem. The Self-Preservation 7 does not like themselves too much; they suspect and despise themselves. This is logical for a character who is so contemptuous of others.

They prioritize satisfying their own desires, with the feeling that others exist merely to adapt to them. If someone opposes their wishes, they are seen as a limit. And anyone who sets limits is perceived as someone who doesn't love them.

All this leads to an arrogance that doesn’t go unnoticed, especially by people who don’t feel loved or seen by the Self-Preservation 7 (which is usually the majority).

Beneath their sense of superiority, often intertwined with intellectual competitiveness, there is a deep feeling of loneliness—almost existential and nihilistic—hidden by their tendency to focus on concrete things or facts, their chattering, and their false sociability.

They suffer from this loneliness as an inseparable companion:

“I've always tried to be smarter than others. In the end, by considering them fools, I’ve ended up very lonely. My narcissism has led me to a cave. And my utilitarianism in human relations has aroused many suspicions and rejection. It has been a cure for me to realize that I can feel comfortable with people who are less arrogant than me, speaking plainly and sincerely, taking an interest in what hurts them.” (DAVID)

Arrogance is a close neighbor to contempt, and in its shadow lies the key to this difficulty with admiring love. The disqualification of all authority, mockery, cynicism, and irony all reveal a deep-seated contempt for something that was once sought and dearly loved: the father. It is also a kind of revenge against the father for failing to trust him, for abandoning him.

As we already know, someone incapable of experiencing admiration, devotion, or philia cannot feel a connection with a larger, systemic order. Hence, the Self-Preservation 7 is accustomed to settling in a world of “everything is a lie” and “anything goes.”

“I see in my life a constant search for paternal figures and a struggle to make them my friends. From an artificial situation of egalitarianism, I end up despising them at the slightest failure. This has happened to me with teachers, bosses, trainers... I was incapable of feeling admiration. My automatism is that when there is something I don't understand, I become critical.” (DAVID)

No less important is the role of being a cheater. Paraphrasing Fritz Perls, we could say that we are dealing with a malicious thug disguised in good manners. Thus, the use of privileged information and its circulation, positioning oneself above others, tactical planning, and the tendency to get what they want without directly asking for it or depending on others are common traits of the Self-Preservation 7. The shadow of this issue stems from the belief that if they ask directly for what they need, it won’t be given to them because they won’t be considered valuable, or they’ll be seen as incapable of being alone. This leads them directly to something they cannot sustain: frustration, along with feelings of impotence or rejection.

“We use seduction and manipulation to achieve our goals. We exercise a shadow ideological leadership that benefits us and inflates our narcissism. 'I am the one who comes up with the idea and wins others over to execute it.' I remember as a teenager gathering groups of friends for my fun projects, parties, excursions, trips... or family tasks that I had to do. People would come to help me, I gave the ideas, and others executed them. I’m a teacher, and I remember seducing the rest of the teaching staff, families, and students with my 'wonderful' ideas and projects.” (ANONYMOUS)

Finally, it should be remembered that the Self-Preservation 7 subtype tends to feel "bad" at its core. One of the characteristics of its shadow is precisely the denial of feelings like purity, innocence, clarity, love, and altruism. These are invalidated in favor of personal autonomy, survival, and indulgence in specific pleasures. The Self-Preservation 7 harbors a fear of tenderness and delicacy. Despite the erotic orientation of every Enneatype E7, the Self-Preservation subtype does not allow itself to be a child—that is, fragile and needy. If they surrender to that denied need, the mask of the "smart guy," of the superior and unassailable, falls off, leaving them exposed in their fragility. Faced with the danger of suffering, they cool their emotions and convince themselves that "it’s not worth it" (it’s not worth the work you have to fight for, it’s not worth the person you have to fight for, it’s not worth the pity this life demands that we fight for...). Moreover, becoming fragile to this extent would mean admitting that they have never had the role of a child, since it was

either not given to them, denied to them, or they felt abandoned. In this case, getting in touch with the shadow is more healing than ever.

“What I hide the most has to do with sensitivity, fragility, purity, and innocence. Deep down, I feel very sweet, vulnerable, susceptible to any kind of tyranny or violence. I think my mask was created to defend that little romantic and dreamer who wanted to be loved but had to grow up fast. Hope is also an extremely denied feeling and is part of my shadow.” (LUCIANA)

The Evils of the World

If in the personal field the Self-Preservation 7 is not very transparent with their feelings, in the social realm, we can almost speak of omertà—mafia silence. A firm defender of their privacy, secrecy, and the safeguarding of honor and self-image, they feel betrayed easily. Based on this feeling, they tend to “frequently cut off heads and withdraw affection.”

In The Ignored Root of the Evils of the Soul and the World, we read that the Self-Preservation 7 Enneatype “considers the world as a great supermarket where you can take the most without giving anything in return.” Egoism, heavily argued and decorated with discourses on individual value, personal autonomy, and self-reliance, is perhaps the main destructive contribution to a society of social mammals like humans, who are so in need of mutual support. The Self-Preservation 7 is also one of the characters most prone to corruption. Their excessive laxity, mood swings, and moral relativism make them an easy target for any dishonest proposal.

“During my career as a state attorney, I was always very close to the attorney general, so I was able to enjoy the benefits of this position. In correspondence, I used to offer legal alternatives to the government for often suspicious projects. The bosses always wanted me around, both because of my ability to manipulate facts and interpret the laws, as well as the credibility I projected in the legal world.” (ANONYMOUS)

Perhaps the rebellious nature of the character could offset this tendency with a little social commitment. But in the end, the Self-Preservation 7—like all Sicte—can become an accommodator in ways that pose no danger to the patriarchal system, as well as a procrastinator, because “the rebellious attitude of the passive-feminine character is most clearly seen in the opposition they feel before realizing their own desires.” This internal rebellion thus ends up functioning as a self-boycott.

Dysmorphophobia and Aporophobia

To complement the theme of the shadow, we could refer to two descriptors that are more consequences than features of the Self-Preservation 7. Dysmorphophobia, or cacophobia, refers to an excessive concern with physical defects, an obsession with beauty. We’re talking here not so much about a concern with appearing beautiful or elegant—though vanity is closely related to narcissism—but rather about a search for beauty in the world and in others, closely linked to the “more and better” orientation typical of this character. This trait perfectly applies to the obsession many playboys have with collecting beautiful lovers, in the style of James Bond. Or with acquiring houses, luxury cars, or social status. But could it not be suspected that this obsession masks an intimate experience of feeling ugly and dirty?

A clearly shadowy trait, aporophobia refers to the fear or rejection of the poor. Here, we exclude the implicit sense of hatred toward the poor, and we use the word simply to describe the Conservationist's discomfort with misery, lack of resources, ugliness, unhappiness, indigence... and anything that feels like a direct threat to conservation. In poverty, they project their own history of lack, which frightens them. Both terms evoke an ancient emotion: the schizoid drive of emptiness, the infantile feeling of helplessness, abandonment, and sometimes even hunger that the Self-Preservation 7 might have experienced in their early life. The emotional sensation of nihilism and fear of nothingness is surely the most difficult experience for this type, the deepest wound, and also the most difficult to heal.