Self-Preserving Instinctual Subtype

The "self-preserving" Instinctual Subtypes are driven by the ongoing search for survival and well being. Anything that could possibly damage, endanger, or exploit the self is of concern. The focus of attention is subtly on "the self" and "my world." The primary desire is for security, which is manifested by a continual perceived quest for well-being and for the "essential" needs of life, such as food, comfort, safety, protection, and resources.

The concerns of the self-preserving Instinctual Subtypes involve issues of living and compromise - for example, "to be or not to be" or "how to be." The survival strategy places an intense emphasis on either caution or self-destruction. The focus is to aggressively go after what one needs and/or to defensively hold onto what one has. The common theme statements reflect the attention to "self," such as "how am I?", with this type often defining itself by "how comfortably and successfully I experience my body" - i.e., issues dealing with "what are my physical needs and desires?"

The energy projected is described as "conserved energy" and is often experienced as "grounded," as if it were tightly contained around the body like a spiral coil. The energy is usually somber, heavy, and serious in nature, as if the person is attempting to function while carrying some great weight on his or her shoulders, and is thus conserving energy for later personal use. The self-preserving Instinctual Subtypes will "sacrifice for self" to insure survival. Rather than looking to the group or a mate to "solve problems," these types tend to "look inward" based upon an inherent recognition that "I'm on my own" and "I have to take care of myself."
©1995-2023 Katherine Chernick Fauvre