Self Preservation 2 (A 3 point Guide)

This article will explain how a self preservation 2 behaves and also introduce this enneagram along with its fears and desires so the readers have a complete understanding of the topic with enough background context.

Self Preservation 2s – What Are They Like?

The self preservation 2 has the following habits or traits:

• Feeling Of Entitlement
• Pleasing & Pleasant
• Anger
• Make Others Feel Guilty
• They Should Come First

Just like their wings, the type 2 enneagram has the above behaviours when they are in self preservation mode!

Who Is An Enneagram Type 2?

An enneagram type 2 is also known as the Helper because of their desire to help others and make their tasks easier or remove any burden upon them.  They are very caring and have great interpersonal skills that allow them to interact with people to help them and understand their situation and needs. Personality traits used to describe type 2s include possessive, demonstrative, helpful and people pleasing.

People with this type are very empathetic and have profound emotional intelligence thus it makes them more approachable and appealing to people who are in need of help and find it difficult to ask. They are friendly, generous and self sacrificing hence they overlook their own needs to fulfill those of others!

However, such closeness with others results in feelings of possessiveness. Also, they force their own self to forgo their feelings and need to make sure they are available to others for help; this may seem pretty good in the short term but they will end up pretty frustrated in the long run and their feelings may erupt like a huge volcano does!

Basic Fear.

Type enneagrams are scared they will be left alone and unloved. They want to belong somewhere, especially in someone’s heart. They feel that the only way they can do this is to feel worthy. How do they feel worthy? Well they have this innate core belief that they must be helpful in some way to another person – they must be able to help them get work done, provide the resources they need or be there for them in their difficult times.

This is why such people are often in the pursuit of trying to get close to others to find out how they can be of use to them! They will sometimes be too nosy and may become a source of irritability for others as they wonder why they are always around them!

If you’re facing this, it may be a good idea to seek the help of a therapist or other mental health professional. You can find a therapist at BetterHelp who can help you learn how to cope and address it.

Basic Desire.

The desire of enneagram type 2s stems from their fear that they will be left alone and unloved. Also, they feel they will be worthless not only in their own eyes but those of others too. Hence they want to be in a position where they can help other people and they will strive persistently to do so. They want to be recognized and appreciated for the help they provide and also be loved in return. This is the basic desire of enneagram type 2s that drives them to work hard to become close to others – a bit too close sometimes!

Self Preservation 2s – What Are They Like?

The self preservation 2 has the following habits or traits:

Feeling Of Entitlement

The type 2 enneagram feels entitled when they are in this mode – why? Well they believe they have done so much that they do not need to go through normal people’s problems. There are many examples of people who think this way – rich people who invest their money in startups, researches and what not think they should be exempted from paying taxes because they are helping benefit the society.

Nonetheless, one of the ways the type 2 enneagram preserves themself is by thinking they do not deserve to go through a certain problem or hassle simply because they have already done too much for others and the society they live in.

Pleasing & Pleasant

The type 2 enneagram is quite good with their charm and pleasing personality and they definitely use this to their advantage. However, as soon as someone makes a mistake or remotely messes with them, they will turn their back on! Not only that, they will also make a huge issue out of it and openly show their anger and even physical aggression. If you forget to invite them to a party or do them a favor when they need it then be ready to face the wrath.

Anger

This is the emotion that is dominantly felt by a type 2 enneagram when they are in the self preservation mode and this is largely because of the mindset that they should not have to go through any problem because of how much hard work they have done and hence they should either be exempted or be given favor – when this is not the case they become extremely angry and will show it.

Make Others Feel Guilty

The type 2 enneagram is a master at making others feel guilty and they will do so in a clever and ever so unnoticeable manner.

They Should Come First

Because of their belief that they have done so much for others, the type 2 enneagram always thinks they should come first. They believe that there is not enough in the world – with regards to money, love and attention and what not – hence they should be given whatever there is first so they can carry on working hard.

How Can Type 2 Enneagrams Promote Self Improvement?

Understand Your Needs.

It is very important for enneagram type 2s to not only recognize their own needs but fulfill them too. Our body has certain rights over us that we must tend to whether they are related to hunger, thirst, sex, rest or exercise. We must strive to fulfill these needs in the right way to ensure our physical and mental health remains ideal. Oftentimes type 2 enneagrams overlook their own needs and this causes them to deteriorate slowly in both spheres.

The type 2 enneagram must accept the needs that arise in their daily life whenever they do. If they are working and they feel hungry they should take a break and ensure they take care of themself. This will not only allow them to feel comfortable but it will satisfy them mentally – they will feel happy they treat themself well. Such an act will push them to expect more from themselves and not others.

Learn To Accept Help From Others.

Sometimes the type 2 enneagram needs to realize that others also have the resources to help them. They are not the only one who seem to have the ability to help others. This thought process will instill a sense of humility and appreciation for others. Furthermore, accepting this reality will allow type 2s to take help from others and they will be able to experience how it feels like to be able to allow others to grow by helping. This in its way is therapeutic!

Analyze Your Thoughts & Feelings.

The type 2 enneagram must be honest to himself! Is he helping the other person because they really need help or because he is looking for a way to feel good about himself and find an opportunity to be in a position of higher status? Helping others indeed makes one feel good about their own self but that should not be the purpose.

Yes it is inevitable that by helping others you will grow mentally, physically and emotionally as well as spiritually but if the intention is to feel good about your own self in an arrogant way then this can actually backfire. 

For practice, if an enneagram type 2 feels they are helping someone for a selfish cause they should step back and try to help someone who won’t benefit them in any way. They can take part in charity where no one knows how much they donated and to whom. This will inculcate the spirit of helping for the sake of helping.

Give Others Space.

Don’t go looking for people who need help! Even though that is a good thing there needs to be a balance especially for type 2 enneagrams in the habit! Also, give others space. Let them open up when they want to and ensure you are not too nosy! If they need your help they will let you catch on or simply ask.

Conclusion

This article took a look at the self preservation 2 enneagram and discussed the traits it exhibits. The article also highlighted this enneagram’s fears and desires and introduced it in detail to the readers.

References

Enneagram Central – Subtype Two Self Preservation

Type Two — The Enneagram Institute