No pleasure is evil in itself, but the means by which certain pleasures are gained bring pains many times greater than pleasures.
Epicurus
Often referred to as the Enthusiast, the Type Seven individualcraves stimulation from new ideas, people, and experiences, avoid pain, and engage in positive possibility planning in order to keep all of their options open.
Their primary need is the “Need to Avoid Pain.”
The type 7 has an agile mind. They are quick thinking, curious, easily stimulated and eager for new ideas and experiences. The degree to which they are anxious about themselves or their lives is the degree to which their minds race out of control, leading them to a widening circle of unfocused behaviors. There is a powerful link in Sevens between their thinking and doing. If they entertain an idea about an activity which they believe will be interesting and enjoyable, they want to do it as soon as possible.
The passion of the seven is gluttony. This gluttony of the seven is their determination to overdo everything that brings them gratification – feasting on options and opportunities until they are overwhelmed by they are overwhelmed by their indulgences and sickened by their excessive addition to pleasure.
The fixation of the Seven is planning, constantly anticipating what they will do next, fearful that when the current pleasure they’ve given themselves to has come to an end, they too will come to their own end.
The Main Theme of Seven
- Avoid pain and fear by escaping in to pleasure, fun and imagination
- Reframes everything as positive to eliminate negativity and pain
- Always thinking ahead towards better possibilities and more enjoyment
- Their future orientation leads to difficulties with commitment and follow-through
The Core Wound
Felt deprived and frustrated, limited nurturing and a feeling of inner emptiness. They fear that there will not be enough and believe that the source of satisfaction is outside of themselves.
Center of Intelligence: Head
Interpersonal Coping Style
Assertive. They take action on as many ideas as possible while running away from feelings.
The path of Integration for a One
In integration the seven moves towards five, growing in mental clarity and learning restraint.
The path of Disintegration for a One
In disintegration the seven moves to one. Here they become hypocritical, appealing to the rigid and unrealistic standards of Ones as a means of justifying themselves as more tempered than their critics.
The Awakened Seven
The awakened seven is ground in sobriety. They show tremendous control, develop highly attuned discernment skills to regulate their excesses, and are luminaries of restraint despite their insatiable inner drive for pleasure.
Wings
The 7 with a 6 wing is the Entertainer. They are the most gregarious and outgoing of all the subtypes. They enjoy encountering and interacting with others, playful, childlike, engaging, silly the try to retain certain innocence despite hard experiences. When unhealthy they become nervous and flighty, defensive, impulsive, anxious, insensitive and demanding of others to help ease their anxieties and solve their problems for them.
The 7 with an 8 wing is the Realist. They are industrious, goal-oriented, pragmatic, ambitious, and maintain and intense and active lifestyle. They are self-confident and often have material success. They are able to overcome obstacles and endure hardships. They seek out intense experiences, direct, stimulated by confrontation and conflict. When unhealthy they can become antisocial, deplete physically and emotionally and engage in risky or dangerous behaviors, ruthless in their pursuits and become physically destructive.