1 - The Perfectionist

Conservation Instinct · Domain of Sentiments

The Conservation Instinct's fundamental concern is the question of being, expressed as "How am I?" - a preoccupation with Feelings of like or dislike rooted in the abdominal center. The three Fixations of the Being Group approach reality from this perspective, manifesting in patterns connected to the child's history with the mother. The Perfectionist is fixated in the Domain of Sentiments; the realm of direct, intimate family relationships and emotional attachments. They internalize their Feelings and sense of self-preservation, becoming attached to projections of like or dislike. When they feel disliked or unappreciated, their lack of being manifests as resentment and a perfectionistic drive, obscuring the Divine Principle of No Effect and producing a constant search for flawless love and approval.

Initial Trauma
The initial trauma occurs when their Conservation Instinct is affected by a mother perceived as virginal, unloving, distant, and unapproachable, producing coldness and a breakdown of affectionate expression. They react by removing themselves and internalizing their process. They believe this distance is due to something unacceptable and imperfect in themselves, producing a projection of perfectionism over their entire life.

Ego-Projections

• Idealized Self: Believe they can solve problems, approach life with compassionate understanding, and are organized and conscientious.

• Projected Reality: Recognizable by angry moods and profound resentment, with ego-projections of a cold attitude of strictness and pickiness, and an inclination to manipulate others.

Ego-Position
Self-righteous. They become rigidly attached to the way they believe things should be. Observation that nothing is perfect makes them intolerant, strict, rigid, and demonstrative of their precision. They are vigilant, viewing everyone as dishonest, appearing distant with an air of courteous frigidity.

Domain
The Domain of Sentiments. This includes family, relatives, close friends, and pets. It manifests as attachments to Feelings, expressed romantically, with nostalgia, gifts (flowers, chocolates), and ornamentation in a comfortable, elegant environment.

Dichotomy
The two poles of the ego in this Domain:

• Callous Ego: Rigid, hard-hearted, critical, the “tough guy,” insensitive, prone to withholding Feelings in a distant and cold manner, denying sentimentality.

• Touchy Ego: Overly sensitive, the crybaby, gushy/sentimental, displays Feelings at the slightest provocation, given to angry outbursts, delusional projections, and suspicions.

• Corrective Purpose: To balance emotional expression between repression and overreaction.

Perfectionists swing between these extremes.

Ego-Balancers

• For the Callous side: Responsive (to allow genuine feeling and connection).

• For the Touchy side: Adaptive (to develop flexibility and emotional resilience).

Ego-Insecurity

Jealousies. The ego-insecurity arising from the Dichotomy of being callously rigid or overly touchy produces underlying Jealousies, particularly regarding love, acceptance, and the perceived perfection of others.

Main Characteristic

Resentment. Their main characteristic is Resentment, an internal bitterness stemming from Feelings of being unloved and overlooked due to their own perceived imperfections and the cold distance of their maternal figure.

Analysis Across the Five Centers of Attention

1. Sexual Drive: Desire for supreme sexual consummation, but feeling it is difficult to achieve transforms into erotic preoccupations. Constant imagination of erotic variations or indulgence in promiscuous sexuality. Preoccupation with not being appreciated makes their sexuality lustful and at times insatiable.

2. Motivational: Lack of being manifests as obsessive insecurity about being loved, covered up by rigidity and indifference. They want permanency but their rationalizations cause frequent demands for love from others.

3. Behavioral: Characterized by trying to maintain rigid rules for everyday conduct. Their sense of a unified family makes them want to bind everyone into their rules. In relations, they tend to dominate, imposing rules expected to be obeyed. Can develop into suspicion and distrust.

4. Cognitive: Accomplishment means being scrupulous and systematic, imposing rules about how something should be done. Approach work with practicality and decisiveness, but perfectionism causes loss of sight of the goal. Can become exemplary leaders unless coldness and pickiness get in the way.

5. Individuation: Superior values orient them to look for accomplishment in accord with the highest societal standards. Their superego judges dictatorial behavior. This makes them constantly feel guilty about not being good enough, becoming depressed at any failure. Awareness opens the way to higher values.

Passion
Anger. An internal protest against the perceived distant and cold virginal mother. They react with Anger to Feelings of being overlooked and undesirable, imagining angry scenes. They carefully try to avoid it, knowing it can explode in uncontrollable tantrums. It is a resentment toward life for not giving them their due.

Immoral Force
Immaturity. When disintegrated, this prevents them from producing perfect situations and results. Sloppiness and lack of professionalism in work make them feel they are acting unethically.

Door of Compensation
When stressed, they compensate with Toxicomania. When Feelings are stifled/excessive, they turn to substances (caffeine, alcohol, sugar, laxatives) or intense activity (endorphin release from sports) to palliate Feelings of imperfection and depression from believing themselves unloved.

Primary Defense Mechanism
Isolation. They defend against psychic distress by distancing/isolating themselves from unacceptable feelings or situations, often trivializing them. They isolate by being cold and unloving.

Secondary Defense Mechanism
Undoing/Correcting. They try to alter the past and take back wrongdoings (real/imagined) to negate guilt and remorse. Engage in endless explanations of why things were not perfect. Preoccupied with failure and criticism from others.

Personality Disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder. Characterized by perfectionism and inflexibility. Striving for expertise and preoccupation with rules/details interferes with task completion. Decision-making is avoided/procrastinated. There is a restricted expression of affection and lack of generosity.

Trap
The continuous search for expertise becomes the Trap of Perfectionism, whose outcome is the pursuit of Spiritual and Transcendental Perfection.

Virtue
Innate Virtue. The internal psychic energy that enables them to act beyond Feelings of failure and preoccupation with inevitable disturbance and imperfection. Vital for recognizing their Fixation from the higher point of view of Mind-only.

Ethical State
Self-responsibility. Makes them unique achievers who rely upon themselves for finding the Integral Teachings to attain Self-realization. They can become trusted guides and visionaries.

Way
Attention. The Trap of looking for Perfection, the energy of the Innate Virtue, and the ethical orientation of Self-responsibility open the Way of Attention. They discover Perfection is everywhere the moment they transcend their projection of imperfection. Attention becomes the Way toward Self-realization and Spiritual Transcendence.

Divine Form (Mind Catalyzer)
Perfection. The Transcendental Form that produces perfect equilibrium for catalyzing their entire psyche, unifying it and giving it transcendental status. It guides them to recognize and transcend their Ego-Fixation from a spiritual perspective.

Divine Principles of Consciousness

The Innate Virtue and Ethical State of Self-responsibility open the Way of Attention through the Form of Divine Perfection. This provides the transformative basis for attaining the Divine Principle of No Effect (the Mind of Emptiness of No Conditions), the source for entering into the Higher States.

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