Hey I was wondering what each assertive type (3/8/7) has to do with id and how those problems manifested in childhood. You did a post recently defining it with 7 and it was really interesting. I've seen assertive types being associated with the ego but never id before.
It's associated with the id because assertion is implied as acting on whatever desire crosses those types mind. Everything they do is so they get what they want, no matter what people have to say about it. They could be seen as the most selfish ennea types, if we put it in a very simplistic fashion.
So, I’ll resume what the Id concept is to show how it applies to each type. Id is an ego construct in psychoanalytic theory where the libido (energy, pulse, instinct) is mainly stored. It’s the part of self that is the most instinctive and preoccupied with self-satisfaction. It’s sheer pure energy and often compared to the ‘’child’’ aspect of oneself, because it is unfiltered and care about the self only. That’s when Ego and Superego complex appears, the former to be the balance between Id and the latter, which is responsible to care about the external’s world demands. Now that we got that in mind, I’ll explain how it relates to those enneatypes.
3s have learned that to get what they want, they had to achieve something substantial. This is how they get to associate that their value depends on the achievements they accomplish. It is through achievements and success they were rewarded attention or affection, and/or that they were getting other kind of rewards. They are id based because their value is related to their every whims, or in other words, they have value only if they succeed at getting what they want, because the reward is the proof of their value. This is why they are assertive, proactive and often portrayed as shallow, since every of their action is based on prime desires. They don’t care about the ‘’right’’ or ‘’wrong’’ way, they only care about how to get what they want, no matter how.
7s have learned they weren't safe when emotional implication was needed, since it would result in hurt. They learned that avoiding the issue was the only way to feel free and relief. But, when 7s are young, they cannot really escape literally, this is why their dreams or Idealism becomes their primary escape and also, simply their safe place. Dreams and ideals are the definition of one's prime desires, and so id. This then make 7s ever chasing their next dream or ideal, and so asserting every of their whims is reclaiming their safety, but also freedom, which then also becomes associated to safety. What is safe is what I am free from.
8s have learned that the only way to protect their boundaries and earn respect was by literal assertion of their anger. No filter on, no time to care for the other, only the 8 matters. They learned from that they only have to use brute force to get what they want. So whatever they feel, whatever they need, the only way is raw force. It's unfiltered pure "libido". It's id based since id is responsible of the childish aspect of meeting needs as they are felt, but anything not respecting 8s basic needs will automatically cross their boundaries, making them react and assert promptly, like a child. This is why 8s are also reactive, since not having needs met is a primary concerns for survival, and they have learned unfiltered anger is what allow them to meet them.
To resume, assertion is all about attaining what the person wants, without caring for the consequences. They all have learned at some point that the only way for them to properly survive was by acting on their needs by themselves as they showed. The how to get it never provided them anything, only the result matters.
On a side note, I would say 3s can be the most deceptive, since being part of the harmony triad, they can be good at playing chameleon to polish the image of ‘’what they do to get what they want’’ as something ‘’good’’ (w2) or acceptable or even ‘’desirable’’ (w4). Like, using social media to picture themselves as the X archetype of successful, accomplished, enviable (w4), Good (w2) but actually being a total trashy mess behind the scenes. They want the result (social media example: the likes, the follows, the fans), but the core of it is often not aligning, thus their reputation for being shallow (the unhealthier they are on the scale, of course).
If something doesn’t feel quite clear or doesn’t make sense to you, don’t hesitate to ask further questions or discuss it. I made it the most simple I could, but there is much more to say and to contrast.
