In Russian, the word “family” means “seven I”. In Russia they often write the word “family” through seven: 7I. But what is this “I” in the word “family”, what are these “I’s, and why are they exactly 7? This will be discussed in the book.
Family – it is not just the team connected by ties of marriage and relationship. Family – this is a compulsively established, lapped team. It is known: if characters in the family don’t get on well in any way, then there are no ties of relationship or marriage will keep the family from destruction.
Any team is not just a set of a certain number of members. The team has an internal device, that is, the system of relations between its members. The relationship in the team is built up not at once. Each person needs to find his “place” in the team, everyone should take his “position”, should get his role.
People, wised with life experience, know that it is necessary to “establish” themselves in the team. It means that with the certain behaviour one has to declare his claims for quite concrete “position” in the team. However, not everyone can like the claims regarding this “position”. In response, the others can “point to his place”. They can also put someone “in place”. And it will not be the place where the person would prefer to “put” himself.
In the process of lapping of people in the team, there is a fight between them for roles, for “places”, for “positions”. There are role arguments and showdown. If a person in the team is offered or imposed a role that does not fit to the certain mode of thinking, then he has a mental discomfort. He attempts to change the attitude towards himself, tries to change the position in the team. As a result, he either obtains the other role or accepts his role (“love comes with habit”). Otherwise, he has to leave this team, and then they say about him: “He didn’t get on well in the team”. In working teams say: “We haven’t worked well together with him”.
Eventually, members of the team get on well with each other and the relations between them are stabilized. The team with established and settled relationships is called a lapped, established team. In such a team all the roles are occupied and, most importantly, the roles that are occupied suit all members of the team.
In total, the team has 7 “places” (“positions”, roles). Therefore, the established lapped team consists of 7 members – from 7I. This is where the word “family” (sem’ya) comes from. Knowingly in myths and legends, fairy tales and sayings, when talking about the established, lapped team, there is always appears the number 7, as the number of its members.
Each role generates the corresponding type of character. Therefore, the Doctrine of 7I (sem’ya) is not only the Doctrine about the 7 roles in the team, but also the Doctrine about the 7 types of character. Roles (types) are as follows:
The hero – passionate, ardent, gentle, with the rebellious, rush soul.
Grabber – greedy, mistrustful, prudent, vigilant, quick, pragmatic.
Simpleton – sensitive, rather stupid, but true and devoted.
Villain – hard, tough, gloomy, serious, forever unhappy with everything.
Idol – lush, bright, joyful, self-satisfied, arrogant and selfish.
Trickster – affable, evasive, resourceful, canny, fastidious.
The victim – full of spirituality and sublime feelings, timid and fearful, falling into grief and despair.
7I – those are 7 colourful, well-recognized types. Each person easily recognizes in them their relatives and friends, loved one’s and acquaintances, neighbours and colleagues. He recognizes himself, because 7 roles are 7 faces, 7 essences, 7 hypostases of each person.
Roles are inside each of us. 7 roles are 7 beginnings of each person, those are 7 “poles” of his soul, and those are 7 “back streets”, 7 “recesses” of the soul. And the 7 roles of the team are only the manifestation of the seven I, living inside of each person.
“7I. A brief course” is the book about the soul’s qualities and traits of character, about tendencies of nature and features of temper. This book is about how the human’s soul functions.
The main thing that the Doctrine about 7I gives to the person – it is an opportunity to learn himself. Ancient people said: “learn yourself – and you will learn the world”. When you know your soul – you will understand the souls of other people. After all, all the souls consist of a combination of the same 7 beginnings, from the same 7I.
Knowledge of the souls and characters of people is necessary for every person in his daily life. To be able to read the souls of people is no less important than to be able to read signboards and announcements. A person armed with the knowledge of souls and characters will always be the master of the situation. If he wishes so, he can turn the situation in his favour, and if he does not want to – he will be able to avoid his participation in the unnecessary vicissitudes. Such a person can estimate a situation beforehand just as the driver of the car always sees a road situation in advance.
