Something fiercely self-preserving kept me from calling.    From Wordnik.com.  [The Turquoise Mask]

Or is it just a calm face to reality and a self-preserving tactic?.    From Wordnik.com.  [cacatherine Diary Entry] Reference

A self-preserving fear of extremes especially political points of view.    From Wordnik.com.  [Archive 2006-04-01] Reference

Through all this bewilderment, self-preserving interest guides his course.    From Wordnik.com.  [Oswald Langdon or, Pierre and Paul Lanier. A Romance of 1894-1898] Reference

Aluminium sheet is naturally protected by its self-preserving oxide layer.    From Wordnik.com.  [Chapter 4] Reference

Folks, procrastination can be a helpful and sometimes self-preserving tool.    From Wordnik.com.  [02.04] Reference

Do you really think the self-preserving Romney would get on this sinking ship?.    From Wordnik.com.  [The Palin Meltdown in Slo-Mo] Reference

Perhaps no angel; e.g. not above self-preserving lying to employer if necessary.    From Wordnik.com.  [limbo] Reference

Every self-preserving instinct would have shrieked at such an infatuate immolation.    From Wordnik.com.  [The Anti-Slavery Examiner, Part 1 of 4] Reference

They even lose the self-preserving ability to ensure that voting machines be hacker-proof.    From Wordnik.com.  [HEALTH ADVISORY: Invasion of the Impeachophobes] Reference

Between 61 and 70, a woman is like Canada: self-preserving, but open to meeting new people.    From Wordnik.com.  [2009 August 21 « Mudpuddle] Reference

Having that par'ticular slave in his train showed a certain amount of self-preserving sense.    From Wordnik.com.  [Elvenborn]

After the Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United no self-preserving politician is going to go after Wall Street.    From Wordnik.com.  [Beijing, Washington and Currency Manipulation] Reference

Just now, it was said that the ground of obligation lay in our natures as rational, social, self-preserving beings.    From Wordnik.com.  [Hugo Grotius] Reference

There are two things I keep in mind about this: One, being good and being self-preserving are not mutually exclusive.    From Wordnik.com.  [Judith Acosta, LISW, CHT: Self-Defense Against Narcissists: Why 'No' Is So Hard to Say] Reference

Every self-preserving instinct was screaming for her to move away, to put emotional if not actual distance between them.    From Wordnik.com.  [Undercover Vows]

A cool, self-centred, self-preserving something in his mind had taught him to command all his own forces for one purpose.    From Wordnik.com.  [Despair's Last Journey] Reference

There are fewer trees being turned into newspapers, but as a self-preserving journalist, I am required to be outraged by this.    From Wordnik.com.  [Maura Judkis: How We've Changed Throughout the Bush Era] Reference

Proactive, self-preserving behaviors serving a self-defined national interest -- not something you see often in the Arab world.    From Wordnik.com.  [Sharmine Narwani: The New Middle East Narrative -- Is Washington in or Out?] Reference

I think, perhaps, the emotion of hurt brings about a defensive, self-preserving response, and self-preservation is inherently selfish.    From Wordnik.com.  [nessus Diary Entry] Reference

The search for contentment is, therefore, not merely a self-preserving and self-benefitting act, but also a generous gift to the world.    From Wordnik.com.  [One Bright Star (1B*) Reignited] Reference

The army is supposed to be a public service meeting our needs, not a self-serving, self-preserving clique covering up crimes by its own.    From Wordnik.com.  [Johann Hari: Britain Now Has Its Own Abu Graib - Inflicted By Troops, On Troops] Reference

Because we are essentially both social and self-preserving beings, it follows that two things are imperative for our successful existence.    From Wordnik.com.  [Hugo Grotius] Reference

The villains were always extra clever and brutal and self-preserving (and therefore realistic) when they had a dedicated brain behind them.    From Wordnik.com.  [PC on PC Violence « Geek Related] Reference

They have no self-supporting, or self-preserving power.    From Wordnik.com.  [Sermons on various important subjects of doctrine and practice] Reference

The Wire really was about institutions being self-preserving.    From Wordnik.com. Reference

One would think that selfish and self-preserving behavior predominates.    From Wordnik.com.  [Medlogs - Recent stories] Reference

Correspondence of a traitorous self-preserving Court; and this not with.    From Wordnik.com.  [The French Revolution] Reference

After all, self-preservation is the first law, and Oscar is a self-preserving type.    From Wordnik.com.  [Four-Day Planet] Reference

Between 61 and 70, a woman is like Canada, self-preserving but open to meeting new people.    From Wordnik.com.  [Delftsman] Reference

Between 61 and 70, a woman is like Canada, self-preserving, but open to meeting new people.    From Wordnik.com.  [The Velvet Hot Tub | Freshest Stories] Reference

They are culturally deep and desperately self-preserving, despite being wrong, wasteful and backward.    From Wordnik.com.  [newmatilda.com - Comments] Reference

To find the self-preserving man you must take him after he has ceased to grow and before he has begun to love.    From Wordnik.com.  [The Life of Reason] Reference

The panther was slain, not from a view to the relief of my hunger, but from the self-preserving and involuntary impulse.    From Wordnik.com.  [Edgar Huntly or, Memoirs of a Sleep-Walker] Reference

In that moment Tito, with bloodless face and eyes dilated, had one of the self-preserving inspirations that come in extremity.    From Wordnik.com.  [Romola] Reference

The great paradox of self-preserving political "leadership" is its tone deafness and ineptness for authentic communication with citizens.    From Wordnik.com.  [Progressive Bloggers] Reference