Few are likely to accept that they are duty-bound to follow opinion polls, even if their instinct for self-preservation may drive them in that direction.

ECONOMIST: The last mile

Bagehot had expected the Conservatives' instinct for self-preservation to silence this internal conversation for at least the final few weeks before polling day.

ECONOMIST: Bagehot: And now that you haven’t voted... | The

In a situation like that, every instinct pushes us towards self-preservation.

WHITEHOUSE: President Obama Speaks at the National Peace Officers�� Memorial Service | The White House

This can destabilize the marriage: When his mother and his wife are battling, a man's self-preservation instinct tells him to hide.

WSJ: Getting Along With the Original Other Woman��Your Mother-in-Law