Hannibal Lecter's self preservation

Hannibal’s sense of self preservation is a feeling that tops anything else; his primary focus and motivating factor. A predominantly primal instinct to maintain ones own survival and thriving above all else. It manifests in several different ways, how he lets others act toward him, how he acts, and how he hurts both others, and himself. 

One of the main ways Hannibal's idea of self preservation presents itself is how he manipulates and controls the actions of those around him. As a psychopath, he is his own primary focus and so will a majority of the time, put himself first. This means in interactions with others, he will manipulate them and coerce them (or as Bedelia describes, persuade) people into acting in his own interest, in such a way that pleases him. Whether with his patients, colleagues, or "friends", what he finds fascinating or pleasurable is the only outcome he seeks. We see this plainly when he persuades his patients into killing. His "curiosity into what would happen" is tied to his self preservation, to thrive, he must let his desires be free and manifested in whatever way necessary. 

Another way his concept of self preservation is maintained is through how he allows others to behave toward him. Almost consistently, he ensures the people surrounding him treat him with respect. Of course we know he eats the "rude", these generally being strangers or those that he doesn't necessarily interact with on a regular basis, those he occasionally or had only once come into contact with (saving their business cards). It becomes a little more complicated for those he socialises with regularly, including his patients; needing to balance his wants and necessary interactions. Due to the fact that he interacts with some individuals so often, there is a threshold of some sort of ways he will tolerate people acting toward him, slight mishaps don't result in business card-taking. An example being Franklyn, throughout his sessions with Hannibal he gets closer and closer to pushing the boundaries of the patient/psychiatrist relationship, and crossing the line of Hannibal's personal tolerance of behaviour. Constantly pushing for friendship, until Hannibal finally decides he's had enough, and kills him. This 'line-crossing' prevents killing that could obviously result in someone picking up on the pattern, with some leeway, but also a line where then his self-interest kicks back in and he regains full control and exercises what he sees as a right to act in preservation of boundaries and urges. 

Occasionally this has weakened, especially in relation to Will and what Hannibal “lets” will get away with (though not always without punishment), certainly letting him do more than he would allow anyone else to, his string of betrayals and how he talks to him on a regular basis. He says to Will in his speech in mizumono how Will would “deny him his life, and if not his life, his freedom” indicating these are most important to him, as it is to any animal. A dog would chew its own leg off to be free, he finds himself hurt in the process of self preservation - he wanted to be the least hurt person in that kitchen. Where Will treats him with less respect than he desires from other people, Hannibal's soft spot for Will disregards it, however the more hurtful, personal string of betrayals is where Hannibal's animistic self preservation instinct springs back up. Because he let Will so close to him "know him, see him" and he takes Will's actions as a direct threat to his vulnerability, he has to punish Will, which is why the events of mizumono are so important. Its the space that Hannibal made for Will within himself, temporarily freezing up in order to survive the hurt that he feels. Hannibal knew he had to defend himself from what Will had done, even through he still loved Will and would give him another chance, he didn't want to kill Will, just in a way wag his finger and punish him. This reinforcing Hannibal's need to survive despite the injury of love, and the necessity of injuring the he he loves.

Over the course of the show, particularly in season 3 it becomes apparent that Hannibal begins to view Will and extension of himself, where him and Will begin to blur. This then means Hannibal includes Will in his definition of self preservation. This affects his behaviour and treatment of himself in the final season. He sacrafices himself in some instances to put Will's apparent wants and needs first. As we know in mizumono, Hannibal didn't like that Will tied to get Hannibal arrested (this would take away his freedom, definitely not in his own interest to allow) but in season 3, Hannibal now believes that it is necessary for Will to know where he is at all times, and so willingly gives up his freedom that he once valued above Will, handing himself in to Jack. Hannibal views Will as necessary to his survival, he is the person he loves and has accepted as part of himself, so losing Will is not an option, that would harm him more than giving himself up. 

Season one Hannibal was so closed off and entirely self-reliant, so his primal instinct of self preservation was completely focused on his self as an individual, ensuring his needs and wants are met entirely, his urges are met and his character is maintained. Will changes him into the man we see in season 3, one who allows himself to be vulnerable with Will, and alter his self-interest to cover the interests of Will, even if that now means self-sacrificing.