Jung's Four Functions
abracad, · Categories: self helpRevolutionary psychologist Carl Jung suggested that in addition to extraversion/introversion we have four ways of functioning - sensing, intuiting, thinking and feeling. For each of us one of these is dominant. Jung's classifications form the basis of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, one of the most widely used contemporary schemes of personality assessment.
Just as we sit somewhere on an introversion-extraversion spectrum, so sensing and intuiting, and thinking and feeling also form ranges along which we are situated. The sensing-intuition range is about how we obtain information, whereas thinking feeling describes how we process it.
Sensing types give most weight to what they actually experience (through the senses). Facts, data, and detail form their guiding principles. They are life's skeptics. Seeing is believing, and if they can't see they don't believe.
Intuitives are more open to exploring ideas mentally. They are more concerned with the big picture than the minutiae. Intuition can also be thought of as the little voice within, that which tells you something is right even without, or in contradiction to, conscious analysis. It is the function of psychic awareness and mediumship; that which is closest to our Spiritual essence.
Feeling types will weigh information, making choices that give a greater internal harmony or satisfaction, ie which feel better. They may visualize themselves in various situations.
Thinkers apply logical analysis to the information at their disposal. They may apply numeric values and try to assess the probabilities of possible outcomes, eg the best case, worst case, and most likely scenarios.
All of the functions have a place in our being, and we should be able to use each when most appropriate, though we tend to have a preference for one (maybe two). But our prime function(s) can change over time, and according to circumstance. For example a normally logical, thinking type may fall back on emotion when under pressure and unable to analyze rationally.
The function that tends to be most under-developed in many is intuition, science favors that which can be measured and observed, and yet the Spiritually aware know that is but a small fraction of existent reality. And yet, unless highly developed (to a degree unattainable in a single lifespan) intuition alone is insufficient to survive and thrive and make the best of our time on the earth plane.
The most dangerous function is feeling, causing us to cast reason aside and doubt what reason says is right. It sacrifices long-term gain for short-lived gratification. And yet, even often-irrational feeling has its place in the equation, operating as a fallback when rationality is inconclusive.
What type(s) are you and why does it matter?
There are numerous personality tests available for free on the Web. These will give an indication of your primary function(s). Take a few as they may give different results. And accept only those results that agree with your instinctive self-analysis. For example:
http://www.similarminds.com/
http://www.humanmetrics.com/
Self knowledge is valuable because the human mind is fundamentally lazy. Once we settle into a function, either by birth or experience, the mind prefers running those same programs again and again without having to deviate from its algorithmic responses. Just think how much we operate on autopilot, we can go entire days without need for conscious intervention of the will.
But this isn't necessarily living to our highest potential. By knowing our inherent traits we can watch for their influence, and question the direction they drive us in. Perhaps we shall still choose that direction, but it will at least be a conscious choice.
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Great post!
What you're discussing here is the 4 common human temperament types. There is a vast amount of proof that these are valid assessments of character. Add to the mix of the temperaments the fundamental archetypal patterns and you can begin to almost effortlessly predict how a person will act. I think of temperaments as the predisposition of how we approach things, the archetypes as the filters we use much like gears in a car situationally or in cycles to grow.
Something about temperaments worth note is that while everyone will have a dominant temperament, it is typical for there to be 2 more that are subordinate, and 1 that is essentially inactive in an individuals temperament structure.
So from this point, we've gotten a person overall approach and their shifting attitude/belief structure as they grow, now finally to get a solid grasp, you'll have to deal with radical empiricism...the chaotic, non-scientific element. When we get to this, now we are talking about external influences we can neither explain or control... we are talking about synchronicity.
My take on synchronicity is that the "meaningful coincidences" are sent from the Universe to help guide us along the journey of our lives, assisting us to fulfill our personal destinies.
All the best!
Bill White
The Synchronicity Expert