Primary vs Shadow Functions

[Paladin-X]

My basic theory:

Ego = INFJ = Ni + Fe + Ti + Se
Shadow = ESTP = Se + Ti + Fe + Ni
The Hero, The Child, The Anim(a/us) = ENFP = Ne + Fi + Te + Si
The Devil, The Critical Parent, The Trickster = ISTJ = Si + Te + Fi + Ne


Ego vs Shadow

INFJ - the personality type I would use to describe me or my general Ego. The shadow is its opposite. I believe that to mean opposite flow rather than opposite functions. When I slip into my shadow, I definitely feel/think/act mostly opposite to how I normally feel/think/act. And I would describe that shadow personality to be an ESTP. My negative qualities of INFJ appear as positive qualities of ESTP and vice versa.


The Positive influences upon my ego

As an INFJ, I am a protector of others. ENFP, as The Hero's influence, enables me to champion myself. As The Child, it allows me to look at new things in the moment with great wonder and possibilities (like a kid on Christmas!). As the Anima, the ENFP allows me to discover the female. Oddly enough, it is in meeting a couple of ENFPs that I finally have a healthier view of women in general (well almost there. One more version of the anima to go! I have experienced the ENFP as desire, independence, and as an ideal. I am slowly learning the fourth of wisdom and learning that women, like anyone, have good and bad and form a whole of neither good or bad).


The negative influences upon my ego

The ISTJ. It is my dark side. My devil. Haunting me with painful memories, not of what was done to me, but what I've done to others. The Critical Parent. This influence is what causes me to be quick to and overly critical and judgemental of others. The ISTJ as The Trickster, creates my bouts of depression trapping me within a box of ill-logic and negative values.


Impact of the Archtypes upon the Shadow

The influences of the Archtypes would be inversed upon the shadow. The ISTJ becomes the Hero, Child, Anim(a/us) and the ENFP becomes the Devil, Critical Parent, Trickster.



Thoughts? I know there are other theories out there. Mine might correlate or oppose.

 

[knight in battle]

Interesting. I find that meeting a couple ENFPs was also a major contributor to my "healthier" view towards women, although meeting INFJs has had a similar effect in a different way.

 

[LittleElf]

Well, I dont have much experience with actually meeting Infjs, so I dont know how that would be. But I love Enfps! They bring out a side in me that I absolutly enjoy! Its awesome.

 

[Trifoilum]

IINM, the role / functions are more specified within each function?

1st is the Hero
2nd is the Parent
3rd is the Child
4th is the Anima/Animus
5th is the Opposing
6th is the Witch / Critical Parent
7th is the Trickster
8th is the Demon

Although your theory does make sense; I postulate that the particular reaction are more profound / strong / common within one particular type because of exposure and mastery. Mastery; namely, ISTJs would have better Si than INFPs, for instance. OTOH, INFPs would have a greater use / mastery / skill of Fi, compared to ISTJs. So our reactions to Si would be more apparent in ISTJs, rather than INFPs. Exposure would affect how often do we interact with a type; which would affect how far/deep/often we see they act and react; their good and bad. Add other factors (personal experience, culture, etc) and there might be some chance for someone to 'prefer' one type; while others can have a reaction to both types that uses that particular function.

Let's say it like these;
As far as I'm concerned; Fi is my 7th function. The Senex / The Critical Parent.
It -may- bring similar reactions in both Fi doms; IxFPs.
In fact, we can expand it to Fi aux (EXFPs) and beyond (IXTJs? EXTJs?)
Because they all use the functions; only in different level/shade/type/order.

 

[Paladin-X]

I may need to revise this hypothesis. I am reading Jung's interpretations. They are very fascinating, but a little confusing. He refers to his Type as being Introverted Thinking, and his shadow being Introverted Intuition. As if his type was ISTP and his shadow was INFJ.

 

[Trifoilum]

Take note that MBTI is a derivation of Jung's original ideas, so you're be more likely to see differences.


Don't take it as actual science, and see it as possibilities; various permutations of how someone's personality could develop.

 

[Paladin-X]

Take note that MBTI is a derivation of Jung's original ideas, so you're be more likely to see differences.


Don't take it as actual science, and see it as possibilities; various permutations of how someone's personality could develop.

Which is why I want to learn it from Jung's perspective. It makes a lot more sense than how others have interpreted it. For example, Feeling is often misinterpreted as meaning emotion, when it is not. Thinking uses logic to prioritize. Feeling uses value to prioritize. IE What I logically should do versus what I want to do. Although I can see how emotion plays a role in Feeling. People have focussed too much on the surface level explanations, in order to grasp this very abstract concept, that they've confused themselves about what the underlying logic actually means. Admittedly, I do the same. Which is why I'm trying to dig past the surface and understand what lies beneath.

It is scientific to a degree actually. But it is meant to be taken somewhat loosely. It is not about defining a personality, that is where Myers-Briggs made a misnomer. She turned Jung's system into a cosmo mag personality test of sorts. It is a way of generalizing certain behaviours so that we can understand ourselves and others better. He used this system to explain children to parents and husbands to wives, as well as in helping his patients.

In my original post, I was playing with ideas. Now I want to know how Jung interpreted this information, so that I can draw my own conclusions. Understanding the flow of the Psychological Types is very important for my research. He was a very brilliant man and it is a shame that his work was not recognized as well as it should have been.

My confusion is because he talks about Fe being the shadow of Ti, but he claims to be Ti and refers to his shadow as Ni.

 

[Trifoilum]

Which is why I want to learn it from Jung's perspective. It makes a lot more sense than how others have interpreted it.

It is scientific to a degree actually. But it is meant to be taken somewhat loosely. It is not about defining a personality, that is where Myers-Briggs made a misnomer. She turned Jung's system into a cosmo mag personality test of sorts. It is a way of generalizing certain behaviours so that we can understand ourselves and others better. He used this system to explain children to parents and husbands to wives, as well as in helping his patients.

In my original post, I was playing with ideas. Now I want to know how Jung interpreted this information, so that I can draw my own conclusions. Understanding the flow of the Psychological Types is very important for my research. He was a very brilliant man and it is a shame that his work was not recognized as well as it should have been.

My confusion is because he talks about Fe being the shadow of Ti, but he claims to be Ti and refers to his shadow as Ni.

It is....very wise to take it as two separate systems, when dealing about it.
Although that might have been personally biased; I do consider that MBTI was a mere derivation-- a different system that uses elements of Jungian psychology. In some terms she's simplifying them; ordering them in a certain way-- a more categorized system of Jung's almost..dreamlike, spiritual theory. :| In some ways; Jung's theory is more personalized...from what I'd known (and I know shit, so.)

I view those as equal, only different; not better/worse, but you might see it differently.

For example, Feeling is often misinterpreted as meaning emotion, when it is not. Thinking uses logic to prioritize. Feeling uses value to prioritize. IE What I logically should do versus what I want to do. Although I can see how emotion plays a role in Feeling.

But this one though, is true no matter what system are we talking about. Although to overlap is easy; Feelings -is- part of values, and they are equally 'fuzzy'.

 

[the]

Why do you ascribe to this theory instead of the theory that says your shadow is: Ne Fi Te Si?

 

[Paladin-X]

[MENTION=2172]Trifoilum[/MENTION]
Fair enough.

As for the last statement, I've seen too many INFJs quantify that they are not INTJs because they are too emotional and INTJs that think they may not be T types because of how emotional they can be. Perhaps you are right that the systems are not to blame for this fault and is the people that try to interpret it.

 

[Paladin-X]

Why do you ascribe to this theory instead of the theory that says your shadow is: Ne Fi Te Si?

The shadow functions are the opposing functions. Ni - Se, Si - Ne, Ti - Fe, Fi - Te. I'll come back later with a better explanation when I can think of one. Most things make sense to me non-verbally, so I have great difficulty expressing things to others, especially in a verbal manner.

 

[Trifoilum]

@Trifoilum
Fair enough.

As for the last statement, I've seen too many INFJs quantify that they are not INTJs because they are too emotional and INTJs that think they may not be T types because of how emotional they can be. Perhaps you are right that the systems are not to blame for this fault and is the people that try to interpret it.

well, when the word we're using is a word commonly overlapped with emotions...

 

[Paladin-X]

Okay. Now I understand. Jung's dominant function is Ti. His Auxiliary is Se. The reason that his shadow is Ni/Fe instead of Fe/Ni, is because Ni, being the 3rd function, is the next strongest. Thus between Ni and Fe, Ni would be the dominant function and the shadow would be INFJ type. With that said, our shadow processes would actually be ISTP instead of ESTP. Which makes a heck of a lot more sense to me.

I still believe that the unused functions fall within the realm of the of the collective unconscious and the archetypes.

 

[LittleElf]

Wow thats so true! ISTP as our shadow does make tons more sense! I was never able to really identify with this ESTP shadow thing. Maybe because Im too lazy.. lol (Theyre constantly moving) But ISTP, I can so see that one!

 

[WalnutDragon1]

Wow thats so true! ISTP as our shadow does make tons more sense! I was never able to really identify with this ESTP shadow thing. Maybe because Im too lazy.. lol (Theyre constantly moving) But ISTP, I can so see that one!

ISTP is not the shadow of the INFJ.

The shadow is ENFP.