Future Advances of Research Into Typology

I have noticed lately that the Myers-Briggs system and typology community finally seems to be gaining credibility in the various fields of psychology and social science. I am also happy to hear that you guys are doing scientific research on the subject.

Ever since I started studying personality typology, socionics, MBTI and cognitive functions - I have had constant ideas coming to me about the many applications and uses of these systems. 

At one stage I had so many ideas that personality types was all I thought about - it even got frustrating! I had started writing books and doing my best to explain the system to everyone I know, but was quite disappointed at how few people here in South Africa even knew about the 16 types. 

I couldn't even find one profiler training course in my area. Considering the amount of knowledge I have gained online though, and how quickly I am now able to type people - I should probably start my own workshops here, lol. 

Anyway, I would love to contribute to more research on the subject and get to applying Jungian analytical psychology to future studies on. metaphysics. If there are any other ways I could get involved, or job opportunities - please do let me know. 

As for my ideas for future research - here goes: 

• I would be very interested in learning what factors actually influence the development of the personality type's in children. 
• I would also want to know the effects of working on and strengthening our top functions, and what the most effective ways to do that would be. 
• Studies on whether the people whose dominant cognitive function has been nurtured and encouraged are much more confident, capable and happy.  
• More research on micro-expressions, interaction styles, temperaments and body language of the types could be very useful in understanding the different types. 
• Therapeutic practices that implement and combine personality type with tools such as NLP (Neuro-linguistic programming)
• I am most interested in the cognitive functions axes and how the shadow functions affect our personalities. 
• How can we gain more control over the use of the functions, and improve our self understanding, our personal relationships, careers and more. 

Those are just some of the ideas that I have thought of in the past, and I am certain that there are many more. I am quite excited to see how these tools are going to evolve to become reliable systems of understanding our metaphysical power in the world. 

Unlocking Our Metaphysical Abilities

It would be so useful for people to understand the basic principle that every single person's reality is 100% real for them, and is shaped by the unique experiences, perceptions, decisions and cognitive functions that they prefer. 

Due to the evolution of our ability to emulate cognitive functions by matching and mirroring as well as other techniques mostly unconscious to us. Because we are used to using those ways of perceiving reality and making decisions, this causes us to naturally assume that everybody else uses or at least possesses the same set of tools to do so. 

The human evolution of systems thinking, pattern recognition and intuitive intelligence is literally giving us access to unlocking our full potential through the development of these metaphysical and biological creative abilities.

The best part about this worldwide shift occurring now is that it is occurring organically and in harmony with nature. It is already proven that through our ability to consciously match and mirror the people and archetypes that we attribute to our ego (in other words who we think we are or would like to be), we can literally and instantly change the programming of our mind and over time - the entire structure of our DNA.

What inhibits us though is only our limited perspectives and ideals. We tend to perceive and filter any and every situation we encounter and experience only through our own cognitive functions, therefore unconsciously projecting them on to others. 

What truly saddens me is watching a good relationship descend into entropy due to something such as cognitive dissonance. Almost all misunderstandings, conflicts and between betrayals are deeply rooted in our ignorance of our own power. 

This may be the the result of the illusion of gender equality and equal rights that gives us the idea that other people have the exact same mental abilities and opportunities as everyone else, even though our culture has demonstrated otherwise. This illusion has completely disarmed us of the navigation system we need to conduct ourselves appropriately in u known social situations. 

Imagine if we all fully understood the profound value of our own unique capabilities, having accepted our vices and our weaknesses. I can see that in this time we live in now, we should be learning to accurately measure these metaphysical tools as if they were superpowers that could potentially enable us to perform miracles, while allowing others to do the same.

Would we not then acknowledge and do our best to apply and organize these parts of our minds appropriately for the ultimate benefit of humanity? I personally strongly feel that our only true obligation and duty in life is to identify and nurture these aspects of ourselves and others to build stronger and stronger relationships with each other, with the planet and with ourselves. 

Introverted Sensing (Si)

Introverted Sensing or (Si) is one of the 8 cognitive functions according to Carl Jungs theory. It is a Percieving function - meaning that it is used to learn information. This function is dominant for ISTJ and ISFJ personality types, and the auxiliary function for ESTJ and ESFJ personality types. 

In other words, if your Myers Briggs type contains the letters SJ, then you use introverted Sensing as one of your top and strongest mental processes. It is a natural strength for you and the primary way that you take in new information. 

Unlike types who use extraverted sensing, who absorb sensory information in real time from the external environment, introverted Sensing users prefer to collect sensory experiences and impressions over time. Therefore they observe and remember what has worked before and stores this information as memories. 

Introverted Sensing users place high value on tradition, duty and routine. They are able to look into history and learn from past mistakes, and usually prefer to do things the way they have always been done. Si users learn by remembering facts, details and are usually able to follow instructions easily. 

The types that use this function can sometimes seem like walking encyclopedias. They have incredible long term memory access and this makes the amazing at recalling information like details, facts and dates about an experience they had.

Introverted Sensing seeks comfort and security. They do not see the utility in exploring new, innovative ways of doing something - and prefer to stick to tested methods that have worked before. They work best when given clear and detailed step-by-step instructions on how the job is meant to be carried out. Therefore they tend to prefer work that is stable, consistent and doesn't require them to innovate too much. 

With Si, the individual perceives mostly stored memories of previous sensory experiences. So when they do experience something sensory in real time, they quickly compare it to their stored memories of what has happened in the past. 

The perfect example of an Si user would be a quality assurance inspector. Their job is to look at specific items coming off the production line, recalling every detail. Then to inspect and compare new items to the usually accurate image which they have stored in their minds.

They make great inspectors because they can easily detect the smallest nuances or defects in something they have seen before. Introverted Sensor's brains are wired for this. Their teaching style in similar in that they expect their students to follow precise, step-by step systems to get to a specific result. 

Even when they are training someone to exercise, they will have an image in their mind of how and in what order the person should move, lift a weight, move their bodies etc. The Introverted Sensor trainer can then instruct the person to exercise effectively and safely.

What makes Si users so interesting is that the individual's brain is wired to make comparisons. They recall images and sounds so vividly that their memory of something can seem more real than what they are Sensing in the moment. They experience memories as if they're playing a movie over in their heads, which can at times feel more real to them than the present reality. 

Thus people with dominant Si usually have the ability to recall a past experience in great vivid detail, complete with any stored emotions. A dominant Si can re-experience a past event just as if it was happening live, complete with memories of how they were feeling at the time.

The types that have this function in their stack believe in fulfilling their duty and when given a choice - will always choose to do what they “should” do, as opposed to what they want to do. Therefore, they are not always seen as flexible and spontaneous by other types, but their unwavering focus and determination ensures that they are always achieving their goals. 

Personally, in the past I have struggled to understand and appreciate this cognitive function. As an INFJ - I do not use Si in my cognitive function stack. In fact - for me it is in the Demon position of my shadow. My father however, is an ISTJ - and it was through all the turmoil of misunderstandings and conflict between us - than I began to seek answers as to why we had trouble getting along. 

I must say, I gained a lot of compassion by learning about personality typology. By understanding how his mind works and why he makes the decisions he does - our relationship has improved immensely. I can now learn to appreciate his values (although different from mine) and communicate with him in a way that respects his world-view. 

How Drugs Affect Different Personality Types

I was doing yoga earlier when I had this sudden insight or (Ni) moment. It seems to me that drugs affect different personality types differently.

Most people would think that substance use would be used by people in order to change their personality - and perhaps access their subconscious or shadow elements. 

However, it seems to me that drugs actually serve to exacerbate our dominant function. It makes more sense to me that we would become dependent on a substance that allows us to indulge either our first two functions or the first and third which share the attitude that we prefer.  

Therefore, I don't see all substance use as a fork of escapism, but often we don't realize that if we do over-engage certain functions - we ignore the others. And so, in order to become whole and balanced - which should be our goal with understanding these functions, we must make sure that we develop all of our conscious functions and not only the ones that feel comfortable developing.

Since we enjoy the attitude of our first function the most - here is where the danger of becoming stuck in a cognitive function loop. But we mostly seem to stay within our dominant or preferred function whilst under the influence. 

Extraverted Sensing (Se)

This is a Perceiving function which means it is used to learn new information. This is a dominant (hero) cognitive function for ESFP and ESTP personality types, and auxiliary (supporting) function for ISFP and ISTP types.

Those who use this function learn new information through their senses in real time. These types live in the present moment and readily and actively explore the physical world around them. They are usually the first to notice any new sights, sounds, smells and sensations in their environment. Se users are action-oriented and faced-paced thrill-seekers, always in search of new sensory pleasures.

Naturally, these types are drawn to physical activities such as sports, dancing and martial arts. They are usually quite physically adept, therefore most of the world's top athletes use extraverted sensing higher up in their cognitive function stack.

They are almost always good at remembering directions and many love to drive long distances as it engages this function. Extraverted sensing users naturally have great mechanical aptitude allowing them to utilize tools and have a good grasp on physics. Se types enjoy a wide variety of physical sensations and have a good appreciation for aesthetics.

Types who use extraverted sensing are very free spirited and don't like to be held back or forced to commit too soon. They work well when given the space to learn through experience and do not like to be micro-managed. They fully embrace the term "actions speak louder than words" and prefer to express themselves through doing rather than talking.

Managing Emotional States With Extroverted Feeling (Fe)

I learned a long time ago that most of our behavior is largely influenced by our emotional state. This is especially true if you have Extroverted Feeling (Fe) as a dominant or supporting cognitive function. Extraverted Feeling (Fe) is the dominant function of the ENFJ and ESFJ types and the supporting/auxiliary for INFJ and ISFJ types. Like Extraverted Thinking, Fe is considered an extraverted Judging function.

Feeling types use their Feeling function to weigh, evaluate, and analyze their affective responses to the world. They generally experience greater saliency, variability, and diversity of emotion than Thinking types do. This is why many turn to poetry, music, or the arts, searching for various ways of understanding and expressing their rich emotional life.

The Feeling functions also relate to the development of various tastes. Tastes are qualitative preferences—likes and dislikes - which can also be considered our values. This is another reason Feeling types are drawn to exploring arts and culture, providing them with plenty of raw material to engage their Feeling function.

As an INFJ, I am very easily affected by other people's feelings, therefore it's especially important that I choose wisely who I surround myself with. This is true for values as well, so if the people around me did not share my values - I would often develop a separate persona when in their presence in order to adapt and maintain harmony.

This "people-pleasing" tendency heavily affects how I behave and where my focus goes. It can also have a terrible impact on my productivity levels. So much so, that if someone in the same room is angry or upset - I can't get any work done at all.

Before I started working for myself, if I was busy at work and someone in a bad mood entered the room - I would drop whatever I was doing to try and solve that person's problems, or to try to cheer them up somehow. But since I was not a trained counselor, nor am I a very good comic, this approach wasn't always successful. I realized that sometimes when people are hurting - they don't always want to be cheered up, and some people are just miserable no matter what you do.

I needed to find a better way to manage my emotions because not only did my behavior attract people with psychopathic tendencies, but it pushed away people who actually did care about me. Because by trying to help others, who didn't want or ask for my help - I would easily lose track of my own goals, and sometimes even neglect my own basic needs. Sadly whenever my friends or family would try to talk me out of it, I would door-slam them (shut them out entirely).

Other feelers might relate to this tendency to focus too much on meeting the needs of others. But over-use of this function can often leave us no time or energy to get any truly meaningful work done. I would often get caught in this trap. Until sadly, I had nothing more to give and that's when I would find myself exhausted and alone. Our moods and behaviors are influenced by so many factors. The weather, the environment, circumstances, and of course - our personality types. My whole life I have been trying to analyze, understand and predict my own and other people's behavior and its triggers.

Learning about Myers-Briggs and cognitive functions helped me a lot with this. However, and I don't know if this is true for other FE users, but nothing affects my emotional state as much as other people. No amount of money, diet, medication, food or place can ever affect my emotional state as much as other people. 

Perhaps this is what it's like to have Extroverted Feeling as an auxiliary cognitive function - because my INFP partner doesn't seem to have this problem much. Sometimes I question whether I have any feelings at all of my own. Sometimes I wonder whether I even have a personality of my own, or whether I am just acting to please people.

My habit of becoming a social chameleon often left me confused and feeling inauthentic. I realized that even my personality test results were different depending on who I surround myself with - which only further reinforced my identity crisis.

I was single and quite independent when I first typed as an INFJ, and the description seemed to fit me quite well. But then when I was in a relationship with an ISTP for 2 years - many tests I took often mistyped me as either an INTP or an ENTP.

A more comprehensive personality test then concluded that I am simply a more rational INFJ. However, now I have been in a relationship with an INFP for almost a year and these days I noticed that I get mistyped as an INFP. Not only do I seem to absorb other people's emotions it seems  - but I temporarily borrow aspects of their personalities as well.

Then the question is - how can we as empaths take responsibility for our emotions and behaviors? How do we change how we feel without having to change the emotions of the people around us? Is there some sort of off-switch for empathy? Or do we need to isolate ourselves completely to become emotionally intelligent? 

I decided that if in order to gain control of my emotional state, I needed to first separate my own feelings from the feelings of others. That's when I started avoiding people and did everything I could to keep to myself.

However, what I got from that experiment made me even more worried. I noticed that when I am by myself - the only emotions I experience are through music or watching a movie. Otherwise, I don't seem to feel much at all. Could this mean I don't have feelings?

I wondered if it's possible that I could just be a zombie or robot who simply feeds off other people's feelings? I was obviously overthinking the situation way too much, and I was upset that I couldn't find all the answers in personality tests.

I now know that our personality types are merely projections of our ego as it tries to separate us from others. By isolating ourselves from other people, we can probably avoid absorbing their negative emotions, but we also miss out on so many positive emotions too.

Without people to connect with - nothing we do or create even matters. On the other hand, sharing positive experiences with someone makes them so much more enjoyable and memorable. Therefore, I learned that there is no sure way to fully control or predict our emotions - and if there was, it wouldn't be as fun.

However, there are things that we can control. We can choose who we surround ourselves with, and we can choose how we react to people. We can choose to focus on helping people who want our help and give it to those who deserve it. We can learn to set healthy boundaries in our relationships.

We can take our desire to help others and turn it around and take care of our own needs first, because just like other people's negative emotions affect us, our emotions also affect others. Emotions are created through connection, all of need other people to feel, not just empaths. We are all much more interdependent than we think, or like to admit.

Roles Of The 8 Cognitive Functions

ROLES OF THE 8 COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS

In each of the sixteen types, each of the eight processes plays a different "role" in the personality. The type code lets you know what role each process plays for each type. This is called "type dynamics."

It is also referred to as the "hierarchy of functions": Dominant, Auxiliary, Tertiary, and Inferior. The roles are explained below to help you better understand the patterns. In most of what we do we rely on two of the processes—a preferred way of accessing information and a preferred way of organizing and evaluating that information.

As we look more closely we can see that one process takes a leading role and the other takes a supporting role. In truth, we all have access to all eight cognitive processes—the other six are often in the background, playing other kinds of roles. Each has a positive and a negative way of expressing itself. Each bears a different energy cost when we use it.

The Four Primary Functions

The primary processes are those used in the first four roles. Each process tends to emerge and develop at different times in our lives. During these times we are drawn to activities that use these processes.

Then, learning the content and the skills that engage these processes is often nearly effortless. We find our interest is drawn to them and our interest is pulled away from things we were drawn to before.

THE LEADING ROLE

(Often referred to as the 1st, dominant or hero function)

The dominant function that plays the leading role is the one that usually develops early in childhood. We tend to engage in this process first, trusting it to solve our problems and help us be successful. Being the most trusted and most used, it usually has an adult, mature quality to it. While we are likely to engage in it rather automatically and effortlessly, we have much more conscious control over it.

The energy cost for using it is very low. Much like in the movies, the leading role has a heroic quality as using it can get us out of difficult situations. However, we can sometimes "turn up the volume" on this process and become overbearing and domineering. Then it takes on a negative dominating quality.

THE SUPPORTING ROLE

(Often referred to as the 2nd, auxiliary or growth function)

The supporting role or auxiliary function is how we are helpful to others as well as supportive of ourselves. This function is also referred to as our growth function since developing it is usually necessary for our personal growth.

Once we have mastered our dominant function as our leading role process, we are more likely to feel comfortable engaging in our supporting/auxiliary cognitive process. In its most positive form, this can be quite like a nurturing parent. In its more negative aspect, it can be overprotective and stunting rather than helpful.

When the leading role process is an extraverted one, the supporting role process is introverted.
When the leading role process is an introverted one, the supporting role process is then extraverted. This function may be quite active and the part of us that is visible to the world, as it is the way in which we relate with the outer world.

THE RELIEF ROLE

(Often referred to as the 3rd, tertiary or relief function)
The relief role gives us a way to energize and recharge ourselves. It serves as a backup to the supporting role and often works in tandem with it. When we are younger, we might not engage in the process that plays this role very much unless our life circumstances require it, or if we are finding it hard to use the supporting role process.

Usually, in young adulthood, we are attracted to activities that draw upon this process. The relief role often is how we express our creativity. It is how we are playful and childlike. In its most negative expression, this is how we become childish. Then it has an unsettling quality, and we can use this process to distract ourselves and others, getting us off target.

THE ASPIRATIONAL ROLE

(Often referred to as the 4th, inferior or aspirational function)

The aspirational role usually doesn't develop until around midlife. We often experience it first in its negative aspect of projecting our doubts, fears, and negativities onto others. The qualities of these fears reflect the process that plays this role, and we are more likely to look immature when we engage in the process that plays this role. 

There is often a fairly high energy cost for using it—even when we acquire the skill to do so. As we learn to trust it and develop it, the aspirational role process provides a bridge to balance in our lives. It is by exploring and developing this function that we gain our sense of purpose, inspiration, and hope to actualize our ideals.

The Unconscious/Shadow Functions

The other four cognitive processes operate more on the boundaries of our awareness. It is as if they are in the shadows and only come forward under certain circumstances. We usually experience these processes in a negative way, yet when we are open to them, they can be quite positive.

THE OPPOSING ROLE

(Often referred to as the 5th, opposite function)

The opposing role is often how we get stubborn and argumentative—refusing to “play” and join in whatever is going on at the time. It might be easy for us to develop skill in the process that plays this role, but we are likely to be more narrow in our application of this skill, and it will likely take more energy to use it extensively.

In its positive aspect, it provides a shadow or depth to our leading role process, backing it up and enabling us to be more persistent in pursuit of our goals.

THE CRITICAL PARENT ROLE

(Often referred to as the 6th, critical function)

The critical parent role is how we find weak spots and can immobilize and demoralize others.
We can also feel this way when others use the process that plays this role. It is often used sporadically and emerges more often under stressful conditions when something important is at risk. When we engage it, we can go on and on.

To access its positive side of discovery, we must learn to appreciate and be open to it. Then it has an almost magical quality and can provide a profound sense of wisdom.

THE DECEIVING ROLE

(Often referred to as the 7th, trickster function)

The deceiving role fools us into thinking something is important to do or pay attention to.
The process that fills this role is often not trusted or seen as worthy of attention, for when we do engage it, we may make mistakes in perception or in decision making. Then we feel double-bound—trapped between two bad options.

Yet this role can have a positive side as it provides comic relief. Then we can laugh at ourselves. It can be refreshing and join with the relief role as we recharge ourselves through play.

THE DEVIL ROLE

(Often referred to as the 8th, demonic function)

The devilish role can be quite negative. Using the process that plays this role, we might become destructive of ourselves or others. Actions (or inactions) taken when we engage in the process that plays this role are often regretted later.

Usually, we are unaware of how to use the process that fills this role and feel like it just erupts and imposes itself rather unconsciously. Yet when we are open to the process that plays the devilish role, it becomes transformative. 

It can be developed over time to become the impetus to create something new—to explore new ways of experiencing life and to fully actualize our full potential. This function is aspirational for us and through its development, we can become fully balanced and whole. This is because within it lies our ability to bring our most treasured dreams into reality.