Have you ever had the experience of sometimes exhibiting behaviors or thoughts that are inconsistent with your usual personality traits? Have you ever felt like you were sometimes driven by emotions or impulses that were contrary to your usual values or beliefs? If your answer is yes, then you may have been in touch with your shadow functioning personality.
What is shadow functional personality? How did it form? What impact did it have on your personality development? How to correctly understand and use your shadow function personality? This article will explore these issues based on MBTI and Jung’s eight-dimensional theory, taking ENFP as an example.
PS This article is suitable for readers who already have a basic understanding of the concept of Jung’s Eight Dimensions (MBTI Cognitive Function). If you have not yet understood the related concepts, you can read this article, or search for relevant information by yourself.
What is shadow functional personality?
MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) is a personality classification tool based on Jungian psychology. It divides personality into 16 types. Each type consists of four letters, representing four personalities respectively. Dimensional tendencies, namely:
- Extroversion (E) or introversion (I): Indicates that a person is more inclined to obtain energy and stimulation from the external world or the internal world.
- Feeling (S) or intuition (N): Indicates that a person is more inclined to obtain information and knowledge from specific facts or abstract concepts.
- Thinking (T) or Feeling (F): Indicates that a person is more inclined to use logical principles or personal values to make decisions and judgments.
- Judgment (J) or perception (P): Indicates whether a person is more inclined to use orderly plans or flexible changes to deal with life and work.
Jungian Cognitive Functions is a personality analysis model based on Jungian psychology. It divides personality into eight functions. Each function consists of two letters, which respectively represent the tendency and direction of a personality dimension. ,Right now:
- Extraverted Sensing (Se): Indicates that a person is more inclined to pay attention to and enjoy practical and concrete sensory experiences of the external world.
- Introverted Sensing (Si): Indicates that a person is more inclined to recall and compare past and present sensory impressions of the internal world.
- Extraverted intuition (Ne): Intuitive associations indicating that a person is more inclined to explore and create the possibilities and potentials of the external world.
- Introverted intuition (Ni): Indicates that a person is more inclined to have intuitive insights into and predict the meaning and purpose of the inner world.
- Extraverted Thinking (Te): Indicates that a person is more inclined to use and organize the thinking and analysis of the logic and rules of the external world.
- Introverted thinking (Ti): Indicates that a person is more inclined to construct and improve the thinking system of the logic and principles of the internal world.
- Extraverted Feeling (Fe): Indicates that a person is more inclined to express and coordinate the emotional communication of emotions and values in the external world.
- Introverted Feeling (Fi): An emotional identity indicating that a person is more inclined to experience and adhere to the emotions and values of the internal world.
The relationship between MBTI and Jung’s eight dimensions is that each MBTI type has a corresponding Jung’s eight-dimensional function stack, that is, the priority order of the four functions used by a person, which are called dominant function, auxiliary function, and third function. Three functions and four functions. For example, an ENFP’s functional stack is:
- Dominant function: Extraverted intuition (Ne)
- Auxiliary function: Introverted Feeling (Fi)
- Tertiary function: Extraverted thinking (Te)
-Fourth Function: Introverted Sensing (Si)
So, what is shadow functional personality? Shadow functional personality refers to the order in which a person uses the other four functions, which are the opposites of the functional stack and are called fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth functions. For example, an ENFP’s shadow functional personality is:
- Fifth function: Introverted intuition (Ni)
- Sixth function: Extraverted Feeling (Fe)
-Seventh function: Introverted thinking (Ti) - Eighth Function: Extraverted Sensing (Se)
The formation principle of shadow functional personality is that in the process of growth and development, a person will choose and cultivate his most suitable and favorite functions, that is, the function stack, according to his own nature and environment, while ignoring or suppressing his least Suitable and least preferred functions, that is, shadow function personality. In this way, a person’s personality will show a biased and unbalanced state, that is, the opposition between the yang side and the shadow side.
The characteristic of shadow functional personality is that it is usually unconscious and involuntary of a person. It will suddenly surface under certain circumstances, such as pressure, conflict, crisis, etc., affecting a person’s behavior and thoughts. The manifestation of shadow functional personality is that it is usually what a person is least good at and least understood. It will conflict and contradict a person’s functional stack, leading to a person’s confusion and loss of control.
The value of shadow functional personality is that it is actually a person’s potential and opportunity. It can help a person supplement and improve his or her functional stack to make it more balanced and comprehensive, thereby achieving one’s self-growth and development.
What is the shadow function personality of ENFP?
ENFP is a dynamic and creative personality type. They like to explore and create new possibilities. They have strong personal values and emotional identity. They are good at using logic and rules to achieve their goals. They can also recall and Compare your own sensory impressions. However, ENFPs also have their own shadow functional personality, which is the opposite function to the ENFP’s functional stack, namely:
- Fifth function: Introverted intuition (Ni): ENFP’s shadow function is the dominant function of personality. It means that ENFP will tend to penetrate and predict the meaning and goals of the internal world under some circumstances, rather than exploring and creating possibilities in the external world. sex. This may cause ENFPs to become too brooding and negative, lose confidence and direction in their own and others’ expectations and goals, and even fall into some unrealistic or dangerous fantasies and prophecies.
- Sixth function: Extraverted Feeling (Fe): ENFP’s shadow function is the auxiliary function of personality. It means that ENFP, in some situations, will tend to express and coordinate the emotions and values of the external world instead of experiencing and persisting in the internal world. Emotions and values. This may cause ENFPs to become too pandering and submissive, lose recognition and persistence in their own and other people’s emotions and values, and even sacrifice their own truth and integrity in order to please or influence others.
-Seventh function: Introverted thinking (Ti): The third function of ENFP’s shadow function personality. It means that ENFP will tend to build and improve the logic and principles of the internal world under some circumstances, rather than using and organizing the logic and principles of the external world. Logic and rules. This may cause ENFPs to become overly critical and picky, lose respect for and follow their own and others’ logic and rules, and even ignore facts and consequences in order to prove or disprove a point. - Eighth function: Extraverted Sensing (Se): The fourth function of ENFP’s shadow function personality. It means that ENFP, in some situations, will tend to focus on and enjoy actual and concrete sensory experiences of the external world, rather than recall and Compare past and present sensory impressions of the internal world. This may cause ENFPs to become overly impulsive and indulgent, lose memory and comparison of their own and other people’s sensory impressions, and even ignore health and safety in order to pursue or escape certain stimulation.
How to take advantage of the shadow functional personality?
Although the shadow functional personality may bring some troubles and troubles to ENFP, it can also bring some help and opportunities to ENFP. As long as ENFP can correctly understand and use it, it can give full play to its advantages and achieve self-growth and success. develop. Here are some methods and techniques to help ENFPs take advantage of their shadow functioning personality:
- Recognize and accept your own shadow: ENFP should first recognize the existence and role of your own shadow functional personality instead of denying or suppressing it. ENFP should accept their shadow function personality as part of their own personality, not as an enemy or threat. ENFPs should respect the characteristics and strengths of their shadow personality rather than belittle or belittle it.
- Understand the circumstances and reasons for the emergence of your own shadow function personality: ENFP should observe under what circumstances, why, and how your shadow function personality emerges, rather than ignore or avoid it. ENFP should analyze the emergence and reasons of their own shadow function personality, whether it is caused by certain pressures, conflicts, crises, etc., or whether it is inspired by certain needs, desires, goals, etc. ENFP should understand the way and effect of the emergence of his shadow function personality, whether it is beneficial to his own personality development, or harmful to his own personality balance.
- Regulate the expression and use of your own shadow function personality: ENFP should regulate the expression and use of your own shadow function personality, rather than allowing or resisting it. ENFP should appropriately express and use their shadow function personality to meet their own personality needs, rather than over- or under-expressing and using it to avoid their own personality conflicts. ENFP should express and use their shadow functional personality in a coordinated manner to match their functional stack, rather than express and use it in opposition or contradiction, in order to achieve the perfection of their own personality.
Conclusion
The shadow functional personality is another side of a person’s personality, which has both its dark and dangerous side and its bright and beneficial side. ENFP’s shadow function personality is the opposite function to ENFP’s functional stack. It will surface under certain circumstances and affect ENFP’s behavior and thoughts. ENFP should correctly understand and use their shadow function personality and give full play to its advantages to achieve self-growth and development.
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