As an ISFP, have you ever experienced such moments: some behaviors and thoughts are different from normal, and even yourself are surprised and confused? Do you feel that there is another completely different self in your heart, contradicting and conflicting with your external self? If the answer is yes, maybe you have touched your own shadow function personality. What exactly is the shadow function personality? How does it form? What impact does it have on personality and development? How to recognize and utilize it? This article will take ISFP as an example to discuss in depth from the perspective of Jung 8D and MBTI, hoping to bring inspiration and help to you.
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PS This article is for readers who have a basic understanding of the concept of Jung 8D (MBTI cognitive function). If you do not know the relevant concepts, you can read the introduction of MBTI cognitive function or search for information by yourself.
What is Shadow Function Personality?
Shadow functional personality is a psychological concept, derived from the analytical psychology theory of Swiss psychologist Jung. Jung believes that the psychological structure of a person is composed of consciousness and unconsciousness, and the unconsciousness is divided into individual unconsciousness and collective unconsciousness. The personal unconscious refers to the psychological content that is forgotten, suppressed or ignored in personal experiences; the collective unconscious is a common, innate, and symbolic psychological content that is human, such as prototypes, myths, symbols, etc. Shadow is an important part of the individual’s unconsciousness, referring to psychological content that is opposed, conflicted, and contradictory to the individual’s consciousness, such as negative emotions, bad desires, taboo thoughts, etc. Shadows are often parts that an individual is unwilling to admit and accept, and are suppressed in the unconscious, but in specific situations, they will emerge in the consciousness through dreams, projections, impulses, etc., affecting personal behavior and judgment.
Jung’s theory of psychological function points out that human psychological activities can be divided into four basic functions: thinking, feeling, intuition and emotion. Everyone has these four functions, one or two of which are the dominant, namely the dominant function, and the other are the auxiliary disadvantage function. Advantage function is the main manifestation of personal consciousness, while disadvantage function is the main content of personal unconsciousness. Therefore, disadvantage function can be regarded as part of the shadow. Jung’s theory of psychological attitudes shows that people’s psychological activities have two basic attitudes: external and introverted. Extraverted means that the individual’s psychological energy mainly points to the external world, while introverted means that the psychological energy mainly points to the internal world. Everyone has these two attitudes, one is the dominant advantage attitude and the other is the auxiliary disadvantage attitude. Advantage attitude is the main tendency of individual consciousness, and disadvantage attitude is the main tendency of individual unconsciousness, so disadvantage attitude can also be regarded as part of the shadow.
MBTI is a personality type test based on Jung’s theory. It combines a person’s psychological function and psychological attitude to form 16 different personality types. Each type represents the individual’s advantageous function, advantageous attitude, auxiliary function and auxiliary attitude by four letters. For example, the four letters of ISFP represent introversion (I), sensory (S), emotional (F) and extroversion (P), which means that the advantageous function of ISFP is introversion, the auxiliary function is extroversion, and the disadvantage function is introversion thinking and extroversion intuition. According to Jung’s theory, the shadow function personality of ISFP is composed of disadvantage function and disadvantage attitude. The specific transformation rule is to replace the first and fourth letters of a personality with opposite letters to obtain the shadow personality. For example, the shadow personality of ISFP is ESFJ. This shows that the shadow function of ISFP’s personality advantage function is extroverted feeling, the auxiliary function is introverted emotions, and the disadvantage function is extroverted thinking and introverted intuition.
Detailed explanation of ISFP’s shadow function personality
ISFP is an artist-like personality. It is usually gentle, friendly, sensitive and compassionate. It likes a free, flexible and harmonious lifestyle. It attaches importance to personal values and feelings. It is good at expressing creativity and personality through senses and emotions. It does not like rules, restrictions, conflicts and criticism. It tends to avoid external conflicts and pressures and focus on the inner world. The positive function of ISFP is introverted feeling and extroverted emotion, which makes it mainly recognise and evaluate things based on its own feelings and emotions. It is sensitive and firm in its own feelings and values, cares about others’ feelings and needs, and is good at communicating with others in a warm and encouraging way, respecting and appreciating the diversity and personality of others.
The shadow function personality of ISFP is ESFJ, which is the protagonist-type personality. It is usually enthusiastic, responsible, cooperative, and loyal. It likes an orderly, stable and harmonious lifestyle, attaches importance to social norms and expectations, is good at organizing and coordinating things through feelings and emotions, does not like changes, adventures, conflicts and criticism, tends to follow external rules and pressures, and ignores the inner world. The ESFJ’s male function is extroverted and introverted emotions, which means that they mainly evaluate things based on external feelings and emotions, attach sensitive importance to external information and feedback, are equally caring and considerate about other people’s feelings and needs, and are good at communicating with others in a warm and polite way, respecting and abide by others’ rules and expectations.
From the Jungian eight-dimensional perspective, the personality characteristics of ISFP shadow function lies in the ability to display feelings and emotions in the external environment, pay attention to and meet other people’s needs and expectations, organize and coordinate things, and abide by and maintain social norms and order. Its advantage is that it can demonstrate the qualities of enthusiasm, responsibility, cooperation and loyalty when necessary, adapt to external changes and pressures, and express and use thinking and intuition.
Generally speaking, shadow function personality will emerge in consciousness when an individual encounters stress, crises, conflicts, challenges, etc., as a response and protection mechanism. For ISFP, its shadow function personality may emerge in the following situations:
- When feeling that one’s own value and feelings are ignored or hurt, they may become sensitive, emotional, suspicious, stubborn, impose their own feelings on others, or refuse to communicate and cooperate with others.
- When you feel that your creativity and personality are restricted or criticized, you may become rebellious, risky, irresponsible, unreasonable, violate the challenges of social rules and expectations, and commit impulsive and dangerous behaviors.
- When feeling threatened or deprived of your freedom and flexibility, you may become evasive, negative, lazy, goalless, give up indulging yourself, or lose confidence and hope in yourself and others.
The impact of ISFP’s shadow function personality on its impact may be positive or negative, depending on their understanding and handling of their own shadows. If you can face the shadows in front, understand their characteristics and advantages, observe their emergence and reasons, adjust their expressions and applications, and coordinate rather than conflict with the positive functional personality, then the shadow functional personality can become a resource and force, helping to exert potential advantages in different environmental situations and achieve self-growth and development. If you deny suppressing shadows, ignore their characteristics and advantages, reject their emergence and reasons, indulge their expressions and applications, and make them opposed to the positive functional personality rather than collaborate, the shadow functional personality will become an obstacle and burden, affecting the display of a true and complete self in different environmental situations, and hindering self-growth and development.
How to give full play to the advantages of shadow function personality?
Since the content related to ISFP shadow function personality has been clarified, how can we use its advantages? The following techniques are available for your reference:
- Recognize and accept your own shadow: This is the primary and critical step to leverage the personal advantages of shadow functions. We need to face up to accept our own shadow, rather than deny repression. Realize that shadows are part of themselves, not enemies but friends. Understand that shadows contain potential and can help you show different qualities and abilities in different environments. Feeling the shadows can make you a more real and richer person.
- Understanding and observing your own shadow: This is the second step to get to the advantage, full of fun. You need to understand the shadows of yourself, rather than ignore rejection. We must learn and master the theoretical knowledge of Jung’s eight-dimensional and MBTI, know the characteristics and advantages of shadow functional personality, and the correspondence with the positive functional personality. You should reflect on the emergence of the shadow function personality and its impact on you, find the trigger points and patterns, and clarify the advantages and disadvantages.
- Adjust and use your own shadow: This is the third step to take advantage of your advantages and focus on practicality. You need to adjust your own shadows, rather than indulge in abuse. Depending on different environmental situations, you should choose to switch the appropriate functional personality so that it can be coordinated rather than conflict with the functional personality of the positive surface. We should express and use functional personality in moderation according to different goals and needs, so that they can cooperate with themselves and others rather than oppose them. We must evaluate and improve functional personality based on different feedback results so that it is consistent with our own growth and development rather than contrary to it.
in conclusion
Shadow Function Personality is an interesting and practical psychological concept that helps to understand the multifaceted and completeness of oneself. This paper takes ISFP as an example, from the perspective of Jung 8D and MBTI, analyzes the connotation, emergence of situations, influences and methods to exert advantages of ISFP’s shadow function personality. I hope it will inspire you and help you better understand the personality of using shadow functions and achieve self-growth and development. Thanks for reading and attention.
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Keywords: Shadow Function Personality, ISFP, Jungian Eight Dimension, MBTI, Self-Growth
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