Have you ever had this experience: Sometimes you show behaviors or thoughts that are not quite consistent with your usual personality traits? For example, INTJ, who is usually introvert, rational and innovative, has become extrovert, emotional, traditional, and even a bit nonsensical at some moments. These characteristics that are opposite to the main personality are the shadow functional personality. This article will deeply analyze the shadow function personality of INTJ from the perspective of MBTI and Jung 8D, bringing you inspiration and help.
Note: This article is suitable for readers who have a basic understanding of the concept of Jung 8D (MBTI cognitive function). If you have not yet understood the relevant concepts, you can read this article or search for information by yourself. If you don’t know your MBTI personality type or want to retest whether your personality type has changed, PsycTest officially provides free MBTI type 16 personality tests .
1. What is shadow function personality
MBTI and personality types
MBTI (Miles-Briggs Type Indicator) is a commonly used personality testing tool. According to people’s preferences in four dimensions, personality is divided into 16 types. Each type has four main functions, including the perception function (Sensing or Intuition), the judgment function (Thinking or Feeling), and the direction of these functions (extroversion or introversion). Taking INTJ as an example, its four main functions are: introverted intuition (Ni), outgoing thinking (Te), introverted sensation (Fi) and outgoing sensation (Se).
Jung 8D and Shadow Function
Jungian Cognitive Functions are the theoretical foundation of MBTI. It believes that personality consists of eight cognitive functions, each with priority, from the first function (the dominant function) to the eighth function (the devil function). Each personality type has its own eight-dimensional model. The first four functions are the male function (i.e. the main function in MBTI), and the last four functions are the shadow function (i.e. the secondary function in MBTI). The shadow function is a function that is suppressed, ignored or denied. It is usually not visible in daily life, but it will suddenly appear in special circumstances, affecting people’s behavior and thinking.
Transformation rules of shadow function personality
Different personality types have different shadow functions. The conversion rule is: replace the first and fourth letters of a personality with opposite letters to obtain the shadow personality. For example, the shadow function personality of INTJ is ENTP, and the shadow function personality of ENTP is INTJ. Next, we focus on the shadow functional personality of INTJ.
2. Analysis of personality of INTJ’s shadow function
The correspondence between the sun and shadow functions of INTJ
| Priority | Bolster function | Shadow function |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ni | Ne |
| 2 | Te | Ti |
| 3 | Fi | Fe |
| 4 | Se | Si |
| 5 | Ne | Ni |
| 6 | Ti | Te |
| 7 | Fe | Fi |
| 8 | Si | Se |
The shadow function of INTJ is an ENTP with outward intuition (Ne) as the dominant function and inward sensation (Si) as the devil function. Its characteristics and advantages are as follows:
- Extraverted Intuition (Ne): As the dominant function, INTJ can show openness, curiosity and change in some cases, flexibly respond to various possibilities, find new ideas and opportunities, and enjoy the process of exploration and trial.
- Introverted thinking (Ti): auxiliary function, which enables INTJ to show logical, analytical, and critical qualities at certain moments, can think independently of problems, pursue internal consistency and accuracy, and like challenges and debates.
- Extroverted Feeling (Fe): The third function allows INTJ to show the qualities of kindness, cooperation and care in a specific situation, be able to pay attention to other people’s emotions and needs, seek external harmony and identity, and like socializing and communication.
- Introverted Feeling (Si): Demonic function makes INTJ present conservative, traditional, and detail-oriented qualities in some cases, attaches importance to past experience and memory, pursues stability and security, and likes rules and habits.
The reason why INTJ shadow function personality emerges
- Suppression: When an INTJ encounters pressure beyond its own abilities or expectations, such as introverted intuition (Ni) cannot clarify its goals or direction, it may turn to using extroverted intuition (Ne) to find various possibilities, but it can easily lead to anxiety and confusion, making it difficult to focus and make decisions.
- Emotion: When the emotions of an INTJ are strongly stimulated or impacted, such as introverted sensations (Fi) cannot handle their own emotions or values, they may seek support or recognition from others with the help of extroverted sensations (Fe), which may make them sensitive and dependent, and lose themselves and principles.
- Creation: When an INTJ wants to create new things or try new activities, if extroverted thinking (Te) cannot realize ideas or plans, it may use introverted thinking (Ti) to analyze logic or theory, but it may become withdrawn and stubborn, ignoring the actual effect.
- Growth: When INTJ desires to grow and develop personality, if the introverted sensation (Si) cannot adapt to the environment or habits, it may explore the senses or take risks through the extroverted sensation (Se), however this may lead to impulsiveness and indulgence, neglecting consequences and responsibilities.
3. How to give full play to the advantages of INTJ shadow function personality
Know and accept your own shadow
INTJ needs to be aware of the existence of shadow functional personality, do not deny or suppress it, and regard it as part of its own personality. Understand its characteristics, advantages and impact on itself.
Observe and analyze your own shadows
Pay attention to the situation and reasons for the emergence of shadow functional personality, analyze their behavior and thinking patterns, clarify their strengths and weaknesses, as well as their relationship and mutual influence with the positive functional personality.
Adjust and use your own shadows
Based on one’s own goals and situations, rationally adjust and use the shadow functional personality to coordinate rather than conflict with the positive functional personality. Take advantage of the advantages of shadow functional personality to make up for the shortcomings of the positive functional personality and achieve self-growth and development.
Specific methods and techniques
- When facing stress: Use extrovert intuition (Ne) to find new possibilities and creativity to relieve anxiety and confusion, while using introvert intuition (Ni) to screen and integrate, maintain focus and decision-making skills.
- When encountering emotions: Use extroverted feelings (Fe) to seek support and recognition from others, reduce sensitivity and dependence, and at the same time rely on introverted feelings (Fi) to deal with your own emotions and values, and adhere to yourself and principles.
- When creating: Use introverted thinking (Ti) to analyze logic and theory, improve withdrawal and stubbornness, and at the same time realize ideas and plans through outgoing thinking (Te), focusing on actual results.
- Pursuing growth: Use the extroverted sensations (Se) to explore the senses and adventures, reduce impulses and indulgences, and use the introverted sensations (Si) to adapt to the environment and habits, pay attention to consequences and responsibilities.
4. Conclusion
The shadow functional personality of INTJ is a valuable and potential personality type that can supplement and balance the functional personality of the positive surface to a certain extent, helping INTJ cope with different situations and challenges, and achieve self-growth and development. But it should be noted that shadow function personality is not a means of substitution or escape, but a way of collaboration and integration. INTJ should recognize, accept, observe, analyze and reasonably adjust and use its own shadow functional personality to make it coordinated with the positive functional personality and achieve the integrity and harmony of personality.
Hope this article will inspire you. If you are interested, you can further explore and learn your own shadow functional personality, or compare and communicate with other MBTI personality types of shadow functional personality , and you may have new discoveries and gains. Thank you for reading, I wish you a happy life!
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