Have you ever had the experience that sometimes you exhibit behaviors and attitudes that are completely different from your usual personality, leaving you surprised and confused? Have you ever had the feeling that sometimes you are troubled by thoughts and emotions that are completely opposite to your usual values, making you feel conflicted and depressed? 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 character and development? How to take advantage of it? This article will use INTP as an example to explore these issues from the perspective of Jung’s eight dimensions and MBTI.
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?
Shadow functional personality is a concept proposed by Swiss psychologist Carl Jung. It refers to a personality that is suppressed or ignored in a person’s subconscious and is opposite to his main functional personality. Jung believed that everyone has a complete personality, including two parts: the yang side and the shadow part. The yang side is a person’s main functional personality, which represents a person’s consciousness and self-identity, and the shadow is a person’s secondary functional personality. , it represents a person’s subconscious and self-denial.
Jung divided personality into eight basic psychological functions, namely Sensing, Intuition, Thinking and Feeling, as well as Extraversion, Introversion, Judging ) and perception (Perceiving). Everyone has these eight psychological functions, but one or several are dominant, while the others are subordinate. The dominant psychological function constitutes a person’s main functional personality, and the subordinate psychological functions constitute a person’s secondary personality. To have a functional personality.
MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) is a tool based on Jung’s personality theory that is used to measure and describe people’s psychological preferences and personality types. MBTI divides people’s personality types into 16 types. Each type consists of four letters, which represent a person’s psychological preferences in four dimensions. These four dimensions are:
- Extroversion (E) or introversion (I): Indicates whether a person gets energy from the external environment or from the internal world.
- Sensing (S) or intuition (N): Indicates whether a person obtains information through the five senses or intuition.
- Thinking (T) or Feeling (F): Indicates whether a person makes decisions through logic or emotion.
- Judgment (J) or Perception (P): Indicates whether a person approaches life through planning or flexibility.
According to Jung’s theory, each person’s personality type has a corresponding shadow functional personality. The specific transformation rule is that if the first and fourth letters of a personality are replaced with the opposite letters, the shadow personality will be obtained. For example, the shadow functional personality of INTP is ENTJ. This is because a person’s shadow functional personality is composed of his secondary functional personality, and his secondary functional personality is composed of the opposite function of his primary functional personality.
What is the shadow function personality of INTP?
INTP is a personality type dominated by introversion, intuition, thinking and perception. They are logical analysts, like to explore abstract theories and concepts, seek knowledge and truth, be independent and innovative, and are not bound by tradition and authority. INTP’s main functional personality consists of the following four psychological functions:
- Dominant function: Introverted thinking (Ti): INTP uses introverted thinking to analyze and understand things, establish its own logical system and principles, pursue objectivity and accuracy, be picky and critical of themselves and others, and are not easily influenced by the outside world and interference.
- Auxiliary function: Extraverted intuition (Ne): INTP uses extraverted intuition to explore and discover new possibilities and potentials, likes change and innovation, is imaginative and creative, is interested in unknown things, and likes to try and experiment .
- Tertiary Function: Introverted Feeling (Fi): INTP uses Introverted Feeling to feel and express their emotions, establish their own values and standards, value personal meaning and purpose, respect and understand themselves and others, and do not like conflict and pressure.
- Fourth function: Extraverted Sensing (Se): INTP uses Extraverted Sensing to perceive and enjoy the external world, pays attention to the reality and details of the moment, likes excitement and adventure, seeks new and interesting experiences, is flexible and random, and does not like rules. and restrictions.
INTP’s shadow function personality is ENTJ, which is composed of the following four psychological functions:
- Dominant function: Extraverted Thinking (Te): ENTJ uses extraverted thinking to organize and manage things, establish its own goals and plans, pursue efficiency and results, is very demanding and controlling of itself and others, likes to lead and command, and is easy to Recognized and rewarded by the outside world.
- Auxiliary function: Introverted intuition (Ni): ENTJ uses introverted intuition to conceive and predict the future. They like strategy and planning, are farsighted and insightful, are confident and firm in their own ideas and beliefs, and are not easily questioned and opposed by the outside world. .
-Third function: Extraverted Feeling (Fe): ENTJ uses Extraverted Feeling to communicate and influence others, establish their own social status and relationships, value team harmony and cooperation, are caring and enthusiastic about themselves and others, and like to participate and active, susceptible to external emotions and atmosphere. - Fourth function: Introverted Sensing (Si): ENTJ uses Introverted Sensing to recall and organize the past, pays attention to historical experiences and lessons, likes stability and tradition, attaches great importance to their own habits and security, does not like changes and risks, and is susceptible to External pressures and responsibilities.
INTP’s shadow function personality is completely opposite to their main functional personality. It represents the INTP’s subconscious that is suppressed or ignored, conflicts with their values and goals, and does not match their abilities and advantages. Psychological functions that are inconsistent with their personality and style. The characteristics and strengths of the INTP’s shadow function personality are:
- Extraverted Thinking (Te): INTP’s shadow functional personality can make them more organized and purposeful, more practical and effect-oriented, more capable of leadership and management, and more able to gain recognition and rewards from the outside world.
- Introverted intuition (Ni): INTP’s shadow function personality can make them more visionary and insightful, more capable of strategy and planning, more confident and firm in beliefs, and more able to resist external doubts and opposition.
- Extraverted Feeling (Fe): INTP’s shadow function personality can make them more capable of communication and influence, more aware of social status and relationships, more capable of team harmony and cooperation, and more able to feel and adapt to the outside world. Mood and atmosphere.
- Introverted Sensing (Si): The shadow function personality of INTP can make them more capable of recalling and sorting out, more aware of historical experiences and lessons, more stable and traditional values, and more able to value and protect their own habits and Safety.
The INTP’s shadow function personality usually surfaces in the following situations:
- When INTPs encounter stress or crisis, they may show the characteristics of Extraverted Thinking (Te), become forceful and accusatory, try to control and solve problems instead of analyzing and understanding them, and ignore their own and other people’s feelings and needs. , lost his usual calmness and objectivity.
- When INTPs encounter challenges or opportunities, they may show the characteristics of Introverted Intuition (Ni), become conceited and stubborn, and try to realize their own ideas and beliefs instead of exploring and discovering new possibilities, neglecting themselves and The opinions and feedback of others have lost the usual openness and innovation.
- When INTP encounters interpersonal or social problems, they may show the characteristics of Extraverted Feeling (Fe), become hypocritical and pandering, try to communicate and influence others instead of feeling and expressing themselves, and ignore their own and other people’s values. and standards, losing the usual respect and understanding.
- When INTP encounters changes or risks, they may show the characteristics of Introverted Sensing (Si), become conservative and fearful, try to recall and sort out the past, instead of perceiving and enjoying the present, and ignore what is new and interesting about themselves and others. , losing the usual flexibility and randomness.
The influence of INTP’s shadow function personality on them is:
- Positive impact: INTP’s shadow function personality can make them more comprehensive and balanced, more adaptable and responsive to different situations and environments, more able to develop and improve their own potential and abilities, and more able to grow and develop their own personality and character.
- Negative impact: INTP’s shadow function personality can also make them more contradictory and depressed, more losing and denying their own authenticity and characteristics, more conflicting and resisting their own values and goals, and more confused and lost in their own direction and meaning.
How to take advantage of the shadow functional personality?
Although INTP’s shadow function personality may bring some negative effects to them, it also has some positive effects and advantages, such as:
- Increase their self-awareness and introspection, allow them to recognize their own shortcomings and blind spots, and improve their self-awareness and self-control.
- Enrich their vision and thinking, expose them to different information and perspectives, and improve their adaptability and innovation.
- Balance their emotions and behaviors, allow them to express and release their stress and emotions, and improve their emotional intelligence and interpersonal relationships.
- Stimulate their potential and motivation, allow them to challenge and exceed their limits, and improve their efficiency and sense of accomplishment.
Therefore, INTPs should learn to recognize and accept their shadow function personality instead of denying and resisting it, because it is an important part of their personality and an important resource for their growth and development. Here are some methods and techniques to help INTPs use their shadow personality to their advantage:
- Observe and record the emergence and reasons of your own shadow function personality, analyze and reflect on the influence and effect of your own shadow function personality, find out the advantages and disadvantages of your own shadow function personality, as well as the needs and motivations of your own shadow function personality .
- Adjust and use your own shadow functional personality, choose appropriate psychological functions to handle and solve problems according to different situations and goals, avoid over-reliance or over-suppression of your shadow functional personality, and coordinate it with your main functional personality , rather than conflicting.
- Learn and learn from others’ shadow function personalities, find and contact people who have the same or similar shadow function personality as your own, observe and understand the performance and application of their shadow function personalities, ask them for advice and help, and learn from them and Get some experience and tips.
- Challenge and develop your own shadow function personality, try and participate in some activities and tasks related to your shadow function personality, for example, INTP can try some activities and tasks that require extraverted thinking, introverted intuition, extroverted feeling and introverted feeling , such as leading a project, making a plan, attending a party, reviewing a memory, etc., to exercise and improve the ability and level of your shadow function personality.
Conclusion
Shadow function personality is a part of a person’s personality. It is not a person’s enemy or shortcoming, but a person’s friend or advantage. It has its own value and potential. It can help a person understand and accept himself better and develop more. and improve yourself, grow and develop yourself more. Taking INTP as an example, this article explores the definition and formation principles of shadow functional personality from the perspective of Jung’s eight dimensions and MBTI, analyzes the characteristics and advantages of INTP’s shadow functional personality, as well as its emergence and influence in different situations, and provides We have developed some methods and techniques to help INTP recognize and accept their own shadow, understand its characteristics and advantages, observe its emergence and reasons, adjust its expression and use, and make it harmonious with the yang functional personality rather than with the yang functional personality. conflict, thereby achieving self-growth and development. I hope this article can bring you some inspiration and help, so that you can better understand and appreciate your own shadow, give full play to the advantages of your shadow function personality, and become a more complete and balanced person. Thank you for reading.
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