Have you ever had the experience that sometimes you exhibit behaviors or thoughts that are inconsistent with your usual personality, leaving you surprised or confused? Have you ever wondered whether your personality is set in stone or are there hidden aspects waiting for you to discover and explore? If these questions interest you, this article will provide you with a new perspective on the diversity and complexity of your own personality.
The theme of this article is Jung’s eight-dimensional + MBTI shadow function personality analysis. The purpose is to let you understand what shadow function personality is, how it is formed, what characteristics and advantages it has, and how to exert its potential to achieve self-realization. Growth and development. This article will take ESTP as an example and focus on introducing the shadow functional personality of ESTP, namely ISTJ, and its relationship and influence with the positive functional personality of ESTP.
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?
Before we officially begin, let’s briefly review the basic concepts of MBTI and Jung’s eight dimensions. MBTI is the abbreviation of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. It is a widely used personality test that can classify people’s personality into 16 types, each type consists of four The letters represent preferences in four dimensions, namely:
- Extroversion (E) or introversion (I): Indicates whether you prefer to interact with the external world or with your own inner world.
- Sensing (S) or Intuition (N): Indicates whether you prefer to obtain concrete facts through the five senses, or whether you prefer to obtain abstract possibilities through intuition.
- Thinking (T) or Feeling (F): Indicates whether you prefer to make decisions through logic and principles, or whether you prefer to make decisions through emotions and values.
- Judgment (J) or Perception (P): Indicates whether you prefer a planned and organized lifestyle or a flexible and open-minded lifestyle.
Jung’s Eight Dimensions is a personality theory proposed by Swiss psychologist Carl Jung. It believes that people’s personality is composed of eight psychological functions, which are:
- Extraverted Sensing (Se): Interacting with the external world through the five senses, paying attention to the current actual situation, seeking excitement and enjoyment.
- Introverted Sensing (Si): Interacting with the internal world through the five senses, focusing on past experiences and memories, seeking stability and security.
- Extraverted intuition (Ne): Interacting with the external world through intuition, paying attention to future possibilities and changes, and seeking innovation and exploration.
- Introverted intuition (Ni): Interacting with the inner world through intuition, focusing on deep insights and meanings, seeking insights and predictions.
- Extraverted Thinking (Te): Interacting with the external world through logic, focusing on facts and data, seeking efficiency and results.
- Introverted Thinking (Ti): Interacting with the inner world through logic, focusing on principles and theories, seeking accuracy and analysis.
- Extraverted Feeling (Fe): Interacting with the external world through emotions, focusing on interpersonal relationships and values, seeking harmony and cooperation.
- Introverted Feeling (Fi): Interacting with the inner world through emotions, focusing on personal feelings and values, seeking truth and self.
The relationship between Jung’s eight dimensions and MBTI is that each MBTI type has four psychological functions, one of which is the dominant function, which is the most natural and strongest function, and the other is the auxiliary function, which is secondary and supportive functions, the third one is the tertiary function, which is the weaker and less developed function, and the last one is the quaternary function, which is the weakest and least preferred function. For example, the four psychological functions of ESTPs are:
- Dominant function: Extraverted Sensing (Se)
- Auxiliary function: Introverted Thinking (Ti)
- Tertiary function: Extraverted Feeling (Fe)
-Fourth function: Introverted intuition (Ni)
Shadow functional personality is a personality hidden under our consciousness. It is composed of psychological functions that we do not use or suppress. It is usually opposite or in conflict with our positive functional personality. In some special circumstances, it will It emerges and affects our actions and thoughts, sometimes with negative consequences and sometimes with positive gains.
The formation principle of shadow functional personality is that when we grow up, we will choose to use some psychological functions according to our own talents and environment, while ignoring or suppressing other psychological functions. This forms our yang functional personality, that is, The character we usually display. However, this does not mean that the psychological functions we have not used or suppressed have disappeared. They still exist in our subconscious, but we are not very aware of them and do not like them very much. They are like our shadows, following us. Waiting for us, waiting for the opportunity to arise.
What is the shadow function personality of ESTP?
Different personality types have different shadow functional personalities, and their transformation rule is that if you replace the first and fourth letters of a personality with the opposite letters, you will get a shadow personality. For example, the shadow functional personality of ESTP is ISTJ, the shadow functional personality of ISTJ is ESTP, and so on.
The shadow functional personality of ESTP is ISTJ, which is composed of the psychological functions that ESTP does not use or suppress. It is usually opposite or conflicts with the positive functional personality of ESTP. It will emerge in some special situations and affect the behavior of ESTP. And ideas, sometimes bring negative consequences, sometimes also bring positive gains.
The corresponding relationship between the sun function and the shadow function of ESTP is:
- Dominant function: Extraverted Sensing (Se) -> Shadow function: Introverted Sensing (Si)
- Auxiliary function: Introverted thinking (Ti) -> Shadow function: Extraverted thinking (Te)
- Tertiary function: Extraverted Feeling (Fe) -> Shadow function: Introverted Feeling (Fi)
- Fourth function: Introverted intuition (Ni) -> Shadow function: Extraverted intuition (Ne)
The characteristics and strengths of the ESTP’s shadow function personality are:
- Introverted Sensing (Si): ESTP’s shadow function personality can help ESTP review and organize their own experiences and memories, learn and summarize from them, improve their knowledge and skills, enhance their stability and security, and avoid repeating mistakes or ignoring details .
- Extraverted Thinking (Te): ESTP’s shadow function personality can help ESTP organize and manage their tasks and goals more effectively, use facts and data to support and prove their opinions and decisions, improve their efficiency and results, and enhance Have your own sense of confidence and authority, and avoid being too subjective or arbitrary.
- Introverted Feeling (Fi): ESTP’s shadow function personality can help ESTP understand and express their feelings and values more deeply, establish and maintain their own personality and principles, improve their authenticity and self, and enhance their empathy and respect. Be sensitive and avoid being too indifferent or impulsive.
- Extraverted intuition (Ne): ESTP’s shadow function personality can help ESTP explore and try their own possibilities and changes more extensively, use imagination and creation to expand and enrich their own vision and thinking, and improve their innovation and exploration. Enhance your sense of flexibility and openness and avoid being too conservative or stubborn.
The shadow function personality of ESTP is not always in a dormant state. It will emerge under some special circumstances and affect the behavior and thoughts of ESTP. These situations are usually:
- When the ESTP’s yang functional personality encounters difficulties or fails, the ESTP’s shadow functional personality will try to help the ESTP solve problems or escape reality. For example, when the ESTP’s extraverted sensing (Se) cannot meet their needs or desires, the ESTP will Introverted Sensing (Si) will cause ESTPs to immerse themselves in past memories or habits, seeking comfort or security.
- When the ESTP’s yang functional personality is under pressure or threatened, the ESTP’s shadow functional personality will try to protect the ESTP’s self or resist the outside world. For example, when the ESTP’s introverted thinking (Ti) cannot persuade or influence others, the ESTP’s extraverted thinking (Te) can make ESTPs strong or authoritarian, seeking control or power.
- When the ESTP’s yang functional personality is ignored or denied, the ESTP’s shadow functional personality will try to express the ESTP’s emotions or values. For example, when the ESTP’s Extraverted Feeling (Fe) cannot obtain or maintain the recognition or relationships of others, the ESTP Introverted feeling (Fi) will make ESTP sensitive or self-centered, seeking truth or self.
- When the ESTP’s yang functional personality is overused or abused, the ESTP’s shadow functional personality will try to balance the ESTP’s thinking or behavior. For example, when the ESTP’s introverted intuition (Ni) cannot grasp or predict its own direction or goal, the ESTP’s shadow functional personality will try to balance the ESTP’s thinking or behavior. Extraverted intuition (Ne) can make ESTP curious or adventurous, seeking innovation or exploration.
How to take advantage of the shadow functional personality?
The shadow function personality of ESTP has both positive and negative effects on ESTP. The positive impact is that ESTP’s shadow function personality can provide ESTP with some new perspectives and resources, allowing ESTP to understand themselves and the world more comprehensively and richly, and promote Self-Growth and Development for ESTPs. The negative impact is that the ESTP’s shadow functional personality may conflict or contradict the ESTP’s positive functional personality, making the ESTP feel confused or out of control, affecting the ESTP’s decision-making and actions.
So, how to take advantage of the ESTP’s shadow function personality instead of being trapped by its disadvantages? The following are some methods and techniques to help ESTP 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 instead of conflict to achieve self-growth and development.
- Recognize and accept your own shadow: ESTP should realize that your shadow functional personality is part of your own personality, not a mistake or flaw. It is your own potential and resource, not a threat or enemy. It is yourself. a friend and companion, rather than a burden or hindrance. ESTPs should accept their shadow function personality instead of denying or resisting it. It can help ESTPs better understand themselves and the world, rather than hindering the growth and development of ESTPs.
- Understand the characteristics and advantages of your own shadow function personality: ESTP should understand the characteristics and advantages of your own shadow function personality, as well as its relationship and impact with your own yang function personality. This will allow ESTP to know your own shadow function more clearly. What kind of help and support can your personality provide you, and how can you use it to improve your abilities and performance. ESTP can learn and understand relevant knowledge and information about their shadow functional personality by reading relevant books, articles, websites, etc., or they can test and experience their shadow functional personality by participating in relevant tests, courses, activities, etc. related skills and effects.
- Observe the circumstances and reasons for the emergence of your own shadow function personality: ESTP should observe under what circumstances your shadow function personality will emerge and what are the reasons for its emergence. This will allow ESTP to more accurately judge your own shadow function. Whether the personality is suitable for the current environment and tasks, and what purpose and meaning it emerges from. ESTP can discover and understand the rules and motivations for the emergence of their own shadow function personality by recording and analyzing the time, place, person, event, etc. when their shadow function personality emerges. They can also inquire and give feedback on their own shadow function personality. The emerging feelings, thoughts, behaviors, etc., to evaluate and improve the effect and influence of the emerging shadow function personality.
- Adjust the expression and use of one’s own shadow function personality: ESTP should adjust the expression and use of one’s own shadow function personality so that it is in harmony with, rather than in conflict with, one’s own yang function personality. This can make the ESTP more balanced and richer Use your mental faculties effectively to realize your potential and goals. ESTP can improve the level and confidence of their shadow function personality by practicing and cultivating their own shadow function personality-related skills and habits, and can also increase their own shadow function personality’s needs and suggestions by cooperating and communicating with them. Support and understanding of shadow functional personality.
in conclusion
This article introduces Jung’s eight-dimensional + MBTI shadow functional personality analysis, taking ESTP as an example, focusing on the shadow functional personality of ESTP, namely ISTJ, and its relationship and influence with ESTP’s positive functional personality. This article also provides some methods and techniques to help ESTP recognize and accept their own shadow, understand its characteristics and advantages, observe its emergence and reasons, adjust its expression and use, and coordinate it with the yang functional personality. rather than conflict, thereby achieving self-growth and development.
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