Two Birds in a Tree: Glossary: Thinking function

One of the personality’s four functions. The thinking function is the intellectual judging function; it tells us what a thing means. Thinking is characterized by a rejection of feelings in making decisions; a person with a strong thinking function analyzes issues logically and impersonally. The thinking function can be introverted (analytical, abstract, and individualistic) or it can be extroverted (concrete, goal oriented, and concerned with efficiency). Thinking is a “rational” function, meaning one makes some sort of judgment on what is being perceived. If thinking is your primary function then feeling will necessarily be your inferior function.

A person identified with the thinking function excels at manipulating ideas. Philosophers and theoretical physicists are your typical introverted thinkers; their main focus is on the ideas within them. Their concern is more about creating systems of understanding. Trial lawyers and high power CEOs, on the other hand, typify extroverted thinking; they care more for how ideas apply to the "real world" (whereas an introverted thinker probably feels like their inner world is the more real one). Extroverted thinkers use their thinking to measure, test, and ultimately conquer the outer world.

Things to ask yourself to determine if thinking is your primary function(1):

When I make a decision, I like to find the basic truth or principle to be applied, regardless of the specific situation involved. I like to analyze pros and cons, and then be consistent and logical in deciding. I try to be impersonal, so I won’t let my personal wishes - or other people’s wishes - influence me.

The following statements generally apply to me:
• I enjoy technical and scientific fields where logic is important.
• I notice inconsistencies.
• I look for logical explanations or solutions to most everything.
• I make decisions with my head and want to be fair.
• I believe telling the truth is more important than being tactful.
• Sometimes I miss or don’t value the “people” part of a situation.
• I can be seen as too task-oriented, uncaring, or indifferent.

Introverted Thinking: Accuracy (“What makes logical sense to me?”)

Concerned with data, truth and congruity of thought. Asks “Does this make sense?” Seeks truth without judgment.

An impersonal decision making function, one which is turned inward. Introverted thinkers are concerned with their own understanding; the primary criteria used by them is "does this make sense to me?" Understanding often precedes experience; they are able to think through a subject without any objective data because they build a mental construct in their minds. Their introverted thinking brings structure and order to their inner world, giving them a sense of control (of their inner world at least). They're more interested in ideas than facts; rather than rushing out and gathering a bunch of facts they try to ensure that the conceptual foundation is solid. Philosophers, mathematicians, and theoretical physicists are quintessential introverted thinkers.

Introverted thinkers tend to be very egalitarian because they're concerned with truth, not judgment. Because their conclusions are dependent on "clean" data, they are very concerned with ensuring that the information they bring in is also unpolluted by inaccuracy. And because it relies on absolute impartiality, it's important to ensure that they've eliminated all bias in their thinking. They're constantly on the lookout for incongruities or inconsistencies. From this clean data, they aim to create accurate mental representations of reality.

Types that use introverted thinking as their main function: ISTPs and INTPs (Introverted Thinking/Sensation and Introverted Thinking/Intuition)

Types that use introverted thinking as their auxiliary function: ESTPs and ENTPs (Extroverted Sensation/Thinking and Extroverted Intuition/Thinking)

Extroverted Thinking: Effectiveness (“What works?”)

Wants to get things done. Asks “Does it work?” without regard to personal feelings. Concerned with practical applications.

As with introverted thinking, an impersonal decision making process. Unlike introverted thinking, it does this outwardly; Effectiveness users tend to "think out loud." Extroverted thinking is concerned with metrics and analysis, loves crossing things off "to do" lists; it wants to get things done. Where introverted thinking is always going back to hone their ideas, extroverted thinking is more forward-moving; it wants to get from here to there and focuses it's energies on creating plans and procedures to do so. They're more fact based than introverted thinkers; this allows them to create clear definitions, objective standards, and measurable goals. Measurement is important to extroverted thinkers; measurement tell them how close they are to their goal, and reaching one's goal is of paramount importance to extroverted thinkers. In order to do this they realize that streamlined, efficient systems that deliver results are key. This is the thing they're constantly working toward. Law is a stereotypical example of extroverted thinking.

Types that use extroverted thinking as their main function: ESTJs and ENTJs (Extroverted Thinking/Sensation and Extroverted Thinking/Intuition).

Types that use extroverted thinking as their auxiliary function: ISTJs and INTJs (Introverted Sensation/Thinking and Introverted Intuition/Thinking)

[Note: Be aware that Jung often refers to "extraverted" and "introverted" when we would use the terms "feeling" and "thinking".]

For in order to achieve abstraction, we pour what is separate and manifold into a flask, heat it up, and melt it, and thus force the volatility of the matter into the template. In that way we create a spiritus, which is an abstraction.

Carl Jung, Hans Schmid Guisan Letters, Pages 100-114

People with the Thinking trait seek logic and rational arguments, relying on their head rather than their heart. They do their best to safeguard their emotions, shielding them from the outside world and making sure that they aren’t clearly visible. “Whatever happens, you must always keep a cool head” – this is the motto of Thinking types. However, this doesn’t mean that these types are cold-blooded and indifferent. People with the Thinking trait are often just as emotional as those with the Feeling trait – but they tend to subdue and override their feelings with their rational logic.

- "The 5 Aspects" (16 Personalities)

The value of analysis, however, is not only that it is of practical use but that it is also a living knowledge in and by itself. Thinking is life just as much as doing is. Thinking is not merely a “realization” of life; life can also be a “realization” of thinking.

Carl Jung, Hans Schmid Guisan Letters, Pages 100-114

Thinking, if it is to be real thinking and true to its own principle, must rigorously exclude feeling. This, of course, does not do away with the fact that there are individuals whose thinking and feeling are on the same level, both being of equal motive power for consciousness. But in these cases there is also no question of a differentiated type, but merely of relatively undeveloped thinking and feeling.

"General Description of the Types," CW 6, par. 667

There is unchanging opposition, war in fact, between thinking and feeling. If thinking appears cold to feeling, feeling certainly appears stupid to thinking.

- Carl Jung, Lecture III, 4May1934, Page 100

Whereas the extravert needs the object to bring his type to perfection and to cleanse his feeling, the introvert experiences this as a horrible violation and disrespect of his personality, because he absolutely refuses to be, so to speak, the chemical dry cleaner for the feelings of extraverts.

- Carl Jung, Jung-Schmid Correspondence, Pages 55-62.

If you take a typical intellectual who is terribly afraid of falling in love, you will think his fear very foolish. But he is most probably right, because he will very likely make foolish nonsense when he falls in love. He will be caught most certainly, because his feeling only reacts to an archaic or to a dangerous type of woman. This is why many intellectuals are inclined to marry beneath them. They are caught by the landlady perhaps, or by the cook, because they are unaware of their archaic feeling through which they get caught. But they are right to be afraid, because their undoing will be in their feeling. Nobody can attack them in their intellect. There they are strong and can stand alone, but in their feelings they can be influenced, they can be caught, they can be cheated, and they know it. Therefore never force a man into his feeling when he is an intellectual. He controls it with an iron hand because it is very dangerous.

- Carl Jung, CW 18, Para 20

The introverted thinker is very much in need of a developed feeling, i .e., of a less autoerotic, sentimental, melodramatic and emotional relatedness to people and things.

- Carl Jung, Letters Vol. II, Pages 163-174

I would say: the introvert also tries, through the hypothesis of abstraction, to reach the object, actually reality, which seems to him chaotic only because of the projection of his unused and therefore undeveloped feeling. He tries to conquer the object by thinking. But he wants to reach the object quite as much as the extravert.

- Carl Jung, Jung-Schmid Correspondence, Pages 55-62.

We should not pretend to understand the world only by the intellect; we apprehend it just as much by feeling. Therefore, the judgment of the intellect is, at best, only the half of truth, and must, if it be honest, also come to an understanding of its inadequacy.