"Clean, stainless. Unbeaten."

[Image from The Goddess Garden]

Yes. It is the withdrawal from the emotions; you are no longer identical with them. If you succeed in remembering yourself, if you succeed in making a difference between yourself and that outburst of passion, then you discover the Self; you begin to individuate.

So in anahata individuation begins. But here again you are likely to get an inflation. Individuation is not that you become an ego – you would then become an individualist. You know, an individualist is a man who did not succeed in individuating; he is a philosophically distilled egotist.

Individuation is becoming that thing which is not the ego, and that is very strange. Therefore nobody understands what the Self is, because the Self is just the thing which you are not, which is not the ego. The ego discovers itself as being a mere appendix of the Self in a sort of loose connection. For the ego is always far down in muladhara and suddenly becomes aware of something up above in the fourth story, in anahata, and that is the Self.

Now, if anybody makes the mistake of thinking that he lives at the same time in the basement and on the fourth story, that he is the purusha himself, he is crazy. He is what the German very aptly call verrückt, carried off his feet up to somewhere else. He just sits up there and spins. We are allowed to behold only the purusha, to behold his feet up there. But we are not the purusha; that is a symbol that expresses the impersonal process.

The Self is something exceedingly impersonal, exceedingly objective. If you function in your Self you are not yourself – that is what you feel. You have to do it as if you were a stranger: you will buy as if you did not buy; you will sell as if you did not sell. Or, as St. Paul expresses it, “But it is not I that lives, it is Christ that liveth in me,” meaning that his life had become an objective life, not his own life but the life of a greater one, the purusha.

- Carl Jung, The Psychology of Kundalini Yoga (Carl Jung Depth Psychology)

Anahata or heart chakra is the fourth primary chakra... In Sanskrit, anahata means "unhurt, unstruck, and unbeaten". Anahata Nad refers to the Vedic concept of unstruck sound (the sound of the celestial realm). Anahata is associated with balance, calmness, and serenity.

In Sanskrit Anahata means "sound produced without touching two parts" and at the same time it means "pure" or "clean, stainless". The name of this chakra signifies the state of freshness that appears when we are able to become detached and to look at the different and apparently contradictory experiences of life with a state of openness (expansion). Normally we are not used to the effect produced by the confrontation of the two opposite forces. At the level of Anahata chakra appears the possibility to integrate the two opposite forces and obtain the effect, without the two forces being confronted. This energy is specific to cooperation and integration, which brings peace and a new perspective in a world which, up to this level was made only of a more or less conscious confrontation between opposite forces.

- Anahata (Wikipedia)


Just throwing this out there because it's very useful. One of the most impactful practices I ever developed was learning how to deal with emotions, to step back from them, and observe them and myself from a distance. We think we have our emotions but our emotions really have us; when in the grip of a passion our egos become eclipsed, possessed. It's not easy to get yourself unpossessed - I still often fail - but without space between your feelings and yourself you can't begin to discriminate "ego" from "not ego."

Years ago I developed the following practice: When I feel something painful, instead of trying to escape I lean into it. I envision the emotion as crashing waves that I move into. Each crash then becomes smaller and smaller, until they eventually die out. All passions, no matter how intense, will die out, but only if you let them have space in your mind and in your heart. Otherwise, they become a festering wound that becomes untouchable. Before teaching myself this, I would be overwhelmed with the emotion. I couldn't let myself feel and process anything because it was so overwhelming and painful; it felt like annihilation. The idea that I could actually endure the pain, and survive it, was a revelatory, an epiphany.

Marie-Louise von Franz once wrote (I forget where and I can't find it!) that the dragon - one's pain and suffering - has to burn itself out. The cure for the dragon's fire is it's own fire; you just have to let the flames cook you. But this suffering is really a true and caring friend who brings us precious gifts that allow us to grow.

There is a secret love hiding in each problem.

The psyche is highly flammable material. So we are always wrapping things in asbestos, keeping our images and fantasies at arm's length because they are so full of love.

- James Hillman

MBTI: The Cognitive Functions

[Image from Undark]


Jung’s theory of the cognitive functions is the foundation upon which the entire MBTI is built. Without this basic understanding, the MBTI is nothing more than a hazy, unscientific, and often inaccurate collection of personality traits. Considering the fact that our personality changes drastically depending on how healthy we are – that is, how many of the functions we’ve integrated – the MBTI as it’s generally practiced isn’t really much better than astrology.

Knowing a person’s functions, and what roles they play in their psyche, helps you to truly understand them: you know their strengths and their weaknesses; you know what makes them anxious, and what makes them feel good; and you know why they can't seem to get their act together in certain areas, or why they flip out over what seems to you to be trivial matters. Knowing these things gives us compassion and understanding for each other… and ourselves. We can understand and have compassion for our own weaknesses and fears, and take responsibility for our own ugliness when we have to, without censure or contempt but with clear eyed tenderness. And this kindness to ourselves allows us to be kind to others in turn.

A good way to think of the functions is as organs of the psyche. Just as we have different organs that perform various necessary tasks in the body, we also have different psychological organs that carry out various necessary mental and emotional tasks. These four psychological organs are sensation, intuition, feeling, and thinking.


The Perceiving Functions

These two root functions are the ways in which we take in information about the world around us; through our intuition and through our physical senses. The sensation function allows to navigate physical reality. It’s focus is on what we can perceive with our five senses. The intuition function is about everything but what we can perceive with our senses; where did this come from? Where is it going? What do I want to do with it? Jung called these the irrational functions because they simply are, we aren’t making any judgments. We use the other two functions to do that.


The Judging Functions

These are the ways in which we make sense of the impressions we take in through our perceiving functions; how we feel about the thing, or what we think about it. Thinking tells us what the thing is; is it true or not? Does it make sense? What, if any, use does it have? Thinking is how we connect with the world constructively, to create order. Feeling tells us whether we like a thing or not, if it’s good or bad. Feeling is where we get our morals from, as well as how we connect with others emotionally. These root functions help us evaluate the information we take in with our intuition and sensation. Jung called these the rational functions because these are the psychological organs we use to make decisions.


Attitudes

This is simply whether a function is introverted or extroverted, splitting each root function into two branch functions. A function's attitude doesn’t necessarily have to do with how sociable one is; you can be introverted and love to socialize with others, like the INFJ or ISFJ. Or you can be extroverted and not particularly care about people’s feelings, like the ESTJ or ENTJ. Extroversion and introversion simply have to do with whether or not the function is directed outwards, towards objects and the world… or inwards, towards our inner selves.

Extroverted functions are the easiest to see because they’re extroverted in people; even introverts have to extrovert sometimes, which is when we usually pull out our secondary parent function, which is always the opposite attitude as our main function. Let’s take ISTJs; the ISTJ heroine is Si. As this is introverted they don’t use that particular function to interact with others and the world, instead they use their second strongest function, Te. This is why ISTJs can sometimes seem like really subdued ESTJs. The same goes for all the introverted types.

The general-attitude types, as I have pointed out more than once, are differentiated by their particular attitude to the object. The introvert's attitude to the object is an abstracting one; at bottom, he is always facing the problem of how libido can be withdrawn from the object, as though an attempted ascendancy on the part of the object had to be continually frustrated. The extravert, on the contrary, maintains a positive relation to the object. To such an extent does he affirm its importance that his subjective attitude is continually being orientated by, and related to the object. And found, the object can never have sufficient value; for him, therefore, its importance must always be paramount.

- Jung, Psychological Types

So, now we've covered the basics. Let’s see how each branch function expresses itself.


Introverted Sensation (Si)

Faraam Knight (Dark Souls)

[Image from BigBadToyStore]

“I am healthy, stable and have a roof over my head, therefore I exist” 
- Lastrevio

Si is one of the most difficult to understand of the functions as, although it deals with physical reality, it deals with our inner experience of that external physical reality. It, literally, is our ability to sense reality from within our bodies. This leads to Si doms to being vigilant and on guard against any possible threat. Dominant Si gives an individual a robust sense of tradition, preservation, duty, and conscientiousness. Personality Hacker calls this function Memory as people use it to learn information based on their memories. It wants reliable information, which is why it so adamantly insists on personal experience or expert opinion. Si is the hero function of the ISTJs and ISFJs.

One thing I noticed about Si in my ISFJ fiancé is how long it takes for it to process information. As an INTP – with Ne as my second strongest function – I tend to react almost even before seeing something. I almost instantly know what it is (I’m sure ENTPs, with dominant Ne, are even faster and more accurate.) My fiancé, on the other hand, takes a good 3 or 4 seconds to react. My theory is that the thing he’s looking at has to become a memory for him in order for him to understand it; it literally has to move from present to past. I’ve heard Si described as being like clay that takes impressions from all our experiences and holds onto them forever in the form of a statue (I think this was CS Joseph but I can’t find it now.)

In describing herself, [Emma Jung] said that the introverted sensation type was like a highly sensitized photographic plate. When somebody comes in the room, such a type notices the way the person comes in, the hair, the expression on the face, the clothes, and the way the person walks. All this makes a very precise impression on the introverted sensation type; every detail is absorbed. The impression comes from the object to the subject. It is as though a stone fell into deep water: the impression falls deeper and deeper and sinks in. Outwardly... you do not know what is going on within [the IS]. He looks like a piece of wood with no reaction at all - unless he reacts with one of the auxiliary functions, thinking or feeling. But inwardly the impression is being absorbed.

- Marie-Louise von Franz, Lectures on Jung's Typology

Extroverted Sensation (Se)

Joe (Megalobox)

[Image from SyFy Wire]

“I can move my body, therefore I exist” 
- Lastrevio

If Si is memory and the past, then Se is the absolute present. Types that have dominant Se are very present focused. Personality Hacker describes Se as a “tennis hop;” you know how tennis players, or boxers, are always bopping around, even when they aren’t actively doing something? This hop allows these athletes to instantly react to anything that comes at them, and this is exactly what Se doms do with everything in their lives at every moment all the time. If Si wants reliable information, Se wants to verify information in real time through their interactions with the world. Se is always ready for what the world has to throw at them. This can lead to those with strong Se to being adrenaline junkies as it's deeply satisfying to these types when something exciting happens that they can react to powerfully and with skill.

Where Si loves having great experiences, Se loves giving others great experiences. Individuals with dominant Se – ESTP and ESFP – will have an impeccable but relaxed relationship with physical reality. Se doms make the world both comfortable and pleasing to the senses for the rest of us.

The extraverted sensation type is… someone whose gift… is to sense and relate in a concrete and practical way to outer objects. Such people observe everything, smell everything, and on entering a room know almost at once how many people are present. Afterward, they always know whether Mrs. So-and-So was there and what dress she had on.

The ES type has the best photographic apparatus... This is why this type is found among the good mountaineers, engineers and business people, all of whom have a wide and accurate awareness of outer reality in all its differentiations.

- Marie-Louise von Franz, Lectures on Jung's Typology


Introverted Intuition (Ni)

[Image from MAESTROVIEJO]

“I am secure and at peace therefore I exist”
- Lastrevio

If Si is about the past, and Se the present, then Ni is about the future… specifically, one’s own future. Ni is concerned with one’s goals, desires, plans for the future. Types with dominant Ni are the INTJs and the INFJs. Personality Hacker calls this function Perspectives. The intuitive functions differ from the sensation functions in that they’re concerned with what ifs and future possibilities, the connections between things, everything that isn’t present in our physical reality. Intuition is about pattern recognition; it takes two dots and extrapolates an entire scene from them. Intuition takes speculative leaps into the unknown.

Like Si, Ni is turned inward, in a ruminatory fashion. Ni attends to the impressions made on it by its experiences (Se). It's is deeply connected to it's opposite; unless you know what is, you can't figure out what you want for your future.

Ni attends to all the thoughts and feelings that form in its inner mind. Where Se loves and is deeply satisfied by physical interaction, Ni loves and is deeply satisfied with insight. And unlike Ne, which is aware of the collective future, Ni is concerned with one’s own future. It’s the sniper rifle to Ne’s shotgun; Ne might be aware of the possibilities for the entire planet, but only for the near future. Ni is laser focused on the individual’s future, which means it can project much further into that future.

The introverted intuitive has the same capacity as the extraverted intuitive for smelling out the future… But his intuition is turned within, and therefore he is primarily the type of the religious prophet, of the seer. On a primitive level, he is the shaman who knows what the gods and the ghosts and the ancestral spirits are planning... In psychological language... he knows about the slow processes which go on in the collective unconscious, the archetypal changes, and he communicates them to society. The prophets of the Old Testament, for instance, were people who, while the children of Israel were happily asleep – as the masses always are – from time to time told them what Yahweh’s real intentions were, what he was doing now, and what he wanted his people to do. The people generally did not enjoy hearing these messages.

- Marie-Louise von Franz, Lectures on Jung's Typology


Extroverted Intuition (Ne)

Aloy (Horizon Zero Dawn)

[Image from MSPowerUser]

“I am free therefore I exist”
- Lastrevio

While both Ni and Ne are concerned with connections and possibilities Ne is about these things for everybody, not just themselves. As such, they tend to not see as far into the future as Ni... in fact, Ne is almost as present focused as Se, but as regards the connections between things and not the things themselves. Ne is about latency, that which is present but not yet visible; all that exists as potential. It knows what is just about to be born. It's like being a really good card player, knowing the hands that others probably have based on what's already made it's appearance due to Si, it's connected opposite. If you know what was (Si) you know what can be (Ne). Ne doms are ENTP and ENFP.

Extroverted Intuition can be likened to having an excellent sense of smell. ENTPs and ENFPs are often able to sniff out possibilities well before anyone else can, and their ability to make these kinds of predictions is uncanny. They love to find the next new big, exciting, fun thing, start it up, and then leave it to others to finish while they kite off to discover the next amazing thing.

Ne loves to explore the world – hence the Personality Hacker's nickname, Exploration – testing what happens when it tries new things, just to see what will happen. Ne's attitude is always “Let's try it and see!” Someone with high Ne is the probably worst person to put near a big red button because they will really want to push it to see what will happen. But this is how Ne is able to discover all the patterns in nature that allows it to predict the future so well.

Intuition is a function by which we conceive possibilities. A sensation type would call this object a bell, but a child would imagine all sorts of things you could do with it. It could be a church tower, this book could be a village, etc. In everything there is a possibility of a development… Intuition needs to look at things from afar or vaguely in order to function, so as to get a certain hunch from the unconscious, to half shut the eyes and not look at facts too closely. If one looks at things too precisely, the focus is on facts, and then the hunch cannot come through. That is the way intuitives tend to be unpunctual and vague… One finds them wherever there is something new brewing, even in the more spiritual realms. They will always be in the advance movement. It is generally the creative artist who creates the future. A civilization which has no creative people is doomed. So the person who is really in touch with the future, with the germs of the future, is the creative personality. Now the extraverted intuitive, because he is capable of sniffing the wind and knowing what the weather will be tomorrow, will see that this perhaps completely unknown painter or writer is the man of tomorrow, and therefore he will be fascinated. His intuition can recognize the value of such a creative person.”

- Marie-Louise von Franz, Lectures on Jung's Typology


Introverted Feeling (Fi)

Harriet Tubman mural (Michael Rosato)

[Image from CNN]

“I feel, therefore I exist”
- Lastrevio

We now come to the first of our four judging functions; these are the functions we use to make decisions. The feeling function is all about what I like or not, what is good or bad. It uses feeling to make decisions. Fi turns this inwards; what do I feel is good or bad? Fi doesn’t care what you think, it needs to find for itself what is moral or not. Personality Hacker calls this function Authenticity, and it’s highest concern is being as true to oneself as possible. The types with Fi hero are ISFP and INFP.

Fi excels at being aware of all the different voices inside of us, pulling us in different directions, and deciding which one is right. In fact, those with strong Fi - Fi in the hero/one or parent roles - find it nearly impossible to go against their convictions, once they figure out what they are. This takes time and attention; Fi often doesn’t know what it actually wants until it’s already in the middle of doing something. But, being attuned to the inner voices of support – or protest – allows those with strong Fi to always eventually know which option is the right one for them.

Fi is the wellspring of our personal morals; society can tell us what the ethical thing is, what it collectively agrees is correct, but Fi demands that we do the hard work of figuring these things out for ourselves. It’s the German hiding Jews from the Nazis, or the activist leaving water and food for migrants in the harsh desert.

Jung says in Psychological Types that the saying “still waters run deep” applies to this type. They have a highly differentiated scale of values, but they do not express them outwardly; they are affected by them within. One often finds the introverted feeling type in the background where important and valuable events are taking place, as if their introverted feeling had told them “that is the real thing.” With a kind of silent loyalty, and without any explanation, they turn up in places where important and valuable inner facts, archetypal constellations, are to be found. They also generally exert a positive secret influence on their surroundings by setting standards. The others observe them, and though they say nothing, for they are too introverted to express themselves much, they set certain standards. Introverted feeling types, for instance, very often form the ethical back bone of a group: without irritating the others by preaching moral or ethical precepts, they themselves have such correct standards of ethical values that they secretly emanate a positive influence on those around them. One has to behave correctly because they have the right kind of value standard, which always suggestively forces one to be decent if they are present. Their differentiated introverted feeling sees what is inwardly the really important factor.

- Marie-Louise von Franz, Lectures on Jung's Typology

Extroverted Feeling (Fe)

[Image from The Advertising Archives]

“I am loved, therefore I exist”
- Lastrevio

Where Fi is about morals, or what I feel is right, Fe is about ethics, or what we collectively as a society agree is right. Personality Hacker calls this function Harmony, and it’s main concern is with maintaining emotional harmony amongst the group. In the same way that extroverted sensors are aware of the physical reality around them, extroverted feelers are acutely aware of the feelings of people around them. Types with Fe heroes are the ESFJs and ENFJs.

Where Fi seeks to be true to itself, Fe desires harmony, unanimity, affinity, and togetherness. Can you see how the two attitudes of the same function clash with each other? Fi wants to be its own thing, Fe wants everyone to be one. This kind of conflict obviously can lead dissension, and an inability to understand the other. An example are two relatives of mine, a mother (an ESFJ) and her adult daughter (an ISFP). They often disagree over things and struggle to understand each other; the ISFP gets frustrated by her mother’s tendency to caretake for people who she considers unworthy – people who are abusive, or self-destructive – while her ESFJ mother is dismayed by what she sees as her daughter’s lack of compassion and loyalty (side note; ISFPs are extremely loyal, but only to those they feel deserve it.) Their fights are invariably over differences in perspective resulting from their opposite heroine functions.

Fe’s constant concern is that everyone is happy and their needs are being met. When average to unhealthy it can lead to covert contracts ("I did this thing for you that you didn't ask for so now you have to do X."), but in developed individuals, Fe gives compassion, empathy, and a devotion to all living creatures.

The extroverted feeling type…  makes friends very easily, will have very few illusions about people, but will be capable of evaluating their positive and negative sides appropriately. These are well-adjusted, very reasonable people who roll along amiably through society, can get what they want quite easily, and can somehow arrange it that everybody is willing to give them what they want. They lubricate their surroundings so marvelously that life goes along very easily. You find them frequently among women, and they generally have a very happy family life with a lot of friends. Only if they are in someway neurotically dissociated do they become a bit theatrical and a little mechanical and calculating. If one goes to lunch and party with an extroverted feeling type she (or he) is capable of saying little things like “What a nice day it is today, I am so glad to see you again, I haven’t seen you for a long time!” And they really mean it! With that the car is lubricated, and the party goes. One feels happy and warmed up. They spread a kind of atmosphere of acceptance, and it is agreeable: “We appreciate each other, so we are going to have a good day together.” They make those in their surroundings feel wonderful, and in the midst of that they swim along happily and create a pleasant social atmosphere. Only if they overdo it, or their extroverted feeling is already worn out and they therefore should start to think, do you notice that this becomes a bit of a habit, that it becomes a phrase which they say mechanically. For instance, I once noticed an extroverted feeling type, on a dreadful day when there was a horrible fog outside, saying mechanically: “Isn’t it a wonderful day!” I thought, “Oh dear, your main function is rattling!”

- Marie-Louise von Franz, Lectures on Jung's Typology

Introverted Thinking (Ti)

"Aristotle" (Jusepe de Ribera)

[Image from Hand Made Piece]

“I think, therefore I exist”
- Lastrevio

Where Fi is concerned with what I feel, Ti is concerned with what I think. And similar to Fi, Ti doesn’t care what you think. It doesn’t care what your credentials are, or how many people agree with you. It understands that truth isn’t a popularity contest. A thing is either true or it isn’t, regardless of who that truth comes from, or how popular it is. Ti doms are INTPs and ISTPs.

Ti is all about logic; it uses deductive reasoning (“All marsupials are mammals > wombats are marsupials > therefore, wombats are mammals”) and abductive reasoning (deciding what the most likely explanation for a mystery then testing the hypothesis; i.e. when I get home I find the dog along with a bunch of torn paper > I hypothesize that the dog tore the paper > I check the video > turns out my niece tore the paper.)

As it’s a thinking function Ti is concerned with impersonal criteria. It uses reason to decide whether or not a thing is true based on an internal judgment, not the external judgment of the collective. Ti works hard to – and is generally successful at – removing what it sees as bias from data (personal feelings, the feelings or thoughts of others, etc.) It scans the data for inconsistencies and incongruities, looking for that which is consistent and congruent to build its mental edifice with, like a magpie. Personality Hacker calls this function Accuracy, and that is its goal.

Like Te, it wants to create order. Unlike Te though, it seeks to do so internally. If Fi goes spelunking in the depths of their heart, Ti creates mental models of stunning complexity. Ti loves the beautiful idea, it loves symmetry and order. Einstein, probably an INTP, once said God doesn’t play dice with the universe, and his famous equation, E=mc2, is an exemplar of the veracity and elegance Ti strives for.

The main activity of this type is not so much trying to establish order in outer objects; it is more concerned with ideas. Someone would say that one should not start with facts, but first clarify one’s ideas, would belong to the introverted thinking type. His wish to bring order into life starts off with the idea that if one is muddle-headed from the start, one will never get anywhere. It is first necessary to know what ideas to follow and where they come from; one must clean up muddle-headedness by digging into the background of one’s thoughts. All philosophy is concerned with the logical processes of the human mind, with the building up of ideas. This is the realm where introverted thinking is mostly at work. In science these are the people who are perpetually trying to prevent their colleagues from getting lost in experiments and who, from time to time, try to get back to basic concepts and ask what we are really doing mentally. In physics, there is generally one professor for practical physics and another for theoretical physics: one lectures on the Wilson Chamber and the building up of experiments, the other on mathematical principles and the theory of science. In all the various sciences there are always those who try to clean out the basic theories of their scientific realm... The introverted thinking type always goes back to the subjective idea, namely, to what the subject is doing in the whole matter.

- Marie-Louise von Franz, Lectures on Jung's Typology


Extroverted Thinking (Te)

Olivier Mira Armstrong (Fullmetal Alchemist)

[Image from Mini Tokyo]

“The world is in order, therefore I exist”
- Lastrevio

Te just wants to know what works. As it’s a thinking function Te doesn’t care what you or anyone else feel; like Ti, it really only cares about impersonal criteria in its judgments. Personality Hacker calls this function Efficiency, because Te wants to take their reason and apply it to the real world in the best, most efficient way possible (contrasting with Ti, which generally doesn’t care about the practical implications of their theorizing, just that it’s accurate, true, and elegant.) The two types with dominant Te are ESTJ and ENTJ.

Where Ti is about logic – deductive and abductive reasoning – Te is all about statistics, or inductive reasoning. Let’s say there’s a cliff that 100 people have jumped off, and each one of those people died. Inductive reasoning says: 100% of people who jumped from this cliff died > therefore, if you jump off the cliff you will die. It doesn’t look at the physics, the force, the velocity, trying to predict based on theories if you will die, it just looks at the numbers.

Te is all about metrics; it wants to measure progress. It cares about results, and measurements tell Te how close to their goals they are. Measurements also allow you to try something, test it, then make adjustments and repeat, improving with each cycle. The saying “if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it” is very Te as it’s all about managing things.

This type is to be found among organizers, people in high office and government positions, in business, in law and among scientists. They can compile useful encyclopedias. They dig up all the dust in old libraries and do away with the inhibiting factors in science which are caused by clumsiness or laziness or a lack of clarity in language. The extroverted thinking type establishes order by taking a definite stand and saying, “If we say so and so, we mean so-and-so.” They put clarifying order into the outer situation. At a business meeting, such a man will say that one should get at the basic facts and then see how to proceed. A lawyer who has to listen to all the chaotic reports of contending parties is able, with his superior thinking function, to see which are the real conflicts and which the pseudo-contentions, and then to arrange a solution satisfactory to all parties. The emphasis will always be on the object, not the idea. Such a lawyer will not fight for the idea of democracy, or domestic peace; his whole mind will be absorbed with and swallowed up by the outer objective situation.

- Marie-Louise von Franz, Lectures on Jung's Typology

So these are overviews of the 8 psychological functions, the basis of Jungian typology. The charts below distill the main points of each of the 8 branch functions, starting with the perceiving functions:

Perceiving Functions

And here are the judging functions:

Judging Functions

Once you know your type understanding the branch functions, combined with John Beebe's 8 function model, will give you a very good idea of your strengths, weaknesses, and what you need to do to grow. Future posts will do that very thing, exploring how each type expresses the various functions.

Posts

The Function Roles
The Houses
The Core Complexes
The Sodalities
How to type

Working with the MBTI

My MBTI story


See also

Antonia Dodge, “Why Personality Hacker Uses Nicknames For The 8 Jungian Cognitive Functions” (Personality Hacker)
Marie-Louise von Franz, Lectures on Typology
Marie-Louise von Franz, Psychotherapy
C.G. Jung, Psychological Types
Lastrevio, “The 8 cognitive roles in-depth explanation”

MBTI: House Rowan

Valley of Flowers (Uttaranchal)

[Image from Himalayan Trekking]

“The Explorers”
Fi/Te + Si/Ne
(ENFP INFP ESTJ ISTJ)

Home: The World
Patron: Brigantia
Quadra: Delta
Vice: Cynicism
Virtue: Joy


Rowan has no home because the whole world is their home: ENFP, INFP, ESTJ, and ISTJ. The unpredictable sea, the wild places, distant and exotic lands, the Explorers seek adventure, and they have the practical skills to ensure that they and their companions make it there in one piece.

Have the same sense of individuality as the Aristocrats, but instead of their intensity and singular perception they have the Philosophers’ exploratory perception, giving them more of a sense of wandering. This makes them even less fettered than the Aristocrats, making them want even more to be free and go their own way. This doesn’t match stereotypes of the STJs, who are often perceived of as worker drones, or traditionalists, duty fulfillers and strict, rule bound killjoys. But these are only surface impressions that people might get from them – severity, or thoroughness – which many people associate with being a strict, rule bound killjoys. But this is no more accurate than saying that ENFPs are just flighty bundles of joy.

ISTJ: A thorough thinker, someone who is trying to build and waterproof every inch of their ship that can take them safely across dangerous and unpredictable waters. But the key is, they’re interested in sailing into the ocean, they just tend to take a long time preparing for the journey. An important part of the ISTJ personality is this free-spiritedness, this sense of “going their own way,” but they’re very thorough and responsible about it.

ESTJ: Similar to ISTJ but their free-spiritedness is actually easier to see. They’re characterized by a strict sense of responsibility, even severity, but they’re still free-spirited. They go their own way. But they’re responsible on their journey, or at least they try to be. Fi, by its very nature, is individuating, because it sees the world as cold and the individual as warm. They’re not system builders, they’re survivors, and in this sense very free spirits.

ENFP: The definition of the term “free spirit” in their energetic exploration.

INFP: Being characteristically idiosyncratic is also the definition of “free spirit,” going their own way in their lifestyle itself.

- Michael Pierce, “Function Axes Categories”  (YouTube)


Socionics: Delta Quadra

Explorers tend to explain the rationale behind their actions, emphasizing the productiveness or unproductiveness of different ways of doing things. They enjoy peaceful, refreshing activities where they’re doing something both externally useful as well as internally balancing. They tend to rely on their own hard work to achieve their goals rather than luck, group effort, or strong leadership. Explorers enjoy sharing personal experiences, and their feelings about those experiences, in a thoughtful, undramatic way. They also enjoy talking about exciting new plans and opportunities, and their plans for the future.

Although deeply passionate Explorers generally prefer understatement and wry humor to drama and emotionality. They prefer to take part in group activities that are productive and/or refreshing, as opposed to those based on fun and/or emotional interactions. They don’t usually do very well in high-pressure situations, being forced to do things they dislike, having to deal with threatening opponents, or harsh discipline. They tend to wear out, leaving to find a more peaceful, welcoming environment.

In groups Explorers tend to work on projects, enjoy physical activities, or find out interesting things about others. Instead of laughing a lot Explorers tend to be witty and welcoming. Groups need to be focused on a specific activity or discussion topic or else they splinter apart with each person going off with only those people who share their interests. They don’t demand that everyone does one thing but rather jump from group to group to keep their interest engaged. They tend not to be interested in building a group identity but prefer for it to be decentralized. Relationships are based on spending time together on fun activities, with an atmosphere focused on comfort and practicality.


How Explorers see other houses

Alphas (Ash): Explorers tend to find Philosophers to be fun and interesting people to discuss ideas and prospects with, but also naive and inconsistent in their personal and business affairs. They feel Philosophers are overly idealistic and lacking in common sense, failing to turn their fun ideas into something productive.

Beta (Rowan): Explorers tend to see Cenobites as people who dream big, and always want to turn everything into a grandiose undertaking, even though they struggle to manage their day-to-day affairs. They tend to dislike what they see as a mean-streak resulting from the Cenobites unwillingness to consider other points of views on topics they feel strongly about.

Gamma (Oak): Explorers tend to see Aristocrats as driven and reliable but lacking in the ability to understand that people have their own ideas about what they want out of their lives. They feel that Aristocrats can be excessively demanding, and dislike what they see as their vindictive streak, which keeps them from accepting and forgiving others.


How other houses see Explorers

Ash: Philosophers tend to find Explorers to be kind and creative, if a bit too serious about their ideals and principles and too demanding that others feel and act just as they do about those ideals.

Yew: Cenobites tend to find Explorers to be noncommittal and unwilling to support goals decided in a group, lacking drive and ethics. Explorers prefer not to get involved in group efforts, instead preferring to work on personal projects that are meaningful to them.

Oak: Find Explorers to be well meaning and creative but too present focused and lacking ambition. They also tend to feel that they’re too welcoming and forgiving of people the Aristocrats find undeserving.


Rowan

Protection, Expression, Connection

Rowan is the tree of power, causing life and magic to flower.

- The Goddess Tree

Rowan symbolizes courage, wisdom, and protection. She guards us on our journeys - the berries contain a tiny pentagram, the ancient symbol of protection. A stick cut from the tree will protect you from harm on your journey, and bring spiritual enlightenment along your path.

A second way to look at the concept of protection is to view it as a request to be given the strength to overcome whatever roadblocks are discovered on the path before us and to repel evil. In this way protection is summoned from outside of ourselves as a way of fostering a deeper relationship with the divine and with ourselves. With every step that we take we become more and more connected to everything around us. Protection does not become a shield around us but the energies become a part of the process within us.

- Shanon Sinn, "Luis (Rowan)" (Living Library)


The Rowan is associated with Brigantia, goddess of poetry, medicine, arts and crafts, and animal husbandry. She was the pre-eminent goddess of the Celts; so important was she that she's considered the mother of her people - they called themselves the Briganti after her - and was later canonized by the Catholic church as Saint Brigid.

She's related to the dawn goddesses of the Indo-Europe, and her holy day is Imbolc (February 2), the day when the sun is said to be reborn. Beloved by poets, master of both healing and smithing, Brigantia's name means "High One" or "Exalted One." Her name reflects both her solar nature as well as her connection with crafting and wisdom.

She's the patroness of travelers, sailors, and fugitives. She was particularly special to the Druids; she provides the "fire in the head" of poetic inspiration. Brigantia is the goddess of learning, but a different, more practical kind of learning than that of the Philosophers.

Many tales existed of strangers who came to Brigid (or St, Brigid), asking for her blessings, her inspiration, and her healing, which comes to those pure of heart and intention and those clever and cunning. To those who lack these things, her gifts come at a price: a lesson, giving them what they really need to act better and be better."

- Gregory Wright, "Brigid, Celtic Goddess of Fertility" (Mythopedia)

She had special meaning for the filid, a priestly class that seems to have been halfway between the spiritual Druids and the more worldly Bards:

What is known is that the filid (like the druids) studied for years and years in order to memorize ancient Irish oral lore. Their focus was directed toward the material world prioritizing history, genealogy and the law rather than spiritualism. The filid were experts in preserving and guarding knowledge rather than entertainment and performance."

- Druids, Filid & Bards: Custodians of Celtic Tradition (Irish Empire)

This is the perfect description of the kind of practical wisdom that's the special gift the Explorers... as well as their deep connection to the arts.

Rowan emphasizes the need for color and creative endeavor in our lives and encourages us to open our minds to creative inspiration. It also teaches us that we can draw on the forces of life to heal ourselves and those around us. We can develop the art of turning adversity into creative opportunity. Rowan protects and gives courage and strength to those walking the path of spiritual growth and enlightenment.

- Rowan (The Goddess Tree)



To go beyond the contradiction of freedom and security; Rowan’s sacred task is to live fully and deeply, to swim the currents of life with skill, wisdom, and intelligence. Union with this beautiful, perilous world.

Out on the ocean: the ISTJ is nearest to the shore, maintaining a very sturdy boat on the way; the ESTJ took off before everyone, running a tight ship and working hard to keep everyone in line so that the ship runs properly and they can get to where they need to go; the ENFP has practically constructed their ship at sea, but it works well enough and they have a rough idea of dozens of places they want to go; and then the INFP is far out at sea, adrift and alone, watching the clouds and thinking about life, without any plans to return to shore anytime soon.

- Michael Pierce, “Function Axes Categories”  (YouTube)


Posts

The Houses
House Ash
House Yew
House Oak
Meyers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
Jungian MBTI

MBTI: House Oak

"Babur Receives a Courtier," Farrukh Beg

[Image from Wikipedia]


“The Aristocrats”
Fi/Te + Se/Ni
(INTJ ENTJ ISFP ESFP)

Home: the Castle
Patron: Taranis
Socionics: Gamma
Vice: Vindictiveness
Virtue: Honor


Oak is the castle on the hill, home of the Aristocrats, gracious, honorable, and unconquerable; ESFP, ISFP, ENTJ, and INTJ. Leaders who understand that their charge, first and foremost, is to serve a noble purpose. They use their formidable power to build Heaven’s kingdom on earth for the well-being of all who rely on them.

Individuating attitude; tries to affirm a personal, subjective standard; Se/Ni is a black hole, synthesizing many disparate things into a singularity. Can lead to dogmatism, or a commitment to perspective. Name for this group is Royalty [Aristocrats]; the sure perspective/dogma of the Saints [Cenobites], but with an independent, individuating sense of judgment. Don’t want to be ruled by others but feel a strong sense of going their way as if they had blue blood, as well as a desire to fill some definite vision.

ESFP: Says “yes” to life; a hearty, energetic, lovable royal, full of spirit and love of life but also a definite sense of independence, a free spirit, that reminds us of their nobility.

ISFP: Similar to the ESFP but milder; presents an aura or style, giving the impression of a natural otherworldliness or separateness. Both of these types also have a directness and commitment of perspective, although it’s more focused on present reality but which adds to the sense of a royal figure in their self-assurance.

INTJ: A reserved strategist, able to navigate politics with the coldness necessary to maintain order.

ENTJ: More heavy-handed in their navigation, crushing their opposition with more obvious displays of power.

- Michael Pierce, “Function Axes Categories”  (YouTube)


Socionics: Gamma Quadra

Aristocrats have a tendency to prioritize long-term profitability over short-term; they look at the broader benefits rather than just those that affect them. They enjoy talking about where trends are leading as regards potential profitability, and prefer ideas that are firmly grounded in fact. They tend to take a hard-line approach to punishment, even resorting to revenge sometimes. In relationships they value personal loyalty. They tend to be skeptical that people can change for the better.

They tend to prefer productive groups to those that are just having fun. They reject the idea that one should avoid confrontations so as to not spoil the mood, and don’t really see the point in discussing and analyzing things they feel have no practical application. They’re far more likely to discuss possible developments of present circumstances or how they came about than to speculate on alternative scenarios or possibilities.

Aristocrats generally prefer smaller groups (3 is a good number), where there may not be a lot of boisterous laughter and obvious displays of emotion but there’s a lot of smiling, amusement, and ironic and witty comments. If serious or unhappy topics come up they are discussed with a serious demeanor. They prefer topics such as subjects of mutual interest, planning activities, or on personal experiences; the last isn’t for the purpose of making people laugh, or to boast, but to gain insight into the lessons to be drawn from them.

If they’re in a large group, such as a dinner party, they usually focus on those sitting closest to them, or simply remain silent. Once they form a group they tend to be wary of newcomers, being neither inclusive nor exclusive. Conversation tends to focus on career, investments, romantic prospects, or why past relationships failed. In more light-hearted moments such conversations can get a little bawdy with some light teasing.

Rituals are less important to Aristocrats than the feelings involved. Relationships develop from exchanges of information, ideas, meaningful personal experiences, mutual aid, and activities enjoyed together.


How Aristocrats see other houses:

Alpha (Ash): Initially Aristocrats find Philosophers to be friendly, creative, and well-meaning, pleasant people. Later, however, they tend to see them as unambitious and overly concerned with comfort and physical pleasure. They also find them to be oversensitive while, at the same time, failing to make an effort to focus on the deeper feelings involved.

Beta (Yew): Find Cenobites to be driven, ambitious people with a sense of purpose, and who get things done. Aristocrats often find the Cenobites’ strong views to be ideological and lacking factual support. They may also feel that they’re are overly concerned with social status and sometimes disingenuous when pursuing their goals.

Delta (Rowan): Find Explorers to be well meaning and creative but too present focused and lacking ambition. They also tend to feel that they’re too welcoming and forgiving of people the Aristocrats find undeserving.


How other houses see Aristocrats:

Ash: They tend to view Aristocrats as standoffish and cold, or even hostile, especially in work situations. They also dislike the Aristocrats tendency to play favorites, which is offensive to the fair-minded, egalitarian Philosophers. They can find Aristocrats to be overly harsh, unimaginative, boring, overly concerned about the future, as well as having a mean-streak of unforgivingness and vindictiveness.

Yew: Can find Aristocrats to be stand-offish, judgmental, morally stiff and emotionally hostile. They often feel that Aristocrats are unable to see the big picture, whether at work or in politics and society at large; kind of socially boring, unable to take a joke, and vindictive. They often don’t do well in groups: Cenobites enjoy making general jokes, while Aristocrats tend to make extremely sharp, personal jokes. Cenobites want to stay together, Aristocrats want everyone to take care of their own needs as they move from group to group, leading Cenobites to feel that the Aristocrats are trying to break up the fun group. On an individual level, however, they often get along very well; they both see general trends and enjoy comparing predictions.

Rowan: Explorers tend to see Aristocrats as driven and reliable but lacking in the ability to understand that people have their own ideas about what they want out of their lives. They feel that Aristocrats can be excessively demanding, and dislike what they see as their vindictive streak, which keeps them from accepting and forgiving others.


Oak

Strength, Stability, Nobility

Honored for it’s endurance, strength, and noblility, Oak has a regal presence that many throughout the ages have recognized and admired. The “King of the Forest” is known for providing protection, strength, success, and stability. It’s dense foliage provides a home for countless small creatures to live and thrive, the tree’s nutritious acorns providing food and sustenance. In nature the Oak is one of the most important trees for the creatures of the forest.

Oak brings courage and a stout heart - endurance and the protective power of faith - as it boosts energy and helps us achieve our goals. “Bearing strength from the heart of the earth, oak fairy can bring steadiness and a deep joy that endures through all.”

Of all the trees in Britain and Ireland the oak is considered king. Famed for its endurance and longevity, even today it is synonymous with strength and steadfastness.

Mara Freeman, "Tree Lore: Oak," (Druidry.org)


The oak is associated with Taranis, the god of thunder. Though not much is known about him he shares a common ancestor with other Indo-European sky gods, including Zeus and Jupiter, who were also connected with the oak. Taranis was also associated with the wheel, generally thought to be the solar wheel. Zeus and Jupiter’s bird, the eagle, is also associated with the oak in Celtic mythology; when the hero-king Lleu was betrayed and wounded he turned into an eagle and took shelter in the top of a large oak tree, reminiscent of the god king Odin hanging from another world tree. Eagle, sky, lighting, and the majestic oak; all are symbols of the warrior king gods of Indo Europe. Even though we don’t know much about Taranis we do know about his formidable relatives; we can assume that he shares their traits of endurance, fearlessness, and vision.

Let’s look at the eagle to get a better sense of this god; in Celtic stories this bird is usually associated with wisdom and a long life. It represents swiftness, strength, and keen sight. In the lists of the oldest creatures, the eagle is only superseded by the wise salmon. In cultures around the world the eagle is a symbol of strength, leadership, and vision. The eagle is the king of the birds, flying higher than its winged brethren. It teaches us to have stamina and the resilience to endure; to have the courage to look to the future and strike out toward our destiny; and the strength to stand for one's principles.

When an eagle appears, you are on notice to be courageous and stretch your limits. Do not accept the status quo, but rather reach higher and become more than you believe you are capable of. Look at things from a new, higher perspective. Be patient with the present; know that the future holds possibilities that you may not yet be able to see. You are about to take flight.

Trish Phillips, "Fly Like the Eagle," (Pure Spirit)


The sacred task of House Oak is to create a prosperous, peaceful, flourishing kingdom, for the benefit of all. Each of the types accomplishes this in a different way: ISFP, to express the deepest truths through beauty; ESFP, to bring grace and the love that moves the world; INTJ, to serve their vision of a better future; and ENTJ, as the protector of their people.

The oak is a living legend representing all that is true, wholesome, stable, and noble… There is a reason the oak is considered the king of green realm. The oak is generous with its gifts – and just as any good ruler would, shares its bounty amongst the kingdom.

"Oak Tree: Symbolism, Information and Planting Instructions" (Bios Urn)

In the castle: the ESFP, hearty and brave, fun-loving but driven, the charming leader of Camelot; the ISFP walks mildly through the court, like an Elven dignitary, praised for their artistic talent and very presence; the INTJ philosopher-king, a good friend and honest, willing to follow after the SFPs in having a good time, but still a somewhat severe character, concerned with strategy and maintaining power; the ENTJ is the head of the army, famous for crushing their opposition and enjoying clear manifestations of the state’s power in discouraging enemies of the state, but also enjoying life with a boisterous smile and energetic drive.

- Michael Pierce, “Function Axes Categories”  (YouTube)



Posts

The Houses
House Ash
House Yew
House Rowan
Jungian MBTI


For further reading

Avia Venefica, "Celtic Meaning Oak Tree," (What's Your Sign)
"Oak" (The Goddess Tree)