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Shadow/Opposite Types

NewEra

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So I have a question... From what I know, when a person is under stress, they supposedly act like their opposite type. But what exactly would this opposite type be?...

For example, an ISTJ's functions are Si>Te>Fi>Ne. Under stress, they do they act like their opposite letters of ENFP (Ne>Fi>Te>Si), OR... ESTP (Se>Ti>Fe>Ni) ?

Me personally, I act like an ESTP. Just curious what it generally is, thanks.
 

Halla74

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I've read the same.

One known opposite for me is ESTP / INFJ.

Opposite means all four letters different, right?
 

entropie

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I think thats too easy to say under stress you automatically act like your opposite.

But looked at the thing, logical mathematically: in socionics there are quadras, which consist of 4 types having a similiar agenda. Given the ISTJ would react like his opposite, according to socionics this would be ENFP, because the ESTP is in the same quadra like the ISTJ.

Same goes for ENTP for example (Ne,Ti,Fe,Si) and the opposites ISFJ (Si,Fe,Ti,Ne), INTJ (Ni,Te,Fi,Se). And INTJ is the same quadra again, now the whole thing just switches because the P, as opposed to the J of the ISTJ in the above example.

That're in the end though, just only logic games, which have no real application for you showing a certain personality, when under stress.

It says more about compability between the different opposites of functions.
 

Eric B

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I would think that under some level of stress, when the inferior might surface more, you would become like the type with all the letters opposite. Under more stress, the other four functions even deeper in the unconscious surface, and you could become either your "opposing personality" (the type with the same functions in the same order, but with the i/e attitudes reversed--same two middle letters; outer letters both reversed), or the total opposite, with all eight in reverse (type with two middle letters changed).

(this should probably be merged with the old thread on this someone just resurrected yesterday/today).
 

Halla74

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I would think that under some level of stress, when the inferior might surface more, you would become like the type with all the letters opposite. Under more stress, the other four functions even deeper in the unconscious surface, and you could become either your "opposing personality" (the type with the same functions in the same order, but with the i/e attitudes reversed--same two middle letters; outer letters both reversed), or the total opposite, with all eight in reverse (type with two middle letters changed).

(this should probably be merged with the old thread on this someone just resurrected yesterday/today).

Very interesting expansion, a good read! :)
 

redacted

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I don't really buy the acting like your opposite type under stress thing.

I've pretty much never acted like an ESTP in my life, and when I do, it's because I'm comfortable, not stressed.

When I get stressed I go into super Ni-Ti mode.
 

Totenkindly

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I don't really buy the acting like your opposite type under stress thing. I've pretty much never acted like an ESTP in my life, and when I do, it's because I'm comfortable, not stressed. When I get stressed I go into super Ni-Ti mode.

1. You don't act like your opposite in the same way your opposite does, it's just aspects of that opposite.

2. If you're still in your primary/secondary combo, either you have your primary/secondary combo mislabeled and aren't the type you think you are... or you're not stressed enough yet.

The stress point is essentially where all your OLD normal instinctive ways of doing things are not resolving the issue and can't, and you don't know what to do and fall into some sort of extreme pattern that follows a different pathway in hopes of finding resolution. That's what the shadow is -- a brief abandonment of all the normal ways in which you cope with life because you're against the wall for too long a time.
 

redacted

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1. You don't act like your opposite in the same way your opposite does, it's just aspects of that opposite.

2. If you're still in your primary/secondary combo, either you have your primary/secondary combo mislabeled and aren't the type you think you are... or you're not stressed enough yet.

The stress point is essentially where all your OLD normal instinctive ways of doing things are not resolving the issue and can't, and you don't know what to do and fall into some sort of extreme pattern that follows a different pathway in hopes of finding resolution. That's what the shadow is -- a brief abandonment of all the normal ways in which you cope with life because you're against the wall for too long a time.

In that case, I don't know if I've ever been stressed enough for Ni-Ti to be abandoned, even in times of extreme trauma (although, you could argue that my over-the-top reliance on Ti means that I'm always in somewhat of shadow mode).
 

Totenkindly

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In that case, I don't know if I've ever been stressed enough for Ni-Ti to be abandoned, even in times of extreme trauma (although, you could argue that my over-the-top reliance on Ti means that I'm always in somewhat of shadow mode).

Yeah.

As far as the basic concept goes -- I have an INFP friend who, when he's stressed and his values and intuition can't resolve a situation, he slams into Te mode and tries to micromanage and resolve practical issues and "work the problem." He gets extremely obsessive about it and can run himself into the ground in exhaustion.

Sometimes shadow mode can help identify primary, if there's an issue with figuring that out. I don't do Te -- when I'm stressed, working an issue of secondary important to me (and I have only started doing that in the last few years, because I realized sometimes that resolving a practical issue can remove stress). I get hypersensitive, I start imagining everyone's judging me, I feel socially inadequate and start wanting to manipulate people to alleviate their judgments or get them off my back, etc. If possible, I pull back into myself (avoiding people); but I can't, then the Fe-nutsiness fully blooms.

When Si-primary people I know stress out, they tend to get paranoid, have wild imaginings of destruction and devastation, speculate on the craziest things, etc -- Ne gone wild, basically, but driven by Si-prioritized fears.

And of course like you say, if you don't totally follow your primary all the time anyway, or are operating under some stress all the time to start with, other things perhaps can be mixed into it.
 

zarc

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Yea. I agree with Jennifer.

I don't think short term stress is strong enough. Stress would just push one into a state of Dom + Tert. But with long term stress or depression, I'd say one manifests their Shadow type. Or as Jennifer said merely aspects of it.

The only time my ESTP best/f told me that she related to me best was during a few years during HS while I was depressed-- or rather, after having been in an extremely distant state during my depression (Ni-Ti), I began to act out (of it) after I'd recharged enough. I didn't "act" like her but I openly said things contrary to how I'd normally soften them, cutting people down, toying with them brazenly, among other things. There was a thrill and release to it. How I said what I said wasn't similar (not even close) to her but complementary.

Evan said:
In that case, I don't know if I've ever been stressed enough for Ni-Ti to be abandoned, even in times of extreme trauma (although, you could argue that my over-the-top reliance on Ti means that I'm always in somewhat of shadow mode).

Even with extreme physical trauma I just went into Ni-Ti. It's always after a long time of being incredibly vacant and emotionless, operating under forced Ni-Ti and having completely removed myself from Fe, that Inferior Se pushes me into a form of Ni-Se madness... Nah, I don't think your over the top reliance means you're always in Shadow mode. It may be just an unhealthy Tertiary attachment or you've cultivated Ti to your favour out of necessity. But if you're not stretching your Fe well enough, then I'd say it can become unhealthy for you.
 

NewEra

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So when you're stressed what's the supposed Shadow type that people revert into?

As an ISTJ, would I become the INFJ or ESTP or the complete opposite four letters... the ENFP? Or something different?
 

nightning

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The theory is ISTJ => ENFP

Under stress you start using your ill-practiced inferior and tertiary functions because your dominant and auxiliary aren't cut it for the job.

That's the theory, but I've found no support of this from looking at people's behaviour.

Instead it seems to me like the "6th" function what's suppose to be the (witch) shadow auxiliary, seems to misbehave under stress.

ISTJ => Si Te Fi Ne Se Ti Fe Ni
6th would be Ti.
Tendency to be stubborn, rigid in defining the system. Paralysis in analysis. Hesitancy in moving forward. (Si Ti)

Truth or BS in your opinion?
 

ThinkingAboutIt

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This is something I have been curious about...this and whether we have different types that we implement - e.g. how many adopt an 'outside voice' - face to the world that is totally different than their real type?
 

NewEra

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The theory is ISTJ => ENFP

Under stress you start using your ill-practiced inferior and tertiary functions because your dominant and auxiliary aren't cut it for the job.

That's the theory, but I've found no support of this from looking at people's behaviour.

Instead it seems to me like the "6th" function what's suppose to be the (witch) shadow auxiliary, seems to misbehave under stress.

ISTJ => Si Te Fi Ne Se Ti Fe Ni
6th would be Ti.
Tendency to be stubborn, rigid in defining the system. Paralysis in analysis. Hesitancy in moving forward. (Si Ti)

Truth or BS in your opinion?

Hmm... what you say is interesting. When I'm under stress I find I usually bring out my values, what's ultimately important to me, and what motivates me, thus my Fi. I think my Fi is very strong under stress. I usually push through and work harder to overcome the stress. I can't think of any other process that's as high as my Fi under stress.
 

Into It

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I just read a few posts, but...No, no, no!

If you are an ESTP, you are....your opposite would be...
Se <> Si
Ti <> Te
Fe <> Fi
Ni <> Ne ...The ISTJ
Ni

For the ENFP,
Ne <> Ni
Fi <> Fe
Te <> Ti
Si <> Se....The INFJ. I have experienced this several times myself. My shadow figure becoming dominant, that is. It happens when in horrible stress, maybe if your house burns down or you lose a loved one. This is the ONLY time I have EVER behaved like a J, and my Ni was like electricity. So for me, the theory stood strong.
 

Thalassa

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That means that when I'm under stress I act like an ESTJ? Probably. It would be that I was grasping at straws and desperate to simulate the horrific external control of my SJ grandfather which symbolized security most to me in childhood. People who know me well could probably actually verify that I get "weird" like that in especially bad situations.
 

Into It

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The theory is ISTJ => ENFP

Under stress you start using your ill-practiced inferior and tertiary functions because your dominant and auxiliary aren't cut it for the job.

That's the theory, but I've found no support of this from looking at people's behaviour.

Instead it seems to me like the "6th" function what's suppose to be the (witch) shadow auxiliary, seems to misbehave under stress.

ISTJ => Si Te Fi Ne Se Ti Fe Ni
6th would be Ti.
Tendency to be stubborn, rigid in defining the system. Paralysis in analysis. Hesitancy in moving forward. (Si Ti)

Truth or BS in your opinion?

I do NOT buy this. Si Ti is paralyzing, as you said. Each P function must pair with a J function of opposite attitude.
 

NewEra

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I just read a few posts, but...No, no, no!

If you are an ESTP, you are....your opposite would be...
Se <> Si
Ti <> Te
Fe <> Fi
Ni <> Ne ...The ISTJ

Actually, that makes more sense than the ENFP theory. I said in the first post, under stress I think I act more ESTP than any other type.
 

Requeim

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The theory where your two outer letters change sounds more plausible to me.

My sister is an ESTJ, and just the thought of me acting like her in any way (even if just a little) seems very unrealistic to me (even if it only applies to extreme stress situations)
 
G

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Under stress, we'd probably reach into our tertiary, and maybe our inferior, when our normal course of action doesn't work. At least, I know I get all Te when I get stressed and frustrated; writing lists, organizing my time, and cutting through the crap when I deal with other people.

Reversing all four letters reverses your function order. So I guess that's plausible for an "opposite."
 
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