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Do You Find Dominant Function at Odds with Your Inferior Function?

intrepid_wanders

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Jul 19, 2008
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INxP
I have been pondering this concept for quite some time and was wondering if there are others that have observed this. The dichotomy theory is that Thinking and Feeling are incompatible as well as iNtuition and Sensation are incompatible.

A test example of functions for myself exhibit this behavior:
introverted Thinking (Ti) ******************************************** (44.3)
excellent use
extraverted Intuiting (Ne) *************************************** (39.3)
excellent use
introverted Feeling (Fi) *************************************** (39.2)
excellent use
extraverted Thinking (Te) ********************************** (34.1)
good use
introverted Sensing (Si) ******************************* (31.9)
good use
introverted Intuiting (Ni) ********************** (22.8)
limited use
extraverted Sensing (Se) ******************* (19.2)
limited use
extraverted Feeling (Fe) ********* (9.6)
unused

Now, out of hand, one can see the INTP pattern, but with the Fe last and the used status rather rules that out. That leaves INFP with both Thinking styles.

Any other interpretations or patterns seen?
 
Last edited:

Magic Poriferan

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Yin
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One
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sx/sp
It's incredibly hard to actually translate those results to the MBTI, as much as the site tries. For the MBTI, there are only sixteen combinations, because it has very specific rules about what order things can go in. However, if we let the functions go in any order(as that test does) then there are 1680 possible combinations. And that's with only four functions being included, not even the full eight.

So as you might imagine, it's a little hard to shoe-horn all of those possible results into sixteen.

EDIT: The dichotomy theory is just plain wrong.
 

cafe

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I don't have the best handle on type theory, but I think your inferior function is supposed to be your weakest function (or at least slowest to develop), not your fourth function. Your results look pretty typically INTP to me.
 

MacGuffin

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Moved from Bonfire.
 

SolitaryWalker

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I don't have the best handle on type theory, but I think your inferior function is supposed to be your weakest function (or at least slowest to develop), not your fourth function. Your results look pretty typically INTP to me.

What is the difference between inferior and fourth?
 

intrepid_wanders

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Jul 19, 2008
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INxP
It's incredibly hard to actually translate those results to the MBTI, as much as the site tries. For the MBTI, there are only sixteen combinations, because it has very specific rules about what order things can go in. However, if we let the functions go in any order(as that test does) then there are 1680 possible combinations. And that's with only four functions being included, not even the full eight.

So as you might imagine, it's a little hard to shoe-horn all of those possible results into sixteen.

EDIT: The dichotomy theory is just plain wrong.
It really is not anymore confusing as any other INxP result. Pairing the top 'P' functions and the 'J' functions sorts things fairly well.
Ex.
P - Ti
P - Ne
P - Fi
J - Te
J - Si
J - Ni
P - Se
J - Fe

Now, ideally for the model, you should have a pair of Ps and Js. Of course, the order of the pairing determines what letter you get on the end and the first is the dominant. In the INTP case, you ignore the Fi, but then Te does not fit the type.

I don't have the best handle on type theory, but I think your inferior function is supposed to be your weakest function (or at least slowest to develop), not your fourth function. Your results look pretty typically INTP to me.

As far as I have got on the subject, the inferior needs to be the upper rankings. I would suspect that it would need to be at least 3rd-6th position to be close, not last, with an exceptionally low rating. Other theories have the 4th-8th function positions as the Shadow.
 

cafe

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Ah, well don't pay any attention to me, then. I'm confused.
 

Gabe

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What is the difference between inferior and fourth?

not much on that technicality. BUT any undeveloped function can be considered inferior, e.g, Bluewing's undeveloped 7th position Fe.
 

Mondo

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Mar 1, 2008
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6w7
I have been pondering this concept for quite some time and was wondering if there are others that have observed this. The dichotomy theory is that Thinking and Feeling are incompatible as well as iNtuition and Sensation are incompatible.

A test example of functions for myself exhibit this behavior:


Now, out of hand, one can see the INTP pattern, but with the Fe last and the used status rather rules that out. That leaves INFP with both Thinking styles.

Any other interpretations or patterns seen?

No, that is supposed to happen for INTP.
I test with an incredibly weak Si myself- the '#8' Se is higher for me than Si.
The other four functions, IMO, don't play a role in a person's life at all.

You either intravert or extravert Thinking, intravert or extravert Intuition and etc.

Introverted Thinking does oppose Extraverted Feeling- as an INTP- you don't want Fe.. it scares you, so you easily put it towards the bottom through the way you answer questions on the test.
Si scares the hell out of me personally.
 

Eric B

ⒺⓉⒷ
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It's incredibly hard to actually translate those results to the MBTI, as much as the site tries. For the MBTI, there are only sixteen combinations, because it has very specific rules about what order things can go in. However, if we let the functions go in any order(as that test does) then there are 1680 possible combinations. And that's with only four functions being included, not even the full eight.

So as you might imagine, it's a little hard to shoe-horn all of those possible results into sixteen.

EDIT: The dichotomy theory is just plain wrong.

It seems that type is determined by, not so muhch the strengths, but the roles the functions play in your life. Hence, the archetypes. Diferent circumstances can lead to the strengths being out of order, and the fact that you can work to develop a different function shows that the strengths can change. (And even ones from the bottom four surfacing and appearing to be primary). Yet they will still tend to play the same roles (defense in stress, etc).

In an ideal setting, the stregths would match the position in the archetypes. That would be the purest example of that type. But with most others, the will not be in perfect order.
 

intrepid_wanders

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INxP
No, that is supposed to happen for INTP.
I test with an incredibly weak Si myself- the '#8' Se is higher for me than Si.
The other four functions, IMO, don't play a role in a person's life at all.

You either intravert or extravert Thinking, intravert or extravert Intuition and etc.

Introverted Thinking does oppose Extraverted Feeling- as an INTP- you don't want Fe.. it scares you, so you easily put it towards the bottom through the way you answer questions on the test.
Si scares the hell out of me personally.

Interesting. I still see an opposition of the Ti as a dominant and Fe as a #8, and your case with a dominant Ne and a #8 Si. I suppose it could be a flaw in the test algorithm.

Thank you for you insight.
 

intrepid_wanders

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Jul 19, 2008
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INxP
It seems that type is determined by, not so muhch the strengths, but the roles the functions play in your life. Hence, the archetypes. Diferent circumstances can lead to the strengths being out of order, and the fact that you can work to develop a different function shows that the strengths can change. (And even ones from the bottom four surfacing and appearing to be primary). Yet they will still tend to play the same roles (defense in stress, etc).

In an ideal setting, the stregths would match the position in the archetypes. That would be the purest example of that type. But with most others, the will not be in perfect order.

Do these roles have to work as function pairs (like Ti+Ne, Te+Ni)?
 

Eric B

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sp/sx
The roles of TI and Ne for an INTP would be lead or hero, and suppoerting or parent. For ENTP, it would be the other way around. Relief and Aspirational would be Si/Fe or Fe/Si. Oppositional (backup) and critical would be Te/Ni or Ni/Te. deceiving and destructive would be Se/Fi or Fi/Se.
Those are what I meant by the "roles". Normally, they would follow the numerical order they are listed in. But in many people, they develop to different stengths.

For instance, people think I use a lot of Te. At first, I went along with it, but then when I examined which actual role it played in my life, I could see that it is oppositional/backup, which is a shadow function used mostly under stress and as Linda Berens puts it, "how we get stubborn and argumentative". In its positive effect, it "backs up" or "gives depth" to our lead function.
So regardless of how strong or much it is used, they will tend to fall into those roles in your life.
 

Totenkindly

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Yes, inferior is the fourth.

The latter four functions are called "shadow functions" and are the "shadow self."

For an INTP, the normal self is = Ti + Ne + Si + Fe
The shadow self would be Te + Ni + Se + Fi (which is essentially an ENTJ).

I actually find the "eighth" function (and it's called the demonic one) is the one that conflicts most with the primary, in theory. For INTPs, it should be Fi. Because it has the most potential to direct get in the way of Ti and confuse it -- it's the alternate Ji process. You either do your Ji process via personal standards or impersonal ones, and the two functions Fi and Ti can wreak havoc with each other.

Fe is the inferior, certainly; and it's usually where an INTP throws sparks and extroverts a bottled up reaction; but it's also able to work in conjunction with Ti. Ti figures out the essence of the social rule structure (Fe is a language of sorts), and then Fe can do its thing, and Ti never directly has to fight with it.

Fi and Ti, though, are stepping on each other's toes all the time.
 

substitute

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Yeah. Like when Ne tells me "put it out there, in the open! what harm can it do?" while Ti tells me "seriously dude, patience, hold back, you'll make a right pig's ear of it if you blurt it out now!"
 
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