I've recently learned a lot more and gained a better understanding of the anima, thanks to more Beebe articles being made available, as I discuss on "Archetypes of the Functions". Even e-mailed him, and he sent me a copy of another one.
While the preferred functions are more confident and mature, the anima, like the puer (tertiary) is more vulnerable. Still trying to think how exactly Si is vulnerable for me; though it is definitely childlike. But then, I have come to see that
it is not the "function" or "process" that is vulnerable, but rather the complex that fills the archetypal roles. That was very useful in understanding the eight-process model.
So Fe is definitely a very vulnerable area. Like others have said, very hypersentitive of what others think, easily manipulated and guilt stricken by others saying you don't care; etc. There is also a fear of punishment by others. I believe a lot of INTP's are good at hiding all of this; hence, the stereotype of being always so aloof and detached.
Also embodied in a sort of femininity, since the anima is supposed to be the opposite gender (makes me wonder how a male animus can be vulnerable for a female). I came to realize that this vulnerable, innocent female ideal image I have is from the anima. I also project it onto women, who appear innocent and like ideal mates. When they lose their "innocence", I get very upset, and it seems strange. This happened earlier this year with a friend's daughter. (Baby is due soon, found out about it in March). My wife was alarmed that I would be so upset about a teenage girl, but it's not that I wanted her myself or anything; it's just an image projected from the anima (plus it triggered memories of a very similar to a girl I liked at that age), and it explains a lot I have gone through with some women I have known over my life (and it is certainly great to have this framework to explain this latest instance).
This ideal female would likely be an Fe type, who is accepted and liked by the people around her. It's what I always wished I could be, and it always seemed that it was harder to be find that acceptance as a male, because in my environment (the inner city) males had to project this particular tough guy image to be accepted, and even then, male social image is very limited; they have to act a certain way, and it is often females who can be all lively and silly. So I have often been jealous of females in social situations.
Also, since it's introverts who tend to look more "innocent", ISxJ's do seem to fit the image more then dom. Fe types. And many around me are ISTJ's. ISTJ women do look like Fe users, because of the dom. Si retaining the conventions they have learned, such as the traditional role of women, which are stereotypically Feeling anyway; and probably also the tertiary Fi, which will look up to values.
Since some had thought I might be dom. Ne, I had to weigh this, and look at a possible Si anima. Before I understood the anima, I could not even tell the difference between what a puer or anima would be like, except for the puer developing earlier and being more distinctly associated with childlike relief. But thankfully, Beebe discusses his Si anima in a couple of his essays, and it does not match mine. His anima is represented as a Chinese laundress he knew, who is orderly and sensory. I would say my ideal female is specifically a
nurturer (which ISTJ's are NOT, as will come out in their judgments).
For me, Si did develop earlier, and is more of a source for "relief", and I can see that it does fit Lenore Thomson's "tertiary temptation", while Fe seems to be associated with Femininity and is developing more now. Hence, a problem of projecting Fe innocence on ISTJ females, only to find they are not so "innocent" at all, but actually rather more closely fit the Opposing Personality (also opposite gender), because of the Te. In fact, I now realize that in the concept I was trying to express here:
http://www.typologycentral.com/forums/sexuality-mature-topics/14800-different-types-attraction.html, the "femininity" factor (in blue) represented the anima, and the "sexiness" factor (in red) is connected with the Opposing Personality; at least in females higher in the light red (the personality bar). They have a sort of power over men, with their wit and attractiveness, and the less light blue, the less "nice" they are about it, and hence, fitting ExTJ.
Shame my whole discovery process was actually hampered by some "expert" who basically attacked my Fe (using other people's supposed values), and then declared it to be a Senex ("critical parent" shadow) when I reacted. Just think what that does to a vulnerable anima, especially growing up with ISTJ parents for whom Fe was Trickster, and used to try to appeal to external values all the time to push me to grow. People attacking the anima like that creates a strong feeling of emasculation that conveys the sense of a vulnerable female being raped.
But just like the hero and parent are confident and mature, their shadows, the opposing personality and witch/senex are also confident and very aggressive. Fe is not that for me. Then, the vulnerable child and anima are shadowed by the trickster and demon, which are not really vulnerable themselves, but compensate for the vulnerability by being very reactive. One person I know describes them as a club used to bash the other side. Fi and Se do often fit that for me.
When INTP's have these strong "Feeling" reactions, using the familiar four process theory, they often attribute it to Fe, but it is possibly really demonic Fi. I have been saying that "function attitude" has been a bit overrated anyway, so the line between Fe as anima and Fi as demon is not as great as some may assume. Feeling is the most rejected function by dominant Thinkers, so the line will be fuzzy switching between external and internal use under stress. Beebe himself even said that the "inferior Feeling" as described by James Hillman (typical negative stuff we often report, such as "anger and desire", etc.) was more likely demonic Fi.
So attacking the anima will trigger this demonic Fi, which will try to maintain my own rightness and tear down the other person's. I don't think preferred Fi users really do that. If I'm correct, they'll say "well, that's just how you feel", and maintain their integrity in a more confident manner.
Another good key to have of Beebe's model is that functions 1/4 and 5/8, called the "spine" deal more with the ego's relation to self; while 2/3, 6/7, called the "arms" deal more with our relation to others. So our Fe is really ultimately
more about us than others (though of course, it by nature directly references others). Hence, the deep down desire of acceptance by others is to support the ego. For an ExTP, in the Child position, it is more focused on others.