[MBTI General] ISFP and Sensors Stereotypes! Here's the truth..

[reckful]

[MENTION=25391]Soph11287[/MENTION] —

I should probably have already noted that although, as discussed in my other posts, Jung talked about a four-function stack — with the second function typically serving as the "auxiliary" (Jung's term) to the dominant and the third function typically serving as, in effect, the inferior function's auxiliary — Jung did not (I don't believe) use the term "tertiary" to refer to his third function. But Myers, Beebe, Quenk, Thomson, Berens, Nardi and practically everybody else you're ever going to read on the Jungian functions use the term "tertiary" to refer to Jung's third function.

 

[Soph11287]

To activate your transcendent function, take three deep breaths, and then use the thumb and index finger of your right hand to gently massage the skin between the bases of the second and third toes of your left foot.

Again, you should start by reading Jung's Symbol definition — and in particular, the last seven paragraphs (starting with "The symbol is always a creation...").

Jung's "transcendent function," unlike the four functions in the Jungian stack, is not a function that gets used on an ordinary basis. It's a separate process that only happens from time to time, triggered by a damming up of libido that results from too much one-sidedness on a person's conscious side, and it involves a temporary uniting of the opposites (e.g., E/I, S/N, T/F) that are in play most of the time. But it's only temporary, because as Jung explained, "after a while the opposites recover their strength," hand in hand with the person's "will" — which Jung said is essentially "suspended" during the transcendent-function episode.

So an ISFP's transcendental function would be I/E-S/N-F/T-P/J. Basically your saying the transcendental function is every preference combined into one person? So Jung believed our true self didn't have a preference? If our souls don't have a preference than how do we have personality/ are they separate things?

 

[Soph11287]

[MENTION=25391]Soph11287[/MENTION] —

I should probably have already noted that although, as discussed in my other posts, Jung talked about a four-function stack — with the second function typically serving as the "auxiliary" (Jung's term) to the dominant and the third function typically serving as, in effect, the inferior function's auxiliary — Jung did not (I don't believe) use the term "tertiary" to refer to his third function. But Myers, Beebe, Quenk, Thomson, Berens, Nardi and practically everybody else you're ever going to read on the Jungian functions use the term "tertiary" to refer to Jung's third function.

I just don't understand clearly what the transcendental function is exactly. I read somewhere that it was the third function and I could go back and check but I don't care right now. It seems like even you are unclear as to what it really is.

 

[reckful]

So Jung believed our true self didn't have a preference?

I just don't understand clearly what the transcendental function is exactly. I read somewhere that it was the third function and I could go back and check but I don't care right now. It seems like even you are unclear as to what it really is.

Did you read the Symbol definition??

Jung believed that, assuming you were one of his types, you most certainly did have preferences, and they're what made you the type you are. And Jung viewed all the preferences as involving pairs of opposites — E/I, S/N and T/F — where having a preference for one side of any pair involved a corresponding partial repression of the opposing side.

But Jung also thought that it was fairly typical that, from time to time, somebody's one-sidedness — e.g., a Ti-dom's tendency to favor thinking and introversion over feeling and extraversion — would increase to the point that the repression became psychologically problematic. And in that case, what could ideally happen is that the "dammed" unconscious "libido" that resulted from the over-repression of F and E would somehow trigger a symbol to arise that would combine — in a way that the person's conscious reasoning wasn't really capable of comprehending — E and I and S and N and T and F.

And Jung referred to that arising-of-the-uniting-symbol process as the "transcendent function."

But here's the thing: That transcendent unification of the opposites — and the simultaneous suspension of the person's will — could only be a temporary state of affairs. Think of it as a kind of mystical epiphany experience.

Soon enough, Jung explained, the opposites would inevitably "recover their strength," the person's "will" would kick back into gear, and normal life — and the dynamic play of the opposites — would resume.

And so, you may be wondering, would that mean you were just back where you started?

And Jung would have answered: not exactly. As Jung saw it, such episodes would ideally result in a person somehow becoming a little more of a rich/complete "Self" by more fully incorporating some of their formerly-unconscious stuff into their conscious side. But that doesn't mean that the Ti-dom wouldn't continue to be a Ti-dom, and continue to favor I and T over E and F, and continue to have further episodes where the introversion and/or thinking got too one-sided and another transcendent epiphany was triggered.

 

[PeaceBaby]

I like to be surrounded by high quality things because as an ISFP I have refined taste. I could't live off grid for very long even though it's a wonderful idea because I love the pleasurable things society has to offer. Nicely made houses, beautiful luxurious beds, etc.. that stuff does't matter as much to INFP's.

Hi new person! Nice to meet you!

Something I'd like to point out ... my ISFP best friend lives like a hobo. So, be careful not to generalize to this extent. It's the thinking about why she does this that matters. She feels that she is living an ideal in leaving little footprint on the earth. The particular expressions themselves don't matter as much as the rationale behind them, the thinking pattern itself.

 

[cascadeco]

Hi new person! Nice to meet you!

Something I'd like to point out ... my best ISFP friend lives like a hobo. So, be careful not to generalize to this extent. It's the thinking about why she does this that matters. She feels that she is living an ideal in leaving little footprint on the earth. The particular expressions themselves don't matter as much as the rationale behind them, the thinking pattern itself.

Yes, definitely. That's kind of what I meant with my earlier post, but you illustrated this perfectly with the example.

Anyway Soph, welcome.

 

[Soph11287]

Did you read the Symbol definition??

Jung believed that, assuming you were one of his types, you most certainly did have preferences, and they're what made you the type you are. And Jung viewed all the preferences as involving pairs of opposites — E/I, S/N and T/F — where having a preference for one side of any pair involved a corresponding partial repression of the opposing side.

But Jung also thought that it was fairly typical that, from time to time, somebody's one-sidedness — e.g., a Ti-dom's tendency to favor thinking and introversion over feeling and extraversion — would increase to the point that the repression became psychologically problematic. And in that case, what could ideally happen is that the "dammed" unconscious "libido" that resulted from the over-repression of F and E would somehow trigger a symbol to arise that would combine — in a way that the person's conscious reasoning wasn't really capable of comprehending — E and I and S and N and T and F.

And Jung referred to that arising-of-the-uniting-symbol process as the "transcendent function."

But here's the thing: That transcendent unification of the opposites — and the simultaneous suspension of the person's will — could only be a temporary state of affairs. Think of it as a kind of mystical epiphany experience.

Soon enough, Jung explained, the opposites would inevitably "recover their strength," the person's "will" would kick back into gear, and normal life — and the dynamic play of the opposites — would resume.

And so, you may be wondering, would that mean you were just back where you started?

And Jung would have answered: not exactly. As Jung saw it, such episodes would ideally result in a person somehow becoming a little more of a rich/complete "Self" by more fully incorporating some of their formerly-unconscious stuff into their conscious side. But that doesn't mean that the Ti-dom wouldn't continue to be a Ti-dom, and continue to favor I and T over E and F, and continue to have further episodes where the introversion and/or thinking got too one-sided and another transcendent epiphany was triggered.

well put from what i understood (and this is just my personal interpretation). Jung more clearly believed our 'conscious functions' to be our ego while the 5th function, the transcendent function, symbolized the unchanging self of the individual. Self is like the nucleus or embryo of a person, the 5th function is the center of who we are. Personally I see individuation as the process of becoming who we are. I think we are born with the awareness of our real personality and through life we do lose contact with that part of ourselves to adapt to our environment and maybe protect ourselves from being hurt. To me the greatest journey is to rediscover who that original person is within ourselves. I see how it could be both helpful and harmful to relate too strongly to our "type". On some level I think I've always sensed that there's much more to me then meets the eye and much of that I'm not even aware of myself. I would imagine that much unhappiness and frustration felt in my life comes from the fact that I'm still living within my own ego. We would know if we were in touch with our true self because it brings with it a sense of peace, eternity and wholeness that only very few people have attained. Children naturally live in that state. They are filled with the light of God, they don't try to be anything they're not.

 

[draon9]

I did not think about this, it seems to me that isfps can be really good teachers and a lot of isxp have a wise quality to them