[Jungian Cognitive Functions] Using your inferior function well

[Laxton]

That was confusing, I apologize. Why did you change your mind about your type?

At first, I just didn't see myself being able to identify with any of the xNTJ types because I saw myself as a pretty lazy person. This was back when I used the 4 letters to determine what my type was. The Myers-Briggs type description for ENTJ or INTJ didn't seem to fit me either. I saw myself as an intuitive thinker and a perceiver, but didn't see myself as an introvert. This was originally how I decided that I was an ENTP.

However, upon further researching of the functions and what they are, I realized that my Ne is not one of my stronger functions. My strongest function is Te, and upon thinking further I can see why. The cognitiveprocesses.com description of Te says that "In written or verbal communication, extraverted Thinking helps us easily follow someone else's logic, sequence, or organization."

I find myself doing that quite often. In conversation, I find it very easily to see where another person is coming from. I can tell whether their opinions are based on their feelings, or whether their logical progression is missing a piece of information that makes the conclusion that they have drawn incorrect. I can pick apart any argument that I believe to have faulty logic, pick it apart, and piece it together in a way that makes sense to the other person.

Upon further introspection, I could say that I was formerly a damaged ENTJ. When I was little, I loved to learn. I read quite a lot, and I was a really big talker. I had no problem being organized and turning in assignments to my teacher. I was also pretty bossy, which seems to be a defining characteristic of ENTJs.

Despite this, however, my parents moved around a lot and I found myself having to make new friends very frequently. They split up when I was very young as well, which I feel has affected the dynamic of my immediate family greatly.

I took the 16personalities test a long time ago and scored as an INTP-T during my high school years. However, this was in the middle of my adolescence and I don't believe the results at that point in time to be reliable, as I was a very insecure and shy person at that point in time. I was also kicked out of my dad's home after getting in a fight with my INTJ stepmother.

I was put into a new school district with a curriculum that did not challenge me in the slightest. I was put in classes that were a year behind what I took previously, and quickly developed a reputation as one of the smartest kids in my class. The other students there struck me as generally unintelligent and the classes felt so below me that I got bored. In fact, I got so bored that I lost my motivation to turn assignments in on time because I believed them to be rudimentary, mind-numbing bullshit. I graduated with a 3.16 GPA despite having the capability to graduate as the top of my class. Before i entered this high school I never fell asleep in a class in my life, and during high school I slept through at least 2 of my class periods on a daily basis.

I am very close friends with our school valedictorian (as well as most of the students that graduated top 10 in my class), and she thought that I was much smarter than her, and couldn't understand why I was so lazy. My teachers always got frustrated with me because of this, because they thought I was a genius. My chemistry teacher referred to me as "the school's biggest underachiever," and my AP Calculus teacher said in a parent-teacher conference that I was a "smart kid, but a TERRIBLE student." My physics teacher got mad at me when I asked her to give me extra credit, shouting that I was "a math genius" and couldn't understand why I wasn't able to get an A in her class on my own.

Upon further growing up, developing confidence, and being further exposed to the world, I can confidently say that I'm an ENTJ. However, I was an emotionally damaged and unmotivated ENTJ until very recently. I didn't have a goal in mind, and wandered aimlessly throughout my high school years. I didn't find any motivation to work harder until I started college, and I appreciate the looser reins that are on me as far as a student. I find myself more appreciative of the fact that my ability to succeed is dependent on my own individual ability and diligence. I love the freedom given to me, and it has made me more inclined to focus on my responisibilities.

 

[Smilephantomhive]

I can think of a lot of good ideas at the last minute. And I mean literally last minute. I don't trust myself to do this, but it happens from time to time.

My best Ne usage either happens when it's urgently needed or with something I care a lot about. The more I learn about my obsessions the more wild my Ne gets.

 

[ZNP-TBA]

I can only handle my inferior function at the forefront of my cognition for a very limited time. Short spurts in other words.
My Si helps me structure my Ne perceptions kind of like a filing cabinet Ti-Fe can draw from. It provides an opportunity for my ideas to be grounded in something. I love free style brainstorming but sometimes ideas require more context and specific purpose. Some big ideas require smaller details in order to be viable.

In everyday life a healthy use of inferior SI works for me as sort of a warning alarm. When my Si is ringing then it usually means I might be heading down the wrong path in my thinking or actions. It's usually based on experience, a reminder that pursuing a certain pattern of thought will lead to negative consequences for me. I can compare present perception to past experience and get a more well rounded picture of things.

 

[Norrsken]

I admit it, I do sometimes abuse my Se often by acting excessively indulgent. I would gorge on foods I know I shouldn't have. I'll shop until it turns out I don't have enough left for a bill to pay (and then I return the useless crap back to the stores). I will binge watch useless materials on the computer or Netflix, or read about things that won't help me in the long run. I am obsessed with being on the internet all day. I'll sleep and snooze all day because the blankets and the warmth feels too good to leave. I drink alcohol like a fish and can hardly stop myself.

It feels too good, but I am getting a lot better.

 

[Thalassa]

I am generally reminded of what my inferior function is by people shocked by me finally being offended or pissed off IRL...why do you sound like the army? Don't think you should try to manipulate me more with nice words? You missed your calling as a drill sergeant.

My inferior Te gets things taken care of in states of chaos, or social bullshit. I think FP are known for finally cutting the crap, in socially or ethically motivated situations.

But in the grip of the inferior, I'm just nasty, hateful and stressed.

It plays the best role spontaneously during situations of sudden random calamity, suddenly calling everyone to order, or being the voice when other people keep trying to politely hedge around the issue, and you're just like "no."

 

[cascadeco]

I am generally reminded of what my inferior function is by people shocked by me finally being offended or pissed off IRL...why do you sound like the army? Don't think you should try to manipulate me more with nice words? You missed your calling as a drill sergeant.

My inferior Te gets things taken care of in states of chaos, or social bullshit. I think FP are known for finally cutting the crap, in socially or ethically motivated situations.

But in the grip of the inferior, I'm just nasty, hateful and stressed.

It plays the best role spontaneously during situations of sudden random calamity, suddenly calling everyone to order, or being the voice when other people keep trying to politely hedge around the issue, and you're just like "no."

I'm not sure I've ever actually been in 'the grip of the inferior' (also I'll be honest, I don't know how much I buy into this element of the theory, in terms of it being applicable to everyone in the same way; but I'm not at all denying your experience/the fact you can relate to it, fyi ) When stressed, I pull back because I know I'm potentially toxic/crabby/not feeling 100%, so I try to get myself away from everything, and keep a lid on it until I'm no longer in that space (unless someone forces me to talk, in which case it'll probably come out pretty bluntly, even if not angry).

But I can relate to the other things you wrote, I think. When a child/teenager/even in my 20's, I know I was a lot 'softer' and pliant, like all of the time. Now, like at work for example, I'm much more noted for being no-nonsense/matter of fact. I think it applies to what you're saying re states of chaos (which my work could be described as on a minor scale), social pleasantries (I realize as I get older that I am not skilled at Fe at all, and I *really* admire healthy Fe users).

 

[Thalassa]

According to some JCF theorists, we actually develop our inferior before our tert. The logic is simple: in the late teens before our frontal lobes are fully developed, our inferior challenges our dominant function for control. Then, eventually, around 25, we have a quarter life crisis and the inferior is subsumed into the dominant. It no longer really exists independently, but we use it as we use the dominant function.

Periods in the grip can therefore be profound periods of growth. We use these functions and develop them to become a more well rounded person, actualized.

In my case, the pattern was a bit messed up. In a defensive measure, I not only lived in my Ti, I never consciously realized I lived an entirely different manner than I believed I did. I lived as the Fe dom, outgoing, connected to everything and everyone, finding meaning behind the surface, but I believed myself to be a cold thinker, imprevious to everyone else and logical as Spock. The long battle led to a ton of problems, finally coming to a head last year at midlife.

So, while I am clearly a ENFJ based upon my life and such, I have been told I sometimes wield Ti very strongly.

I think this makes sense, but you always eventually wield the inferior in service to the dom. So I only have a Te push when my values or lifestyle is threatened. The proverbial foot up someone's ass, is the main purpose I've seen it serve, other than calling me as an individual to action, under stress. In fact I find myself judgey of people who fall apart, because my response has always been opposite. ..my therapist has actually tried to help me by telling me it's OK to slow down sometimes, you don't have to push through every horrible thing, if you do it will break you down eventually. But I've noticed I'll start listing information to help people in precarious situations, that this is a skill I've developed. ..this is likely Se/Te though, none of our functions work alone. One of the leaders I worked with in outdoor education asked me if I wouldn't like to break into parks or forestry by becoming an EMT, so I could meet an immediate need in an organized way...but as an Fi dom, I have concerns about how that would drain me on a daily basis, versus setting into action under circumstances, or during demonstrations, or volunteer work.

 

[Thalassa]

I'm not sure I've ever actually been in 'the grip of the inferior' (also I'll be honest, I don't know how much I buy into this element of the theory, in terms of it being applicable to everyone in the same way; but I'm not at all denying your experience/the fact you can relate to it, fyi ) When stressed, I pull back because I know I'm potentially toxic/crabby/not feeling 100%, so I try to get myself away from everything, and keep a lid on it until I'm no longer in that space (unless someone forces me to talk, in which case it'll probably come out pretty bluntly, even if not angry).

But I can relate to the other things you wrote, I think. When a child/teenager/even in my 20's, I know I was a lot 'softer' and pliant, like all of the time. Now, like at work for example, I'm much more noted for being no-nonsense/matter of fact. I think it applies to what you're saying re states of chaos (which my work could be described as on a minor scale), social pleasantries (I realize as I get older that I am not skilled at Fe at all, and I *really* admire healthy Fe users).

I react by withdrawing under normal stress. I think because of being in an abusive relationship and setting out on my own at a young age taught me how to use my inferior, but is also why I have seen therapists about being in the grip thereof.

But yes under normal circumstances I would just listen to music, watch movies, post on the Internet, maybe drink, or under better conditions take a solo vacation, all things I love to do, to pull away and deal with stress in a healthy way.

So it's likely the result of my life experiences.

 

[Tilt]

I think my inferior Ti gives me a laissez-faire detachment when I am trying to explain myself to others and/or trouble-shooting. Nothing all that special.

 

[MyCupOfTea]

I've started to see Te as my "power-kick" function. I use it quite a lot at work, where I have to be convincing and be able to get to the point quickly. At the same time, it's pretty draining, so I'm happy to get back to my comfortably scattered Fi-Ne world when the job's done.