[INFJ] How do INFJs behave in regards to their shadow functions?

[pancakegirl]

Hey Guys so I've been looking at the cognitive functions for some of the personality types, looking more specifically at INFP, ENFP and INFJ. After looking at them, I think I might be more of an INFJ.

I know about the INFJ functions ( Introverted Intuition, Extroverted Feeling, Introverted Thinking, Extroverted Sensing). However, I'm finding it harder to grasp the concept of the shadow functions (would these be how the INFJ acts when they are under stress?)

The shadow functions for the INFJ;
Extroverted Intuition (Opposing)
Introverted Feeling (Critical Parent)
Extroverted Thinking (Deceiving)
Introverted Sensing (Devilish)

I'm just curious to know, how would an INFJ act according to all 4 shadow functions. For example, because Introverted Feeling is the second shadow function (critical parent). Would this mean that maybe when INFJ's are under stress they might put themselves down because they don't feel like a "good" person, or they don't feel like they haven't followed their morals/ ethics?? I don't know If that sounds right..:/

Would you be able to use examples of what kind of behaviour these 4 shadow functions would involve in regards to the INFJ personality type because I'm a bit stuck?

 

[Pionart]

Ha I was just thinking about a similar thing when I saw this actually.

I would start off by saying that the Beebe model isn't necessarily accurate with depicting how a type relates to their unconscious functions (best to call them the unconscious functions rather than the shadow functions).

Basically, they're the processes which take place in a person's psyche outside of the person's own volition - however a person can gain control over them through more indirect means.

The unconscious functions often appear in the form of a response to the initial, conscious four functions of a person's psyche.

So when Ne comes up in an INFJ, it may be as new ideas manifesting in the psyche, cross-contextualisations relevant to what they first processes through their Ni, however it will have also generally gone through Fe, Ti and Se too before it gets there.

Ne and Fi are inspirational functions for the INFJ. That means that they manifest when a person is energised by forces outside of their usual field of awareness.

When they first manifest, their is a sense of strangeness and confusion to them, but once a person gets used to them they seem more wonderful.

Ne is like the dominant function of the unconscious mind for the INFJ. It is where they gain a new boost of energy for completing the rest of their journey; Fi appears next.

When Te and Si kick in, these are the troublesome functions for the unconscious mind, just as Ti and Se are troublesome for the conscious mind. They manifest in rather specific forms because they've first been processes through the prior functions previous to getting there.

So, when Te and Si become active, there is a sense of completion of the psyche - finding ways to process things through all 8 of the various processes of the psyche. As such, when information has been processed through them, there is a sense of mastery relevant to that information.

The 8th function is like the conclusion of the process. It really brings things home. The 4th function is an intermediate conclusion, before things are passed to the other half of the psyche and receive life anew.

Beyond that, I don't know much of what to say. The unconscious processes aren't really a negative thing, unless someone hasn't yet been made aware of them in which case there can be a kind of shock associated with their activation.

"Shadow" is a term best suited to the 3rd and 4th functions, or maybe even the non-identified/negative manifestation of the 1st and 2nd. I don't really associate the shadow with the 5th-8th processes.

 

[Pionart]

I'll give a brief outline of how I behave when my unconscious functions are active:

Ne: I become "possessed" by an idea, I have all these thoughts going through my head, I see connections everywhere, the world comes alive with meaning

Fi: I become emotional. Whereas I usually seem very unaffected, I could easily feel happiness or sadness which comes on suddenly without a clear reason

Te: I become grandiose. I get a sense of self-importance, and confidence. I want to charge full-steam-ahead with regards to what I have planned.

Si: I become regretful. I regain a sense of connection to my past, and realise the non-normalcy of what I'd gone through; alternatively, I bring things to closure and add the final touches to give something a character of tradition/continuation.