BETWEEN LIGHT AND SHADOW; THE 8 PSYCHIC FUNCTIONS

IN PSYCHOLOGICAL TYPES, CG Jung shed light on the existence of the eight functions at work in the psychic life of every individual, and how their processes differ from one individual to the next. Let us consider the two elements which have the most relevance for our approach:

• the nature of the eight functions

• their order of appearance in the life of the psyche.

THE 8 FUNCTIONS

For Jung, the functions are the framework of the life of the psyche. They are processes, methods – they do not imply a specific content. To use an analogy from the field of computer technology, your computer makes use of an operating system and a variety of software to write, draw, and calculate, and these are the processes; with them, you can create specific content – for example you can write a novel or a composition, do your personal accounting, or create works of art, and these are the specific content. The eight psychological functions are the tools at our disposal to:

• gather information (Perceiving functions), and

• process and evaluate information in order to make decisions (Judging functions).

These eight functions exist in pairs of opposites. The abbreviations in parentheses are generally used to represent each function:

• Extraverted Sensing (Se) – Introverted Intuiting (Ni)

• Introverted Sensing (Si) – Extraverted Intuiting (Ne)

• Extraverted Thinking (Te) – Introverted Feeling (Fi)

• Introverted Thinking (Ti) – Extraverted Feeling (Fe).

The idea of "opposition" is fundamental, and we will encounter it again and again. It should be understood as the difference of polarity which causes energy flow, just as electrical current needs a positive pole and a negative pole. Opposition can lead to exclusion, where one element can exist only by suppressing the other. It can also be understood as tension, creating dynamism and leading to complementarity.

If one function exists alone in the psyche, without the counterbalancing effect of its opposite, there is a risk of excess, imbalance, unilateralism. Although we make use of the eight functions differently (and we will see this in the next section), we definitely need each one of them.

Table 1.1 below summarizes the principal character of each function. Tables 1.2 to 1.9 will further explore the detailed characteristics of each function under the following headings:

• Nature: the very essence of the function, the basic process

• Symbol: a visual analogy representing the function; it is often used by those who use it preferentially.

• Key word: a word or expression summing up the fundamental drive or impulse

• Archetype: from the pantheon of Greek mythology, the god who seemingly best represents the function (The symbol † indicates entries in the Index of Literary References).

• Celebrities: well-known individuals or imaginary characters related to the function (The symbol † indicates entries in the Index of Literary References).

• General characteristics

• Specific characteristics related to:

- learning

- problem-solving

- leadership

- professional life

• Potential risks: possible problem areas if the function is used excessively, without the counterbalancing effect of the opposite pole.

ORDER OF INTEGR ATION OF THE FUNCTIONS

The eight functions do not reveal themselves in each individual's psyche in exactly the same way. They develop in a specific order which differs according to the individual's psychological type. Among the eight functions, the first two form a central core around which the others are ranked in accordance with the law of polar opposites. For this reason, we will refer to each type based on the initials of the first two functions, for example Fe/Ti to designate a person who has Extraverted Feeling as the first function and Introverted Thinking as the second function. This creates a pair of two "preferred" functions which are "preferred" not in the sense of an intentional choice, but rather as a natural predisposition or pre-existing psychic "formatting". They are like a pair of glasses which – unbeknownst to us – we are already wearing. These functions are the ones which strongly express our deepest intentions and everything that is most intrinsic to our system of values.

But everyone has all eight functions, and they all have a role to play; becoming aware of the "glasses" we are wearing is important as it will help us to change glasses when needed. The other functions, called "non-preferred functions", all establish themselves in the course of each individual's development, but they each follow a different path and begin to appear at different stages of life. As in nature, where some flowers bloom in spring or summer, so also do we observe each function grow and flourish throughout the course of our life. This occurs in the following order, and will be illustrated with two contrasting examples:

• Joseph, Te/Si, Extraverted Thinking/Introverted Sensing, and

• Olivia, Fi/Ne, Introverted Feeling/Extraverted Intuiting.

As we describe the developing functions, they will be indicated on the "function cross" for Joseph and for Olivia.

It is important to note that psychological type can be indicated in two different ways:

• either by using the two primary functions (dominant and auxiliary), which reflects the dynamic of the type,

• or by using the four letters indicating preference on the four opposing poles of the cross (E/I, S/N, T/F, J/P); this latter system is generally used for personality type indicators.

We will use the dominant/auxiliary designation, followed by the 4 -letter code equivalent in parentheses.

The functions are described as being "light" or "shadow" according to whether they are preferred by an individual or not. In fact, if I position myself where things appear to be in the light, the other functions are in shadow, blurry,...