Basics of Cognitive Functions pt.1
As you may have guessed from my first post, this blog is meant to help you sort through what’s causing problems in your head, primarily through the tools and theories of the 16 personality types, and the cognitive functions. Though there will be other philosophical and psychological goodies in the future, for now we will be focusing on cognition.
So, for those of you who’ve been wondering from the first post, “what even are these cognitive functions?” I will be going into more detail about the basics of the eight cognitive functions, what they mean, how each function interacts with one another, how they make up the types themselves, and what they mean for you.
Before we jump into all of that though, here is a list of all of the cognitive functions, which will be further explained later in the post.
Extraverted Intuition (Ne)
Introverted Intuition (Ni)
Extraverted Sensing (Se)
Introverted Sensing (Si)
Extraverted Thinking (Te)
Introverted Thinking (Ti)
Extraverted Feeling (Fe)
Introverted Feeling (Fi)
The functions are simply the introverted and extraverted versions of Intuition, Sensing, Thinking, and Feeling.
The first thing to be aware of is that all types, and by extension all people, use all 8 functions, just in various combinations and levels of strength.
The second important thing to know is that the functions always work in an order of Introverted > Extraverted > Introverted > Extraverted and vice versa.
As I explained in my first post, your first or Primary function is always the strongest, it is the function that comes most naturally to you. As a child, your primary function will be the easiest to identify for a long time, until the second function begins to emerge more clearly.
As you grow and develop, the second or Auxiliary function becomes much more pronounced, guiding or being guided by your primary function. Together these two functions make up the bulk of your identity, and the way you think. They are your strong suit, and from these two functions you can extrapolate the rest of your function stack.
The third or Tertiary function is already quite weaker, and presents a bit of a challenge to use in a healthy manner, showing up in your development slowly as you mature. This third function will serve to balance your thought process, giving you more depth and a wider view, but if you’re not careful, it’s easy to push your tertiary function too far, and end up stuck in the Loop.
The final and weakest fourth or Inferior function will always be a natural weak spot for you, being the opposite of your primary function. This isn’t to say that you should avoid dealing with it at all, or that you will never be able to use it right, only that it will be very difficult to even acknowledge its purpose, let alone use it in a positive way. Usually the only times the inferior function is being used actively is either in a barely conscious manner, or full throttle when stuck in the Grip.
Now you must be wondering, “How can it be the final function, what about the other four?” While it is true that everyone uses all eight functions, typically only the first four are within your conscious control, and they make up your actual cognition and type. The remaining four functions are referred to as the Shadow Functions, being rooted deeper in your subconscious, and usually only appearing in negative ways, fueled by stress. This doesn’t mean that the Shadow is inherently negative, but it is a part of you that you can’t control as well you might like.
I’ll be sure to make a post in the future specifically for the Shadow, but for now we will focus on the main four conscious functions that make up your type.
With introductions for the four function “slots” out of the way, we can look at how they actually work. As I mentioned earlier, the functions follow a specific pattern, so if your primary function is extraverted, then the next one will have to be introverted and so on. The other pattern to keep in mind is that the primary and inferior functions are mirrored, as are the auxiliary and tertiary.
This might seem counter intuitive, you might think “how and why would I use these two weaker functions that I don’t even like?”, but it’s all a matter of balance. Often your inferior function might fuel your primary, which in turn guides your auxiliary, to then be balanced by the tertiary. The sooner you embrace the necessity and seamless pattern of the functions, understand how they help one another and make up the person that is you, the better!
It might seem like an easy conclusion to make that if the Loop and Grip are so dangerous, better to avoid them entirely, who needs them anyway? But to ignore half of your conscious functions would mean neglecting a big portion of who you are, bringing your development and growth to a grinding halt.
