Aushra Commentary on Jung's Typology

Commentary on Jung's typology
and introduction to information metabolism

A.Augustinavichiute

Published: "Socionics, Mentology and Personality Psychology" , 1995, № 2,
Re: Augustinavichute A. Socionics: Introduction. - SPb., Terra Fantastica, 1998, p. 25 - 32.

The typology of Carl Gustav Jung [1] is fundamentally different from all other typologies, which, as a rule, are limited to describing human behavior and the classification of this behavior.

Jung is not looking for any diseases or accentuations of character; he is looking for structural differences in the perception and thinking of completely healthy, in all respects normal individuals, in which inclinations, abilities and talents these structures manifest, in what life difficulties they lead.

(1) “Two faces,” says Jung, “... see the same object, but they do not see it so that both derived from this picture are absolutely identical. In addition to the varying acuteness of the sense organs and the personal equation, there are often deep differences in the type and size of the mental assimilation of the perceptual image ”(p.56) [2].

Jung's typology is a typology of healthy people, which makes it possible to understand the psyche of a sick person, and not vice versa, as is usually the case. But it is not complete. Jung gave only a contour map of human types, requiring completion and completion.Many hypotheses and thoughts of the author of the typology are only working hypotheses, conjectures when trying to project a model of the human psyche.

The goal of our work is to try to understand the models of the psyche projected by Jung, to show which positions and categories can be considered completely proved and irrefutable. And, as far as possible, to clarify the contour map given to them. It is time to consider the provisions and working hypotheses of Jung who have served their time, not forgetting that it is rather difficult to understand Jung completely, often he is deeper and more accurate than it seems even after a thorough study. Something that seems to be a flaw today, a mistake, a random word, or a reservation can be revealed in the future as another undervalued position. Often, for the seemingly out of place with the above thought, the deep laws comprehended by the author lie, which he only superficially describes. And much has to be rediscovered to make sure that Jung has “already had it”, only - not fully deployed, poorly worded.

Often, Jung is charged with unscientific, unclear and incomprehensible terminology. But he, working in the first half of the XX century (1875? 1961), fell into the sphere of unknown objects. Most of the terms used by Jung play the role of, as it were, the initial, conditional "nicknames", which are necessary in order to distinguish one part of an incompletely understood phenomenon from its other part. Without this, further understanding of the object being studied is impossible. A scientist trying to solve the riddle of the human psyche is in a position, say, a physicist studying deep processes that cannot be seen with my own eyes, and information about which is collected only on the basis of observing the external interaction of objects. Everything written by Jung is a generalization of observations of the interaction of people and attempts to build on the basis of these observations models of the psyche. Jung himself wrote about it:

(2) “... I must confine myself to stating the principles that I have abstracted from such separate observations. In this case, it is not a question of deduction but priori, as it might seem, but of a deductive presentation of empirically acquired views. ” (p.6)

It is a pity that other researchers of the human psyche did not go along the Jung trail, but began to circle roundabout roads. Therefore, until now, both in our country and in the West, each of the more or less large specialists uses a different typology, or even does without it. It looks no less strange, as if, after Mendeleev, chemists compiled their own tables of chemical elements.

How and on what basis did Jung's typology appear? In essence, this is an improvement in the Sigmund Freud model -

ego - superego - id.

Checking this model, Jung was convinced that most or even all relations between a person and animate and inanimate objects are determined by the mental structure of people . That is, that these relationships are different, and that the reason for this difference is the difference in the mental structure of individuals. Therefore, using relationships as a starting point, one can construct not one, as in Freud, but several models of the psyche, which Jung did. The question may immediately arise: why was the relationship the starting point? As we shall see later, this is determined by the fact that the author of the typology referred to the “introverted” type, the conscious perception of which is directed not towards the objects, but towards the relations between them.

Jung's discovery is the discovery of the mechanism of selection of signals perceived by the psyche. This mechanism can be called the information metabolism code (MI), or the rules of the language through which information is transmitted. The mechanism consists of eight elements, different combinations of which give sixteen codes of myocardial infarction. Each person is the owner of one of such codes, therefore, from the point of view of Jung's typology, a person is not only an individual and a representative of the human race, but also a representative of a certain type of MI. Types of informational metabolism are qualitatively different constituent elements of humanity.

The basis of the models of IM was a kind of structure - a combination of eight elements, which Jung called mental functions. The difference between the individual models is which of the elements play a leading role. First of all, the role of the first and second functions.Although Jung himself emphasized the importance of only the first - the main function:

(3) “the main functions, i.e., functions that are significantly different from other functions, are, in my experience, thinking, emotions, sensation and intuition. If one of these functions habitually dominates, the corresponding type appears. Therefore, I distinguish between the thinking, emotional, sensory and intuitive type. Each of these types can be introverted or extroverted ... "(p.9).

(4) “In general, I distinguish four basic functions, two rational and two irrational functions, namely thinking and emotions, sensation and intuition. Why I recognize these four functions as the main functions - I can’t give reasons and, I can only say that this understanding has developed over many years of experience ”(p.94).

Explaining these provisions, we add that if the types of IM Jung called extroverted and introverted, then the individual elements-functions were called functions with extraverted installation and functions with introverted installation. Four functions with extraverted and four with introverted installation, totaling eight. Therefore, we are not talking about four everywhere, like Jung, but about eight elements. It is interesting to note that what Jung called the first and second functions is nothing more than the Freudian ego.

Pure type

It is often asked whether a person can be an “extravert” (extrovert) and an “introvert” (introverted) at the same time. That is, can not be partly one, partly another. We will put an end to misunderstandings, if we understand that the psyche of one person is potentially, that is, in its embryo, nothing significant differs from the psyche of another. There is not and cannot be that in one there is something that in the other there is no trace. Each type of MI is the same, only in different degrees of development. In each type, we find both the mechanism of extraversion and the mechanism of introversion. But each one of them prevails. That is why some are called only extrovert, others only introverted.

(5) “... each person has common mechanisms, extraversion and introversion, and only the relative preponderance of one or the other determines the type” (p.6).

(6) “... a type, i.e., a familiar setting in which one mechanism constantly dominates, without being able, of course, to completely suppress the other, since it belongs to the mental activity of life. Therefore, a pure type can never exist in the sense that it fully owns one mechanism with complete atrophy of another. A typical installation always means only a relative advantage of one mechanism ”(p.8).

Attention should be paid to the notion of “pure type” used by Jung and us, underlined in the above quotation. It easily confuses any less experienced reader, who thinks that this “Jung himself” asserts that there are no pure types, and therefore everyone is “a little extrovert, a little introvert”. Although Jung here claims only that the mechanisms of extraversion and introversion do not exist alone without the other. Something, is a person extroverted or introverted, is determined only by the advantage of one of the mechanisms.Jung used the concept of "special types" or "functional types" that arise due to "compensation", that is, due to the fact that both mechanisms and all eight elements operate simultaneously:

(7) “... I will try ... to give some characteristic of those special types, the originality of which is determined by the fact that the individual adapts and orients himself mainly by means of his most developed function. I would mark ... the latter as functional types ”(p.10).

When we talk about the types of informational metabolism, we are referring to precisely such conglomerates, formed from all eight elements, in which certain elements are constantly, play a leading role. Therefore, if in the psyche of every person there are all the elements, then, however, it cannot be said that there is a little of it from one, a little from another type.

The second, often ambiguously understood statement of Jung, is the question of whether a “harmonious”, ie, even development of two or more elements is possible. In order to avoid misunderstanding, we quote:

(8) “Experience has shown that basic psychological functions are rarely or almost never have equal power or the same degree of development in the same individual. Usually this or that function outweighs both in force and development ”(p.27).

(9) “However,” wrote Jung, —... there are individuals whose thinking is at the same height with feeling, and both have the same conscious motivating force. But in this case it’s not a differentiated type, but a relatively undeveloped thinking and feeling. A uniform consciousness and unconsciousness of functions is therefore a sign of a primitive state of mind ”(pp.88-89).

Our research has fully confirmed this statement: we have not met such individuals among mentally high-grade people. I just want to add at once that this rule is true for all eight elements-functions. Each element performs a different function, it differs both in the quantity and quality of the perceived and processed information from the outside. That is, in the MI model, each of the eight elements plays a completely different role.

Is it possible to change the type of person? No, it is impossible, and trying to do this leads to illness:

(10) “Wherever there is a distortion of the type caused by an external influence, the future for the most part becomes neurotic, and its cure is possible only through the identification of a naturally fitting installation” (p.13).

Our observations show that this process always happens if people are not provided with partners with complementary psyche, and everyone tries to turn everyone into his dual. He who does not endure this struggle is forced to abandon the realization of any part of his personality and becomes a neurotic.

Extraverted, extraverts, extratyms

Jung divided people into extraverted and introverted. In a psychologically favorable climate, such individuals almost do not differ in their external activity. With an increase in psychological discomfort, some are “introverted,” what is called “go into themselves.” This is a departure from the unrecognizable. Others in the same conditions are “extroverted”, becoming noticeably and unbalancedly active and searching for recognizers. This tendency noticed by Jung became the reason for the emergence of the terms extraversion and introversion.

In the psychological literature, instead of cumbersome extraverted-introverted, the term extrovert-introvert has taken root. Unfortunately, for example, individuals with extraverted attitudes in Jung and extraverts in other authors are often different concepts. According to Aysenck's test, most extraverted intuitives with the second function of thinking fall into the introvert category only because they are relatively difficult to make contact with people. While the sociable touch introverted with the second function of emotions most often falls into the group of extroverts. Karl Leonhard in the book Accentuated Personalities (Kiev, 1981) identifies Don Quixote as an introvert-dreamer, and Sancho Panza as a practical extrovert. According to our data, the first is an extrovert intuitive type that is completely turned to the outside world, the second is a very practical touch introverted one. For these reasons, we cannot use the terms extrovert-introvert.

Jung's terms extraverted-introverted are cumbersome. The names of functions-elements are even more cumbersome. Jung calls them functions in an extroverted or introverted installation. At the same time, those functions that are in the extraverted installation are such because they are extroverted by those functions that are in the introvert installation. And those that are in the introverted installation, are introverted by those that are in the extrovert installation. Therefore, for practical use, we consider it possible to create new, simpler terms. Functions in an extroverted installation will be called extra-optimal elements . Functions in an introverted installation - introductory elements . Accordingly, we define extraverted and introverted individuals - extratimas and introtymes. Or, more precisely, to refer to individuals with mental equilibrium, by analogy with the terms shizotim-cyclotyme, we will use the terms extremim-introtim. Extraverted and introverted we will call individuals with clearly extrovert or obviously introverted behavior.

Model K and Model Y.

Opened by Jung education from all eight elements for convenience we call the model K (Karl). But there is another model formed from the four most developed and conscious, in the opinion of the author, or - differentiated elements, which we will call the Yu (Jung) model. In fact, this is the Jungian mechanism of extraversion, when it comes to extratimas, and the introversion mechanism is for introtyms.

(11) “Differentiation means the development of differences, the separation of parts from the whole ... As long as the function is so merged into another or several others ... that it cannot be revealed by itself, it is in an archaic state, it is not differentiated, that is, it is not separated from the whole, as a separate part, and as such it does not exist by itself ... Differentiation consists in separating a function from other functions and its separate parts from each other ”(p.93).

The following patterns were established in the designs of the K and Yu Jung models, which it was very difficult and sometimes impossible to decipher from the Jung text, if not for the confidence that everything that Jung writes about is a clear structure.

1. Model K is formed from four pairs of homogeneous elements, one of which is introtymene, the other is extratimene. Each such pair, as already mentioned, is united by the same names, for example, the introtimal and extrathymic thinking.

To designate four pairs of homogeneous elements we use the following symbols:

thinking, 

emotions, 

sensations, 

intuition, 

four of them are extratymetric: ,,, 

four - introtyms: ,,, 

The same eight elements can be divided into

rational ,,, 

and irrational ,,, 

Note : The division into rational and irrational types (Jung) corresponds to Kretschmer's division into syzotyme and cyclotyme. Epithymas are irrational.

2. Only one gets into the model of элементов from each pair of homogeneous elements. The ratio between the intima and extrathyme elements is 1: 3 or 3: 1. Two elements are rational, two are irrational: if the element playing the role of the first function is rational, then the fourth is rational, and the second and third are vice versa.

In the extrathyme model Yu, the first function is extrathyme; In the intro-timna - the opposite. This is confirmed by the following statement by Jung about the three compensating functions.

(12) “The relatively unconscious functions of emotions, intuitions and sensations that oppose this“ introverted ”thinking are incomplete and have a primitively extrovert character ...” (p.69).

Now we need to determine which of these functions are more, which are less suppressed, that is, line them up:

(13) “All types that may occur in practice are concerned with the basic premise that, in addition to the conscious main function, they also have a relatively conscious auxiliary function, which differs in all respects from the essence of the main function” (p.89).

(14) “A secondary function, of course, can only be such a function, the essence of which is not the opposite of the main function. For example, next to thinking, the second function can never be feeling, since its essence is in too strong an opposite to thinking. Thinking should carefully exclude feeling, if only it wants to be effective ... "(p.38).

(15) “The secondary function, according to experience, is always such that its essence is different, but not opposite to the main function, so that, for example, thinking as the main function can easily connect with intuition, as a secondary function, or just as well with feeling but never ... with feeling. Intuition, like sensation, is not opposed to thinking, i.e., they should not be excluded because they are not similar to thinking in essence in the opposite sense, as feeling that competes with thinking ... ”(p. 89).

So, the second function following the first rational function is irrational. That the third will also be irrational, and the fourth is rational, says the following:

(16) “in an extraverted mental ..., emotions are first of all inhibited ... they are suppressed most intensely” (p.30). (17) "... as introverted thinking is opposed to introverted thinking ... so is primitive thinking opposed to introverted thinking ..." (p.31).

(18) “According to the conscious content of functions, an unconscious grouping of functions is also formed. So, for example, an unconscious intuitive-emotional set corresponds to the conscious practical intellect, and the function of feeling is subjected to relatively stronger inhibition than intuition ”(p.89).

(19) "His unconscious manifests itself mainly in the suppression of intuition, which is extraverted and archaic in nature."

It is clearly seen that the third function belongs to the same rationality group as the second, and the fourth to the one as the first. Conscious practical intelligence Jung called mental extroverts and introverts, the second function of which is sensory. In our symbols, practical intelligence models will acquire the following expression:

1) we extract - 

2) introtim - 

Knowing the above patterns, from the eight elements available, 16 U models can be formed:

Extractive U models		Introtim U models
one.	five.	9.	13.
2	6	ten.	14.
3	7	eleven.	15.
four.	eight.	12.	sixteen.

To indicate the type of intelligence, the first two elements of the functions are sufficient :,  ... This is what Freud called EGO.

Our research has confirmed the presence of all these models in any fairly populous society.

Jung in his typology gave a description of the types of the first element of the model. Therefore, the two models were united under the name of the first element. We will talk everywhere about 16 types in accordance with the actual number of models available.

3. Model K is formed from model U and its mirror image (shadow). This follows from the following statement by Jung:

(20) “... mental compensation to a conscious extraverted installation will especially emphasize the subjective moment ... a strong egocentric tendency in the unconscious ... The installation of the unconscious for a valid addition to the conscious extraverted setting has an introverting character. It concentrates energy on the subjective moment, that is, on all the needs and motivations that are suppressed and supplanted by a too extroverted conscious attitude ”(p. 18).

That is, if one type U model is an extraversion mechanism:

PFTR

then its model K is an extraversion mechanism plus a mirror image of the introversion mechanism:

PSTREIFL

In equal measure, as in the first four, the three extrathyme elements are grouped around one intrathyme, and in the second four, the intratyme elements are grouped around one extrathyme. The most opposite and incompatible are homogeneous functions, since

(21) “... both points of view lead a continuous war against each other” (p.126).

Therefore, it is logical that the first and closing elements are homogeneous, as we have done.

Young's erroneous hypotheses

Some of the hypotheses and the provisions of Jung are clearly outdated, and they can already be replaced by others.

1 . Jung did not fully feel and did not fully convey the distinction between the extroversion of the leading mental mechanism and the extroversion of the psyche. In him, the first, as it were, passed by itself into the second, and taken together signified the orientation toward the object. And the personality almost merged with external objects, that is, with objects of orientation.

The same thing happens with the introversion of the leading mental mechanism and the introversion of the psyche. The first goes into the second, the personality "goes into itself," collapses, and hence the direct conclusion that it, that is, the person, is oriented towards the subject.

If in the case of extratimas, Jung is very close to the truth, except for the fact that the subject is also an object and therefore in intuitional life not the introtim is oriented, but the same is extraty, then in the case of introtyms there was a completely new concept - interobjective and intersubjective relations. On which in his conscious life and is oriented to introtim.

2 The author of the typology was mistaken when he tried to establish what exactly constitutes the specific content of "mental functions", which we called the elements of MI. Visible differences in the behavior of people with different models of the psyche were so great, people were so different in their attitudes, lifestyle and thinking, their real abilities, that Jung had the idea that the elements forming the model could be something other than the basic mental functions : thinking, emotions, sensations, intuitions (Columbus' error off the coast of America). Therefore, he called his types:

EGO models in characters

1) Extroverted Mental PS, PT

2) Extrovert emotional ES, ET

3) Extraverted Touch FL, FR

4) Extraverted intuitive IL, IR

5) Introverted Mental LF, LI

6) Introverted emotional RF, RI

7) Introverted Touch SP, SE

8) Introverted intuitive TP, TE

It seemed to Jung that, say, “emotional extroverted” in their judgments are guided only by feelings, and not by reason. And he himself was surprised that such individuals fall in love consciously. From here there was only one step to the conclusion that not only “thinking” “think”, that other types of thinking are no less consciously, qualitatively and rationally, only everyone “thinks” truly consciously about another or in a different situation. Jung did not take this step.

As a result of the absence of such a conclusion, one could unwittingly get the impression that although all types of society are useful to society, they are far from equivalent and the “highest quality” is undoubtedly “mental”. Others, to some extent, may even be mistakes of education.

On verification, it turned out that mental functions are nothing but the perception of different sides of a concrete and completely objective reality. The whole typology is based on the fact that information about the external world is differentiated, that different types of personality fully consciously perceive and evaluate other aspects of the same objective material world. Jung's mental types - types of thinking, or intelligence. But, probably, the easiest way is to call them types of MI, since the main difference between types of people is the difference in the exchange of information with the outside world. In addition, with this title we at least in part pay homage to A. Kempinski, a classic of Polish psychiatry, the creator of the original and fully consonant with our typology of the theory of information metabolism.

3 Whether for the sake of simplifying the complex structure of the typology described, or because Jung underestimated the values ​​of the second function, he described the properties and some behavioral moments of only eight types. That is, I combined two types in one name and did not show how it affects the psyche and human behavior, which of the two possible elements plays the role of the second function.

In describing all 16 types, the Jung typology would probably very soon receive recognition and become popular in the circles of specialists, the attention of which could not slip through the fact that the same “types”, only under different names, are repeated in most other typologies and are described in textbooks psychiatry. Due to the fact that each type of MI has its place of least resistance (MNF) and most clearly makes itself felt in mental disorders, starting with accentuations of character, neuroses and psychopathies.

4 The eight-element model proposed by Jung, which we called the model K, to a certain extent turned out to be a temporary and already fulfilled working hypothesis. Although it was confirmed that the type of MI is determined by eight elements, the model K had to be replaced by a two-ring model A, which we will become familiar with in other sections of our work. Here we only note that if the model K of one of the types of myocardial infarction has the following form:

PSTREIFL

then model A of the same type of IM will look like this:

I block EGO PS

II block SUPEREGO ET

III block SUPERID RI [3]

IV block ID LF

5. Jung divided all functions into rational, rational: thinking, emotions, and irrational, perceiving: sensation, intuition. When checking, it turned out that all elements of MI, both rational and irrational, both extra- and introtymic, "perceive" and "reason", and which of these kinds of activity outweighs depends only on the space occupied by the element in the blocks of model A - i.e. from the function executed by the element.

In our research, it turned out that any first - acceptance - element of the block outweighs perception, and any second - reproductive - reasoning.

Each element perceives and processes specific information in its own ways. The amount of information and the quality of its processing is determined by the function or location of the element in model A.

Notes

1) C. G. Jung. Psychological types. M., 1924.

2) In this paper, only one of the above-mentioned works of CG Jung is cited, therefore we limit ourselves to indicating the page.

3) The term SUPERID appeared in the division of that part of the psyche, which Z. Freud called ED, into ID and SUPERID.