6 replies to this topic

[Ashton]

I just re-wrote this for the purposes of greater clarity, as Jung's own writing is often rather convoluted and obtuse. I did my best to keep any interpretational inference to a minimum. If something sounds dumb, blame Jung.

Originally From: http://psychclassics.../Jung/types.htm

Fi is principally subjective. This means that Fi differs essentially from Fe, in the same sense that Ti does from from Te. It is unquestionably difficult to analytically break down and objectively convey what the Fi process is like, though the qualitative character of this kind of feeling stands out as soon as one becomes aware of it.

Since it is primarily controlled by subjective preconditions, and only secondarily concerned with the objective conditions, this form of feeling is much less apparent upon the surface. Hence it is frequently misunderstood, often only noticeable by most in its negative manifestations, while the existence of a positive feeling can only be indirectly inferred. The aim of Fi is not to accommodate the objective, but rather to stand above it, to give reality to the essential underlying ideas/ideals/notions/images that exist only immaterially. What can never fit in with these ideas, it will reflexively avoid. It strives after an inner intensity, to which objective reality can contribute only a transient stimulus. The depths of this feeling can only be inferred -- they can never be clearly comprehended externally. It makes men silent and difficult to access; with extreme sensitivity they will deflect themselves away from the objective, in order to expand into the depths of the subjective. When in self-defense, this type typically puts forward negative feeling-judgments or assumes an air of profound indifference.

These essential ideals/notions/images are just as much ideational as they are affectional. That is, basic ideas such as God, freedom, and immortality are just as much an affective stimulus as they are an ideative stimulus. Therefore, everything that has been said of Ti refers equally to Fi - only here, everything is felt instead of thought. Moreover, since thoughts generally avail themselves to intelligible articulation more than feelings do, an alternate descriptive or artistic medium is often necessary to truly convey the content of this feeling, or to at least approximate it in a way that makes it communicable to the outer world. Where Ti often lacks an objective coherence and empirical consistency that make it difficult to adequately understand - the same is true in an even higher degree for Fi. In order to communicate with others, Fi typically must find an external form which can not only absorb the subjective feeling accurately, but also simultaneously possess the capacity to convey it to others in such a way that the equivalent subjective feeling takes place in them. Thanks to the relatively great similarity of the human being, this effect can actually be achieved. Nevertheless, a form acceptable to the subjective feeling is often extremely difficult to find, as it is still mainly orientated by a primordial universe of immaterial essential ideas.

When Fi becomes neurotic, it at once grows unsympathetic, and can create an impression of sentimental self-love or morbid self-admiration. Just as the neurotic Ti ego striving after endless abstractions ultimately only attains a thought-process that is quite empty, so the intensification of neurotic Fi leads to an involuted passion increasingly devoid of actual content, and so merely feels only itself. This is the mystical crank stage which gives way to dysfunctional, repressed Te. Just as Ti is pitted against a primitive Fe which represses objective reality into an absurd ontology animated by magical forces that have no actual tangible existence, so Fi is counterbalanced by a primitive Te that can give way to excessively concrete thinking and/or a tendency to rely on objective facts without an appropriate understanding of their situational or theoretical context - which gives objective facts an overly-suggestive influence to induce states of anxiety/paranoia about objective reality. On a more positive note (or negative depending on one's POV), this same Fi emphasis can aid in emancipating one's self-definition from "objective" mores of social consensus, instilling a freedom of action and conscience that is only answerable to the subject himself/herself, and may even renounce all traditional values.

4. The Fi Type

It is principally among women that I have found Fi as a base ego function. The proverb 'Still waters run deep' is very true of such women: They are mostly silent, inaccessible, and hard to understand. Often they hide behind a childish or banal mask, and their temperament is frequently depressive. They dislike drawing attention to themselves or revealing themselves personally. Since their primary orientation in life is to subjective feeling, their true motives generally remain concealed. Their outward demeanor is often harmonious and inconspicuous; they can readily present a delightful social composure and seemingly interact with others in such a way that reflects the apparent interpersonal atmosphere - yet in actuality they possess no genuine desire to affect, impress, influence, or change others in any way. However, if this outward interpersonal composure becomes too emphasized in the Fi person, others begin to suspect that the person is cold, shrewd, and disregarding. Over time this can evolve into a real indifference for the comfort and well-being of others that is unnervingly stoic and sharply detached. For the psychologically healthy Fi type, however, such harshness only occurs against those who are in some way exerting or are attempting to exert too strong of an affective influence on them. A harmonious interpersonal atmosphere will rule only so long as others make no attempt to override their personal boundaries or elicit emotional reactions contrary to the volition of their own subjective feeling. If such a trespassing occurs, there will be little effort to accompany the real emotions of the other in this case. Instead these will be damped and rebuffed - or to put it more aptly, they will be 'cooled off' by a negative feeling-judgment. Such trespassers will be shown no touch of amiability, no gleam of responding warmth - instead they are met by a manner of apparent indifference or repelling coldness in contrast to their usual peaceful and harmonious receptivity.

One may even be made to feel stupid and superfluous. In the presence of something that might arouse enthusiasm or excitement, the Fi type will maintain a disposition of benevolent neutrality, tempered with an occasional trace of superiority and criticism that can quickly dissipate one’s spirits. Tumultuous emotions too, from others or even a spouse, can and often will be rejected with murderous coldness - that is, unless the emotion happens to evoke forth some idea, image, or essence from the Fi woman’s repertoire of subjective ideational-affections. Still, even in this event, the typical Fi woman only feels momentarily confounded - then resumes her resistance with violent precision, delivering counterstrikes upon his most sensitive vulnerabilities. Meanwhile, however, the real subjective relation to the spouse is safely kept in a secure and tranquil static state of feeling as far away from the present hostilities as possible, immune to the influence of transient moods and intemperance. This absence of expression can contribute to a sense of unappreciation on part of the spouse, if he is ever made conscious of it. Where it remains unconscious, it can gradually smolder into more serious symptoms.

If evaluated merely by surface appearances and observable behavior, the typically cold and reserved demeanor of this type would lead one to conclude that it possesses no real feeling whatsoever. This shallow view is a misattribution of course; the real difference is that their feelings are simply intensive rather than extensive. For instance, an extensive feeling of sympathy can be rendered with ease into both word and/or deed at the right time/place, hence readily attaining expression and release. An intensive sympathy on the other hand, because it is deprived nearly any viable means sufficient to express itself, instead develops inwards in passion and depth. In rare instances, it may spontaneously emerge from an individual in some extraordinary capacity, manifestly revealing itself in an objective act of almost heroic character, that is yet simultaneously baffling to observers because the subjective dimensions of the act did not clearly demonstrate overtly apparent motives of sympathy. To the Fe mentality, sympathy without clear demonstrable expression looks like coldness just the same - for it does nothing visibly and hence cannot be seen, so why assume it exists? Such a misunderstanding is a characteristic occurrence in the life of the Fi type.

In the normal Fi type, there exists a tendency to overpower or coerce an intimate into a state of emotional subordination to the Fi type’s desires, but normally this tendency rarely plays a disturbing role and almost never leads to a serious attempt in this direction. Nevertheless, some trace of it leaks through into the personal effect of the Fi type upon the intimate, in the form of a domineering influence often difficult to clearly pinpoint or define. It is sensed as a sort of stifling or oppressive feeling which holds the Fi type’s immediate circle under a spell. It gives a woman of this type a certain mysterious power that may prove terribly fascinating to the Te male, for it touches his unconscious by way of the deeply felt, archetypal images. In the neurotic Fi woman, this kind of influence becomes wielded as a form of personal control over others. The mysterious power of the intensive feeling is transformed into banal and arrogant ambition, vanity, and petty tyranny, producing a type of woman distinguished by unscrupulous ambition and mischievous cruelty. Ultimately defaulting into paranoia.

In this disentegrating state, the consciousness begins to believe it can feel 'what others think'. Naturally, others are thinking all sorts of baseness, scheming evil, and contriving all sorts of plots, secret intrigues, etc. To prevent this, the neurotic type must also begin to carry out preventive intrigues, to suspect and sound others, to make subtle combinations. Assailed by rumours, he must make convulsive efforts to convert, if possible, a threatened inferiority into a superiority. Innumerable secret rivalries develop, and in these embittered struggles not only will no base or evil means be disdained, but even virtues will be misused and tampered with in order to play the trump card. Such a development must lead to exhaustion. The form of neurosis is neurasthenic rather than hysterical; in the case of women we often find severe collateral physical states, as for instance anæmia and its sequelæ.

[borderline]

This is really, really good.

[Ajax]

Quote

"The proverb 'Still waters run deep' is very true of such women: They are mostly silent, inaccessible, and hard to understand. Often they hide behind a childish or banal mask, and their temperament is frequently depressive. They dislike drawing attention to themselves or revealing themselves personally."

This does not seem to apply to ESFps or even to mosts ENFps... especially not the being silent or the dislike of drawing attention to the self part. I think what that article is mostly describing seems to be an introverted feeler (INFx or ISFx) rather than the function of introverted feeling(Fi) as we now know it.

[dolphin]

Ajax, on Mar 4 2009, 03:40 PM, said:

This does not seem to apply to ESFps or even to mosts ENFps... especially not the being silent or the dislike of drawing attention to the self part. I think what that article is mostly describing seems to be an introverted feeler (INFx or ISFx) rather than the function of introverted feeling(Fi) as we now know it.

nah, it's not Fi irrationals, but rather IxFj of any subtype.

[Ajax]

dolphin, on Mar 4 2009, 11:59 PM, said:

nah, it's not Fi irrationals, but rather IxFj of any subtype.

Well even that I can see more easily because that description of Fi does not fit with EXFps. I can more see it fitting IXFps who supposedly have Fe moreso than the EXFps but yeah, it is perhaps most applicable to IXFjs more so than any other group.

[Ashton]

In my opinion, this description is almost completely exclusive to IXFj types. I don't see it applying to EXFps much. And definitely not to IXFps.

[eunice]

Good description Reminds me of how some people see me. One of my colleagues once informed me that a temp staff (Fe-ISFp) thought that I generally look "fierce" and "serious" and find it hard to consult me on a work-related issue. I find her the temp staff's remarks strange because I feel that I am a generally easygoing person and yet I gave her another impression based solely on the "vibes" which she gets from me.