Part 153: Lesson 8: Psychological Types for Beginners

-Specialist-




"Everyone Loves Jungian Psychology!" An invitation to the you that you don't know. Before you know it, here's the eighth installment: "Psychological Types for Beginners." I'll make sure to ask questions that don't violate any doctor/patient confidentiality laws. Eeeheehee...Now, let's begin the class. Ten kiru, tsuchi kiru, happo kiru...I know the lesson's just beginning, but it's time for a question. Use the buttons in front of you to answer. Right now, what do you think you need to do with regards to your life?


Hmmm, I see. Next, we have another question. Please use your imagination. Say you are going to see an art unveiling at an exhibit of incredible paintings. This particular painting is one that no one has seen yet...The moment you see this painting...Which of these do you think your mind is going to do first?




Still, it's hard to come up with gimmicks on such a low budget. Still, that's the fate of public access TV...I'm sure some of you have figured it out by now, but I asked those questions to find out what type of mind you have. It's like those commonly found "personality tests." In fact, you could say this method of categorizing people's minds was made known by Jung. He is the "original personality tester." So, today's lesson is the "psychological types" Jung used to categorize people.


The first is the direction the mind's energy faces, and the other is the way the mind functions. It may sound a bit confusing, so allow me to expound upon both of them...Oh, you want to know the results of the personality test I gave you? I haven't forgotten about them, but let's wait until after the lesson. Eeeheehee...


Are you more inclined to be interested in the "out"side world? Or do you tend to think "in"ternally? That's the difference. Have you ever heard of the terms extroverted and introverted? That comes from Jung's theories about personalities. An extrovert likes to talk to people and strives to learn about the latest fads. Conversely, introverts like time by themselves and approach new ideas with caution.


This basically is, "What will a person's mind do when interacting with something?" Jung split the results into four basic categories. These are the "psychological functions." It is impossible to explain all of these in this lesson, but...I'll give it a try. In technical terms, the four are: "feeling, thinking, sensation, and intuition." To simplify them, when a person sees something...Deciding whether he hates or likes it is "feeling." Trying to reason about it is "thinking." Trying to perceive it through shape and color is "sensation." And connecting it to other unconscious thoughts is "intuition." Still too difficult, eh? Let me give you an example. Say, for the moment, I have a piece of bread. "I like it, I want one," would be feeling. "Can I eat it?" would be thinking. "That's about 4 inches long," would be sensation. "That would be good with a hot dog!" would be intuition. That's how the four psychological functions work.


Two times four...That means there are eight types total. Now, from the questions that I asked you at the start of the lesson...You are an "Extroverted Thinking" type. Many scientists are said to be this personality type.


This could be a good first step in analyzing the mind...However, it's pointless to rely on this as a guide and completely ignore the complexity of the human mind. I don't want you to get the wrong idea about these tests.


Specifically speaking...That the conscious and unconscious regulate each other through a method called "compensation." The eight types are based on the conscious of that person. But that doesn't mean that a person can't also have other extroverted/introverted properties or other psychological functions. They still exist in the unconscious and just don't show up on the surface as much. For example, have you ever agreed with someone with the personality type that is opposite yours? This is because the "other" traits that lie below your conscious are working to help you understand. You are using another power outside of your personality, literally unwittingly. The conscious and unconscious compensate for one another. I'll mention this again, so be sure to remember it. But still, the human personality is an interesting subject. We tend to judge people based on the aspects of personalities that we see...But Jung tells us that doing this is bad. If you truly study the mind, it makes you a more benevolent person. Like me! Eeeheehee...