fOLOGySELF- HELP

ake the next stepiii understanding iungs mental processes

Iuildlng Blocks of Personality Type provides a simple and direct route into the heat of i ersonality type Authors Leona Haas and Mark 1mziker bring to life a simple and practical understanding of the underlying theay of the lelsonality type code-first brooght to life by Isabel Vl yers with the creation of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicatorreg instrument-the eight Jungian mental TVJrocesses Whether yoo are explOringpersonality type for the firsttime orare interested in taking personality type tothenext levelBuildingBlocks ofPersonality Type is theessential element yoo need toget there eona Haas

Highlights Hunziker

bull Complete introduction topersonality type

~ 2~I middotl~middotfr~middot middot bull Dedicated chapter for each mental process

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Beyond the basicswithapplications to bull Managing Conflict

MakingDecisions

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Managing change andtransition

Parenting and erJucation

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Forewords by ~

UNI T E UNITE BUSINESS PRESS th arl n~ D Myers Coauthor of Introduction to TypeDynamics and Development a division of Telos Publications SliSIN t 11 1 middotmiddotmiddott lt _ ~ ~ _ ~ andPO Box 4457 Huntington Honch Cnlifornia 92605middot4457 ww wtnlosPllhlicationscom fiookCoVLf dosiqrr Visibility Designs John Beebe Jungian Analyst and Author of Integrity in Depth

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Copyright copy2006Leona Haasand Mark Hunziker

All rights reserved No portionof this publication may be reproduced distributed stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in anyfonn or by any means including electronic mechanical photocopying recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of thepublisher except in the caseof brief quotations embodied in critical reviews andcertain other noncommercial uses permittedby copyright law For permission requests write to thepublisheraddressed Attention Permission Coordinator at

the address below

UniteBusitessPress A Divisionof TelosPublications PO Box 4457 HuntingtonBeach California 92605-4457 TollFree 1-866-416-89731Phone 1-714-965-7696 Fax1-714-965-7697 httpwwwtelospublicationscom

Understanding YOlUSeljandOthers Interstrength MajorsnI KnowdellNotJustAPaycheck 16typescom and The CommunicotionZoneareeither registered trademarks or trademarks of UniteMedia Group Inc Fountain Valley California Myers-Briggs 1peIndicator MB11 andMyers-Briggs are trademarks orregistered trademarks of theMyers-BriggsType IndicatorTrustintheUnitedStales aod othercountries

Printed in the United States ofAmerica

Libraryof Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Haas Leona Building blocksof personality type a guide to using the eight-process modelofpersonality type

lungs mental processes 1Leona Haas Mark Hunzikerraquo Ist ed pcm

Includes bibliographical references andindex ISBN 0-9719326-2-X I Myers-BriggsType Indicator 2 Typology(psychology) 3 lung C G (Carl Gustav)1875-1961 1

Hunziker Mark 11Title BF6988M94H33 200gt 1552(4--dc22

2005037324

Copyediting and proofrcadingby PeopleSpeak Cover and InteriorDesign Visibility Designs Indexer Rachel Rice

This book isdedicated by Leona and Mark to

Carl G Jung for his relentless courage in exploring the daunting mysteries of the psyche

Isabel Briggs Myers for hertireless and loving dedication to helping humankind

Katharine D Myers for her grace caring and quiet devotion to Isabel and the purpose of the MBW

Daryl Sharp for his profound understanding and clarity

John Beebe for his powerful insights and remarkablepatience in sharing them

Mary Thompson for herwise counsel

byLeona to

Stanislaus and Agnes Nowicki for all their sacrifices and the gift of life

Richard Haas for hisunconditional love and belief in me

Dawn Haas Bowders for her ideas technical expertise and continuous help

Dana Balaz my ENFP daughter for helping me understand and value opposing personalities

Cheyenne and Alexandra Balaz for their hugs and kisses when I reallyneed them

Anthony Harley Nowicki for teaching meto see type gti through the eyesof a child

Margaret and Gary Hartzler for their truededication caring and sharing of knowledge

All my workshop and Qualifying Program participants for their 1

honest sharing of themselvesto make thisbook happen

Ii and by Markto

Robert J Hunziker for his love and often underappreciated wisdom

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Foreword by Kotharine D Myers ForewordbyJohn Beebe Preface Acknowledgments

PART ONE AN INTRODUCTION TOTHE EIGHT-PROCESS MODEL OF TYPE

Chapter 1 Terms and Concepts MBTI ~ Personolitymiddotlnventory The EightProcess Model ProcessWatching Miscelloneous Terms Literory Licensemiddot

Chapter 2 Type Theory in Brief What Is ProcessPreference~

Our Two MostPreferred Processes ASequence of Preferences Thelmporlanceof Understanding Our Preferences

Chapter 3 From Four Dichotomies to Eight Mental Processes to Sixteen Types WhyEightProcesses HowType Code Interpretation Works

PARTTVVO THE EIGHT JUNGIAN MENTAL PROCESSES

Chapter 4 Extrave rted Sensing (Se) Key Features Whats Going On From the Outside looking In Contributions From the Inside Vignettes Gifts

Chapter 5 Introverted Sensing (Si) Key Features Whats Going On~

From the Outside looking In Contributions From the Inside Vigneltes Gifts

xi xv

xvii xxi

1 1 4 6 7 8

11 11 12 13 14

17 17 25

33 34 34 35 37 37 40 41

43 44 44 46 48 48 50 52

vii

JG BLOCKS or I ONAIII Y TYI

Ch apter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

bull Chapter 9

Cha pte r 10

Cha pte r 1 1

Extraverted Intuiting (Ne) Key Features Whats Going On Fromthe Outside Looking In Contributions Fromthe Inside Vignettes Gifts

Introverted Intu iting (Ni) KeyFeatures Whats Going On Fromthe Outside Looking In Contributions From the Inside Vignettes Gifts

Extraverted Thinking (Te) KeyFeatures Whats Going On Fromthe Outside Looking In Contribut ions From the Inside Vignettes Gifts

Introverted Thinking (Ti) KeyFeatures Whats Going On From the Outside Looking In Contributions From the Inside Vignettes Gifts

Extra verted Fe e ling (Fe) Key Features Whats Going On From the Outside Looking In Contribut ions From the Inside Vignettes Gifts

Introve rted Feeling (Fi) KeyFeatures What s Going On From the Outside Looking In Contributions From the Inside Vignettes Gifts

t 53 54 54 55 57 57 60 61

63 64 64 66 68 68 71 71

73 74 74 76 78 78 80 81

83 84 84 86 88 88 90 91

93 94 94 95 97 98

100 100

103 104 104 105 107 108 110 111

PART THREE BEYOND PROCESS WATCHING

Chapter 12 The Eight-Process Model of Type Chapter 13 Important Facets and Factors in Eight-Process Type

The Cast of Cha roders Balance Consciousness and Unconsciousness The Sequence of the Eight Process Preferences Appropriateness Energy Flow Summary of the Facets and Fadors

Chapter 14 Beyond the Basics Conflict Management Decision Making Communicat ion Managing Change and Transition Parent ing and Education Career Development

Afterword

APPENDICES

A Jungs Model of the Psyche B John Beebes Archetypal Understanding of Psychological Types C Two Important Contributions from Harold Grant 0 Brief Descriptions Based on the Two Preferred Processes E The Circle of Eight-Process Type F Comparison of Jung ian Mental Processes GProcessArchetype Chart for the Sixtee n Types HDecisio n-Making Checklist I Time-Focus of the Perce iving Processes

Notes Glossary Bibliography Index About the Authors

115 119 119 120 120 121 122 123 124

127 127 133 141 155 160 165

171

173 177 181 185 19 1 193 197 19 9 20 1

203 207 219 223 22 9

Table of Contents ~71

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Building Blocks ofPersonality Type belongs on the shelf of everyone interested

inunderstanding and making use ofJungian psychological type and the Myshyers-BriggsType Indicator (MBTIreg) assessment in their own livesandor in

helpingothers It is to be read and used often as a valuablereference

bull

The authors have succeeded in conveying the full complexity ofthe

eight-process model of type and its application in a manner that is clear

and accessible to the professional and interested layperson alike It is

wonderfully user friendly As I read it I felt that the authors were sitting with me and I was the you they were addressing

Leonas years ofwork with the government when she was working

across the range of government hierarchy in terms ofeducation level ofjobs and experience have served her well in presenting information

in a manner that speaks across the spectrum My firstexperience in

observing her workshop was with a group of employees totally unsoshyphisticated in anything psychological-they understood and responded

with enthusiasm

The collaboration between the two authors began at a worksh op

on the eight mental functions led by Leona Haas Mark Hunziker was a

participant Mark wanted to learn more Leona wanted to record a c011lshy

plete description of her model but her forte was live presentation not

writin g An hours conversation later the joint project was launched

Mark would provide his writing and structuring skills and gain the opshy

portunity to study the eight-process model up close Leona would be able to make her work available to a wider audience Two introverted

intuiting types do not need much information or time to know when something fits

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NG BLOCKS II NAII Y ( YPi

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Building Blocks of Personality Type demonstrates the success of this fit The writing is clear and coherent Complex ideas are explained with precision simplicity and accuracy The organization of the book takesan overwhelmingamount of knowledgeand presents it in a logical structure that makes the content accessible to the reader

- The development of the eight-process model of type is a giant step in understanding and using Jungian psychological type and the MBTIregassessment

Leona Haas has been instrumental in developing and instructing others in the eight-process model of type This model enables inshydepth understanding of the eight mental processes that form the core ofJungian type theory and it also provides a new and enriched model of feedback

Katharine C Briggss major contribution was her profound undershystandingofJ ungiantheoryand her recognitionof psychological typeasan

sinvaltable model of development in healthy personalities Her daughter ~

Isabel Briggs Myerss major contribution was her pioneering work in creating the sixteen type model with its four-lettercode asa way of givshying individuals access to their Jungian preference type For many years

interpretation focused on the four dichotomies E-I S-N T-F andJ-P although Myers had usedher understanding of the eight processes in her naming of each type (for example ESTJ as an extraverted thinking type with introverted sensing) The only description of these eight processes was a four-pagesummarycompiledby Myers in Gifts Dijfering

Most practitioners are introduced toJungian ideas when they begin to use the MBTIreg however overthe years their understandinghasgradushyally moved from basictype through type dynamics typedevelopment and on tojungs model of the psycheand his life-long development model of Individuation As practitioners graduallydeepened their knowledge atshytention was turned to the need for understanding more fully these four fu nctions in both attitudes that is the eight mental processes

Leona was among the leaders in recognizing this need She has devoted herself with introverted intuitive intensity to learning more through constant questioning of individuals ofdifferent types consultashytion With experts and reading Her treasuryof knowledge contained in this book IS the outcome

Her seamless integration of the eightprocesses into thecomplexwhole of theJungian system of personality is avaluable bonus gift to the reader

Historically the knowledge of our four letters hasgivenmanyindishyviduals andgroupsimportantinsights in self-understandingself-acceptance and in the understanding and appreciation ofotherswho aredifferentfrom themselves However those of us who havejourneyed further have found a richness of understandingand a perspective that enhances our lives imshymeasurably This bookprovides the door to that richnessWelcome

KatharineD Myers The Myers-Briggs Trust

Foreword

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The word mental meaning of or pertaining to the mind has too often ~~ ~1been used to suggest abnormality RobertGravesandJoseph Campbellhave ~~ warnedus that myth is a word we use to refer to other peoples religion 11

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Likewise mental is the wordwe useto refer to other peoples ways of using Jtheir minds Leona Haas and MarkHunzikerhave dignified these sidelong 1lookswe give oneanotherby identifying what we areobserving asmental

iprocesses found ineverybody the only differencesbeingwhich processes ~ we each give emphasis toand in which order I ~

Inthis endeavor theyfollow the workof the Swiss psychiatrist C G ~1 11

Jungwhoin thefirstpartof the twentiethcentury influenced bypsycholoshy ~

j+j Lgists in French-speaking Switzerland and France began to engage himself 1with thetypical differences in humanconsciousnessOne of these mentors ~j

was Alfred Binet for whom consciousnesswasintelligenceBinet sought to measure intelligence andour most commonly used intelligence test is 1 still called the Stanford-Binet By 1902whenJungwas studying in Paris i

1

Binet had noticed eveninhis owndaughtersdramatic differences in learnshy I ingstylestowhichhe gavethenamesextemospectionand introspection 1 1Withina decadeJung hadintroduced his own notion of a tum of mind

into the terms for the basic mentalattitudesby calling them Extraversion (outward turning) and Introversion (inward turning) A further decade 1

Ienabled Jung to differentiate various functions of consciousness four in j

all through which thesebasic attitudesof mindcould be expressed in drashy

matically differentwaysHisdescriptions ofthinkingfeeling sensationand intuitionasexpressed in both the extraverted and introverted attitudesform the heart of hisbookPsychologilal Types (1921) This classic became an inspishyration to Isabel Briggs Myersin the 1940s asithadbeena generation earlier toher mother Katharine Briggs It led them to develop together a practical instrument for capturing the differences in the ways individuals use their

xv 1

BLOCKS (1 ~(lNA II I Y rYP

minds in all the settings of their lives-the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator which hasbecome the most widely used instrument for identifying normal personalitydifferences in America today

PsychologiralTypes was thebasic inspiration forthe eight-function model that asaJungian analyst inspired by such clinical teachers asMarie-Louise von FranzJo Wheelwright and Wayne Detloff I brought to practitioners of type as~ess me n t in the 1980s Leona Haas wasamong the very first type consultants (alongside Kathy Myers and Margaret and Gary Hartzler) to grasp what ~ was gettingat that the normalmind cannot be adequately deshyscribed with a four-functionmodelofitsprocesses even if the two attitudes ofExtraversion and Introversion are somehow included to explain some of thedifferences between the ways differentfunctions are expressed bydiffershyent people Subsequently thanksas much to Haass teaching as myown a number of others have come aboard She has recognized thatwe cannot be literate in the ways of the mindwithout aclear individualized senseofwhat all eighf mental processes look like and of how they are experienced by the actual persons using them

It is a pleasure to have herbook to recommendto thosewho havecome to my own lectures and asked me to give more extended and systematic deshyscriptions of the eight function-attitudes (to use the helpful term that Dick Thompson introduceda fewyears ago) She hasmade the most practical use possible of my analytic interpretation ofJungs visionary theory Haas has succeeded in takingthe eight function-attitude model in all its complexity into workadaycorporate settings where it has instantly proved its power to unlock the understanding of serious impasses and to significantly improve the integrity ofa businesss teambuilding

That is not the extent of this modelspotentialapplication however In this book elegantly realized with the patient assistance of Mark Hunziker himself a formidablestudent of the mind Leona Haashasmanagedto proshyduce the most practicallydetailedand psychologically accurate orientation to the eight processes that I have seen I heartily recommend it to thebeginshyner aswell as toanyone who imagines heor she isalready adept in thisfield T hetruth iswe all have agreatdeal to learnabout the buildingblocksout of which our minds are made In my own efforts to master the architecture of such a wondrous structure I expect to be reading this book for many yearsto come

John Beebe

Over the past half-century many millions of people around the world have been aided in their personaland professionaldevelopment through a modelof personality that was developed by CarlJung Katharine Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers T he Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) provides both the framework and the main tool for the model of what has come to be known as personality type or just type for short Building Blocks ofPersonality Type is an attempt to begin a comprehensivedescripshytion of a certain way of thinking about type and the benefits that this approach offers

We feel the need to give this view of type theory a label the eightshyprocess model oftypein order to distinguish this paradigm from some misconceptions that have grown up around the MBTIpersonality inventory and personality type Although we call it a model we are not talking about anything new or separate from the framework of the model that has served so well for all these yearsWe are in fact simply attempting to help clarify the core of the theory that was developed by Jung Briggs and Myers and to integrate subsequent work that hasbuilt directly upon that foundation

Many type professionals will find that we are describing how they already think about type We believe that these folks will nonetheless find useful and illuminating nuggets in the pages that follow They may gain insights from the descriptions of the mental processes or perhaps get some new ideas about how the model can be applied or possibly learn something new about how the different aspects of the model mesh to produce the dynamics of type

Oth ers who work with type may find that eight-process type repshyresents a dramatic and difficult shift in their understanding In many of

xvii

1

UILDING B lClCk ~ or P[ RSO NAW Y TYPE

Leonas advanced workshops attendees find themselves going through a

bit ofa paradigmshift Usually she hearsfrom these people after they have

had time to digest the new information that they can never go to back to

the way they worked with type before Ifyou find that the eight-process

model challenges some of your assumptions and practices we urge you to bear with us We are convinced that the theoretical model and practical

descriptions that follow are at the heart of the most effective practices in

use today and that they are particularlyhelpful in teaching the basics of

type through feedbackand verification as well as for delving more deeply

into the important insights ofJungs theory ofpersonality Our main focus in this work is on describing Jungs mental proshy

cessesas completely and vividlyas possible as you will actually experience them This is not only the first step in the eight-process approach to

type but also a rewarding experience in itself By looking at personality

through process watching you are likelyto learnthings that will change

Yiur perspective from this point forward regardless of whether you are

an experienced professional or you havenever even heard ofpersonality

type Through simple descriptions of the four different ways that we

take in information and the four different ways we make decisions you

will learn to value your own gifts more highly You will also begin to

better understand and appreciate the perspectives of those around you

Conflict management decision making communication management

ofchange and transition exploration of your teaching and learning styles and those of your children career choices and daily lifewill all be easier

and more positive and will actually become opportunities for enriching

your life

We confess to also having a hidden agenda We are out to save the

world It is tremendously rewarding for us to watch individuals teams

and organizations grow as a result of exposure to this expanded approach

to personality type That is the immediate day-to-day grat ification of

our work But we are energized on another level too by the conviction that a better appreciation of psychological type and how it influences reshy

lanonships and interactions could be a vital key to unlocking the human

potential that is needed in order to learn how to live together on this

planet This belief was a driving force behind Isabel Myerss amazing

contributions as well We believe as she did that animosity and bloodshy

--shy

shed are but reflections of the immature and frightening shadow side of

our own personalities We also believe that the path to an exciting new

maturity level in human evolution-a path of enhanced cooperation

collaboration and coexistence-lies through the psychic development

that Jung called individuation

Albert Einstein pointed out that we cannot expect to resolve comshy

plex problems from within the same mindset that created them Margaret

Wheatley throughout her lectures and writings has made a convincing

argument that relationships information flow and self-definition are the

ultimate determinants of how human beings interact The state of conshy

sciousness from which we approach these criticalhuman activitiesmayvery

well be the key factor in determining the success or failure of all human

systems families teams communities corporations and even nations

Regardless of ones personal motivation for exploring the mental

processes the inevitable result of doing so is an elevation ofour level of

awareness The potential consequences of such a shift in consciousness

are dramatic-for individuals for family for social and work groups

and by extension for the entire human community By enhancing our

understanding of the eight mental processes we gain an appreciation for

the diversity and value of our own gifts as well as the diversity and gifts

of others Thi s in tum will have an immediate and far-reaching effect

upon each of the key elements of successful human systems building healthier relationships developing more effective communication and

gaining a greater understanding of ourselves and others

We the auth ors are familiar wi th and continue to use many other

models tools and approaches to personal and organizational developshy

ment But for us nothing else compareswith understanding the Jungian

mental processes for simplicity ease of access and the depth and breadth of its power to change lives When we begin to learn to recognize these 1

processes every relationship every conversation every in trospective

moment can become a lesson in appreciation for the amazing gifts tha t

we all possess

We invite you to join us on this journey Whether your aim is to

develop your own potential improve your relationships help others

bring your organization to the next level or save the world we know of

no better place to start than right here

Preface

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Over a decade ago Leona Haas becameconcerned about the small but significant percentofpeoplewho havedifficulty validating their reported type These are the type userswho do not feelthat their type as reported by theMyers-Briggs TypeIndicator fits them verywelL Facedwith the challenges of sorting out their true type from their reported type many of these new users dismiss the instrument altogether and never come to benefit from its insights It wasthis issue of typevalidation that gave the initial impetus to ajourney that has takenLeonato an increasshyingly refined understanding of the Jungian mental processes and the dynamic system in which they operate Building Blocks ofPersonality Type is theculmination of thatjourney

There have been many teachers guides and helpers along the way and it seemsappropriate to acknowledge their contributions by relating a briefhistory

Like manyjourneys this one startedat home Leona was perplexed by thedifferences between the ways her husband Rich used his Sensing process andwhatshehadlearnedabout Sensingfromherstudiesandfrom working extensively with typewith federal governmentemployees When assembling akit for example Rich never read directions He preferred to workfrom pictures orbyseeingthe finished product He also did nothave good recallofpastevents and seemed tomake intuitiveleaps fromwhat he observed None of this fitwith Sensing asLeonaknew it

In the earlynineties very little information was readily available to the personalitytypecommunity concerningJungs views on the mental processes Gifts Dijfering by Isabel Myers provided basic information aboutthe eightJungian processes but manyofIsabels insights and most of her researchhad not been published

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lWING BLOCkS () f l ~S O NA li TY TYPE

Gradually through her empirical work with type Leona began to recognize that Sensing can be tised in very different ways When she started to divide her workshop participants into S] and SP groups (thus distinguishing those with a preference for Introverted Sensing from those who prefer Extraverted Sensing) patternsbegan to emerge

-She realized that her husband used Extraverted Sensing while the milishytaryculture in which she worked tended to favor Introverted Sensing

Having solved the mystery of Richs Sensing preference by distinshyguishing Extraverted Sensingfrom Introverted Leona beganto suspect that she was learning about something which could enable type practishytioners to help people more easily and clearly validate their type The pursuit of a deeper understanding of the Myers-BriggsType Indicator

became her passion First she went back to the basics to CarlJung She soon discovered

the work of Daryl Sharp a Toronto Jungian analyst and publisher of JlJ4lgianc books Sharps book Personality Types was a gift ofknowledge for her In it he explains the mental processes with unusual clarity It opened awhole newlevelof understanding toLeonaand helped to focus her investigations

While attending courses through Type Resources Leonamet Gary and Margaret Hartzler and soon became a Qualifying Programinstrucshytor Margaret and Garywere also doing research into theJungian mental processes by investigating the theoretical concepts and incorporating them into their Qualifying Program Leonas focus upon the practical aspects of the processes and the Hartzlers work with the theory grew into a synergistic joint effort that allowed all three of them to develop and expand their understanding of the dynamics of type

Over the course of the next five years Leona developed ways of incorporating theJungian processes into her feedbacksessions In 2000 she wrote JOIITlley of Understanding with Margaret Hartzler and Bob McAlpine

Katharine D Myers is co-author of Introduction to TyperegDynamics and Development the only book that Leona was able to find for her early research on type dynamics and development Alongwith Daryl Sharps work it opened many doors of understanding for her For the first time she really began to understand individuation and how it related

to personalitytype During her research she was very fortunate to have Kathy Myers become interested in her unique approach to exploring type feedback Since then Kathys dedication and love for the MBTIreg instrument and her steadfast guardianship of its ethical use has fanned the flame of Leonas enthusiasm and bolstered her courage to continue exploring this unfamiliar territory

Her nextmajorbreakthrough came from the research and work of DrJohn Beebe aJungian analyst fromSan Francisco and past president of the San FranciscoJungian Institute Dr Beebehad been working on an enhanced theory of personalitytype which isbuilt upon the viewthat each psychological type encompasses eight distinct cognitive processes rather than just four His audiotape A New Model of Psychologital Types revealed to Leona the tremendous scopeof the insights containedwithin the type model John has been a wonderful gift to the community of personality type practitioners He is very supportive of the instrument and has done much to bring theJun gianand personalitytypecommunishyties closer together

As earlyas1974Dr Beebedeveloped the ideathat thefirst fourfuncshytions alternate attitudes like a series of checks and balances with the third being in the same attitude asthe first He first presented this modelat the 1983 Chiron Conference in New Mexico under the title Psychological Types in Transference Countertransference and the Therapeutic InteractionThe following year that paper waspublished asa chapter in Transference Countertransference By 1985 he had begun exploring the conshycept that each individual hasaccess to alleight of the processes

Each of the people mentioned above has in his or her own way been a pivotal source of the inspiration information and innovation that has shaped the eight-process model of type

Acknowledgements

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qI The collaboration to create this book began at a workshop that ~

Leona led for the Vermont chapter of the Association for Psychological Type inJanuary 2001When Mark Hunziker asked how he could learn moreLeonarecommended several books and tapes Shenoted thatwhile each explained a different element of her presentation acomprehensive portrait of the model did not yet exist She wanted to record a complete description but her forte is live presentations not writing Encouraged and facilitated by Leonas friend MaryThompson the project was vir-

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W ING B LO CKS ( RSl lNAlIY f y[

tually launched after only an hour of conversation MarI would have

an opportunity to study the eight-process model up close and with his

help Leona would be able to make her work available to a wider audishy

ence Two Introverted Intuiting types do not need much information or

time to know when something fits

Like C G Jung and Isabel Myers Leona has constantly tested

modified and validated her theoretical understanding through literally

thousands ofconversations and observations We are deeply indebted to

the c~untless people with whom we have discussed type at workshops training sessions and elsewhere These conversations have helped us to

modify clarify and enhance our understanding of the theory as well

Most of the stories and statements that we use to draw portraits of the

mental processes (chapters 4 through 11) are paraphrased combinations

of comments from several people who share the preference and a few

are direct quotes Though we cannot acknowledge everyone by name

w willbe forever grateful for your contributions to our understanding

The only way that we can possibly begin to repay your willingness to

share your stories and insights is by passing along what we have learned

to others

We are particularly grateful to those who have actively supported

and aided our efforts to expand our understanding through their conshytinued correspondence and friendship and in some cases their helpful

feedback during the writing of this book

Neither of us could have managed to pull this project together withshy

out thedaily emotional and logistical support ofour life partners families

and friends They have our profound appreciation and our love

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AN INTRODUCTION TO THE

IGHTPROCE5S ti~~ P- ~

MODEL OF TYPE

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xxiv

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TE RMS AND CONCEPTS

Since a primary benefit of the eight-process model is that it provides a Itisnotthepurpose

simple and direct route into the heart of personality type we have taken oftypology to classify pains in this book to present the underlying theory as simply as possible humanbeings into

categories---this in and to minimize the use of terms that are unfamiliar to the new learner itselfwould bepretty

But some of the jargon is unavoidable and a basic understanding of the pointlesS Its purpose theory behind the model is needed to provide context and perspective israther to provide a

critical psychology You will find aglossaryalong with severalappendices in the back of this - which would makea book to help clarify and elaborate upon what we mention in the text methodicalinvestiga

tian andpresentation ~ and to introduce some more advanced concepts that we cannot explore bull possible

in depth here This chapter provides a brief overview of the terms and Carl Glung concepts along with a few miscellaneous tips

THE MBTIregPERSONALITY INVENTORY The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality inventory is based on a model that was conceived by Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Gustav Jung

and furth er developed by the team of Katharine Briggs and her daughshy

ter Isabel Briggs Myers The MBTP~ instrument is the most widely -rj

used and the most rigorously validated personality assessment tool in ~ t

the world-with over three million people using it every year Using a ~ fi

carefully crafted and statistically sound questionnaire it is designed to

identify an individuals mental process preference how the person tends

to gather information and make decisions Many readers are familiar

with the sixteen possible iterations of type that are represented by the

indicators well-known four-letter type code The code identifies each

individuals preferred ways of acquiring information and making decishy

sions By answering a series of standard questions each person supplies

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the information needed by the indicator to arrive at a reported type

However since there are factors which may throw off these results it

is up to each individual to check the validity for themselves By paying

attention to how they actually tend to operate in their daily life they will

either confirm or verify their reported preferencesor modify them to

a better fitting true type

In verifying their type new learners will need to notice not only

how they gather information and make decisions but also whether

they tend to be more energized when they focus on their external enshy

vironment or when they focus on their inner world and whether their

primary external focus is on making decisions or on taking in informashy

tion Thousands of trained professionals are qualified to administer the

MBTIreginstrument and help with verification and are ready to provide

feedback and support to help their clients understand type and apply that

understanding to specific issues

T~re is no way around the fact that a significant amount of inforshy

mation is needed in order to understand type at even the beginner level

But the sixteen personality profiles that have been the primary tool for

introducing type can be unnecessarily intimidating to the new learner

Isabel Myers herselfwrote that the obvious obstacle to gaining a comshyfortable familiarity with the types is that there are too many to keep in

mind by brute memory Using this approach extensive professional

support is often needed at the initial feedbackverification stage to bring

people to a level of understanding where they are even able to see what it is that the model has to offer

However by approaching type first through the eight processes

its complexity is broken down into the most basic most important

and least intimidating pieces the mental processes themselves These

mental processes truly are the building blocks of personality Only the

most elementary understanding of the theory is needed initially and

feedback can focus on j ust the two mos t key and most easily verified

clements the dominant and auxiliary processes If new learners are

first ground ed in the basic theory and armed with descriptions of the

mental processes them selves then they can truly understand the more

complex type profile descriptions The profiles do not need to be the

starting point for teaching and feedback Verification becomes easier hcrnr sc the learners have been given both the conceptual framework

Terms and Concepts

and the descriptions needed for sorting out why some aspects of their

reported type profile may not seem to fit They can see that every indishy

vidu al personality is a dynamic custom fit woven from the processes

On the other hand those new learners who are first exposed to

their reported type through a generic descriptive profile often misshy

understand the intent of the profile They may see it as an off-the-rack

mass-produced item to be either accepted or rejected depending upon

how well it seems to fit initially Too often when the profile does not

fit perfectly the credibility of the instrument itself is questioned Too

many people lose interest and do not stay with it long enough to reap the benefits of exploring type

Learning about type primarily through the sixteen profiles can also lead to the misconception that these portraits tell us all that we need

to know about personality But most profiles are reallyjust generalized descriptions of the traits and behaviors that reflect the domin ant and

auxiliary mental processes Ifwe are distracted by these descriptions and

focus upon what we see on the surface without some understanding of

the rich complex and dynamic psychic life from which it springs we will overlook much ofwhat the type model has to offer

The type code itself is the starting place designed primarily to fashycilitate easy access to our own type None of the four dimensions of

personality that are represented by the letters truly stands alone Isabel said that the traits that result from each preference do not combine to

influence an individuals personality by simple addition of characterisshytics instead the traits result from the interaction of the preferences

Each letter of the code represents an aspect ofa very complex living sysshy

tem When we look at these pieces together in the natural system of the individual personality we see that they int eract in a myriad offascinating

and important ways It is through understanding these dynamics of type

that much of the model s insight into human personality can be found

The authors view the eight-process app roach as an important guide for

the complex task of seeking to understand this interaction of processes

It is an aid to help us raise our level of sophistication in order to grasp

and use a much greater portion of the type model s underappreciated richness of insight and from th ere to continue to build and expand the scope of how we view and teach type

3

BI() LKS 0 1 P ~mNA I I1Y f Yf

We firmly believe that even those who have never been exPosed to

a personality type instrument can benefit from the information presented

ill this book This approach of focusing on the individual pro cesses is easy

tor anyone to absorb and useand the potential for expanded understandshymg and for personal growth is enormous even if this is a persons first

encounter with the concept ofmental processes For these new learners the ideal learning approach is to use the

material we are presenting in tandem wi th a skilled type professional If you have th e opportunity we recommend that you take the MBTI

personality inventory then use our book to boost your learning curve and augment the work you do with your consultant If you use this

approach you will be amazed at how quickly your understanding will

expand Most experienced type practitioners will find that they too can

quickly reach a deeper level of appreciation of the dynamics of type

throulF the eight-process model and th at this perspective will almost

automatically lead to more effective ways of working with clients In

chapter fourteen we outline some of th e directions that these practical

applications can take You will also find exercises that will help facilitate

interpretation and your clients self-verification of their true type in

Journey cfUnderstanding 3 and Functions ofType4

THE EIGHT-PROCESS MODEL As we will show in the following pages a basicworking understand ing of

the mental processesdoes not absolutely require an interpreter Wit h just

a little guidance anyone can start this journey and reap significant benshy

efits from the very beginning By first simply focusing on the processes

themselveseven the casual learn erwill benefit On the other hand those

who choose to continue on this path by learning more about the theory upon winch the model is based will have access to a depth of understandshy

llIg that goes far beyond anythi ng that most of us ever imagined In recent years a few people building up on the work of the

pioneers of personality type have developed some key refinements of

how our mental processes are viewed They have expanded our ability

to understand these psychological mechanisms that we all use to cope

survive and live our daily lives Since the mental processes are such a

big part of who we are and how we operate any enhancement of our

understanding of them is truly big news This expanded view of type is

what we are calling the eight-process model

An attitude of continuous exploration expansion and refinement

ofJungs theory of person ality types is very much in keeping with jungs

own perspective on his work Marie-Louise von Franz his close friend

and professional collaborator wrote He was a pioneer and remained

fully aware that an enormous number offurther questions remained unshy

answered and call for furth er investigation This iswhy his concepts and

hypotheses are conceived on as wide a basis as possible (without making

them too vague and all-embracing) and why his views form a so-called open system that does not close the door against new discoveries

Two crucial shifts in emphasis form the cornerstones of the eightshy

process approach to type As noted earlier neither is new Th ey actually

just reemphasize what Jung and Myers had have been telling us all along

But refocusing on these key pieces of the foundation of type can have a

far-reaching effect on how the model is understood and used

THE FIRST CORNERSTONE

At any point in time an individual is operating primarily from a single

mental process (ie one function Sensing Intuiting Thinking or Feelshy

ing in either its Extraverted or Introverted attitude) That one process

is the most crucial factor in understanding what is going on with that person at that moment By shifting our focus from a complex profile

of functions and attitudes to just the process that is being used at any

given moment we can actually grasp more ofwhat is important with far

more clarity and ease than if we try to look at all the possible factors at

once A majority of new learners find it much easier to verify or confirm

their true type through this approach They begin to understand why the

profile for their reported type does not fit perfectly with what they know

about themselves When seen in terms of preferred mental processes it

becomes easier to see that the individual idiosyncrasies of normal pershy

sonality development are quit e consistent with the generalizations of

the typ e model Thus emphasizing the processes themselves avoids the

negative experience of feeling put in a box-labeled and constricted by

type- which some new learners experience

Terms and Concepts

j

5

IW ING BLO( K () P R~ ()NAUTY TIPf

~

This is where the simplicity and accessibility of the eight-process

approach comes from N ew learners find that they can understand and

remember the relatively straightforward processes much more quickly

and vividly than the pro files They can w atch clear examples in operashy

tion within themselves and others Thus through simple observation

they im mediate ly begin to build an understanding of the different ways

people operate Process watching is the first step in learning about type

through the eight-process appro ach

THE SECOND CORNERSTONE

Everyone possesses the potential to use all eight of the mental processes

Weeach accessand engage them in waysthat are to a great extent un ivershy

sal and predictable creating the sixteen in nate and balanced sequences of

processes that define the sixteen types By learning about all eight of our

process preferenceswe can make predictions about how they may develop

h~ adroitly we will use them how we will react to others who are usshy

ing them and the various ways in which they can manifest themselves

throughout our lives Because it integrates the fo ur processes th at usually dwell in the

unconscious along with the four that are more consciously accessible

the process-preference aspect of the approach can lead us into unlimited

exploration and discovery of the complex and unique individuals th at we

are (sec appendices B and E)

PROCESS WATCHING The focus of th is book is on the individual mental processes Learn ing

to recog nize th em isan enlightening experie nce unto itself as well as the

nccessary first step for fur ther exploration No process description will

fit you perfectly Likewise you m ay iden tify with some parts of all eight

lescnptions You are a uniq ue and complex being and what we describe

here is only after all a model th at simplifies the description of personalshy

lty aud its development in order to help us to think and talk about it This

book [()Cuscs upon that model at its sim plest level In addition it is imshy

portll1t to realize that th e model is a rational construct It is a way to help

li S understand something that is inherently not rational and therefore can

----L

never be completely understood Neve rtheless you will notice that some

of the processes descriptions resonate clearly wi thin yourself and you

will begin to recognize some of them in the people around you as well

From this beginning your recogn ition understanding and appreciation

will continue to expand outward like ripples in a pond to encompass

more and more of the actions and interactions around you

We enco urageyou to read the descriptions watch and listen for the

processes in yourself and in others as you work and play go back to the

descriptions th en watch some more It sounds too simple however the

lessons to be learned fro m just process watching are virtually unli mited

and the potential for growth is truly profound

MISCELLANEOUS TERMS T hroughout thi s book when we talk abou t the eight processes we are

referring to what are often called the Jungian mental pro cesses T hose

who are literate in the jargon of type w ill recogni ze our processes as the

four functions of Sensing Intuiting T hinking and Feeling in their

Extraverted or Introverted attitudes In other words we are talking

about the processes as they actually m anifest themselves We do not

for exa mple refer to Thinking as a process beca use there are actually

two very different Thinking processes Extraverted Thinki ng and Inshy

troverted T hinking

W e use the word type in refere nce to the understanding of sixteen

personality types as represented by the four-letter type code T he type

model theorizes that all human beings can be seen as using eight basic

mental processes and th at the inclinatio n to prefer to use each process

over others is innate in all ofus From these premises the simple math of

the type model creates sixteen possible sequences ofprocess preferences

the sixteen types Just as a four- letter type code is shorthand for a type

each type is actu ally shorthand to r a constellation ofprocess preferences

If we are able to grow and mature without unusual external pressures

we have the tendency to develop and use the eight processes in a natural

pattern according to this internal bias that we call preference (see apshy

pend ices B and C) Our environment can influen ce our behavior and

even our development but not our innate process preferences

ii 11

Term s ond Concepts 1

II 11

i ~ i 111

II I

I I ll

i

11 I

i 6

dLOCKS 0 P r RSO NAIlfY rYfE

bullSome terms used in describingtype have specialized definitions that

differ from their common meaningsWe often capitalize terms to warn you of their specialuse For example people who prefer aJudgment proshycess are not necessarily morejudgmental than others Here Judgment just means one of four ways to approach making a decision Likewise people usingT hinking are not necessarily more intellectual nor are those engaged in Feeling more sensitive or those Extraverting more gregarishyous than anyone else The irrationalprocesses (the Perception processes Extravertediand Introverted Sensing and Extraverted and Introverted Intuiting) are not necessarilyunreasonable They are called irrational because they are automatic How we take in information (Perception) hasnothing to do with reason (rational thought) one way or another

Mosttype professionals still exclusively use the wordscoinedbyJung about a century ago Extraversion Introversion Sensation and Intuition We have found that many new learners find this a bit confusing When we are Iklking about mental activity it seems to work better to use active forms of the words When people are interacting with the world around them for examplewe saythat theyare Extraverting Likewise when they are interacting with their personal inner world they are Introverting We reserve the traditional terms for when we talk about the function or atshytitude itself We use j ungs terms for example for the opposing sides of the perception dichotomy Sensation and Intuition On the other hand when people are engaging these functions we say that they are Sensing or Intuiting We have found that newlearners in particularrelate better to these action words than to words that feel like labels

As you read this book if you find any terms mysterious or confusshying refer to the glossary for a concise definition and explanation

LITERARY LICENSE Jungs model does not explaineverything about human psychology but it is sometimes convenient for us to talk as if it does Keep in mind that it is only a model and for that matter a model of mental processes only- not of traits skills or behavior In chapters four through eleven we do use extensive descriptions of traits and behavior as a way of helping you to

recogTllze and understand the processes that tend to be associated with them But what can be observed isactuallyjust a reflection of the process

and that process in turn isonly a representation of an important facet of how we humans operate The model wonderfully illuminating as it is is just a way to help us think in simple terms about an incredibly complex phenomenon

We admit to indulging in a bit ofsemi fiction in the waywe describe the processes in this book as if they exist in pure well-developed conshyscious and mostlyconstructive forms In the real world the waythatwe engagethe processes may be influencedby thesituation by developmenshytal factors by their position in the sequence of preference or by another mental process Even the people whose stories are reported in this book will not identify with all the stories or statements about their preferred process This is because when we talk about a single mental process we are taking it out of the context of the individual personality The processesare never really separate or distinct from the unique living and dynamic system in which they operate In action they are never seen in isolation from other influences But by oversimplifyingour descriptions in this way the processes become much more easily recognizable Even though the pure process may exist only in theory by talking in these terms we are describing the common elements that are in playwhenever a given process is being used Thu s the process becomes easier to spot regardless of how other influences may color and modify it

We have also taken the convenient liberty of talking about the proshycesses as if they are conscious beings with wills of their own We say they do this and want that as if they are individual characters in a play This of course is not literally true at all But it is a very handy and essent ially accurate way to describe how they operate

Terms and Concepts

~

~

9

f

TYPETHEORY IN BRI EF

WHAT IS PROCESS PREFERENCE

bull

In theory each one of us has the ability to use all eight of the mental processes Wediffer typologically bywhich ones we naturally prefer to use Some processes arevery comfortable and require littleeffort for us to bring them into play Theyare a bigpart of whowe areThey are like our favorite most personal room in our home the room that reflects whowe are and is our safe havenwherewe can beourselves Our prefershyencefor theseprocesses maybeso clearand our abilityto access them so welldeveloped that weuse them automatically even when they maynot be well suited to the situation athand This is simply human nature like the preference for usingour leftor righthand

At the other end of the preference spectrum are processes that are alsoa part of us but lie in our unconscious Our awareness of them is usually marginal at best and when we do engagethem it is likely to be anawkward and uncomfortable experience We usuallychoose tosimply avoid using them and perhapseven todeny theirvery existence But like wearing a path to a remote location the more we use these unfamiliar processes and becomeaccustomedto them theeasierit becomesInfact maturing to becomeamore balanced individual and growing towardour fullpotential ismostlya matter of becoming moreand moreadeptat acshycessing those innately unconscious mental processes Until we develop our awarenessand appreciation for theseprocesses we miss out on their benefits Evenworse they maybe a frequent source of conflict or may bubbleto thesurface in times ofstressresulting inbehavior that isinept inappropriate and seemingly out of character

f

-~iJ

-l

~ - ~ shy

Experlenceshows that itispracticallY impoSsible 0lling

to adverse circJlri7 stanciisfng~heaf~~ anyoneto develop ~ ail his psychorigical functions1i1I1Itafie~

ously The derri andS ~ ofso~ietlcomp~a +

man to apply hifuself firstand foremoSti c I

to thediff~ren tia) tionofthefuncridii

bullwith whichheisbesf ~ e q iJipp ed byndture orwhichivillsecure I]illl t~~ g~ptesit~jJJ social successVery frequently indeed asageneralrulea manidentifies more orlesscompletely with themostfavored OJ1dhence themost aeveloped f(inetion It isthisthatgivesrise to thevariouspsychoshylogicaltypes

Carl GJung

11

----

c NG Bu)cKs 0 1 1 1I~ ONAII IY f YI1

r OUR TWO MOST PREFERRED PROCESSES In order to survrve every human being must have a way ofacquiring inshy

fi)rmation and a way of making decisions The more adept weare at pershy

forming and balancing these two basic mental tasks the more successful

we are likely to be As Isabel Myers put it The two skilled processes

can develop side by side because they are not antagonistic Although

one can assist the other there should be no doubt which comes first The stability of one process unchallenged by the others is essential to the

stability bf the individual Each process has its own set of aims and for

successful adaptation asJung pointed out the aims must be constantly clear and unambiguous One process needs to govern which way a pershy

son moves it should always be the same process so that todays move

will not be regretted and reversed tomorrow Convincing evidence indicates that it is more effective in the day-toshy

day business of coping and surviving to be an expert at using one approach

for ech ofthese tasks rather than to develop modest comfort with several

Adept use of any single approach to gathering data teamed with a single

well-developed way of making decisions enables us to negotiate most

of lifes situations even if we are not operating in ways that are ideally

suited to the specificsituation When it comes to effectivelyengaging one

of these coping strategies process expertise is usually more crucial than

process suitability Most of our psychic focus for the first two decades of our lives is

normally upon developing extensive facility with just one mental proshy

cess for each of the two basic tasks gathering information and making

decisions (see appendix C) The two processes that we prefer for these

tasks are the ones that we tend to use the mo st and with which we feel

most comfortable They are the processes that will probably remain most

closely ass()ciated with our personal identity for the rest of our lives They arc the processes that will resonate and have you saying Thats

me as you read their descriptions in chapters four through eleven S IIICC these processes complement each other they are able to deshy

velop largely in tandem throughout the early years ofour lives But as in

1 pby there e m be only one lead role It is this dominant process that

IsIllIy reaches maturity first and is the most trusted of all We rely on

it cousistc u tlv and regard it as the heroheroine of our lifelong drama

l

ll Type Theory in Brief II1J

I I ~~ WI

1Ili IIiU

This first process is the one that we can consciou sly call into play with middot lh~l ~

the most ease and with the least expenditure of energy It is the charisshyi1matic element of our personality It is so important in how we operate I ~

mentally that it would not be an exaggeration to view the roles of all our 11

IIi Y other cast members as supporting this process the star of the show r~ 101l li ~

-

~

The second of our dynamic duo of processes is the auxiliary

It normally develops next and complements the dominant process in IlcJmiddot il1illmiddotcrucial ways Between the two one takes in information and the other i r~

makes decisions one focuses on the environment and the other focuses jnl 111 -iii I

within one is rational and the other is irrational In this way the auxiliary

supplies much of the balance that we need as we move through life ILi~ IiiThe auxiliary process acts like a trusted adviser and a supportive 1 ~ ~~

parent to the dominant one Because of its complementary nature the l i h~1 iii

second process is able to modify and balance the energy and enthusiasms 1Ii 1 of the first thus lending a degree ofmaturity to the personality Though Iii

I l j ~ ~ never in the true leading role of our personal drama the auxiliary proshy I ~ cess can sometimes be so influential and visible that it is mistaken for j ~I Wtthe star

iiIi ~Together these two characters are often capable ofcarrying off lifes t1~

scenes with very little help from the other six cast members and because ~iL ~1 Illithey are usuallyso comfortable and so clearlypreferred they are frequently 11middotmiddot

expected to do so Ifyour close friends were asked to describe your pershy l l ~ sonality the descriptions wouldbe for the most part descriptions of these

I Itwo primary processes in action Personality type instrumentsare in fact

a sophisticated way ofidentifying our two most preferred processes Most iii

type-related profiles that we see today primarily reflect the influences of i t

the dominant and auxiliaryprocesses Ii I

Though identification of these two favored processes is critical it is

illjust the first step in solving our process-preference puzzle ii

A SEQUENCE OF PREFERENCES Building from the identification of our two most preferred processesshydone usually through a personality type instrument-the eight-process 11

model tells us how the other mental processes are aligned in an arrangeshy iiII

ment that includes all eight This sequence tells us that with normal I ( ~~ I Idevelopment the processes line up from most preferred to least from 1 Hi j]

13

G B LO c K ~ or PI KIlNAIIIY (YPE

~

the one that is most conscious to the one that is most unconscious from

most adept and comfortable to the least and from the one requiring the

least energy to use to the one requ iring the most Ifwe think of the proshy

cesses as the actors in our person al drama then it is their positions in the

sequence that outline the roles they will play How they w ill play those

rolesis determined by the personalities of the actors- by the nature of

the processes themselves

Of course normal is just a mathematical concept There are not

actually any normal people and none of us develops exactly according to

the template of type or any other theory But the type model has held up

for over sixtyyears because of its usefulness in describing a typical sequence

of psychological growth and because it provides a formula for maturity and

balance that appears to be innate in allof us The rich journey ofself-discovshy

ery for which type can act asour guidebook is partly about understanding

the universal aspectsof typehow the characters in the cast of eight usually

act an~ntera ct by virtue of their innate nature and assigned roles It is also

about how our own unique mix of developmental and situational factors

modifies this interplay As Jun g put it conformity is one side of a man

uniqu eness is the other 8

THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING OUR PREFERENCES Within each constellation of eight processes lies an inexha ustible source

of insight th at is most easily and effectively accessed by patiently sifting

dow n through its many layers one at a time T ho ugh thi s book focuses

upon the simplest level it is important to be aware that thisjourney can

take us into th e increasingly unfamiliar and uncomfortable terri tory of

our less preferred and often unconscious mental processes

T he path to self-knowledge and self-management is best traveled

one step at a time It is not so intimidating this way and with thi s apshy

prouch Il O matter how far you choose to go you will be able to unshy

derstand and integrate what you have experienced along the way Since

this intro ductory hook focuses on recognition of the processes that we

exper ience and sec we will look primarily at th e dominant and (to a

lesser extent) the auxiliary processes T hese are the two processes that

---L

most people use and show most of the time These are the processes that

are visible in their pures t forms so process watching is initially about observing these most preferred processes

Being consc iously aware of the way I tend to fun ction makes it

possible for me to assess my attitudes and behavior in a given situation

and adjust them accordingly It enables me both to compensate for

my per sonal disposition and to be tolerant of someo ne who does not

function as I do -someone who has perhaps a strength or facility I myself lack 9

Understanding how our own mental processes work is a tremenshy

dous gift unto itself and the increased appreciation and valuing of other

peoples unique talents is another An equally imp ortant benefit is that

this understanding can help facilitate our own psychic and spiritual

growt h as human beings As we go through our lives we are driven to

become whole to be all that we can be Even if personal growth is not

our goal it happens anyway when we explore our less developed mental

processes We gradually become more co mfortable with th e processes

and are able to bring them to bear more effectively upon lifes situations

and issues At the same time we are becoming more comfortable with

this strange men tal territory -less afraid of what is deep inside ourselves

and less annoyed or fearful when we see these processes manifested in

others Consequently our unconscious processes become less likely to

surface in unpredictable immature and counterproductive ways This

business oftype development can enhance our personalcapacitiesas well

as our tolerance and appreciation ofothers as we learn to accept and use

more of the wide range of percept ion and decision-making approaches that are available within us all

Type Theory in Brief

I I

15 Ii ~ ~

II r I ~ u

IIIimiddot ~illH II j ~ I II j ~ C r p f~ImiddotmiddotjIiq~ - ~t~ Ii lli l ~~ ili ~lFROM FOUR DICHOTOMIESTO EIGHT l Y ~ ~ I II middot ~I llMENTAL PROCESSES TO SIXTEEN TYPES I~I ~ I ~ Co j

I~ ~ ~

H ~JiI WHY EIGHT PROCESSES II

Thes~ fOurfunction Carl Jung described three distinct dimensions or dichotomies of pershy types correspond to

theobvioUs means bysonality Each dichotomy is made up of two contrasting halves Jung whichconscksusness

drew a line between the two sides of each dichotomy in much the same obtains its orienta- way that you might cut a cake in half Using Jungs three dichotomies tion toexperience

Sensation (ie2sense i i1 ~ ~we draw three sets oflines We divide our cake first into halves then into perceptioh) tells -l 1 quarters and finally into eight equal pieces youthqtsoiylethlng 11

t ~ i J~ t First we focus on the three dichotomies that were identified by existsthinking tells 1 If youwhatit iSifeeling

Jung and adapted for the type code by Isabel Myers These first three II ~~ ~- tells you whetherit li1 ~dichotomies are the ones that actually define the eight aspects ofpersonshy isagreeable ornot 1II ~

ality type andintuitiontells you I11 III ~whence it comes and

Orientation to the environment is the dichotomy which Myers ni whereItis going 1 middot1identified from allusions which Jung had made but had never formalshy Carl G Jungand 1I li

M-l vonFranzized into a dichotomy After we have identified the eight pieces we will Illil ~ lJuse this fourth dichotomy to guide us in arranging the eight mental 1

processes to distinguish the sixteen types

Thedichotomies are abouteither or(7

f- 1V V J

Extraverting ENERGY - - Introverting

Sensing ------ - PERCEPTION --- - Intuiting

Thinking c----middot JUDGMENT middot - -- Feeling

Judgi~g -- ENVIRONMENT --- Perceiving f1

1

---l-- - - - - - - - --- ___ __shy

1lt]f Ji Iif shyI i ~ ~

1 ~1 Il ~ 5f1 JiOl 1Ii1r~bull

ii

~ ~

Ill J ~

I~H I 1[

i ij i

I i I1 1

Il li ~ II1

I

1II

1 i1

11

I17

11 I _~lt

WING BLOCKS ()f PERSONALITY TYPE

N ow lets walk thr ough the steps that lead us from tIte first three

dichotomies to eight mental processes We start with a whole circle representing the entire personality

First we divide our personality model into halves by distinguishing

between the two basic purposes of mental processes gathering informashy

tion (Perception) and making decisions (Judgment)

JudgmentPerception

N ext our two pieces are divided again to become four Perception

is separated into the distinct approaches of Sensing Perception and

Intuiting Perception J udgment becomes Thinking Judgment and middot

FeelingJudgrnent

We will return to our cake cutting shortly First let s look more

closely at the four pieces that we have so far

--l-

I

From Four Dichotomies to Eight Mental Processes to Sixteen Types

I I

J

PERCEPTION AND JUDGMENT

As we have said all human psychic activity can be viewed as being deshy

voted to two simple tasks that are essential to our survival taking in

information and making decisions Not much is going on that cannot

be included in one ofthese basic process categories we gather data then

we make choices There are two dramatically different ways to approach

each of these tasks

Sensing Perception and Intuiting Perception

H ow we perceive or gather information provides the second letter of the

type code This letter will be either an S for Sensing or an N for Intuit shy

ing as in ESTJor ENTJ

Perception is considered to be irrational because no intentional

editing process is involved in selecting the information that is taken in N o one can take in all the data around us there isjust far too much of it

T he two approaches to perception are essentially mechanisms that autoshy

matically restrict the flow of information by means of two very different

focuses of attention The same data is available to everyone with fully

functional sensory organs but what we actually perceive is what makes

it through these innate filters to our awareness Sensing and Intuiting

simply notice different kinds of infonnation

Sensing (S)

The focus of Sensing is on information gathered by the five senseswhat

we see hear touch smell and taste It can include memories of past

sensations as well as sensations being experienced in the present Sensshying perceptions are always tangible and verifiable at least in theory even

1 i i1 - though they are not necessarily always clear or accurate J[

I IAdept use of a Sensing process will balance and thus soften the ~ t

tendency of a preferred Judging process to overlook concrete informashy

tion in its rush to a decision

Whether noticing their current environment or recalling past surshy

roundings people using a Sensing process tend to do so in vivid detail

T hey prefer to live in the real world of tangible things past or present

They want to know who what where and when

19 18

ilLWI( 13W CKS U PrRSUNAlITY TYPE

t Intuiting (N)

The focus of perception through Intuiting is on an expanded picture In-

tuition maydraw its information from the environment or from within It

attempts to extrapolate from seemingly random bits of information to un-

derstand the patterns or meanings that the data represents and thus to genshy

erareconnections meanings possibilities options and vision One cannot

fore ~ee or control the Intuiting processes timetables or methodologies

The Intuiting mental processes work with content that varies

widely from individual to individual and from moment to moment

A Sensing process when observing a tree for example is always tied

to data from the senses shades of color shapes sizes comparisons

and so on An Intuiting process on the other hand may notice almost

no concrete information before rapidly moving on to build a series of connections It may generate possib ilities or attach meaning and

significance to the tree or create a broader mental picture of the forest

1tis picture may have no discemable relationship to anything that can

be detected by the senses The Intuitive search is for connections pat-

terns and underlying significance

Thinking Judgment and Feeling Judgment

How we judge or make decisions provides the third letter of the type code This letter will be either a T for Thinking or an F for Feeling as

in IN1] or ENF]

The Judgment processes provide rational structure to our percepshy

tions so that we can m ake use of the information gathered They shape

the actions ofour conscious will Since the task ofaJudgment process is

to make decisions it is not surprising that both the Thinking and Feeling

approaches are oriented toward reaching some kind ofoutcome

Another way to describe what Judgment processes do is that they

attem pt to gain some internal or external control over our lives and

our world The need to influence events and situations and to act with

purpose is an obvious requirement for survival and it is what decision

making through Thinking or Feeling is all about

From Four Dichotomies to Eight Mentol Processes to Sixteen Types

Thinking (T)

The Thinking approach to decision making is essent ially that of analytishycal logic To support this analysis it uses criteria that it either pulls from

the environment or synthe sizes internally in order to define everything

Though it may sometimes seem to others as if these judgments devalue

people and things by pigeonholing them they actually have nothing to

do with value at all Thinking processessimply need to attach a label or

category to every thing in order to understand its position relative to the rest of the universe to maintain a sense of order and to fit it into some

kind of logical framework for the analysis that leads to decisions

Thinking is impersonal It intentionally excludes values-based considshyerations Most people with a Thinking preferencewould rather be truthful than tactful and are more interested in being fair than in being kind

Feeling (F)

Feeling is a values-basedapproach to Judgment It determines what someshy

thing is worth Feeling is aware of the impact of its choices It is aware

of the individuals involved and affected their circumstances and their

relationships Creating and maintaining external or internal harmony is

therefore the primary priority of the decision making In the personality

type model the term Feelingsimply refersto decision-making processes

that are guided by systems of values A preference for Feeling does not

have anything to do with emotions Feeling types are neither more nor less inclined to be emotional than Thinking types

While no less rational than Thinking Feeling is certain ly not con shy iir oH

strained by logic often caring more about tact than truth and about the effect of a decision than about being right

~

Now lets return to our cake We have already used two of the dishychotomies to arrive at the four pieces that we have described Finally I

each of these four is divided again according to whether they are i

Extraverted or Introverted As shown below we now have eight equal pieces the eight mental processes of type

ii ~ J

li1Jmiddot 21 20

From Four Dichotomies to Eight Mental Processes to Sixtee n Types ~G BlOCKS or I ~ ONAlI I Y TYPe

Extraverting (E)

Extraverted Thinking If our most skilled trusted and comfortable process-our dominantExtraverted Sensing process-is Extraverted we usually put our best face forward By definishy~tion we must all extravert in order to interact with people and the

rest of the physical world So the processes that we directly and most blm_~d Thl~Introverted Sensing I~Jbull ~ Wi easily observe in people are usually their Extraverted processes BecauseI ~ lt~ ) f I of th is it has become a common misconception that only the Extraverted JUDGMENTPERCEPTION

processes can be observed by others

~ ~~ In people who prefer Extraverting what we most readily observe Introve1ed Intuiting ~ ~s ~ ~ Intreverted F~lg

usually reflects their most comfortable process Thus individuals who prefer Extraverting are typically accessible and relatively easyfor others to understand What you see is what you get Sharing experiences with

Extraverted Intuiting

laquo r ~~

Extraverted Feeling others is after all an essential ingredient of Extraverting People whose dominant process is Extraverted feature their most talented actor at censhyter stage in the starring role

By virtue of their objective focus upon their environment and their shy extensive interaction with it people who prefer Extraverting tend to be aware of and in tune with a broad scope of external information

EXTRAVERTING AND INTROVERTING

T he energy preference provides the first letter of the type code This As Sharp noted When one is predominantly oriented to the objectshyletter will be either an E for Extraverting or an I for Introverting as in

things and other people-there is an extraverted type12 If a processESTPor ISTP focuses on the environment we call it Extraverted because it draws itsThe final division of the psychic cake the one that brings us to the energy from interacting with the external object person or situationeight distinct mental processes is the difference between Extraverting much as we are warmed and energized by the sun An individual whoand Introverting the four functions of Sensing Intuiting Thinking prefers Extraverting is fueled by the situation itself

jand Feeling Each one of the four can have either the external world or ~ the internal world as its focus As Ju ng put it there are no Extraverts

~ i 3- 1tIntrovert ing (I)or Introverts pure and simple only extraverted and introverted function il

Introverted processes focus on a subjective inner psychic life of reflectiontvpcs It is this Extravertingor Introvertingorientation thatdistinguishes concepts and ideas T he outer world of tangible things and people maywhether the focus of that process is the objectiveworld around us or the be integrated into this inner world but the real excitement and energy ofsubjective world within It is referred to asthe energy dichotomy because Introverting come from these personal thoughts and ideas In b et whenIt n-llccts how we focus our personal energy externally or internally Introverting we may not needexternal input atall working entirely withinTllaquomgh last IrJ our presentation of the factors that delineate the eight ourselves Sharp says that While the extravert responds to what conics toprocesses the ExtrlVertingIntroverting aspect is certainly not the least the subject from the object (outer reality) the introvert relates mainly to11 llpartfi d It IS IrJ fact the one thatJung noticed first and is a distinction the impressions aroused by the object ill the subject (inner rcalityj

( I I uuuost impor tan ce It is referred to asthe energydichotomy because it People whose most preferred process is Introverted do not usuallyrdlrcts how we gather and use our personal energy

show the world their greatest giftsWhen they speak or take action in the

23i z J

1

NG BW CKI UI 11RSONAllTY TYPE

world they usually do so through their auxiliary process so ob~e rvers can never observe the dominant process directly The Extraverted auxiliary process is the one featured in the spotlight and is often mistakenly asshy

sumed to be the star The focus of the auxiliary process is always complementary to the

dominant Because of this observers often see and hear one thingwhile the petson who prefers Introverting is actually coming from a very difshyferent place For examplewe may hear what sounds like adecision But if the speaker has an Introverted dominant preference for Perceiving that person may actually be just trying to share information that he or

she has acquired Theseperceptions however are filtered and reframed as they are expressed (Extraverted) through their auxiliaryJud gingproshycess and emerge into the wo rld sounding like a decision

This is not to say that Introverted processes cannot be observed They can In observing any process even an Extraverted one we are of cousse actuallyobserving the outward manifestations of a mental activshyity For Introverted processes these visible clues are usuallyjust more subtle and require closer attention to detectthan their externally-oriented counterparts They do not proceed aloud or publicly But you can see people withdraw as they engage their Introverted processes They may have a distant unfocused look in their eyes or look down or away from others When they refocus you may have further evidence that they have been Introverting in the personal subjective and original nature of the

information or decisions they report With those who prefer Introvertingwhat you see is usually not their

dominant preferred process Introverting by its very nature cannot be shared directly An Introverted process draws energy from what is going on inside aswhen we are warmed from within by metabolizing our food An individualwho prefers Introverting is fueled by contemplation

O RIENTATION TO THE ENVIRONMENT KEY TO THETYPECODE

T he fourt h and final letter of the type code indicates what an individual prefers to do 111 the external world either make decisionsor gather inforshyiu auon T his letter will be either aJ forJudging or a P for Perceiving as

III ENT] or ENTP

4

From Four Dichotomies to Eight Mental Proce sses to Sixteen Types

We can see that the first three dichotomies of type represented in the first three letters of the type code define all eight of the mental proshycesses Extraverted Sensing Introverted Sensing Extraverted Intuiting Introverted Intuiting Extraverted Thinking Introverted Thinking Extraverted Feeling and Introverted Feeling The fourth dichotomy or the fourth letter is needed primarily to show the order ofan individuals natural preferences for engaging those processes By telling us whether a persons preferred orientation to the environment is for Judging or

Perceiving the entire sequence of preference for using the eight proshycesses is revealed

The addition of the final dichotomy was Isabel Myerss great gift to the world It tells us through which function-either the decision-makshying (judgment) or the data-gathering (Perception) function-we prefer to interact with our external environment This is the piece of information that assembledJungs theories of personality into a complete system It is what makes it possible to summarize rich and complex theory in a simple formula that even new learners can grasp

First L~H~r middot o f (Extraverting) b j (Ihtroverti~g ~ Energy I~~~ ~ -c ~ j i

Second LeHer - - S (Sensingj or N (Intuiting) gt~---middot Perception bull shy Third Letter - T (Thinking) or F(Feeling) __- J udgm ~nt

i Fourth Letter -- J (Judging) or P (Perceiving) Environment Orientation 1

1 I

HOW TYPE CODEINTERPRETATION WORKS T he first three dichotomies each with its two opposing halves create eight possible mental processes Now we wil1 take you through the steps used in interpreting the code These are the steps that connect any fourshyletter code reported by a personality type instrument to the sequence of mental processes that describes that type T he steps will be similar to

25

)

NG BUJlK S ( f r RooNIIII TY TYPE

f

those in our cake-cutting exercisebut in a different order Ifyou find the

mechanics of interpretation confusing do not worry You are not alone

and you do not need to understand the details in order to understand

type Qualified type professionals receive extensive training in order to

interpret the personality type code

Understanding at least the general idea of type interpretation is im-

portant because it iscentral to understanding the model The framework

ofpersonality type contains a limitless depth of insight into personality

But Isabel Myers had to form the model into a deceptively simple code

because her central purpose in creating the instrument was to provide

everyone access through interpretation to an understanding of his or

her own type

Interpretation is where the fourth dichotomy comes into play

When we interpret a type code this last dichotomy is actually our startshy

ing point Afour-step process is used to find the dominant and auxiliary

processes for each of the four-letter type codes

In order to facilitate our understanding ofthe four-letter type code

we need to distinguish between the attitudes and the functions Based

on the work of Carl]ung Extraverting and Introverting are called atshy

titudes Isabel Myers added Judging and Perceiving as attitudes The middle letters of the type code are called functions Thus Sensing

Intuiting Thinking and Feeling are all functions

STEP 1 DETERMINE WHICH OF THE

Two PREFERRED FUNCTIONS IS EXTRAVERTED

In the first step of interpretation the] or P of Myerss environmental

dichotomy provides the key to determining the Extraverted function For the ESF] type for example the] indicates that the Judging function

-~

(which the third letter of the formula shows is F for Feeling) is the preshyferred wayof interacting with the environment In other words we know

that one ofES FJs two mo st preferred processes is Extraverted Feeling Applying the same logic to the ISFP type the P indicates that the

Perceiving function (which the second letter of the code shows is S for

Sensing) IS the preferred means of interacting with the environment For

[SFP Sensing is Extraverted

From Four Dichotomies to Eight Mental Processes to Sixteen Types

FIRST EXAMPLE SECOND EXAMPLE

Step h In ESFJ The What hiExtraverted In ISFP TheJudging lJ) The fourth leiter indicates whether it is Perceiving (P)function is the Judgment function (a T or an F) or functionisFeeling (F) so the Perception function (an 5 or an N) Sensing (5) sothe Extroverted thot is Extraverted the Extraverted process would I processwouldbe Extraverted be ExtrovertedFeeling (Fe) J Sensing (Se) ) 1

~~

STEP 2 DETERMINE WHICH OF THE

Two FUNCTIONS IS INTROVERTED

In step 2 we use the principle ofbalance and the logic of simple eliminashytion to deduce that the other function in the four-letter code (S N T

or F) is Introverted For ESF] since Feeling was Extraverted then the remaining function Sensing must be Introverted

For ISFP since Sensing was Extraverted then the remaining funcshytion Feeling must be Introverted

~ -~ ~

Step2ii f~ t~ ~A - What Is Introvelfedmiddoti ~

Ou~f~ncti~ h are i ci~~t ifi ~d bt~~~o middle leiters of the code If in Step 1 we found thaI we Extrovert the function identified by the second leiter then we lknow that we Introvert the function Iiidentfied bythe third lelfer Ifwe found t that we Extravert the third leller then II

we must Introvert the second lelfer ILgt ~~ ~ i l

I

STEP 3 DETERMINE WHICH OF THE Two PREFERRED

FUNCTIONS Is THE DOMINANT PROCESS

Step 3 focuses on the first letter of the type code to identify the most

preferred or dominant mental proc ess Steps 1 and 2 identi fy the most

27

NG BLOCKS Of I I ~ () NA I I Y 1m

preferred Extraverted func tion and the most prefer red Int roverted function T he first letter of the code indicates which one of these is

our domina nt process N ote that in the type code or w hen they stand

alone the letters E and I are trad itionally capitalized When they are

co mbined w ith a letter representing a funct ion (such as T for Thinkshy

ing) to indic ate a me ntal process (such as Introverted T hinking) they

are lowercase (Ti)

In our first example ESFJ the E indicates that the Extraverted function

(which has already been determined to be Feeling) is the most preferred I

T hus for ESFJ Extraverted Feeling is the dominant process

Inthe second example the I shows that Introverted Feeling is the

dominant mental process for ISFP

j e Step 3

11ESFJ The ~ Wh~t b the dolrClnt In ISFP The E1iraverted energy orientation Introverted function is function isThefi r~t 1~t1~r of thefburl~lte~ tYp~middotcode Feeling (Fl so Feeling (F) soindicates whichoLthe tW~ previouslymiddot the dominant the dominant identifiedprocessesis dominant the Exshyprocessis process istravertedone or the Introverted one0- Extroverted Introverted Feeling (Fe) IfyoJrfiist letteri~ ~ for ~~avertirig your Feeling (Fi)

dominantprocess will beExtraverted If your first letter is I for IntrovertingyOur dominant proc~sS will De I~troverted

bull - J-

STEP 4 DETERMINE WHICH OF THE

Two PROCESSES IS THE AUXILIARY PROCESS

Step 4 Identifies our second-most preferred or auxiliary process Thi s is

simply the process we ident ified earlier that is not the dominant one For

ESrj Introverted Sensing is the aux iliary process For ISFP Ext raverted

Sensing IS the aux iliary process

Step 4 is a great illustration of how Myers created a practical apshy

plication from J ungs theory Jung observed that the psyche has a need

to balance the purpose and orientation of the dominant process In the

first exam ple the dominan t Judging function needs to be balanced by

Fom l our Dirho lomies 10 Eight Mental Processes to Sixtee n Types

a Perceiving function in the trusted adviser role and the domin ant

orientation to Ext raverting balanced by Introverting Similarly in the

seco nd example the dom inant Int roverted Judging fun ction needs the balance of an Extraverted Perceiving function

Step 4 InESFJ The What w~uld bal~nce InISFP The auxiliary Extraverting wlth i~f6~~rting and Judg- auxilioryprocessis ing with Pereeivi~9 process is Introverted

ExtravertedSensing (Si) Sensing (Se)

As we have shown the interpretation of the type code ident ifies not

only what our two preferred processes are but also which one we prefer

most (our dominant) and which is second (our auxiliary) The need for

balance applies to all eight of the mental processes creating sixteen posshy

sib le type sequences in which the processes are arranged by preference Thus we have a total of sixteen possible personality types

Eight very different type codes con tain aJ as the last letter

raquo gt

- J

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shy

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Copyright copy2006Leona Haasand Mark Hunziker

All rights reserved No portionof this publication may be reproduced distributed stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in anyfonn or by any means including electronic mechanical photocopying recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of thepublisher except in the caseof brief quotations embodied in critical reviews andcertain other noncommercial uses permittedby copyright law For permission requests write to thepublisheraddressed Attention Permission Coordinator at

the address below

UniteBusitessPress A Divisionof TelosPublications PO Box 4457 HuntingtonBeach California 92605-4457 TollFree 1-866-416-89731Phone 1-714-965-7696 Fax1-714-965-7697 httpwwwtelospublicationscom

Understanding YOlUSeljandOthers Interstrength MajorsnI KnowdellNotJustAPaycheck 16typescom and The CommunicotionZoneareeither registered trademarks or trademarks of UniteMedia Group Inc Fountain Valley California Myers-Briggs 1peIndicator MB11 andMyers-Briggs are trademarks orregistered trademarks of theMyers-BriggsType IndicatorTrustintheUnitedStales aod othercountries

Printed in the United States ofAmerica

Libraryof Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Haas Leona Building blocksof personality type a guide to using the eight-process modelofpersonality type

lungs mental processes 1Leona Haas Mark Hunzikerraquo Ist ed pcm

Includes bibliographical references andindex ISBN 0-9719326-2-X I Myers-BriggsType Indicator 2 Typology(psychology) 3 lung C G (Carl Gustav)1875-1961 1

Hunziker Mark 11Title BF6988M94H33 200gt 1552(4--dc22

2005037324

Copyediting and proofrcadingby PeopleSpeak Cover and InteriorDesign Visibility Designs Indexer Rachel Rice

This book isdedicated by Leona and Mark to

Carl G Jung for his relentless courage in exploring the daunting mysteries of the psyche

Isabel Briggs Myers for hertireless and loving dedication to helping humankind

Katharine D Myers for her grace caring and quiet devotion to Isabel and the purpose of the MBW

Daryl Sharp for his profound understanding and clarity

John Beebe for his powerful insights and remarkablepatience in sharing them

Mary Thompson for herwise counsel

byLeona to

Stanislaus and Agnes Nowicki for all their sacrifices and the gift of life

Richard Haas for hisunconditional love and belief in me

Dawn Haas Bowders for her ideas technical expertise and continuous help

Dana Balaz my ENFP daughter for helping me understand and value opposing personalities

Cheyenne and Alexandra Balaz for their hugs and kisses when I reallyneed them

Anthony Harley Nowicki for teaching meto see type gti through the eyesof a child

Margaret and Gary Hartzler for their truededication caring and sharing of knowledge

All my workshop and Qualifying Program participants for their 1

honest sharing of themselvesto make thisbook happen

Ii and by Markto

Robert J Hunziker for his love and often underappreciated wisdom

l~

---

bull

Foreword by Kotharine D Myers ForewordbyJohn Beebe Preface Acknowledgments

PART ONE AN INTRODUCTION TOTHE EIGHT-PROCESS MODEL OF TYPE

Chapter 1 Terms and Concepts MBTI ~ Personolitymiddotlnventory The EightProcess Model ProcessWatching Miscelloneous Terms Literory Licensemiddot

Chapter 2 Type Theory in Brief What Is ProcessPreference~

Our Two MostPreferred Processes ASequence of Preferences Thelmporlanceof Understanding Our Preferences

Chapter 3 From Four Dichotomies to Eight Mental Processes to Sixteen Types WhyEightProcesses HowType Code Interpretation Works

PARTTVVO THE EIGHT JUNGIAN MENTAL PROCESSES

Chapter 4 Extrave rted Sensing (Se) Key Features Whats Going On From the Outside looking In Contributions From the Inside Vignettes Gifts

Chapter 5 Introverted Sensing (Si) Key Features Whats Going On~

From the Outside looking In Contributions From the Inside Vigneltes Gifts

xi xv

xvii xxi

1 1 4 6 7 8

11 11 12 13 14

17 17 25

33 34 34 35 37 37 40 41

43 44 44 46 48 48 50 52

vii

JG BLOCKS or I ONAIII Y TYI

Ch apter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

bull Chapter 9

Cha pte r 10

Cha pte r 1 1

Extraverted Intuiting (Ne) Key Features Whats Going On Fromthe Outside Looking In Contributions Fromthe Inside Vignettes Gifts

Introverted Intu iting (Ni) KeyFeatures Whats Going On Fromthe Outside Looking In Contributions From the Inside Vignettes Gifts

Extraverted Thinking (Te) KeyFeatures Whats Going On Fromthe Outside Looking In Contribut ions From the Inside Vignettes Gifts

Introverted Thinking (Ti) KeyFeatures Whats Going On From the Outside Looking In Contributions From the Inside Vignettes Gifts

Extra verted Fe e ling (Fe) Key Features Whats Going On From the Outside Looking In Contribut ions From the Inside Vignettes Gifts

Introve rted Feeling (Fi) KeyFeatures What s Going On From the Outside Looking In Contributions From the Inside Vignettes Gifts

t 53 54 54 55 57 57 60 61

63 64 64 66 68 68 71 71

73 74 74 76 78 78 80 81

83 84 84 86 88 88 90 91

93 94 94 95 97 98

100 100

103 104 104 105 107 108 110 111

PART THREE BEYOND PROCESS WATCHING

Chapter 12 The Eight-Process Model of Type Chapter 13 Important Facets and Factors in Eight-Process Type

The Cast of Cha roders Balance Consciousness and Unconsciousness The Sequence of the Eight Process Preferences Appropriateness Energy Flow Summary of the Facets and Fadors

Chapter 14 Beyond the Basics Conflict Management Decision Making Communicat ion Managing Change and Transition Parent ing and Education Career Development

Afterword

APPENDICES

A Jungs Model of the Psyche B John Beebes Archetypal Understanding of Psychological Types C Two Important Contributions from Harold Grant 0 Brief Descriptions Based on the Two Preferred Processes E The Circle of Eight-Process Type F Comparison of Jung ian Mental Processes GProcessArchetype Chart for the Sixtee n Types HDecisio n-Making Checklist I Time-Focus of the Perce iving Processes

Notes Glossary Bibliography Index About the Authors

115 119 119 120 120 121 122 123 124

127 127 133 141 155 160 165

171

173 177 181 185 19 1 193 197 19 9 20 1

203 207 219 223 22 9

Table of Contents ~71

~ t

i I f~

~ i 1

i ti I III h I i t~ ltJ

1-

ii ix

f u j i

l I ~~ ~ J

~-

Building Blocks ofPersonality Type belongs on the shelf of everyone interested

inunderstanding and making use ofJungian psychological type and the Myshyers-BriggsType Indicator (MBTIreg) assessment in their own livesandor in

helpingothers It is to be read and used often as a valuablereference

bull

The authors have succeeded in conveying the full complexity ofthe

eight-process model of type and its application in a manner that is clear

and accessible to the professional and interested layperson alike It is

wonderfully user friendly As I read it I felt that the authors were sitting with me and I was the you they were addressing

Leonas years ofwork with the government when she was working

across the range of government hierarchy in terms ofeducation level ofjobs and experience have served her well in presenting information

in a manner that speaks across the spectrum My firstexperience in

observing her workshop was with a group of employees totally unsoshyphisticated in anything psychological-they understood and responded

with enthusiasm

The collaboration between the two authors began at a worksh op

on the eight mental functions led by Leona Haas Mark Hunziker was a

participant Mark wanted to learn more Leona wanted to record a c011lshy

plete description of her model but her forte was live presentation not

writin g An hours conversation later the joint project was launched

Mark would provide his writing and structuring skills and gain the opshy

portunity to study the eight-process model up close Leona would be able to make her work available to a wider audience Two introverted

intuiting types do not need much information or time to know when something fits

ishy

r

J

xi

NG BLOCKS II NAII Y ( YPi

l

Building Blocks of Personality Type demonstrates the success of this fit The writing is clear and coherent Complex ideas are explained with precision simplicity and accuracy The organization of the book takesan overwhelmingamount of knowledgeand presents it in a logical structure that makes the content accessible to the reader

- The development of the eight-process model of type is a giant step in understanding and using Jungian psychological type and the MBTIregassessment

Leona Haas has been instrumental in developing and instructing others in the eight-process model of type This model enables inshydepth understanding of the eight mental processes that form the core ofJungian type theory and it also provides a new and enriched model of feedback

Katharine C Briggss major contribution was her profound undershystandingofJ ungiantheoryand her recognitionof psychological typeasan

sinvaltable model of development in healthy personalities Her daughter ~

Isabel Briggs Myerss major contribution was her pioneering work in creating the sixteen type model with its four-lettercode asa way of givshying individuals access to their Jungian preference type For many years

interpretation focused on the four dichotomies E-I S-N T-F andJ-P although Myers had usedher understanding of the eight processes in her naming of each type (for example ESTJ as an extraverted thinking type with introverted sensing) The only description of these eight processes was a four-pagesummarycompiledby Myers in Gifts Dijfering

Most practitioners are introduced toJungian ideas when they begin to use the MBTIreg however overthe years their understandinghasgradushyally moved from basictype through type dynamics typedevelopment and on tojungs model of the psycheand his life-long development model of Individuation As practitioners graduallydeepened their knowledge atshytention was turned to the need for understanding more fully these four fu nctions in both attitudes that is the eight mental processes

Leona was among the leaders in recognizing this need She has devoted herself with introverted intuitive intensity to learning more through constant questioning of individuals ofdifferent types consultashytion With experts and reading Her treasuryof knowledge contained in this book IS the outcome

Her seamless integration of the eightprocesses into thecomplexwhole of theJungian system of personality is avaluable bonus gift to the reader

Historically the knowledge of our four letters hasgivenmanyindishyviduals andgroupsimportantinsights in self-understandingself-acceptance and in the understanding and appreciation ofotherswho aredifferentfrom themselves However those of us who havejourneyed further have found a richness of understandingand a perspective that enhances our lives imshymeasurably This bookprovides the door to that richnessWelcome

KatharineD Myers The Myers-Briggs Trust

Foreword

j

j

I

1 A

i I JiICbull j i l l ji ~ -j

xiii i

~

t

bull

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~

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r

The word mental meaning of or pertaining to the mind has too often ~~ ~1been used to suggest abnormality RobertGravesandJoseph Campbellhave ~~ warnedus that myth is a word we use to refer to other peoples religion 11

I ~

Likewise mental is the wordwe useto refer to other peoples ways of using Jtheir minds Leona Haas and MarkHunzikerhave dignified these sidelong 1lookswe give oneanotherby identifying what we areobserving asmental

iprocesses found ineverybody the only differencesbeingwhich processes ~ we each give emphasis toand in which order I ~

Inthis endeavor theyfollow the workof the Swiss psychiatrist C G ~1 11

Jungwhoin thefirstpartof the twentiethcentury influenced bypsycholoshy ~

j+j Lgists in French-speaking Switzerland and France began to engage himself 1with thetypical differences in humanconsciousnessOne of these mentors ~j

was Alfred Binet for whom consciousnesswasintelligenceBinet sought to measure intelligence andour most commonly used intelligence test is 1 still called the Stanford-Binet By 1902whenJungwas studying in Paris i

1

Binet had noticed eveninhis owndaughtersdramatic differences in learnshy I ingstylestowhichhe gavethenamesextemospectionand introspection 1 1Withina decadeJung hadintroduced his own notion of a tum of mind

into the terms for the basic mentalattitudesby calling them Extraversion (outward turning) and Introversion (inward turning) A further decade 1

Ienabled Jung to differentiate various functions of consciousness four in j

all through which thesebasic attitudesof mindcould be expressed in drashy

matically differentwaysHisdescriptions ofthinkingfeeling sensationand intuitionasexpressed in both the extraverted and introverted attitudesform the heart of hisbookPsychologilal Types (1921) This classic became an inspishyration to Isabel Briggs Myersin the 1940s asithadbeena generation earlier toher mother Katharine Briggs It led them to develop together a practical instrument for capturing the differences in the ways individuals use their

xv 1

BLOCKS (1 ~(lNA II I Y rYP

minds in all the settings of their lives-the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator which hasbecome the most widely used instrument for identifying normal personalitydifferences in America today

PsychologiralTypes was thebasic inspiration forthe eight-function model that asaJungian analyst inspired by such clinical teachers asMarie-Louise von FranzJo Wheelwright and Wayne Detloff I brought to practitioners of type as~ess me n t in the 1980s Leona Haas wasamong the very first type consultants (alongside Kathy Myers and Margaret and Gary Hartzler) to grasp what ~ was gettingat that the normalmind cannot be adequately deshyscribed with a four-functionmodelofitsprocesses even if the two attitudes ofExtraversion and Introversion are somehow included to explain some of thedifferences between the ways differentfunctions are expressed bydiffershyent people Subsequently thanksas much to Haass teaching as myown a number of others have come aboard She has recognized thatwe cannot be literate in the ways of the mindwithout aclear individualized senseofwhat all eighf mental processes look like and of how they are experienced by the actual persons using them

It is a pleasure to have herbook to recommendto thosewho havecome to my own lectures and asked me to give more extended and systematic deshyscriptions of the eight function-attitudes (to use the helpful term that Dick Thompson introduceda fewyears ago) She hasmade the most practical use possible of my analytic interpretation ofJungs visionary theory Haas has succeeded in takingthe eight function-attitude model in all its complexity into workadaycorporate settings where it has instantly proved its power to unlock the understanding of serious impasses and to significantly improve the integrity ofa businesss teambuilding

That is not the extent of this modelspotentialapplication however In this book elegantly realized with the patient assistance of Mark Hunziker himself a formidablestudent of the mind Leona Haashasmanagedto proshyduce the most practicallydetailedand psychologically accurate orientation to the eight processes that I have seen I heartily recommend it to thebeginshyner aswell as toanyone who imagines heor she isalready adept in thisfield T hetruth iswe all have agreatdeal to learnabout the buildingblocksout of which our minds are made In my own efforts to master the architecture of such a wondrous structure I expect to be reading this book for many yearsto come

John Beebe

Over the past half-century many millions of people around the world have been aided in their personaland professionaldevelopment through a modelof personality that was developed by CarlJung Katharine Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers T he Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) provides both the framework and the main tool for the model of what has come to be known as personality type or just type for short Building Blocks ofPersonality Type is an attempt to begin a comprehensivedescripshytion of a certain way of thinking about type and the benefits that this approach offers

We feel the need to give this view of type theory a label the eightshyprocess model oftypein order to distinguish this paradigm from some misconceptions that have grown up around the MBTIpersonality inventory and personality type Although we call it a model we are not talking about anything new or separate from the framework of the model that has served so well for all these yearsWe are in fact simply attempting to help clarify the core of the theory that was developed by Jung Briggs and Myers and to integrate subsequent work that hasbuilt directly upon that foundation

Many type professionals will find that we are describing how they already think about type We believe that these folks will nonetheless find useful and illuminating nuggets in the pages that follow They may gain insights from the descriptions of the mental processes or perhaps get some new ideas about how the model can be applied or possibly learn something new about how the different aspects of the model mesh to produce the dynamics of type

Oth ers who work with type may find that eight-process type repshyresents a dramatic and difficult shift in their understanding In many of

xvii

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UILDING B lClCk ~ or P[ RSO NAW Y TYPE

Leonas advanced workshops attendees find themselves going through a

bit ofa paradigmshift Usually she hearsfrom these people after they have

had time to digest the new information that they can never go to back to

the way they worked with type before Ifyou find that the eight-process

model challenges some of your assumptions and practices we urge you to bear with us We are convinced that the theoretical model and practical

descriptions that follow are at the heart of the most effective practices in

use today and that they are particularlyhelpful in teaching the basics of

type through feedbackand verification as well as for delving more deeply

into the important insights ofJungs theory ofpersonality Our main focus in this work is on describing Jungs mental proshy

cessesas completely and vividlyas possible as you will actually experience them This is not only the first step in the eight-process approach to

type but also a rewarding experience in itself By looking at personality

through process watching you are likelyto learnthings that will change

Yiur perspective from this point forward regardless of whether you are

an experienced professional or you havenever even heard ofpersonality

type Through simple descriptions of the four different ways that we

take in information and the four different ways we make decisions you

will learn to value your own gifts more highly You will also begin to

better understand and appreciate the perspectives of those around you

Conflict management decision making communication management

ofchange and transition exploration of your teaching and learning styles and those of your children career choices and daily lifewill all be easier

and more positive and will actually become opportunities for enriching

your life

We confess to also having a hidden agenda We are out to save the

world It is tremendously rewarding for us to watch individuals teams

and organizations grow as a result of exposure to this expanded approach

to personality type That is the immediate day-to-day grat ification of

our work But we are energized on another level too by the conviction that a better appreciation of psychological type and how it influences reshy

lanonships and interactions could be a vital key to unlocking the human

potential that is needed in order to learn how to live together on this

planet This belief was a driving force behind Isabel Myerss amazing

contributions as well We believe as she did that animosity and bloodshy

--shy

shed are but reflections of the immature and frightening shadow side of

our own personalities We also believe that the path to an exciting new

maturity level in human evolution-a path of enhanced cooperation

collaboration and coexistence-lies through the psychic development

that Jung called individuation

Albert Einstein pointed out that we cannot expect to resolve comshy

plex problems from within the same mindset that created them Margaret

Wheatley throughout her lectures and writings has made a convincing

argument that relationships information flow and self-definition are the

ultimate determinants of how human beings interact The state of conshy

sciousness from which we approach these criticalhuman activitiesmayvery

well be the key factor in determining the success or failure of all human

systems families teams communities corporations and even nations

Regardless of ones personal motivation for exploring the mental

processes the inevitable result of doing so is an elevation ofour level of

awareness The potential consequences of such a shift in consciousness

are dramatic-for individuals for family for social and work groups

and by extension for the entire human community By enhancing our

understanding of the eight mental processes we gain an appreciation for

the diversity and value of our own gifts as well as the diversity and gifts

of others Thi s in tum will have an immediate and far-reaching effect

upon each of the key elements of successful human systems building healthier relationships developing more effective communication and

gaining a greater understanding of ourselves and others

We the auth ors are familiar wi th and continue to use many other

models tools and approaches to personal and organizational developshy

ment But for us nothing else compareswith understanding the Jungian

mental processes for simplicity ease of access and the depth and breadth of its power to change lives When we begin to learn to recognize these 1

processes every relationship every conversation every in trospective

moment can become a lesson in appreciation for the amazing gifts tha t

we all possess

We invite you to join us on this journey Whether your aim is to

develop your own potential improve your relationships help others

bring your organization to the next level or save the world we know of

no better place to start than right here

Preface

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Over a decade ago Leona Haas becameconcerned about the small but significant percentofpeoplewho havedifficulty validating their reported type These are the type userswho do not feelthat their type as reported by theMyers-Briggs TypeIndicator fits them verywelL Facedwith the challenges of sorting out their true type from their reported type many of these new users dismiss the instrument altogether and never come to benefit from its insights It wasthis issue of typevalidation that gave the initial impetus to ajourney that has takenLeonato an increasshyingly refined understanding of the Jungian mental processes and the dynamic system in which they operate Building Blocks ofPersonality Type is theculmination of thatjourney

There have been many teachers guides and helpers along the way and it seemsappropriate to acknowledge their contributions by relating a briefhistory

Like manyjourneys this one startedat home Leona was perplexed by thedifferences between the ways her husband Rich used his Sensing process andwhatshehadlearnedabout Sensingfromherstudiesandfrom working extensively with typewith federal governmentemployees When assembling akit for example Rich never read directions He preferred to workfrom pictures orbyseeingthe finished product He also did nothave good recallofpastevents and seemed tomake intuitiveleaps fromwhat he observed None of this fitwith Sensing asLeonaknew it

In the earlynineties very little information was readily available to the personalitytypecommunity concerningJungs views on the mental processes Gifts Dijfering by Isabel Myers provided basic information aboutthe eightJungian processes but manyofIsabels insights and most of her researchhad not been published

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lWING BLOCkS () f l ~S O NA li TY TYPE

Gradually through her empirical work with type Leona began to recognize that Sensing can be tised in very different ways When she started to divide her workshop participants into S] and SP groups (thus distinguishing those with a preference for Introverted Sensing from those who prefer Extraverted Sensing) patternsbegan to emerge

-She realized that her husband used Extraverted Sensing while the milishytaryculture in which she worked tended to favor Introverted Sensing

Having solved the mystery of Richs Sensing preference by distinshyguishing Extraverted Sensingfrom Introverted Leona beganto suspect that she was learning about something which could enable type practishytioners to help people more easily and clearly validate their type The pursuit of a deeper understanding of the Myers-BriggsType Indicator

became her passion First she went back to the basics to CarlJung She soon discovered

the work of Daryl Sharp a Toronto Jungian analyst and publisher of JlJ4lgianc books Sharps book Personality Types was a gift ofknowledge for her In it he explains the mental processes with unusual clarity It opened awhole newlevelof understanding toLeonaand helped to focus her investigations

While attending courses through Type Resources Leonamet Gary and Margaret Hartzler and soon became a Qualifying Programinstrucshytor Margaret and Garywere also doing research into theJungian mental processes by investigating the theoretical concepts and incorporating them into their Qualifying Program Leonas focus upon the practical aspects of the processes and the Hartzlers work with the theory grew into a synergistic joint effort that allowed all three of them to develop and expand their understanding of the dynamics of type

Over the course of the next five years Leona developed ways of incorporating theJungian processes into her feedbacksessions In 2000 she wrote JOIITlley of Understanding with Margaret Hartzler and Bob McAlpine

Katharine D Myers is co-author of Introduction to TyperegDynamics and Development the only book that Leona was able to find for her early research on type dynamics and development Alongwith Daryl Sharps work it opened many doors of understanding for her For the first time she really began to understand individuation and how it related

to personalitytype During her research she was very fortunate to have Kathy Myers become interested in her unique approach to exploring type feedback Since then Kathys dedication and love for the MBTIreg instrument and her steadfast guardianship of its ethical use has fanned the flame of Leonas enthusiasm and bolstered her courage to continue exploring this unfamiliar territory

Her nextmajorbreakthrough came from the research and work of DrJohn Beebe aJungian analyst fromSan Francisco and past president of the San FranciscoJungian Institute Dr Beebehad been working on an enhanced theory of personalitytype which isbuilt upon the viewthat each psychological type encompasses eight distinct cognitive processes rather than just four His audiotape A New Model of Psychologital Types revealed to Leona the tremendous scopeof the insights containedwithin the type model John has been a wonderful gift to the community of personality type practitioners He is very supportive of the instrument and has done much to bring theJun gianand personalitytypecommunishyties closer together

As earlyas1974Dr Beebedeveloped the ideathat thefirst fourfuncshytions alternate attitudes like a series of checks and balances with the third being in the same attitude asthe first He first presented this modelat the 1983 Chiron Conference in New Mexico under the title Psychological Types in Transference Countertransference and the Therapeutic InteractionThe following year that paper waspublished asa chapter in Transference Countertransference By 1985 he had begun exploring the conshycept that each individual hasaccess to alleight of the processes

Each of the people mentioned above has in his or her own way been a pivotal source of the inspiration information and innovation that has shaped the eight-process model of type

Acknowledgements

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qI The collaboration to create this book began at a workshop that ~

Leona led for the Vermont chapter of the Association for Psychological Type inJanuary 2001When Mark Hunziker asked how he could learn moreLeonarecommended several books and tapes Shenoted thatwhile each explained a different element of her presentation acomprehensive portrait of the model did not yet exist She wanted to record a complete description but her forte is live presentations not writing Encouraged and facilitated by Leonas friend MaryThompson the project was vir-

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W ING B LO CKS ( RSl lNAlIY f y[

tually launched after only an hour of conversation MarI would have

an opportunity to study the eight-process model up close and with his

help Leona would be able to make her work available to a wider audishy

ence Two Introverted Intuiting types do not need much information or

time to know when something fits

Like C G Jung and Isabel Myers Leona has constantly tested

modified and validated her theoretical understanding through literally

thousands ofconversations and observations We are deeply indebted to

the c~untless people with whom we have discussed type at workshops training sessions and elsewhere These conversations have helped us to

modify clarify and enhance our understanding of the theory as well

Most of the stories and statements that we use to draw portraits of the

mental processes (chapters 4 through 11) are paraphrased combinations

of comments from several people who share the preference and a few

are direct quotes Though we cannot acknowledge everyone by name

w willbe forever grateful for your contributions to our understanding

The only way that we can possibly begin to repay your willingness to

share your stories and insights is by passing along what we have learned

to others

We are particularly grateful to those who have actively supported

and aided our efforts to expand our understanding through their conshytinued correspondence and friendship and in some cases their helpful

feedback during the writing of this book

Neither of us could have managed to pull this project together withshy

out thedaily emotional and logistical support ofour life partners families

and friends They have our profound appreciation and our love

_shy

----01

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AN INTRODUCTION TO THE

IGHTPROCE5S ti~~ P- ~

MODEL OF TYPE

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xxiv

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TE RMS AND CONCEPTS

Since a primary benefit of the eight-process model is that it provides a Itisnotthepurpose

simple and direct route into the heart of personality type we have taken oftypology to classify pains in this book to present the underlying theory as simply as possible humanbeings into

categories---this in and to minimize the use of terms that are unfamiliar to the new learner itselfwould bepretty

But some of the jargon is unavoidable and a basic understanding of the pointlesS Its purpose theory behind the model is needed to provide context and perspective israther to provide a

critical psychology You will find aglossaryalong with severalappendices in the back of this - which would makea book to help clarify and elaborate upon what we mention in the text methodicalinvestiga

tian andpresentation ~ and to introduce some more advanced concepts that we cannot explore bull possible

in depth here This chapter provides a brief overview of the terms and Carl Glung concepts along with a few miscellaneous tips

THE MBTIregPERSONALITY INVENTORY The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality inventory is based on a model that was conceived by Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Gustav Jung

and furth er developed by the team of Katharine Briggs and her daughshy

ter Isabel Briggs Myers The MBTP~ instrument is the most widely -rj

used and the most rigorously validated personality assessment tool in ~ t

the world-with over three million people using it every year Using a ~ fi

carefully crafted and statistically sound questionnaire it is designed to

identify an individuals mental process preference how the person tends

to gather information and make decisions Many readers are familiar

with the sixteen possible iterations of type that are represented by the

indicators well-known four-letter type code The code identifies each

individuals preferred ways of acquiring information and making decishy

sions By answering a series of standard questions each person supplies

~

~ BLOCKS 0 1 PImiddotRSlINlI1 I Y 1m

the information needed by the indicator to arrive at a reported type

However since there are factors which may throw off these results it

is up to each individual to check the validity for themselves By paying

attention to how they actually tend to operate in their daily life they will

either confirm or verify their reported preferencesor modify them to

a better fitting true type

In verifying their type new learners will need to notice not only

how they gather information and make decisions but also whether

they tend to be more energized when they focus on their external enshy

vironment or when they focus on their inner world and whether their

primary external focus is on making decisions or on taking in informashy

tion Thousands of trained professionals are qualified to administer the

MBTIreginstrument and help with verification and are ready to provide

feedback and support to help their clients understand type and apply that

understanding to specific issues

T~re is no way around the fact that a significant amount of inforshy

mation is needed in order to understand type at even the beginner level

But the sixteen personality profiles that have been the primary tool for

introducing type can be unnecessarily intimidating to the new learner

Isabel Myers herselfwrote that the obvious obstacle to gaining a comshyfortable familiarity with the types is that there are too many to keep in

mind by brute memory Using this approach extensive professional

support is often needed at the initial feedbackverification stage to bring

people to a level of understanding where they are even able to see what it is that the model has to offer

However by approaching type first through the eight processes

its complexity is broken down into the most basic most important

and least intimidating pieces the mental processes themselves These

mental processes truly are the building blocks of personality Only the

most elementary understanding of the theory is needed initially and

feedback can focus on j ust the two mos t key and most easily verified

clements the dominant and auxiliary processes If new learners are

first ground ed in the basic theory and armed with descriptions of the

mental processes them selves then they can truly understand the more

complex type profile descriptions The profiles do not need to be the

starting point for teaching and feedback Verification becomes easier hcrnr sc the learners have been given both the conceptual framework

Terms and Concepts

and the descriptions needed for sorting out why some aspects of their

reported type profile may not seem to fit They can see that every indishy

vidu al personality is a dynamic custom fit woven from the processes

On the other hand those new learners who are first exposed to

their reported type through a generic descriptive profile often misshy

understand the intent of the profile They may see it as an off-the-rack

mass-produced item to be either accepted or rejected depending upon

how well it seems to fit initially Too often when the profile does not

fit perfectly the credibility of the instrument itself is questioned Too

many people lose interest and do not stay with it long enough to reap the benefits of exploring type

Learning about type primarily through the sixteen profiles can also lead to the misconception that these portraits tell us all that we need

to know about personality But most profiles are reallyjust generalized descriptions of the traits and behaviors that reflect the domin ant and

auxiliary mental processes Ifwe are distracted by these descriptions and

focus upon what we see on the surface without some understanding of

the rich complex and dynamic psychic life from which it springs we will overlook much ofwhat the type model has to offer

The type code itself is the starting place designed primarily to fashycilitate easy access to our own type None of the four dimensions of

personality that are represented by the letters truly stands alone Isabel said that the traits that result from each preference do not combine to

influence an individuals personality by simple addition of characterisshytics instead the traits result from the interaction of the preferences

Each letter of the code represents an aspect ofa very complex living sysshy

tem When we look at these pieces together in the natural system of the individual personality we see that they int eract in a myriad offascinating

and important ways It is through understanding these dynamics of type

that much of the model s insight into human personality can be found

The authors view the eight-process app roach as an important guide for

the complex task of seeking to understand this interaction of processes

It is an aid to help us raise our level of sophistication in order to grasp

and use a much greater portion of the type model s underappreciated richness of insight and from th ere to continue to build and expand the scope of how we view and teach type

3

BI() LKS 0 1 P ~mNA I I1Y f Yf

We firmly believe that even those who have never been exPosed to

a personality type instrument can benefit from the information presented

ill this book This approach of focusing on the individual pro cesses is easy

tor anyone to absorb and useand the potential for expanded understandshymg and for personal growth is enormous even if this is a persons first

encounter with the concept ofmental processes For these new learners the ideal learning approach is to use the

material we are presenting in tandem wi th a skilled type professional If you have th e opportunity we recommend that you take the MBTI

personality inventory then use our book to boost your learning curve and augment the work you do with your consultant If you use this

approach you will be amazed at how quickly your understanding will

expand Most experienced type practitioners will find that they too can

quickly reach a deeper level of appreciation of the dynamics of type

throulF the eight-process model and th at this perspective will almost

automatically lead to more effective ways of working with clients In

chapter fourteen we outline some of th e directions that these practical

applications can take You will also find exercises that will help facilitate

interpretation and your clients self-verification of their true type in

Journey cfUnderstanding 3 and Functions ofType4

THE EIGHT-PROCESS MODEL As we will show in the following pages a basicworking understand ing of

the mental processesdoes not absolutely require an interpreter Wit h just

a little guidance anyone can start this journey and reap significant benshy

efits from the very beginning By first simply focusing on the processes

themselveseven the casual learn erwill benefit On the other hand those

who choose to continue on this path by learning more about the theory upon winch the model is based will have access to a depth of understandshy

llIg that goes far beyond anythi ng that most of us ever imagined In recent years a few people building up on the work of the

pioneers of personality type have developed some key refinements of

how our mental processes are viewed They have expanded our ability

to understand these psychological mechanisms that we all use to cope

survive and live our daily lives Since the mental processes are such a

big part of who we are and how we operate any enhancement of our

understanding of them is truly big news This expanded view of type is

what we are calling the eight-process model

An attitude of continuous exploration expansion and refinement

ofJungs theory of person ality types is very much in keeping with jungs

own perspective on his work Marie-Louise von Franz his close friend

and professional collaborator wrote He was a pioneer and remained

fully aware that an enormous number offurther questions remained unshy

answered and call for furth er investigation This iswhy his concepts and

hypotheses are conceived on as wide a basis as possible (without making

them too vague and all-embracing) and why his views form a so-called open system that does not close the door against new discoveries

Two crucial shifts in emphasis form the cornerstones of the eightshy

process approach to type As noted earlier neither is new Th ey actually

just reemphasize what Jung and Myers had have been telling us all along

But refocusing on these key pieces of the foundation of type can have a

far-reaching effect on how the model is understood and used

THE FIRST CORNERSTONE

At any point in time an individual is operating primarily from a single

mental process (ie one function Sensing Intuiting Thinking or Feelshy

ing in either its Extraverted or Introverted attitude) That one process

is the most crucial factor in understanding what is going on with that person at that moment By shifting our focus from a complex profile

of functions and attitudes to just the process that is being used at any

given moment we can actually grasp more ofwhat is important with far

more clarity and ease than if we try to look at all the possible factors at

once A majority of new learners find it much easier to verify or confirm

their true type through this approach They begin to understand why the

profile for their reported type does not fit perfectly with what they know

about themselves When seen in terms of preferred mental processes it

becomes easier to see that the individual idiosyncrasies of normal pershy

sonality development are quit e consistent with the generalizations of

the typ e model Thus emphasizing the processes themselves avoids the

negative experience of feeling put in a box-labeled and constricted by

type- which some new learners experience

Terms and Concepts

j

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~

This is where the simplicity and accessibility of the eight-process

approach comes from N ew learners find that they can understand and

remember the relatively straightforward processes much more quickly

and vividly than the pro files They can w atch clear examples in operashy

tion within themselves and others Thus through simple observation

they im mediate ly begin to build an understanding of the different ways

people operate Process watching is the first step in learning about type

through the eight-process appro ach

THE SECOND CORNERSTONE

Everyone possesses the potential to use all eight of the mental processes

Weeach accessand engage them in waysthat are to a great extent un ivershy

sal and predictable creating the sixteen in nate and balanced sequences of

processes that define the sixteen types By learning about all eight of our

process preferenceswe can make predictions about how they may develop

h~ adroitly we will use them how we will react to others who are usshy

ing them and the various ways in which they can manifest themselves

throughout our lives Because it integrates the fo ur processes th at usually dwell in the

unconscious along with the four that are more consciously accessible

the process-preference aspect of the approach can lead us into unlimited

exploration and discovery of the complex and unique individuals th at we

are (sec appendices B and E)

PROCESS WATCHING The focus of th is book is on the individual mental processes Learn ing

to recog nize th em isan enlightening experie nce unto itself as well as the

nccessary first step for fur ther exploration No process description will

fit you perfectly Likewise you m ay iden tify with some parts of all eight

lescnptions You are a uniq ue and complex being and what we describe

here is only after all a model th at simplifies the description of personalshy

lty aud its development in order to help us to think and talk about it This

book [()Cuscs upon that model at its sim plest level In addition it is imshy

portll1t to realize that th e model is a rational construct It is a way to help

li S understand something that is inherently not rational and therefore can

----L

never be completely understood Neve rtheless you will notice that some

of the processes descriptions resonate clearly wi thin yourself and you

will begin to recognize some of them in the people around you as well

From this beginning your recogn ition understanding and appreciation

will continue to expand outward like ripples in a pond to encompass

more and more of the actions and interactions around you

We enco urageyou to read the descriptions watch and listen for the

processes in yourself and in others as you work and play go back to the

descriptions th en watch some more It sounds too simple however the

lessons to be learned fro m just process watching are virtually unli mited

and the potential for growth is truly profound

MISCELLANEOUS TERMS T hroughout thi s book when we talk abou t the eight processes we are

referring to what are often called the Jungian mental pro cesses T hose

who are literate in the jargon of type w ill recogni ze our processes as the

four functions of Sensing Intuiting T hinking and Feeling in their

Extraverted or Introverted attitudes In other words we are talking

about the processes as they actually m anifest themselves We do not

for exa mple refer to Thinking as a process beca use there are actually

two very different Thinking processes Extraverted Thinki ng and Inshy

troverted T hinking

W e use the word type in refere nce to the understanding of sixteen

personality types as represented by the four-letter type code T he type

model theorizes that all human beings can be seen as using eight basic

mental processes and th at the inclinatio n to prefer to use each process

over others is innate in all ofus From these premises the simple math of

the type model creates sixteen possible sequences ofprocess preferences

the sixteen types Just as a four- letter type code is shorthand for a type

each type is actu ally shorthand to r a constellation ofprocess preferences

If we are able to grow and mature without unusual external pressures

we have the tendency to develop and use the eight processes in a natural

pattern according to this internal bias that we call preference (see apshy

pend ices B and C) Our environment can influen ce our behavior and

even our development but not our innate process preferences

ii 11

Term s ond Concepts 1

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bullSome terms used in describingtype have specialized definitions that

differ from their common meaningsWe often capitalize terms to warn you of their specialuse For example people who prefer aJudgment proshycess are not necessarily morejudgmental than others Here Judgment just means one of four ways to approach making a decision Likewise people usingT hinking are not necessarily more intellectual nor are those engaged in Feeling more sensitive or those Extraverting more gregarishyous than anyone else The irrationalprocesses (the Perception processes Extravertediand Introverted Sensing and Extraverted and Introverted Intuiting) are not necessarilyunreasonable They are called irrational because they are automatic How we take in information (Perception) hasnothing to do with reason (rational thought) one way or another

Mosttype professionals still exclusively use the wordscoinedbyJung about a century ago Extraversion Introversion Sensation and Intuition We have found that many new learners find this a bit confusing When we are Iklking about mental activity it seems to work better to use active forms of the words When people are interacting with the world around them for examplewe saythat theyare Extraverting Likewise when they are interacting with their personal inner world they are Introverting We reserve the traditional terms for when we talk about the function or atshytitude itself We use j ungs terms for example for the opposing sides of the perception dichotomy Sensation and Intuition On the other hand when people are engaging these functions we say that they are Sensing or Intuiting We have found that newlearners in particularrelate better to these action words than to words that feel like labels

As you read this book if you find any terms mysterious or confusshying refer to the glossary for a concise definition and explanation

LITERARY LICENSE Jungs model does not explaineverything about human psychology but it is sometimes convenient for us to talk as if it does Keep in mind that it is only a model and for that matter a model of mental processes only- not of traits skills or behavior In chapters four through eleven we do use extensive descriptions of traits and behavior as a way of helping you to

recogTllze and understand the processes that tend to be associated with them But what can be observed isactuallyjust a reflection of the process

and that process in turn isonly a representation of an important facet of how we humans operate The model wonderfully illuminating as it is is just a way to help us think in simple terms about an incredibly complex phenomenon

We admit to indulging in a bit ofsemi fiction in the waywe describe the processes in this book as if they exist in pure well-developed conshyscious and mostlyconstructive forms In the real world the waythatwe engagethe processes may be influencedby thesituation by developmenshytal factors by their position in the sequence of preference or by another mental process Even the people whose stories are reported in this book will not identify with all the stories or statements about their preferred process This is because when we talk about a single mental process we are taking it out of the context of the individual personality The processesare never really separate or distinct from the unique living and dynamic system in which they operate In action they are never seen in isolation from other influences But by oversimplifyingour descriptions in this way the processes become much more easily recognizable Even though the pure process may exist only in theory by talking in these terms we are describing the common elements that are in playwhenever a given process is being used Thu s the process becomes easier to spot regardless of how other influences may color and modify it

We have also taken the convenient liberty of talking about the proshycesses as if they are conscious beings with wills of their own We say they do this and want that as if they are individual characters in a play This of course is not literally true at all But it is a very handy and essent ially accurate way to describe how they operate

Terms and Concepts

~

~

9

f

TYPETHEORY IN BRI EF

WHAT IS PROCESS PREFERENCE

bull

In theory each one of us has the ability to use all eight of the mental processes Wediffer typologically bywhich ones we naturally prefer to use Some processes arevery comfortable and require littleeffort for us to bring them into play Theyare a bigpart of whowe areThey are like our favorite most personal room in our home the room that reflects whowe are and is our safe havenwherewe can beourselves Our prefershyencefor theseprocesses maybeso clearand our abilityto access them so welldeveloped that weuse them automatically even when they maynot be well suited to the situation athand This is simply human nature like the preference for usingour leftor righthand

At the other end of the preference spectrum are processes that are alsoa part of us but lie in our unconscious Our awareness of them is usually marginal at best and when we do engagethem it is likely to be anawkward and uncomfortable experience We usuallychoose tosimply avoid using them and perhapseven todeny theirvery existence But like wearing a path to a remote location the more we use these unfamiliar processes and becomeaccustomedto them theeasierit becomesInfact maturing to becomeamore balanced individual and growing towardour fullpotential ismostlya matter of becoming moreand moreadeptat acshycessing those innately unconscious mental processes Until we develop our awarenessand appreciation for theseprocesses we miss out on their benefits Evenworse they maybe a frequent source of conflict or may bubbleto thesurface in times ofstressresulting inbehavior that isinept inappropriate and seemingly out of character

f

-~iJ

-l

~ - ~ shy

Experlenceshows that itispracticallY impoSsible 0lling

to adverse circJlri7 stanciisfng~heaf~~ anyoneto develop ~ ail his psychorigical functions1i1I1Itafie~

ously The derri andS ~ ofso~ietlcomp~a +

man to apply hifuself firstand foremoSti c I

to thediff~ren tia) tionofthefuncridii

bullwith whichheisbesf ~ e q iJipp ed byndture orwhichivillsecure I]illl t~~ g~ptesit~jJJ social successVery frequently indeed asageneralrulea manidentifies more orlesscompletely with themostfavored OJ1dhence themost aeveloped f(inetion It isthisthatgivesrise to thevariouspsychoshylogicaltypes

Carl GJung

11

----

c NG Bu)cKs 0 1 1 1I~ ONAII IY f YI1

r OUR TWO MOST PREFERRED PROCESSES In order to survrve every human being must have a way ofacquiring inshy

fi)rmation and a way of making decisions The more adept weare at pershy

forming and balancing these two basic mental tasks the more successful

we are likely to be As Isabel Myers put it The two skilled processes

can develop side by side because they are not antagonistic Although

one can assist the other there should be no doubt which comes first The stability of one process unchallenged by the others is essential to the

stability bf the individual Each process has its own set of aims and for

successful adaptation asJung pointed out the aims must be constantly clear and unambiguous One process needs to govern which way a pershy

son moves it should always be the same process so that todays move

will not be regretted and reversed tomorrow Convincing evidence indicates that it is more effective in the day-toshy

day business of coping and surviving to be an expert at using one approach

for ech ofthese tasks rather than to develop modest comfort with several

Adept use of any single approach to gathering data teamed with a single

well-developed way of making decisions enables us to negotiate most

of lifes situations even if we are not operating in ways that are ideally

suited to the specificsituation When it comes to effectivelyengaging one

of these coping strategies process expertise is usually more crucial than

process suitability Most of our psychic focus for the first two decades of our lives is

normally upon developing extensive facility with just one mental proshy

cess for each of the two basic tasks gathering information and making

decisions (see appendix C) The two processes that we prefer for these

tasks are the ones that we tend to use the mo st and with which we feel

most comfortable They are the processes that will probably remain most

closely ass()ciated with our personal identity for the rest of our lives They arc the processes that will resonate and have you saying Thats

me as you read their descriptions in chapters four through eleven S IIICC these processes complement each other they are able to deshy

velop largely in tandem throughout the early years ofour lives But as in

1 pby there e m be only one lead role It is this dominant process that

IsIllIy reaches maturity first and is the most trusted of all We rely on

it cousistc u tlv and regard it as the heroheroine of our lifelong drama

l

ll Type Theory in Brief II1J

I I ~~ WI

1Ili IIiU

This first process is the one that we can consciou sly call into play with middot lh~l ~

the most ease and with the least expenditure of energy It is the charisshyi1matic element of our personality It is so important in how we operate I ~

mentally that it would not be an exaggeration to view the roles of all our 11

IIi Y other cast members as supporting this process the star of the show r~ 101l li ~

-

~

The second of our dynamic duo of processes is the auxiliary

It normally develops next and complements the dominant process in IlcJmiddot il1illmiddotcrucial ways Between the two one takes in information and the other i r~

makes decisions one focuses on the environment and the other focuses jnl 111 -iii I

within one is rational and the other is irrational In this way the auxiliary

supplies much of the balance that we need as we move through life ILi~ IiiThe auxiliary process acts like a trusted adviser and a supportive 1 ~ ~~

parent to the dominant one Because of its complementary nature the l i h~1 iii

second process is able to modify and balance the energy and enthusiasms 1Ii 1 of the first thus lending a degree ofmaturity to the personality Though Iii

I l j ~ ~ never in the true leading role of our personal drama the auxiliary proshy I ~ cess can sometimes be so influential and visible that it is mistaken for j ~I Wtthe star

iiIi ~Together these two characters are often capable ofcarrying off lifes t1~

scenes with very little help from the other six cast members and because ~iL ~1 Illithey are usuallyso comfortable and so clearlypreferred they are frequently 11middotmiddot

expected to do so Ifyour close friends were asked to describe your pershy l l ~ sonality the descriptions wouldbe for the most part descriptions of these

I Itwo primary processes in action Personality type instrumentsare in fact

a sophisticated way ofidentifying our two most preferred processes Most iii

type-related profiles that we see today primarily reflect the influences of i t

the dominant and auxiliaryprocesses Ii I

Though identification of these two favored processes is critical it is

illjust the first step in solving our process-preference puzzle ii

A SEQUENCE OF PREFERENCES Building from the identification of our two most preferred processesshydone usually through a personality type instrument-the eight-process 11

model tells us how the other mental processes are aligned in an arrangeshy iiII

ment that includes all eight This sequence tells us that with normal I ( ~~ I Idevelopment the processes line up from most preferred to least from 1 Hi j]

13

G B LO c K ~ or PI KIlNAIIIY (YPE

~

the one that is most conscious to the one that is most unconscious from

most adept and comfortable to the least and from the one requiring the

least energy to use to the one requ iring the most Ifwe think of the proshy

cesses as the actors in our person al drama then it is their positions in the

sequence that outline the roles they will play How they w ill play those

rolesis determined by the personalities of the actors- by the nature of

the processes themselves

Of course normal is just a mathematical concept There are not

actually any normal people and none of us develops exactly according to

the template of type or any other theory But the type model has held up

for over sixtyyears because of its usefulness in describing a typical sequence

of psychological growth and because it provides a formula for maturity and

balance that appears to be innate in allof us The rich journey ofself-discovshy

ery for which type can act asour guidebook is partly about understanding

the universal aspectsof typehow the characters in the cast of eight usually

act an~ntera ct by virtue of their innate nature and assigned roles It is also

about how our own unique mix of developmental and situational factors

modifies this interplay As Jun g put it conformity is one side of a man

uniqu eness is the other 8

THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING OUR PREFERENCES Within each constellation of eight processes lies an inexha ustible source

of insight th at is most easily and effectively accessed by patiently sifting

dow n through its many layers one at a time T ho ugh thi s book focuses

upon the simplest level it is important to be aware that thisjourney can

take us into th e increasingly unfamiliar and uncomfortable terri tory of

our less preferred and often unconscious mental processes

T he path to self-knowledge and self-management is best traveled

one step at a time It is not so intimidating this way and with thi s apshy

prouch Il O matter how far you choose to go you will be able to unshy

derstand and integrate what you have experienced along the way Since

this intro ductory hook focuses on recognition of the processes that we

exper ience and sec we will look primarily at th e dominant and (to a

lesser extent) the auxiliary processes T hese are the two processes that

---L

most people use and show most of the time These are the processes that

are visible in their pures t forms so process watching is initially about observing these most preferred processes

Being consc iously aware of the way I tend to fun ction makes it

possible for me to assess my attitudes and behavior in a given situation

and adjust them accordingly It enables me both to compensate for

my per sonal disposition and to be tolerant of someo ne who does not

function as I do -someone who has perhaps a strength or facility I myself lack 9

Understanding how our own mental processes work is a tremenshy

dous gift unto itself and the increased appreciation and valuing of other

peoples unique talents is another An equally imp ortant benefit is that

this understanding can help facilitate our own psychic and spiritual

growt h as human beings As we go through our lives we are driven to

become whole to be all that we can be Even if personal growth is not

our goal it happens anyway when we explore our less developed mental

processes We gradually become more co mfortable with th e processes

and are able to bring them to bear more effectively upon lifes situations

and issues At the same time we are becoming more comfortable with

this strange men tal territory -less afraid of what is deep inside ourselves

and less annoyed or fearful when we see these processes manifested in

others Consequently our unconscious processes become less likely to

surface in unpredictable immature and counterproductive ways This

business oftype development can enhance our personalcapacitiesas well

as our tolerance and appreciation ofothers as we learn to accept and use

more of the wide range of percept ion and decision-making approaches that are available within us all

Type Theory in Brief

I I

15 Ii ~ ~

II r I ~ u

IIIimiddot ~illH II j ~ I II j ~ C r p f~ImiddotmiddotjIiq~ - ~t~ Ii lli l ~~ ili ~lFROM FOUR DICHOTOMIESTO EIGHT l Y ~ ~ I II middot ~I llMENTAL PROCESSES TO SIXTEEN TYPES I~I ~ I ~ Co j

I~ ~ ~

H ~JiI WHY EIGHT PROCESSES II

Thes~ fOurfunction Carl Jung described three distinct dimensions or dichotomies of pershy types correspond to

theobvioUs means bysonality Each dichotomy is made up of two contrasting halves Jung whichconscksusness

drew a line between the two sides of each dichotomy in much the same obtains its orienta- way that you might cut a cake in half Using Jungs three dichotomies tion toexperience

Sensation (ie2sense i i1 ~ ~we draw three sets oflines We divide our cake first into halves then into perceptioh) tells -l 1 quarters and finally into eight equal pieces youthqtsoiylethlng 11

t ~ i J~ t First we focus on the three dichotomies that were identified by existsthinking tells 1 If youwhatit iSifeeling

Jung and adapted for the type code by Isabel Myers These first three II ~~ ~- tells you whetherit li1 ~dichotomies are the ones that actually define the eight aspects ofpersonshy isagreeable ornot 1II ~

ality type andintuitiontells you I11 III ~whence it comes and

Orientation to the environment is the dichotomy which Myers ni whereItis going 1 middot1identified from allusions which Jung had made but had never formalshy Carl G Jungand 1I li

M-l vonFranzized into a dichotomy After we have identified the eight pieces we will Illil ~ lJuse this fourth dichotomy to guide us in arranging the eight mental 1

processes to distinguish the sixteen types

Thedichotomies are abouteither or(7

f- 1V V J

Extraverting ENERGY - - Introverting

Sensing ------ - PERCEPTION --- - Intuiting

Thinking c----middot JUDGMENT middot - -- Feeling

Judgi~g -- ENVIRONMENT --- Perceiving f1

1

---l-- - - - - - - - --- ___ __shy

1lt]f Ji Iif shyI i ~ ~

1 ~1 Il ~ 5f1 JiOl 1Ii1r~bull

ii

~ ~

Ill J ~

I~H I 1[

i ij i

I i I1 1

Il li ~ II1

I

1II

1 i1

11

I17

11 I _~lt

WING BLOCKS ()f PERSONALITY TYPE

N ow lets walk thr ough the steps that lead us from tIte first three

dichotomies to eight mental processes We start with a whole circle representing the entire personality

First we divide our personality model into halves by distinguishing

between the two basic purposes of mental processes gathering informashy

tion (Perception) and making decisions (Judgment)

JudgmentPerception

N ext our two pieces are divided again to become four Perception

is separated into the distinct approaches of Sensing Perception and

Intuiting Perception J udgment becomes Thinking Judgment and middot

FeelingJudgrnent

We will return to our cake cutting shortly First let s look more

closely at the four pieces that we have so far

--l-

I

From Four Dichotomies to Eight Mental Processes to Sixteen Types

I I

J

PERCEPTION AND JUDGMENT

As we have said all human psychic activity can be viewed as being deshy

voted to two simple tasks that are essential to our survival taking in

information and making decisions Not much is going on that cannot

be included in one ofthese basic process categories we gather data then

we make choices There are two dramatically different ways to approach

each of these tasks

Sensing Perception and Intuiting Perception

H ow we perceive or gather information provides the second letter of the

type code This letter will be either an S for Sensing or an N for Intuit shy

ing as in ESTJor ENTJ

Perception is considered to be irrational because no intentional

editing process is involved in selecting the information that is taken in N o one can take in all the data around us there isjust far too much of it

T he two approaches to perception are essentially mechanisms that autoshy

matically restrict the flow of information by means of two very different

focuses of attention The same data is available to everyone with fully

functional sensory organs but what we actually perceive is what makes

it through these innate filters to our awareness Sensing and Intuiting

simply notice different kinds of infonnation

Sensing (S)

The focus of Sensing is on information gathered by the five senseswhat

we see hear touch smell and taste It can include memories of past

sensations as well as sensations being experienced in the present Sensshying perceptions are always tangible and verifiable at least in theory even

1 i i1 - though they are not necessarily always clear or accurate J[

I IAdept use of a Sensing process will balance and thus soften the ~ t

tendency of a preferred Judging process to overlook concrete informashy

tion in its rush to a decision

Whether noticing their current environment or recalling past surshy

roundings people using a Sensing process tend to do so in vivid detail

T hey prefer to live in the real world of tangible things past or present

They want to know who what where and when

19 18

ilLWI( 13W CKS U PrRSUNAlITY TYPE

t Intuiting (N)

The focus of perception through Intuiting is on an expanded picture In-

tuition maydraw its information from the environment or from within It

attempts to extrapolate from seemingly random bits of information to un-

derstand the patterns or meanings that the data represents and thus to genshy

erareconnections meanings possibilities options and vision One cannot

fore ~ee or control the Intuiting processes timetables or methodologies

The Intuiting mental processes work with content that varies

widely from individual to individual and from moment to moment

A Sensing process when observing a tree for example is always tied

to data from the senses shades of color shapes sizes comparisons

and so on An Intuiting process on the other hand may notice almost

no concrete information before rapidly moving on to build a series of connections It may generate possib ilities or attach meaning and

significance to the tree or create a broader mental picture of the forest

1tis picture may have no discemable relationship to anything that can

be detected by the senses The Intuitive search is for connections pat-

terns and underlying significance

Thinking Judgment and Feeling Judgment

How we judge or make decisions provides the third letter of the type code This letter will be either a T for Thinking or an F for Feeling as

in IN1] or ENF]

The Judgment processes provide rational structure to our percepshy

tions so that we can m ake use of the information gathered They shape

the actions ofour conscious will Since the task ofaJudgment process is

to make decisions it is not surprising that both the Thinking and Feeling

approaches are oriented toward reaching some kind ofoutcome

Another way to describe what Judgment processes do is that they

attem pt to gain some internal or external control over our lives and

our world The need to influence events and situations and to act with

purpose is an obvious requirement for survival and it is what decision

making through Thinking or Feeling is all about

From Four Dichotomies to Eight Mentol Processes to Sixteen Types

Thinking (T)

The Thinking approach to decision making is essent ially that of analytishycal logic To support this analysis it uses criteria that it either pulls from

the environment or synthe sizes internally in order to define everything

Though it may sometimes seem to others as if these judgments devalue

people and things by pigeonholing them they actually have nothing to

do with value at all Thinking processessimply need to attach a label or

category to every thing in order to understand its position relative to the rest of the universe to maintain a sense of order and to fit it into some

kind of logical framework for the analysis that leads to decisions

Thinking is impersonal It intentionally excludes values-based considshyerations Most people with a Thinking preferencewould rather be truthful than tactful and are more interested in being fair than in being kind

Feeling (F)

Feeling is a values-basedapproach to Judgment It determines what someshy

thing is worth Feeling is aware of the impact of its choices It is aware

of the individuals involved and affected their circumstances and their

relationships Creating and maintaining external or internal harmony is

therefore the primary priority of the decision making In the personality

type model the term Feelingsimply refersto decision-making processes

that are guided by systems of values A preference for Feeling does not

have anything to do with emotions Feeling types are neither more nor less inclined to be emotional than Thinking types

While no less rational than Thinking Feeling is certain ly not con shy iir oH

strained by logic often caring more about tact than truth and about the effect of a decision than about being right

~

Now lets return to our cake We have already used two of the dishychotomies to arrive at the four pieces that we have described Finally I

each of these four is divided again according to whether they are i

Extraverted or Introverted As shown below we now have eight equal pieces the eight mental processes of type

ii ~ J

li1Jmiddot 21 20

From Four Dichotomies to Eight Mental Processes to Sixtee n Types ~G BlOCKS or I ~ ONAlI I Y TYPe

Extraverting (E)

Extraverted Thinking If our most skilled trusted and comfortable process-our dominantExtraverted Sensing process-is Extraverted we usually put our best face forward By definishy~tion we must all extravert in order to interact with people and the

rest of the physical world So the processes that we directly and most blm_~d Thl~Introverted Sensing I~Jbull ~ Wi easily observe in people are usually their Extraverted processes BecauseI ~ lt~ ) f I of th is it has become a common misconception that only the Extraverted JUDGMENTPERCEPTION

processes can be observed by others

~ ~~ In people who prefer Extraverting what we most readily observe Introve1ed Intuiting ~ ~s ~ ~ Intreverted F~lg

usually reflects their most comfortable process Thus individuals who prefer Extraverting are typically accessible and relatively easyfor others to understand What you see is what you get Sharing experiences with

Extraverted Intuiting

laquo r ~~

Extraverted Feeling others is after all an essential ingredient of Extraverting People whose dominant process is Extraverted feature their most talented actor at censhyter stage in the starring role

By virtue of their objective focus upon their environment and their shy extensive interaction with it people who prefer Extraverting tend to be aware of and in tune with a broad scope of external information

EXTRAVERTING AND INTROVERTING

T he energy preference provides the first letter of the type code This As Sharp noted When one is predominantly oriented to the objectshyletter will be either an E for Extraverting or an I for Introverting as in

things and other people-there is an extraverted type12 If a processESTPor ISTP focuses on the environment we call it Extraverted because it draws itsThe final division of the psychic cake the one that brings us to the energy from interacting with the external object person or situationeight distinct mental processes is the difference between Extraverting much as we are warmed and energized by the sun An individual whoand Introverting the four functions of Sensing Intuiting Thinking prefers Extraverting is fueled by the situation itself

jand Feeling Each one of the four can have either the external world or ~ the internal world as its focus As Ju ng put it there are no Extraverts

~ i 3- 1tIntrovert ing (I)or Introverts pure and simple only extraverted and introverted function il

Introverted processes focus on a subjective inner psychic life of reflectiontvpcs It is this Extravertingor Introvertingorientation thatdistinguishes concepts and ideas T he outer world of tangible things and people maywhether the focus of that process is the objectiveworld around us or the be integrated into this inner world but the real excitement and energy ofsubjective world within It is referred to asthe energy dichotomy because Introverting come from these personal thoughts and ideas In b et whenIt n-llccts how we focus our personal energy externally or internally Introverting we may not needexternal input atall working entirely withinTllaquomgh last IrJ our presentation of the factors that delineate the eight ourselves Sharp says that While the extravert responds to what conics toprocesses the ExtrlVertingIntroverting aspect is certainly not the least the subject from the object (outer reality) the introvert relates mainly to11 llpartfi d It IS IrJ fact the one thatJung noticed first and is a distinction the impressions aroused by the object ill the subject (inner rcalityj

( I I uuuost impor tan ce It is referred to asthe energydichotomy because it People whose most preferred process is Introverted do not usuallyrdlrcts how we gather and use our personal energy

show the world their greatest giftsWhen they speak or take action in the

23i z J

1

NG BW CKI UI 11RSONAllTY TYPE

world they usually do so through their auxiliary process so ob~e rvers can never observe the dominant process directly The Extraverted auxiliary process is the one featured in the spotlight and is often mistakenly asshy

sumed to be the star The focus of the auxiliary process is always complementary to the

dominant Because of this observers often see and hear one thingwhile the petson who prefers Introverting is actually coming from a very difshyferent place For examplewe may hear what sounds like adecision But if the speaker has an Introverted dominant preference for Perceiving that person may actually be just trying to share information that he or

she has acquired Theseperceptions however are filtered and reframed as they are expressed (Extraverted) through their auxiliaryJud gingproshycess and emerge into the wo rld sounding like a decision

This is not to say that Introverted processes cannot be observed They can In observing any process even an Extraverted one we are of cousse actuallyobserving the outward manifestations of a mental activshyity For Introverted processes these visible clues are usuallyjust more subtle and require closer attention to detectthan their externally-oriented counterparts They do not proceed aloud or publicly But you can see people withdraw as they engage their Introverted processes They may have a distant unfocused look in their eyes or look down or away from others When they refocus you may have further evidence that they have been Introverting in the personal subjective and original nature of the

information or decisions they report With those who prefer Introvertingwhat you see is usually not their

dominant preferred process Introverting by its very nature cannot be shared directly An Introverted process draws energy from what is going on inside aswhen we are warmed from within by metabolizing our food An individualwho prefers Introverting is fueled by contemplation

O RIENTATION TO THE ENVIRONMENT KEY TO THETYPECODE

T he fourt h and final letter of the type code indicates what an individual prefers to do 111 the external world either make decisionsor gather inforshyiu auon T his letter will be either aJ forJudging or a P for Perceiving as

III ENT] or ENTP

4

From Four Dichotomies to Eight Mental Proce sses to Sixteen Types

We can see that the first three dichotomies of type represented in the first three letters of the type code define all eight of the mental proshycesses Extraverted Sensing Introverted Sensing Extraverted Intuiting Introverted Intuiting Extraverted Thinking Introverted Thinking Extraverted Feeling and Introverted Feeling The fourth dichotomy or the fourth letter is needed primarily to show the order ofan individuals natural preferences for engaging those processes By telling us whether a persons preferred orientation to the environment is for Judging or

Perceiving the entire sequence of preference for using the eight proshycesses is revealed

The addition of the final dichotomy was Isabel Myerss great gift to the world It tells us through which function-either the decision-makshying (judgment) or the data-gathering (Perception) function-we prefer to interact with our external environment This is the piece of information that assembledJungs theories of personality into a complete system It is what makes it possible to summarize rich and complex theory in a simple formula that even new learners can grasp

First L~H~r middot o f (Extraverting) b j (Ihtroverti~g ~ Energy I~~~ ~ -c ~ j i

Second LeHer - - S (Sensingj or N (Intuiting) gt~---middot Perception bull shy Third Letter - T (Thinking) or F(Feeling) __- J udgm ~nt

i Fourth Letter -- J (Judging) or P (Perceiving) Environment Orientation 1

1 I

HOW TYPE CODEINTERPRETATION WORKS T he first three dichotomies each with its two opposing halves create eight possible mental processes Now we wil1 take you through the steps used in interpreting the code These are the steps that connect any fourshyletter code reported by a personality type instrument to the sequence of mental processes that describes that type T he steps will be similar to

25

)

NG BUJlK S ( f r RooNIIII TY TYPE

f

those in our cake-cutting exercisebut in a different order Ifyou find the

mechanics of interpretation confusing do not worry You are not alone

and you do not need to understand the details in order to understand

type Qualified type professionals receive extensive training in order to

interpret the personality type code

Understanding at least the general idea of type interpretation is im-

portant because it iscentral to understanding the model The framework

ofpersonality type contains a limitless depth of insight into personality

But Isabel Myers had to form the model into a deceptively simple code

because her central purpose in creating the instrument was to provide

everyone access through interpretation to an understanding of his or

her own type

Interpretation is where the fourth dichotomy comes into play

When we interpret a type code this last dichotomy is actually our startshy

ing point Afour-step process is used to find the dominant and auxiliary

processes for each of the four-letter type codes

In order to facilitate our understanding ofthe four-letter type code

we need to distinguish between the attitudes and the functions Based

on the work of Carl]ung Extraverting and Introverting are called atshy

titudes Isabel Myers added Judging and Perceiving as attitudes The middle letters of the type code are called functions Thus Sensing

Intuiting Thinking and Feeling are all functions

STEP 1 DETERMINE WHICH OF THE

Two PREFERRED FUNCTIONS IS EXTRAVERTED

In the first step of interpretation the] or P of Myerss environmental

dichotomy provides the key to determining the Extraverted function For the ESF] type for example the] indicates that the Judging function

-~

(which the third letter of the formula shows is F for Feeling) is the preshyferred wayof interacting with the environment In other words we know

that one ofES FJs two mo st preferred processes is Extraverted Feeling Applying the same logic to the ISFP type the P indicates that the

Perceiving function (which the second letter of the code shows is S for

Sensing) IS the preferred means of interacting with the environment For

[SFP Sensing is Extraverted

From Four Dichotomies to Eight Mental Processes to Sixteen Types

FIRST EXAMPLE SECOND EXAMPLE

Step h In ESFJ The What hiExtraverted In ISFP TheJudging lJ) The fourth leiter indicates whether it is Perceiving (P)function is the Judgment function (a T or an F) or functionisFeeling (F) so the Perception function (an 5 or an N) Sensing (5) sothe Extroverted thot is Extraverted the Extraverted process would I processwouldbe Extraverted be ExtrovertedFeeling (Fe) J Sensing (Se) ) 1

~~

STEP 2 DETERMINE WHICH OF THE

Two FUNCTIONS IS INTROVERTED

In step 2 we use the principle ofbalance and the logic of simple eliminashytion to deduce that the other function in the four-letter code (S N T

or F) is Introverted For ESF] since Feeling was Extraverted then the remaining function Sensing must be Introverted

For ISFP since Sensing was Extraverted then the remaining funcshytion Feeling must be Introverted

~ -~ ~

Step2ii f~ t~ ~A - What Is Introvelfedmiddoti ~

Ou~f~ncti~ h are i ci~~t ifi ~d bt~~~o middle leiters of the code If in Step 1 we found thaI we Extrovert the function identified by the second leiter then we lknow that we Introvert the function Iiidentfied bythe third lelfer Ifwe found t that we Extravert the third leller then II

we must Introvert the second lelfer ILgt ~~ ~ i l

I

STEP 3 DETERMINE WHICH OF THE Two PREFERRED

FUNCTIONS Is THE DOMINANT PROCESS

Step 3 focuses on the first letter of the type code to identify the most

preferred or dominant mental proc ess Steps 1 and 2 identi fy the most

27

NG BLOCKS Of I I ~ () NA I I Y 1m

preferred Extraverted func tion and the most prefer red Int roverted function T he first letter of the code indicates which one of these is

our domina nt process N ote that in the type code or w hen they stand

alone the letters E and I are trad itionally capitalized When they are

co mbined w ith a letter representing a funct ion (such as T for Thinkshy

ing) to indic ate a me ntal process (such as Introverted T hinking) they

are lowercase (Ti)

In our first example ESFJ the E indicates that the Extraverted function

(which has already been determined to be Feeling) is the most preferred I

T hus for ESFJ Extraverted Feeling is the dominant process

Inthe second example the I shows that Introverted Feeling is the

dominant mental process for ISFP

j e Step 3

11ESFJ The ~ Wh~t b the dolrClnt In ISFP The E1iraverted energy orientation Introverted function is function isThefi r~t 1~t1~r of thefburl~lte~ tYp~middotcode Feeling (Fl so Feeling (F) soindicates whichoLthe tW~ previouslymiddot the dominant the dominant identifiedprocessesis dominant the Exshyprocessis process istravertedone or the Introverted one0- Extroverted Introverted Feeling (Fe) IfyoJrfiist letteri~ ~ for ~~avertirig your Feeling (Fi)

dominantprocess will beExtraverted If your first letter is I for IntrovertingyOur dominant proc~sS will De I~troverted

bull - J-

STEP 4 DETERMINE WHICH OF THE

Two PROCESSES IS THE AUXILIARY PROCESS

Step 4 Identifies our second-most preferred or auxiliary process Thi s is

simply the process we ident ified earlier that is not the dominant one For

ESrj Introverted Sensing is the aux iliary process For ISFP Ext raverted

Sensing IS the aux iliary process

Step 4 is a great illustration of how Myers created a practical apshy

plication from J ungs theory Jung observed that the psyche has a need

to balance the purpose and orientation of the dominant process In the

first exam ple the dominan t Judging function needs to be balanced by

Fom l our Dirho lomies 10 Eight Mental Processes to Sixtee n Types

a Perceiving function in the trusted adviser role and the domin ant

orientation to Ext raverting balanced by Introverting Similarly in the

seco nd example the dom inant Int roverted Judging fun ction needs the balance of an Extraverted Perceiving function

Step 4 InESFJ The What w~uld bal~nce InISFP The auxiliary Extraverting wlth i~f6~~rting and Judg- auxilioryprocessis ing with Pereeivi~9 process is Introverted

ExtravertedSensing (Si) Sensing (Se)

As we have shown the interpretation of the type code ident ifies not

only what our two preferred processes are but also which one we prefer

most (our dominant) and which is second (our auxiliary) The need for

balance applies to all eight of the mental processes creating sixteen posshy

sib le type sequences in which the processes are arranged by preference Thus we have a total of sixteen possible personality types

Eight very different type codes con tain aJ as the last letter

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I 29

Copyright copy2006Leona Haasand Mark Hunziker

All rights reserved No portionof this publication may be reproduced distributed stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in anyfonn or by any means including electronic mechanical photocopying recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of thepublisher except in the caseof brief quotations embodied in critical reviews andcertain other noncommercial uses permittedby copyright law For permission requests write to thepublisheraddressed Attention Permission Coordinator at

the address below

UniteBusitessPress A Divisionof TelosPublications PO Box 4457 HuntingtonBeach California 92605-4457 TollFree 1-866-416-89731Phone 1-714-965-7696 Fax1-714-965-7697 httpwwwtelospublicationscom

Understanding YOlUSeljandOthers Interstrength MajorsnI KnowdellNotJustAPaycheck 16typescom and The CommunicotionZoneareeither registered trademarks or trademarks of UniteMedia Group Inc Fountain Valley California Myers-Briggs 1peIndicator MB11 andMyers-Briggs are trademarks orregistered trademarks of theMyers-BriggsType IndicatorTrustintheUnitedStales aod othercountries

Printed in the United States ofAmerica

Libraryof Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Haas Leona Building blocksof personality type a guide to using the eight-process modelofpersonality type

lungs mental processes 1Leona Haas Mark Hunzikerraquo Ist ed pcm

Includes bibliographical references andindex ISBN 0-9719326-2-X I Myers-BriggsType Indicator 2 Typology(psychology) 3 lung C G (Carl Gustav)1875-1961 1

Hunziker Mark 11Title BF6988M94H33 200gt 1552(4--dc22

2005037324

Copyediting and proofrcadingby PeopleSpeak Cover and InteriorDesign Visibility Designs Indexer Rachel Rice

This book isdedicated by Leona and Mark to

Carl G Jung for his relentless courage in exploring the daunting mysteries of the psyche

Isabel Briggs Myers for hertireless and loving dedication to helping humankind

Katharine D Myers for her grace caring and quiet devotion to Isabel and the purpose of the MBW

Daryl Sharp for his profound understanding and clarity

John Beebe for his powerful insights and remarkablepatience in sharing them

Mary Thompson for herwise counsel

byLeona to

Stanislaus and Agnes Nowicki for all their sacrifices and the gift of life

Richard Haas for hisunconditional love and belief in me

Dawn Haas Bowders for her ideas technical expertise and continuous help

Dana Balaz my ENFP daughter for helping me understand and value opposing personalities

Cheyenne and Alexandra Balaz for their hugs and kisses when I reallyneed them

Anthony Harley Nowicki for teaching meto see type gti through the eyesof a child

Margaret and Gary Hartzler for their truededication caring and sharing of knowledge

All my workshop and Qualifying Program participants for their 1

honest sharing of themselvesto make thisbook happen

Ii and by Markto

Robert J Hunziker for his love and often underappreciated wisdom

l~

---

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Foreword by Kotharine D Myers ForewordbyJohn Beebe Preface Acknowledgments

PART ONE AN INTRODUCTION TOTHE EIGHT-PROCESS MODEL OF TYPE

Chapter 1 Terms and Concepts MBTI ~ Personolitymiddotlnventory The EightProcess Model ProcessWatching Miscelloneous Terms Literory Licensemiddot

Chapter 2 Type Theory in Brief What Is ProcessPreference~

Our Two MostPreferred Processes ASequence of Preferences Thelmporlanceof Understanding Our Preferences

Chapter 3 From Four Dichotomies to Eight Mental Processes to Sixteen Types WhyEightProcesses HowType Code Interpretation Works

PARTTVVO THE EIGHT JUNGIAN MENTAL PROCESSES

Chapter 4 Extrave rted Sensing (Se) Key Features Whats Going On From the Outside looking In Contributions From the Inside Vignettes Gifts

Chapter 5 Introverted Sensing (Si) Key Features Whats Going On~

From the Outside looking In Contributions From the Inside Vigneltes Gifts

xi xv

xvii xxi

1 1 4 6 7 8

11 11 12 13 14

17 17 25

33 34 34 35 37 37 40 41

43 44 44 46 48 48 50 52

vii

JG BLOCKS or I ONAIII Y TYI

Ch apter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

bull Chapter 9

Cha pte r 10

Cha pte r 1 1

Extraverted Intuiting (Ne) Key Features Whats Going On Fromthe Outside Looking In Contributions Fromthe Inside Vignettes Gifts

Introverted Intu iting (Ni) KeyFeatures Whats Going On Fromthe Outside Looking In Contributions From the Inside Vignettes Gifts

Extraverted Thinking (Te) KeyFeatures Whats Going On Fromthe Outside Looking In Contribut ions From the Inside Vignettes Gifts

Introverted Thinking (Ti) KeyFeatures Whats Going On From the Outside Looking In Contributions From the Inside Vignettes Gifts

Extra verted Fe e ling (Fe) Key Features Whats Going On From the Outside Looking In Contribut ions From the Inside Vignettes Gifts

Introve rted Feeling (Fi) KeyFeatures What s Going On From the Outside Looking In Contributions From the Inside Vignettes Gifts

t 53 54 54 55 57 57 60 61

63 64 64 66 68 68 71 71

73 74 74 76 78 78 80 81

83 84 84 86 88 88 90 91

93 94 94 95 97 98

100 100

103 104 104 105 107 108 110 111

PART THREE BEYOND PROCESS WATCHING

Chapter 12 The Eight-Process Model of Type Chapter 13 Important Facets and Factors in Eight-Process Type

The Cast of Cha roders Balance Consciousness and Unconsciousness The Sequence of the Eight Process Preferences Appropriateness Energy Flow Summary of the Facets and Fadors

Chapter 14 Beyond the Basics Conflict Management Decision Making Communicat ion Managing Change and Transition Parent ing and Education Career Development

Afterword

APPENDICES

A Jungs Model of the Psyche B John Beebes Archetypal Understanding of Psychological Types C Two Important Contributions from Harold Grant 0 Brief Descriptions Based on the Two Preferred Processes E The Circle of Eight-Process Type F Comparison of Jung ian Mental Processes GProcessArchetype Chart for the Sixtee n Types HDecisio n-Making Checklist I Time-Focus of the Perce iving Processes

Notes Glossary Bibliography Index About the Authors

115 119 119 120 120 121 122 123 124

127 127 133 141 155 160 165

171

173 177 181 185 19 1 193 197 19 9 20 1

203 207 219 223 22 9

Table of Contents ~71

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ii ix

f u j i

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~-

Building Blocks ofPersonality Type belongs on the shelf of everyone interested

inunderstanding and making use ofJungian psychological type and the Myshyers-BriggsType Indicator (MBTIreg) assessment in their own livesandor in

helpingothers It is to be read and used often as a valuablereference

bull

The authors have succeeded in conveying the full complexity ofthe

eight-process model of type and its application in a manner that is clear

and accessible to the professional and interested layperson alike It is

wonderfully user friendly As I read it I felt that the authors were sitting with me and I was the you they were addressing

Leonas years ofwork with the government when she was working

across the range of government hierarchy in terms ofeducation level ofjobs and experience have served her well in presenting information

in a manner that speaks across the spectrum My firstexperience in

observing her workshop was with a group of employees totally unsoshyphisticated in anything psychological-they understood and responded

with enthusiasm

The collaboration between the two authors began at a worksh op

on the eight mental functions led by Leona Haas Mark Hunziker was a

participant Mark wanted to learn more Leona wanted to record a c011lshy

plete description of her model but her forte was live presentation not

writin g An hours conversation later the joint project was launched

Mark would provide his writing and structuring skills and gain the opshy

portunity to study the eight-process model up close Leona would be able to make her work available to a wider audience Two introverted

intuiting types do not need much information or time to know when something fits

ishy

r

J

xi

NG BLOCKS II NAII Y ( YPi

l

Building Blocks of Personality Type demonstrates the success of this fit The writing is clear and coherent Complex ideas are explained with precision simplicity and accuracy The organization of the book takesan overwhelmingamount of knowledgeand presents it in a logical structure that makes the content accessible to the reader

- The development of the eight-process model of type is a giant step in understanding and using Jungian psychological type and the MBTIregassessment

Leona Haas has been instrumental in developing and instructing others in the eight-process model of type This model enables inshydepth understanding of the eight mental processes that form the core ofJungian type theory and it also provides a new and enriched model of feedback

Katharine C Briggss major contribution was her profound undershystandingofJ ungiantheoryand her recognitionof psychological typeasan

sinvaltable model of development in healthy personalities Her daughter ~

Isabel Briggs Myerss major contribution was her pioneering work in creating the sixteen type model with its four-lettercode asa way of givshying individuals access to their Jungian preference type For many years

interpretation focused on the four dichotomies E-I S-N T-F andJ-P although Myers had usedher understanding of the eight processes in her naming of each type (for example ESTJ as an extraverted thinking type with introverted sensing) The only description of these eight processes was a four-pagesummarycompiledby Myers in Gifts Dijfering

Most practitioners are introduced toJungian ideas when they begin to use the MBTIreg however overthe years their understandinghasgradushyally moved from basictype through type dynamics typedevelopment and on tojungs model of the psycheand his life-long development model of Individuation As practitioners graduallydeepened their knowledge atshytention was turned to the need for understanding more fully these four fu nctions in both attitudes that is the eight mental processes

Leona was among the leaders in recognizing this need She has devoted herself with introverted intuitive intensity to learning more through constant questioning of individuals ofdifferent types consultashytion With experts and reading Her treasuryof knowledge contained in this book IS the outcome

Her seamless integration of the eightprocesses into thecomplexwhole of theJungian system of personality is avaluable bonus gift to the reader

Historically the knowledge of our four letters hasgivenmanyindishyviduals andgroupsimportantinsights in self-understandingself-acceptance and in the understanding and appreciation ofotherswho aredifferentfrom themselves However those of us who havejourneyed further have found a richness of understandingand a perspective that enhances our lives imshymeasurably This bookprovides the door to that richnessWelcome

KatharineD Myers The Myers-Briggs Trust

Foreword

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xiii i

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The word mental meaning of or pertaining to the mind has too often ~~ ~1been used to suggest abnormality RobertGravesandJoseph Campbellhave ~~ warnedus that myth is a word we use to refer to other peoples religion 11

I ~

Likewise mental is the wordwe useto refer to other peoples ways of using Jtheir minds Leona Haas and MarkHunzikerhave dignified these sidelong 1lookswe give oneanotherby identifying what we areobserving asmental

iprocesses found ineverybody the only differencesbeingwhich processes ~ we each give emphasis toand in which order I ~

Inthis endeavor theyfollow the workof the Swiss psychiatrist C G ~1 11

Jungwhoin thefirstpartof the twentiethcentury influenced bypsycholoshy ~

j+j Lgists in French-speaking Switzerland and France began to engage himself 1with thetypical differences in humanconsciousnessOne of these mentors ~j

was Alfred Binet for whom consciousnesswasintelligenceBinet sought to measure intelligence andour most commonly used intelligence test is 1 still called the Stanford-Binet By 1902whenJungwas studying in Paris i

1

Binet had noticed eveninhis owndaughtersdramatic differences in learnshy I ingstylestowhichhe gavethenamesextemospectionand introspection 1 1Withina decadeJung hadintroduced his own notion of a tum of mind

into the terms for the basic mentalattitudesby calling them Extraversion (outward turning) and Introversion (inward turning) A further decade 1

Ienabled Jung to differentiate various functions of consciousness four in j

all through which thesebasic attitudesof mindcould be expressed in drashy

matically differentwaysHisdescriptions ofthinkingfeeling sensationand intuitionasexpressed in both the extraverted and introverted attitudesform the heart of hisbookPsychologilal Types (1921) This classic became an inspishyration to Isabel Briggs Myersin the 1940s asithadbeena generation earlier toher mother Katharine Briggs It led them to develop together a practical instrument for capturing the differences in the ways individuals use their

xv 1

BLOCKS (1 ~(lNA II I Y rYP

minds in all the settings of their lives-the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator which hasbecome the most widely used instrument for identifying normal personalitydifferences in America today

PsychologiralTypes was thebasic inspiration forthe eight-function model that asaJungian analyst inspired by such clinical teachers asMarie-Louise von FranzJo Wheelwright and Wayne Detloff I brought to practitioners of type as~ess me n t in the 1980s Leona Haas wasamong the very first type consultants (alongside Kathy Myers and Margaret and Gary Hartzler) to grasp what ~ was gettingat that the normalmind cannot be adequately deshyscribed with a four-functionmodelofitsprocesses even if the two attitudes ofExtraversion and Introversion are somehow included to explain some of thedifferences between the ways differentfunctions are expressed bydiffershyent people Subsequently thanksas much to Haass teaching as myown a number of others have come aboard She has recognized thatwe cannot be literate in the ways of the mindwithout aclear individualized senseofwhat all eighf mental processes look like and of how they are experienced by the actual persons using them

It is a pleasure to have herbook to recommendto thosewho havecome to my own lectures and asked me to give more extended and systematic deshyscriptions of the eight function-attitudes (to use the helpful term that Dick Thompson introduceda fewyears ago) She hasmade the most practical use possible of my analytic interpretation ofJungs visionary theory Haas has succeeded in takingthe eight function-attitude model in all its complexity into workadaycorporate settings where it has instantly proved its power to unlock the understanding of serious impasses and to significantly improve the integrity ofa businesss teambuilding

That is not the extent of this modelspotentialapplication however In this book elegantly realized with the patient assistance of Mark Hunziker himself a formidablestudent of the mind Leona Haashasmanagedto proshyduce the most practicallydetailedand psychologically accurate orientation to the eight processes that I have seen I heartily recommend it to thebeginshyner aswell as toanyone who imagines heor she isalready adept in thisfield T hetruth iswe all have agreatdeal to learnabout the buildingblocksout of which our minds are made In my own efforts to master the architecture of such a wondrous structure I expect to be reading this book for many yearsto come

John Beebe

Over the past half-century many millions of people around the world have been aided in their personaland professionaldevelopment through a modelof personality that was developed by CarlJung Katharine Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers T he Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) provides both the framework and the main tool for the model of what has come to be known as personality type or just type for short Building Blocks ofPersonality Type is an attempt to begin a comprehensivedescripshytion of a certain way of thinking about type and the benefits that this approach offers

We feel the need to give this view of type theory a label the eightshyprocess model oftypein order to distinguish this paradigm from some misconceptions that have grown up around the MBTIpersonality inventory and personality type Although we call it a model we are not talking about anything new or separate from the framework of the model that has served so well for all these yearsWe are in fact simply attempting to help clarify the core of the theory that was developed by Jung Briggs and Myers and to integrate subsequent work that hasbuilt directly upon that foundation

Many type professionals will find that we are describing how they already think about type We believe that these folks will nonetheless find useful and illuminating nuggets in the pages that follow They may gain insights from the descriptions of the mental processes or perhaps get some new ideas about how the model can be applied or possibly learn something new about how the different aspects of the model mesh to produce the dynamics of type

Oth ers who work with type may find that eight-process type repshyresents a dramatic and difficult shift in their understanding In many of

xvii

1

UILDING B lClCk ~ or P[ RSO NAW Y TYPE

Leonas advanced workshops attendees find themselves going through a

bit ofa paradigmshift Usually she hearsfrom these people after they have

had time to digest the new information that they can never go to back to

the way they worked with type before Ifyou find that the eight-process

model challenges some of your assumptions and practices we urge you to bear with us We are convinced that the theoretical model and practical

descriptions that follow are at the heart of the most effective practices in

use today and that they are particularlyhelpful in teaching the basics of

type through feedbackand verification as well as for delving more deeply

into the important insights ofJungs theory ofpersonality Our main focus in this work is on describing Jungs mental proshy

cessesas completely and vividlyas possible as you will actually experience them This is not only the first step in the eight-process approach to

type but also a rewarding experience in itself By looking at personality

through process watching you are likelyto learnthings that will change

Yiur perspective from this point forward regardless of whether you are

an experienced professional or you havenever even heard ofpersonality

type Through simple descriptions of the four different ways that we

take in information and the four different ways we make decisions you

will learn to value your own gifts more highly You will also begin to

better understand and appreciate the perspectives of those around you

Conflict management decision making communication management

ofchange and transition exploration of your teaching and learning styles and those of your children career choices and daily lifewill all be easier

and more positive and will actually become opportunities for enriching

your life

We confess to also having a hidden agenda We are out to save the

world It is tremendously rewarding for us to watch individuals teams

and organizations grow as a result of exposure to this expanded approach

to personality type That is the immediate day-to-day grat ification of

our work But we are energized on another level too by the conviction that a better appreciation of psychological type and how it influences reshy

lanonships and interactions could be a vital key to unlocking the human

potential that is needed in order to learn how to live together on this

planet This belief was a driving force behind Isabel Myerss amazing

contributions as well We believe as she did that animosity and bloodshy

--shy

shed are but reflections of the immature and frightening shadow side of

our own personalities We also believe that the path to an exciting new

maturity level in human evolution-a path of enhanced cooperation

collaboration and coexistence-lies through the psychic development

that Jung called individuation

Albert Einstein pointed out that we cannot expect to resolve comshy

plex problems from within the same mindset that created them Margaret

Wheatley throughout her lectures and writings has made a convincing

argument that relationships information flow and self-definition are the

ultimate determinants of how human beings interact The state of conshy

sciousness from which we approach these criticalhuman activitiesmayvery

well be the key factor in determining the success or failure of all human

systems families teams communities corporations and even nations

Regardless of ones personal motivation for exploring the mental

processes the inevitable result of doing so is an elevation ofour level of

awareness The potential consequences of such a shift in consciousness

are dramatic-for individuals for family for social and work groups

and by extension for the entire human community By enhancing our

understanding of the eight mental processes we gain an appreciation for

the diversity and value of our own gifts as well as the diversity and gifts

of others Thi s in tum will have an immediate and far-reaching effect

upon each of the key elements of successful human systems building healthier relationships developing more effective communication and

gaining a greater understanding of ourselves and others

We the auth ors are familiar wi th and continue to use many other

models tools and approaches to personal and organizational developshy

ment But for us nothing else compareswith understanding the Jungian

mental processes for simplicity ease of access and the depth and breadth of its power to change lives When we begin to learn to recognize these 1

processes every relationship every conversation every in trospective

moment can become a lesson in appreciation for the amazing gifts tha t

we all possess

We invite you to join us on this journey Whether your aim is to

develop your own potential improve your relationships help others

bring your organization to the next level or save the world we know of

no better place to start than right here

Preface

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xviii

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Over a decade ago Leona Haas becameconcerned about the small but significant percentofpeoplewho havedifficulty validating their reported type These are the type userswho do not feelthat their type as reported by theMyers-Briggs TypeIndicator fits them verywelL Facedwith the challenges of sorting out their true type from their reported type many of these new users dismiss the instrument altogether and never come to benefit from its insights It wasthis issue of typevalidation that gave the initial impetus to ajourney that has takenLeonato an increasshyingly refined understanding of the Jungian mental processes and the dynamic system in which they operate Building Blocks ofPersonality Type is theculmination of thatjourney

There have been many teachers guides and helpers along the way and it seemsappropriate to acknowledge their contributions by relating a briefhistory

Like manyjourneys this one startedat home Leona was perplexed by thedifferences between the ways her husband Rich used his Sensing process andwhatshehadlearnedabout Sensingfromherstudiesandfrom working extensively with typewith federal governmentemployees When assembling akit for example Rich never read directions He preferred to workfrom pictures orbyseeingthe finished product He also did nothave good recallofpastevents and seemed tomake intuitiveleaps fromwhat he observed None of this fitwith Sensing asLeonaknew it

In the earlynineties very little information was readily available to the personalitytypecommunity concerningJungs views on the mental processes Gifts Dijfering by Isabel Myers provided basic information aboutthe eightJungian processes but manyofIsabels insights and most of her researchhad not been published

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xxi

lWING BLOCkS () f l ~S O NA li TY TYPE

Gradually through her empirical work with type Leona began to recognize that Sensing can be tised in very different ways When she started to divide her workshop participants into S] and SP groups (thus distinguishing those with a preference for Introverted Sensing from those who prefer Extraverted Sensing) patternsbegan to emerge

-She realized that her husband used Extraverted Sensing while the milishytaryculture in which she worked tended to favor Introverted Sensing

Having solved the mystery of Richs Sensing preference by distinshyguishing Extraverted Sensingfrom Introverted Leona beganto suspect that she was learning about something which could enable type practishytioners to help people more easily and clearly validate their type The pursuit of a deeper understanding of the Myers-BriggsType Indicator

became her passion First she went back to the basics to CarlJung She soon discovered

the work of Daryl Sharp a Toronto Jungian analyst and publisher of JlJ4lgianc books Sharps book Personality Types was a gift ofknowledge for her In it he explains the mental processes with unusual clarity It opened awhole newlevelof understanding toLeonaand helped to focus her investigations

While attending courses through Type Resources Leonamet Gary and Margaret Hartzler and soon became a Qualifying Programinstrucshytor Margaret and Garywere also doing research into theJungian mental processes by investigating the theoretical concepts and incorporating them into their Qualifying Program Leonas focus upon the practical aspects of the processes and the Hartzlers work with the theory grew into a synergistic joint effort that allowed all three of them to develop and expand their understanding of the dynamics of type

Over the course of the next five years Leona developed ways of incorporating theJungian processes into her feedbacksessions In 2000 she wrote JOIITlley of Understanding with Margaret Hartzler and Bob McAlpine

Katharine D Myers is co-author of Introduction to TyperegDynamics and Development the only book that Leona was able to find for her early research on type dynamics and development Alongwith Daryl Sharps work it opened many doors of understanding for her For the first time she really began to understand individuation and how it related

to personalitytype During her research she was very fortunate to have Kathy Myers become interested in her unique approach to exploring type feedback Since then Kathys dedication and love for the MBTIreg instrument and her steadfast guardianship of its ethical use has fanned the flame of Leonas enthusiasm and bolstered her courage to continue exploring this unfamiliar territory

Her nextmajorbreakthrough came from the research and work of DrJohn Beebe aJungian analyst fromSan Francisco and past president of the San FranciscoJungian Institute Dr Beebehad been working on an enhanced theory of personalitytype which isbuilt upon the viewthat each psychological type encompasses eight distinct cognitive processes rather than just four His audiotape A New Model of Psychologital Types revealed to Leona the tremendous scopeof the insights containedwithin the type model John has been a wonderful gift to the community of personality type practitioners He is very supportive of the instrument and has done much to bring theJun gianand personalitytypecommunishyties closer together

As earlyas1974Dr Beebedeveloped the ideathat thefirst fourfuncshytions alternate attitudes like a series of checks and balances with the third being in the same attitude asthe first He first presented this modelat the 1983 Chiron Conference in New Mexico under the title Psychological Types in Transference Countertransference and the Therapeutic InteractionThe following year that paper waspublished asa chapter in Transference Countertransference By 1985 he had begun exploring the conshycept that each individual hasaccess to alleight of the processes

Each of the people mentioned above has in his or her own way been a pivotal source of the inspiration information and innovation that has shaped the eight-process model of type

Acknowledgements

I I

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Ii I Imiddot

i

ii Imiddot 1I I r I

qI The collaboration to create this book began at a workshop that ~

Leona led for the Vermont chapter of the Association for Psychological Type inJanuary 2001When Mark Hunziker asked how he could learn moreLeonarecommended several books and tapes Shenoted thatwhile each explained a different element of her presentation acomprehensive portrait of the model did not yet exist She wanted to record a complete description but her forte is live presentations not writing Encouraged and facilitated by Leonas friend MaryThompson the project was vir-

I I

I III I ii Ii

i I i 1

I xxiii

t

~ ~M J xxii

W ING B LO CKS ( RSl lNAlIY f y[

tually launched after only an hour of conversation MarI would have

an opportunity to study the eight-process model up close and with his

help Leona would be able to make her work available to a wider audishy

ence Two Introverted Intuiting types do not need much information or

time to know when something fits

Like C G Jung and Isabel Myers Leona has constantly tested

modified and validated her theoretical understanding through literally

thousands ofconversations and observations We are deeply indebted to

the c~untless people with whom we have discussed type at workshops training sessions and elsewhere These conversations have helped us to

modify clarify and enhance our understanding of the theory as well

Most of the stories and statements that we use to draw portraits of the

mental processes (chapters 4 through 11) are paraphrased combinations

of comments from several people who share the preference and a few

are direct quotes Though we cannot acknowledge everyone by name

w willbe forever grateful for your contributions to our understanding

The only way that we can possibly begin to repay your willingness to

share your stories and insights is by passing along what we have learned

to others

We are particularly grateful to those who have actively supported

and aided our efforts to expand our understanding through their conshytinued correspondence and friendship and in some cases their helpful

feedback during the writing of this book

Neither of us could have managed to pull this project together withshy

out thedaily emotional and logistical support ofour life partners families

and friends They have our profound appreciation and our love

_shy

----01

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AN INTRODUCTION TO THE

IGHTPROCE5S ti~~ P- ~

MODEL OF TYPE

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xxiv

f

TE RMS AND CONCEPTS

Since a primary benefit of the eight-process model is that it provides a Itisnotthepurpose

simple and direct route into the heart of personality type we have taken oftypology to classify pains in this book to present the underlying theory as simply as possible humanbeings into

categories---this in and to minimize the use of terms that are unfamiliar to the new learner itselfwould bepretty

But some of the jargon is unavoidable and a basic understanding of the pointlesS Its purpose theory behind the model is needed to provide context and perspective israther to provide a

critical psychology You will find aglossaryalong with severalappendices in the back of this - which would makea book to help clarify and elaborate upon what we mention in the text methodicalinvestiga

tian andpresentation ~ and to introduce some more advanced concepts that we cannot explore bull possible

in depth here This chapter provides a brief overview of the terms and Carl Glung concepts along with a few miscellaneous tips

THE MBTIregPERSONALITY INVENTORY The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality inventory is based on a model that was conceived by Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Gustav Jung

and furth er developed by the team of Katharine Briggs and her daughshy

ter Isabel Briggs Myers The MBTP~ instrument is the most widely -rj

used and the most rigorously validated personality assessment tool in ~ t

the world-with over three million people using it every year Using a ~ fi

carefully crafted and statistically sound questionnaire it is designed to

identify an individuals mental process preference how the person tends

to gather information and make decisions Many readers are familiar

with the sixteen possible iterations of type that are represented by the

indicators well-known four-letter type code The code identifies each

individuals preferred ways of acquiring information and making decishy

sions By answering a series of standard questions each person supplies

~

~ BLOCKS 0 1 PImiddotRSlINlI1 I Y 1m

the information needed by the indicator to arrive at a reported type

However since there are factors which may throw off these results it

is up to each individual to check the validity for themselves By paying

attention to how they actually tend to operate in their daily life they will

either confirm or verify their reported preferencesor modify them to

a better fitting true type

In verifying their type new learners will need to notice not only

how they gather information and make decisions but also whether

they tend to be more energized when they focus on their external enshy

vironment or when they focus on their inner world and whether their

primary external focus is on making decisions or on taking in informashy

tion Thousands of trained professionals are qualified to administer the

MBTIreginstrument and help with verification and are ready to provide

feedback and support to help their clients understand type and apply that

understanding to specific issues

T~re is no way around the fact that a significant amount of inforshy

mation is needed in order to understand type at even the beginner level

But the sixteen personality profiles that have been the primary tool for

introducing type can be unnecessarily intimidating to the new learner

Isabel Myers herselfwrote that the obvious obstacle to gaining a comshyfortable familiarity with the types is that there are too many to keep in

mind by brute memory Using this approach extensive professional

support is often needed at the initial feedbackverification stage to bring

people to a level of understanding where they are even able to see what it is that the model has to offer

However by approaching type first through the eight processes

its complexity is broken down into the most basic most important

and least intimidating pieces the mental processes themselves These

mental processes truly are the building blocks of personality Only the

most elementary understanding of the theory is needed initially and

feedback can focus on j ust the two mos t key and most easily verified

clements the dominant and auxiliary processes If new learners are

first ground ed in the basic theory and armed with descriptions of the

mental processes them selves then they can truly understand the more

complex type profile descriptions The profiles do not need to be the

starting point for teaching and feedback Verification becomes easier hcrnr sc the learners have been given both the conceptual framework

Terms and Concepts

and the descriptions needed for sorting out why some aspects of their

reported type profile may not seem to fit They can see that every indishy

vidu al personality is a dynamic custom fit woven from the processes

On the other hand those new learners who are first exposed to

their reported type through a generic descriptive profile often misshy

understand the intent of the profile They may see it as an off-the-rack

mass-produced item to be either accepted or rejected depending upon

how well it seems to fit initially Too often when the profile does not

fit perfectly the credibility of the instrument itself is questioned Too

many people lose interest and do not stay with it long enough to reap the benefits of exploring type

Learning about type primarily through the sixteen profiles can also lead to the misconception that these portraits tell us all that we need

to know about personality But most profiles are reallyjust generalized descriptions of the traits and behaviors that reflect the domin ant and

auxiliary mental processes Ifwe are distracted by these descriptions and

focus upon what we see on the surface without some understanding of

the rich complex and dynamic psychic life from which it springs we will overlook much ofwhat the type model has to offer

The type code itself is the starting place designed primarily to fashycilitate easy access to our own type None of the four dimensions of

personality that are represented by the letters truly stands alone Isabel said that the traits that result from each preference do not combine to

influence an individuals personality by simple addition of characterisshytics instead the traits result from the interaction of the preferences

Each letter of the code represents an aspect ofa very complex living sysshy

tem When we look at these pieces together in the natural system of the individual personality we see that they int eract in a myriad offascinating

and important ways It is through understanding these dynamics of type

that much of the model s insight into human personality can be found

The authors view the eight-process app roach as an important guide for

the complex task of seeking to understand this interaction of processes

It is an aid to help us raise our level of sophistication in order to grasp

and use a much greater portion of the type model s underappreciated richness of insight and from th ere to continue to build and expand the scope of how we view and teach type

3

BI() LKS 0 1 P ~mNA I I1Y f Yf

We firmly believe that even those who have never been exPosed to

a personality type instrument can benefit from the information presented

ill this book This approach of focusing on the individual pro cesses is easy

tor anyone to absorb and useand the potential for expanded understandshymg and for personal growth is enormous even if this is a persons first

encounter with the concept ofmental processes For these new learners the ideal learning approach is to use the

material we are presenting in tandem wi th a skilled type professional If you have th e opportunity we recommend that you take the MBTI

personality inventory then use our book to boost your learning curve and augment the work you do with your consultant If you use this

approach you will be amazed at how quickly your understanding will

expand Most experienced type practitioners will find that they too can

quickly reach a deeper level of appreciation of the dynamics of type

throulF the eight-process model and th at this perspective will almost

automatically lead to more effective ways of working with clients In

chapter fourteen we outline some of th e directions that these practical

applications can take You will also find exercises that will help facilitate

interpretation and your clients self-verification of their true type in

Journey cfUnderstanding 3 and Functions ofType4

THE EIGHT-PROCESS MODEL As we will show in the following pages a basicworking understand ing of

the mental processesdoes not absolutely require an interpreter Wit h just

a little guidance anyone can start this journey and reap significant benshy

efits from the very beginning By first simply focusing on the processes

themselveseven the casual learn erwill benefit On the other hand those

who choose to continue on this path by learning more about the theory upon winch the model is based will have access to a depth of understandshy

llIg that goes far beyond anythi ng that most of us ever imagined In recent years a few people building up on the work of the

pioneers of personality type have developed some key refinements of

how our mental processes are viewed They have expanded our ability

to understand these psychological mechanisms that we all use to cope

survive and live our daily lives Since the mental processes are such a

big part of who we are and how we operate any enhancement of our

understanding of them is truly big news This expanded view of type is

what we are calling the eight-process model

An attitude of continuous exploration expansion and refinement

ofJungs theory of person ality types is very much in keeping with jungs

own perspective on his work Marie-Louise von Franz his close friend

and professional collaborator wrote He was a pioneer and remained

fully aware that an enormous number offurther questions remained unshy

answered and call for furth er investigation This iswhy his concepts and

hypotheses are conceived on as wide a basis as possible (without making

them too vague and all-embracing) and why his views form a so-called open system that does not close the door against new discoveries

Two crucial shifts in emphasis form the cornerstones of the eightshy

process approach to type As noted earlier neither is new Th ey actually

just reemphasize what Jung and Myers had have been telling us all along

But refocusing on these key pieces of the foundation of type can have a

far-reaching effect on how the model is understood and used

THE FIRST CORNERSTONE

At any point in time an individual is operating primarily from a single

mental process (ie one function Sensing Intuiting Thinking or Feelshy

ing in either its Extraverted or Introverted attitude) That one process

is the most crucial factor in understanding what is going on with that person at that moment By shifting our focus from a complex profile

of functions and attitudes to just the process that is being used at any

given moment we can actually grasp more ofwhat is important with far

more clarity and ease than if we try to look at all the possible factors at

once A majority of new learners find it much easier to verify or confirm

their true type through this approach They begin to understand why the

profile for their reported type does not fit perfectly with what they know

about themselves When seen in terms of preferred mental processes it

becomes easier to see that the individual idiosyncrasies of normal pershy

sonality development are quit e consistent with the generalizations of

the typ e model Thus emphasizing the processes themselves avoids the

negative experience of feeling put in a box-labeled and constricted by

type- which some new learners experience

Terms and Concepts

j

5

IW ING BLO( K () P R~ ()NAUTY TIPf

~

This is where the simplicity and accessibility of the eight-process

approach comes from N ew learners find that they can understand and

remember the relatively straightforward processes much more quickly

and vividly than the pro files They can w atch clear examples in operashy

tion within themselves and others Thus through simple observation

they im mediate ly begin to build an understanding of the different ways

people operate Process watching is the first step in learning about type

through the eight-process appro ach

THE SECOND CORNERSTONE

Everyone possesses the potential to use all eight of the mental processes

Weeach accessand engage them in waysthat are to a great extent un ivershy

sal and predictable creating the sixteen in nate and balanced sequences of

processes that define the sixteen types By learning about all eight of our

process preferenceswe can make predictions about how they may develop

h~ adroitly we will use them how we will react to others who are usshy

ing them and the various ways in which they can manifest themselves

throughout our lives Because it integrates the fo ur processes th at usually dwell in the

unconscious along with the four that are more consciously accessible

the process-preference aspect of the approach can lead us into unlimited

exploration and discovery of the complex and unique individuals th at we

are (sec appendices B and E)

PROCESS WATCHING The focus of th is book is on the individual mental processes Learn ing

to recog nize th em isan enlightening experie nce unto itself as well as the

nccessary first step for fur ther exploration No process description will

fit you perfectly Likewise you m ay iden tify with some parts of all eight

lescnptions You are a uniq ue and complex being and what we describe

here is only after all a model th at simplifies the description of personalshy

lty aud its development in order to help us to think and talk about it This

book [()Cuscs upon that model at its sim plest level In addition it is imshy

portll1t to realize that th e model is a rational construct It is a way to help

li S understand something that is inherently not rational and therefore can

----L

never be completely understood Neve rtheless you will notice that some

of the processes descriptions resonate clearly wi thin yourself and you

will begin to recognize some of them in the people around you as well

From this beginning your recogn ition understanding and appreciation

will continue to expand outward like ripples in a pond to encompass

more and more of the actions and interactions around you

We enco urageyou to read the descriptions watch and listen for the

processes in yourself and in others as you work and play go back to the

descriptions th en watch some more It sounds too simple however the

lessons to be learned fro m just process watching are virtually unli mited

and the potential for growth is truly profound

MISCELLANEOUS TERMS T hroughout thi s book when we talk abou t the eight processes we are

referring to what are often called the Jungian mental pro cesses T hose

who are literate in the jargon of type w ill recogni ze our processes as the

four functions of Sensing Intuiting T hinking and Feeling in their

Extraverted or Introverted attitudes In other words we are talking

about the processes as they actually m anifest themselves We do not

for exa mple refer to Thinking as a process beca use there are actually

two very different Thinking processes Extraverted Thinki ng and Inshy

troverted T hinking

W e use the word type in refere nce to the understanding of sixteen

personality types as represented by the four-letter type code T he type

model theorizes that all human beings can be seen as using eight basic

mental processes and th at the inclinatio n to prefer to use each process

over others is innate in all ofus From these premises the simple math of

the type model creates sixteen possible sequences ofprocess preferences

the sixteen types Just as a four- letter type code is shorthand for a type

each type is actu ally shorthand to r a constellation ofprocess preferences

If we are able to grow and mature without unusual external pressures

we have the tendency to develop and use the eight processes in a natural

pattern according to this internal bias that we call preference (see apshy

pend ices B and C) Our environment can influen ce our behavior and

even our development but not our innate process preferences

ii 11

Term s ond Concepts 1

II 11

i ~ i 111

II I

I I ll

i

11 I

i 6

dLOCKS 0 P r RSO NAIlfY rYfE

bullSome terms used in describingtype have specialized definitions that

differ from their common meaningsWe often capitalize terms to warn you of their specialuse For example people who prefer aJudgment proshycess are not necessarily morejudgmental than others Here Judgment just means one of four ways to approach making a decision Likewise people usingT hinking are not necessarily more intellectual nor are those engaged in Feeling more sensitive or those Extraverting more gregarishyous than anyone else The irrationalprocesses (the Perception processes Extravertediand Introverted Sensing and Extraverted and Introverted Intuiting) are not necessarilyunreasonable They are called irrational because they are automatic How we take in information (Perception) hasnothing to do with reason (rational thought) one way or another

Mosttype professionals still exclusively use the wordscoinedbyJung about a century ago Extraversion Introversion Sensation and Intuition We have found that many new learners find this a bit confusing When we are Iklking about mental activity it seems to work better to use active forms of the words When people are interacting with the world around them for examplewe saythat theyare Extraverting Likewise when they are interacting with their personal inner world they are Introverting We reserve the traditional terms for when we talk about the function or atshytitude itself We use j ungs terms for example for the opposing sides of the perception dichotomy Sensation and Intuition On the other hand when people are engaging these functions we say that they are Sensing or Intuiting We have found that newlearners in particularrelate better to these action words than to words that feel like labels

As you read this book if you find any terms mysterious or confusshying refer to the glossary for a concise definition and explanation

LITERARY LICENSE Jungs model does not explaineverything about human psychology but it is sometimes convenient for us to talk as if it does Keep in mind that it is only a model and for that matter a model of mental processes only- not of traits skills or behavior In chapters four through eleven we do use extensive descriptions of traits and behavior as a way of helping you to

recogTllze and understand the processes that tend to be associated with them But what can be observed isactuallyjust a reflection of the process

and that process in turn isonly a representation of an important facet of how we humans operate The model wonderfully illuminating as it is is just a way to help us think in simple terms about an incredibly complex phenomenon

We admit to indulging in a bit ofsemi fiction in the waywe describe the processes in this book as if they exist in pure well-developed conshyscious and mostlyconstructive forms In the real world the waythatwe engagethe processes may be influencedby thesituation by developmenshytal factors by their position in the sequence of preference or by another mental process Even the people whose stories are reported in this book will not identify with all the stories or statements about their preferred process This is because when we talk about a single mental process we are taking it out of the context of the individual personality The processesare never really separate or distinct from the unique living and dynamic system in which they operate In action they are never seen in isolation from other influences But by oversimplifyingour descriptions in this way the processes become much more easily recognizable Even though the pure process may exist only in theory by talking in these terms we are describing the common elements that are in playwhenever a given process is being used Thu s the process becomes easier to spot regardless of how other influences may color and modify it

We have also taken the convenient liberty of talking about the proshycesses as if they are conscious beings with wills of their own We say they do this and want that as if they are individual characters in a play This of course is not literally true at all But it is a very handy and essent ially accurate way to describe how they operate

Terms and Concepts

~

~

9

f

TYPETHEORY IN BRI EF

WHAT IS PROCESS PREFERENCE

bull

In theory each one of us has the ability to use all eight of the mental processes Wediffer typologically bywhich ones we naturally prefer to use Some processes arevery comfortable and require littleeffort for us to bring them into play Theyare a bigpart of whowe areThey are like our favorite most personal room in our home the room that reflects whowe are and is our safe havenwherewe can beourselves Our prefershyencefor theseprocesses maybeso clearand our abilityto access them so welldeveloped that weuse them automatically even when they maynot be well suited to the situation athand This is simply human nature like the preference for usingour leftor righthand

At the other end of the preference spectrum are processes that are alsoa part of us but lie in our unconscious Our awareness of them is usually marginal at best and when we do engagethem it is likely to be anawkward and uncomfortable experience We usuallychoose tosimply avoid using them and perhapseven todeny theirvery existence But like wearing a path to a remote location the more we use these unfamiliar processes and becomeaccustomedto them theeasierit becomesInfact maturing to becomeamore balanced individual and growing towardour fullpotential ismostlya matter of becoming moreand moreadeptat acshycessing those innately unconscious mental processes Until we develop our awarenessand appreciation for theseprocesses we miss out on their benefits Evenworse they maybe a frequent source of conflict or may bubbleto thesurface in times ofstressresulting inbehavior that isinept inappropriate and seemingly out of character

f

-~iJ

-l

~ - ~ shy

Experlenceshows that itispracticallY impoSsible 0lling

to adverse circJlri7 stanciisfng~heaf~~ anyoneto develop ~ ail his psychorigical functions1i1I1Itafie~

ously The derri andS ~ ofso~ietlcomp~a +

man to apply hifuself firstand foremoSti c I

to thediff~ren tia) tionofthefuncridii

bullwith whichheisbesf ~ e q iJipp ed byndture orwhichivillsecure I]illl t~~ g~ptesit~jJJ social successVery frequently indeed asageneralrulea manidentifies more orlesscompletely with themostfavored OJ1dhence themost aeveloped f(inetion It isthisthatgivesrise to thevariouspsychoshylogicaltypes

Carl GJung

11

----

c NG Bu)cKs 0 1 1 1I~ ONAII IY f YI1

r OUR TWO MOST PREFERRED PROCESSES In order to survrve every human being must have a way ofacquiring inshy

fi)rmation and a way of making decisions The more adept weare at pershy

forming and balancing these two basic mental tasks the more successful

we are likely to be As Isabel Myers put it The two skilled processes

can develop side by side because they are not antagonistic Although

one can assist the other there should be no doubt which comes first The stability of one process unchallenged by the others is essential to the

stability bf the individual Each process has its own set of aims and for

successful adaptation asJung pointed out the aims must be constantly clear and unambiguous One process needs to govern which way a pershy

son moves it should always be the same process so that todays move

will not be regretted and reversed tomorrow Convincing evidence indicates that it is more effective in the day-toshy

day business of coping and surviving to be an expert at using one approach

for ech ofthese tasks rather than to develop modest comfort with several

Adept use of any single approach to gathering data teamed with a single

well-developed way of making decisions enables us to negotiate most

of lifes situations even if we are not operating in ways that are ideally

suited to the specificsituation When it comes to effectivelyengaging one

of these coping strategies process expertise is usually more crucial than

process suitability Most of our psychic focus for the first two decades of our lives is

normally upon developing extensive facility with just one mental proshy

cess for each of the two basic tasks gathering information and making

decisions (see appendix C) The two processes that we prefer for these

tasks are the ones that we tend to use the mo st and with which we feel

most comfortable They are the processes that will probably remain most

closely ass()ciated with our personal identity for the rest of our lives They arc the processes that will resonate and have you saying Thats

me as you read their descriptions in chapters four through eleven S IIICC these processes complement each other they are able to deshy

velop largely in tandem throughout the early years ofour lives But as in

1 pby there e m be only one lead role It is this dominant process that

IsIllIy reaches maturity first and is the most trusted of all We rely on

it cousistc u tlv and regard it as the heroheroine of our lifelong drama

l

ll Type Theory in Brief II1J

I I ~~ WI

1Ili IIiU

This first process is the one that we can consciou sly call into play with middot lh~l ~

the most ease and with the least expenditure of energy It is the charisshyi1matic element of our personality It is so important in how we operate I ~

mentally that it would not be an exaggeration to view the roles of all our 11

IIi Y other cast members as supporting this process the star of the show r~ 101l li ~

-

~

The second of our dynamic duo of processes is the auxiliary

It normally develops next and complements the dominant process in IlcJmiddot il1illmiddotcrucial ways Between the two one takes in information and the other i r~

makes decisions one focuses on the environment and the other focuses jnl 111 -iii I

within one is rational and the other is irrational In this way the auxiliary

supplies much of the balance that we need as we move through life ILi~ IiiThe auxiliary process acts like a trusted adviser and a supportive 1 ~ ~~

parent to the dominant one Because of its complementary nature the l i h~1 iii

second process is able to modify and balance the energy and enthusiasms 1Ii 1 of the first thus lending a degree ofmaturity to the personality Though Iii

I l j ~ ~ never in the true leading role of our personal drama the auxiliary proshy I ~ cess can sometimes be so influential and visible that it is mistaken for j ~I Wtthe star

iiIi ~Together these two characters are often capable ofcarrying off lifes t1~

scenes with very little help from the other six cast members and because ~iL ~1 Illithey are usuallyso comfortable and so clearlypreferred they are frequently 11middotmiddot

expected to do so Ifyour close friends were asked to describe your pershy l l ~ sonality the descriptions wouldbe for the most part descriptions of these

I Itwo primary processes in action Personality type instrumentsare in fact

a sophisticated way ofidentifying our two most preferred processes Most iii

type-related profiles that we see today primarily reflect the influences of i t

the dominant and auxiliaryprocesses Ii I

Though identification of these two favored processes is critical it is

illjust the first step in solving our process-preference puzzle ii

A SEQUENCE OF PREFERENCES Building from the identification of our two most preferred processesshydone usually through a personality type instrument-the eight-process 11

model tells us how the other mental processes are aligned in an arrangeshy iiII

ment that includes all eight This sequence tells us that with normal I ( ~~ I Idevelopment the processes line up from most preferred to least from 1 Hi j]

13

G B LO c K ~ or PI KIlNAIIIY (YPE

~

the one that is most conscious to the one that is most unconscious from

most adept and comfortable to the least and from the one requiring the

least energy to use to the one requ iring the most Ifwe think of the proshy

cesses as the actors in our person al drama then it is their positions in the

sequence that outline the roles they will play How they w ill play those

rolesis determined by the personalities of the actors- by the nature of

the processes themselves

Of course normal is just a mathematical concept There are not

actually any normal people and none of us develops exactly according to

the template of type or any other theory But the type model has held up

for over sixtyyears because of its usefulness in describing a typical sequence

of psychological growth and because it provides a formula for maturity and

balance that appears to be innate in allof us The rich journey ofself-discovshy

ery for which type can act asour guidebook is partly about understanding

the universal aspectsof typehow the characters in the cast of eight usually

act an~ntera ct by virtue of their innate nature and assigned roles It is also

about how our own unique mix of developmental and situational factors

modifies this interplay As Jun g put it conformity is one side of a man

uniqu eness is the other 8

THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING OUR PREFERENCES Within each constellation of eight processes lies an inexha ustible source

of insight th at is most easily and effectively accessed by patiently sifting

dow n through its many layers one at a time T ho ugh thi s book focuses

upon the simplest level it is important to be aware that thisjourney can

take us into th e increasingly unfamiliar and uncomfortable terri tory of

our less preferred and often unconscious mental processes

T he path to self-knowledge and self-management is best traveled

one step at a time It is not so intimidating this way and with thi s apshy

prouch Il O matter how far you choose to go you will be able to unshy

derstand and integrate what you have experienced along the way Since

this intro ductory hook focuses on recognition of the processes that we

exper ience and sec we will look primarily at th e dominant and (to a

lesser extent) the auxiliary processes T hese are the two processes that

---L

most people use and show most of the time These are the processes that

are visible in their pures t forms so process watching is initially about observing these most preferred processes

Being consc iously aware of the way I tend to fun ction makes it

possible for me to assess my attitudes and behavior in a given situation

and adjust them accordingly It enables me both to compensate for

my per sonal disposition and to be tolerant of someo ne who does not

function as I do -someone who has perhaps a strength or facility I myself lack 9

Understanding how our own mental processes work is a tremenshy

dous gift unto itself and the increased appreciation and valuing of other

peoples unique talents is another An equally imp ortant benefit is that

this understanding can help facilitate our own psychic and spiritual

growt h as human beings As we go through our lives we are driven to

become whole to be all that we can be Even if personal growth is not

our goal it happens anyway when we explore our less developed mental

processes We gradually become more co mfortable with th e processes

and are able to bring them to bear more effectively upon lifes situations

and issues At the same time we are becoming more comfortable with

this strange men tal territory -less afraid of what is deep inside ourselves

and less annoyed or fearful when we see these processes manifested in

others Consequently our unconscious processes become less likely to

surface in unpredictable immature and counterproductive ways This

business oftype development can enhance our personalcapacitiesas well

as our tolerance and appreciation ofothers as we learn to accept and use

more of the wide range of percept ion and decision-making approaches that are available within us all

Type Theory in Brief

I I

15 Ii ~ ~

II r I ~ u

IIIimiddot ~illH II j ~ I II j ~ C r p f~ImiddotmiddotjIiq~ - ~t~ Ii lli l ~~ ili ~lFROM FOUR DICHOTOMIESTO EIGHT l Y ~ ~ I II middot ~I llMENTAL PROCESSES TO SIXTEEN TYPES I~I ~ I ~ Co j

I~ ~ ~

H ~JiI WHY EIGHT PROCESSES II

Thes~ fOurfunction Carl Jung described three distinct dimensions or dichotomies of pershy types correspond to

theobvioUs means bysonality Each dichotomy is made up of two contrasting halves Jung whichconscksusness

drew a line between the two sides of each dichotomy in much the same obtains its orienta- way that you might cut a cake in half Using Jungs three dichotomies tion toexperience

Sensation (ie2sense i i1 ~ ~we draw three sets oflines We divide our cake first into halves then into perceptioh) tells -l 1 quarters and finally into eight equal pieces youthqtsoiylethlng 11

t ~ i J~ t First we focus on the three dichotomies that were identified by existsthinking tells 1 If youwhatit iSifeeling

Jung and adapted for the type code by Isabel Myers These first three II ~~ ~- tells you whetherit li1 ~dichotomies are the ones that actually define the eight aspects ofpersonshy isagreeable ornot 1II ~

ality type andintuitiontells you I11 III ~whence it comes and

Orientation to the environment is the dichotomy which Myers ni whereItis going 1 middot1identified from allusions which Jung had made but had never formalshy Carl G Jungand 1I li

M-l vonFranzized into a dichotomy After we have identified the eight pieces we will Illil ~ lJuse this fourth dichotomy to guide us in arranging the eight mental 1

processes to distinguish the sixteen types

Thedichotomies are abouteither or(7

f- 1V V J

Extraverting ENERGY - - Introverting

Sensing ------ - PERCEPTION --- - Intuiting

Thinking c----middot JUDGMENT middot - -- Feeling

Judgi~g -- ENVIRONMENT --- Perceiving f1

1

---l-- - - - - - - - --- ___ __shy

1lt]f Ji Iif shyI i ~ ~

1 ~1 Il ~ 5f1 JiOl 1Ii1r~bull

ii

~ ~

Ill J ~

I~H I 1[

i ij i

I i I1 1

Il li ~ II1

I

1II

1 i1

11

I17

11 I _~lt

WING BLOCKS ()f PERSONALITY TYPE

N ow lets walk thr ough the steps that lead us from tIte first three

dichotomies to eight mental processes We start with a whole circle representing the entire personality

First we divide our personality model into halves by distinguishing

between the two basic purposes of mental processes gathering informashy

tion (Perception) and making decisions (Judgment)

JudgmentPerception

N ext our two pieces are divided again to become four Perception

is separated into the distinct approaches of Sensing Perception and

Intuiting Perception J udgment becomes Thinking Judgment and middot

FeelingJudgrnent

We will return to our cake cutting shortly First let s look more

closely at the four pieces that we have so far

--l-

I

From Four Dichotomies to Eight Mental Processes to Sixteen Types

I I

J

PERCEPTION AND JUDGMENT

As we have said all human psychic activity can be viewed as being deshy

voted to two simple tasks that are essential to our survival taking in

information and making decisions Not much is going on that cannot

be included in one ofthese basic process categories we gather data then

we make choices There are two dramatically different ways to approach

each of these tasks

Sensing Perception and Intuiting Perception

H ow we perceive or gather information provides the second letter of the

type code This letter will be either an S for Sensing or an N for Intuit shy

ing as in ESTJor ENTJ

Perception is considered to be irrational because no intentional

editing process is involved in selecting the information that is taken in N o one can take in all the data around us there isjust far too much of it

T he two approaches to perception are essentially mechanisms that autoshy

matically restrict the flow of information by means of two very different

focuses of attention The same data is available to everyone with fully

functional sensory organs but what we actually perceive is what makes

it through these innate filters to our awareness Sensing and Intuiting

simply notice different kinds of infonnation

Sensing (S)

The focus of Sensing is on information gathered by the five senseswhat

we see hear touch smell and taste It can include memories of past

sensations as well as sensations being experienced in the present Sensshying perceptions are always tangible and verifiable at least in theory even

1 i i1 - though they are not necessarily always clear or accurate J[

I IAdept use of a Sensing process will balance and thus soften the ~ t

tendency of a preferred Judging process to overlook concrete informashy

tion in its rush to a decision

Whether noticing their current environment or recalling past surshy

roundings people using a Sensing process tend to do so in vivid detail

T hey prefer to live in the real world of tangible things past or present

They want to know who what where and when

19 18

ilLWI( 13W CKS U PrRSUNAlITY TYPE

t Intuiting (N)

The focus of perception through Intuiting is on an expanded picture In-

tuition maydraw its information from the environment or from within It

attempts to extrapolate from seemingly random bits of information to un-

derstand the patterns or meanings that the data represents and thus to genshy

erareconnections meanings possibilities options and vision One cannot

fore ~ee or control the Intuiting processes timetables or methodologies

The Intuiting mental processes work with content that varies

widely from individual to individual and from moment to moment

A Sensing process when observing a tree for example is always tied

to data from the senses shades of color shapes sizes comparisons

and so on An Intuiting process on the other hand may notice almost

no concrete information before rapidly moving on to build a series of connections It may generate possib ilities or attach meaning and

significance to the tree or create a broader mental picture of the forest

1tis picture may have no discemable relationship to anything that can

be detected by the senses The Intuitive search is for connections pat-

terns and underlying significance

Thinking Judgment and Feeling Judgment

How we judge or make decisions provides the third letter of the type code This letter will be either a T for Thinking or an F for Feeling as

in IN1] or ENF]

The Judgment processes provide rational structure to our percepshy

tions so that we can m ake use of the information gathered They shape

the actions ofour conscious will Since the task ofaJudgment process is

to make decisions it is not surprising that both the Thinking and Feeling

approaches are oriented toward reaching some kind ofoutcome

Another way to describe what Judgment processes do is that they

attem pt to gain some internal or external control over our lives and

our world The need to influence events and situations and to act with

purpose is an obvious requirement for survival and it is what decision

making through Thinking or Feeling is all about

From Four Dichotomies to Eight Mentol Processes to Sixteen Types

Thinking (T)

The Thinking approach to decision making is essent ially that of analytishycal logic To support this analysis it uses criteria that it either pulls from

the environment or synthe sizes internally in order to define everything

Though it may sometimes seem to others as if these judgments devalue

people and things by pigeonholing them they actually have nothing to

do with value at all Thinking processessimply need to attach a label or

category to every thing in order to understand its position relative to the rest of the universe to maintain a sense of order and to fit it into some

kind of logical framework for the analysis that leads to decisions

Thinking is impersonal It intentionally excludes values-based considshyerations Most people with a Thinking preferencewould rather be truthful than tactful and are more interested in being fair than in being kind

Feeling (F)

Feeling is a values-basedapproach to Judgment It determines what someshy

thing is worth Feeling is aware of the impact of its choices It is aware

of the individuals involved and affected their circumstances and their

relationships Creating and maintaining external or internal harmony is

therefore the primary priority of the decision making In the personality

type model the term Feelingsimply refersto decision-making processes

that are guided by systems of values A preference for Feeling does not

have anything to do with emotions Feeling types are neither more nor less inclined to be emotional than Thinking types

While no less rational than Thinking Feeling is certain ly not con shy iir oH

strained by logic often caring more about tact than truth and about the effect of a decision than about being right

~

Now lets return to our cake We have already used two of the dishychotomies to arrive at the four pieces that we have described Finally I

each of these four is divided again according to whether they are i

Extraverted or Introverted As shown below we now have eight equal pieces the eight mental processes of type

ii ~ J

li1Jmiddot 21 20

From Four Dichotomies to Eight Mental Processes to Sixtee n Types ~G BlOCKS or I ~ ONAlI I Y TYPe

Extraverting (E)

Extraverted Thinking If our most skilled trusted and comfortable process-our dominantExtraverted Sensing process-is Extraverted we usually put our best face forward By definishy~tion we must all extravert in order to interact with people and the

rest of the physical world So the processes that we directly and most blm_~d Thl~Introverted Sensing I~Jbull ~ Wi easily observe in people are usually their Extraverted processes BecauseI ~ lt~ ) f I of th is it has become a common misconception that only the Extraverted JUDGMENTPERCEPTION

processes can be observed by others

~ ~~ In people who prefer Extraverting what we most readily observe Introve1ed Intuiting ~ ~s ~ ~ Intreverted F~lg

usually reflects their most comfortable process Thus individuals who prefer Extraverting are typically accessible and relatively easyfor others to understand What you see is what you get Sharing experiences with

Extraverted Intuiting

laquo r ~~

Extraverted Feeling others is after all an essential ingredient of Extraverting People whose dominant process is Extraverted feature their most talented actor at censhyter stage in the starring role

By virtue of their objective focus upon their environment and their shy extensive interaction with it people who prefer Extraverting tend to be aware of and in tune with a broad scope of external information

EXTRAVERTING AND INTROVERTING

T he energy preference provides the first letter of the type code This As Sharp noted When one is predominantly oriented to the objectshyletter will be either an E for Extraverting or an I for Introverting as in

things and other people-there is an extraverted type12 If a processESTPor ISTP focuses on the environment we call it Extraverted because it draws itsThe final division of the psychic cake the one that brings us to the energy from interacting with the external object person or situationeight distinct mental processes is the difference between Extraverting much as we are warmed and energized by the sun An individual whoand Introverting the four functions of Sensing Intuiting Thinking prefers Extraverting is fueled by the situation itself

jand Feeling Each one of the four can have either the external world or ~ the internal world as its focus As Ju ng put it there are no Extraverts

~ i 3- 1tIntrovert ing (I)or Introverts pure and simple only extraverted and introverted function il

Introverted processes focus on a subjective inner psychic life of reflectiontvpcs It is this Extravertingor Introvertingorientation thatdistinguishes concepts and ideas T he outer world of tangible things and people maywhether the focus of that process is the objectiveworld around us or the be integrated into this inner world but the real excitement and energy ofsubjective world within It is referred to asthe energy dichotomy because Introverting come from these personal thoughts and ideas In b et whenIt n-llccts how we focus our personal energy externally or internally Introverting we may not needexternal input atall working entirely withinTllaquomgh last IrJ our presentation of the factors that delineate the eight ourselves Sharp says that While the extravert responds to what conics toprocesses the ExtrlVertingIntroverting aspect is certainly not the least the subject from the object (outer reality) the introvert relates mainly to11 llpartfi d It IS IrJ fact the one thatJung noticed first and is a distinction the impressions aroused by the object ill the subject (inner rcalityj

( I I uuuost impor tan ce It is referred to asthe energydichotomy because it People whose most preferred process is Introverted do not usuallyrdlrcts how we gather and use our personal energy

show the world their greatest giftsWhen they speak or take action in the

23i z J

1

NG BW CKI UI 11RSONAllTY TYPE

world they usually do so through their auxiliary process so ob~e rvers can never observe the dominant process directly The Extraverted auxiliary process is the one featured in the spotlight and is often mistakenly asshy

sumed to be the star The focus of the auxiliary process is always complementary to the

dominant Because of this observers often see and hear one thingwhile the petson who prefers Introverting is actually coming from a very difshyferent place For examplewe may hear what sounds like adecision But if the speaker has an Introverted dominant preference for Perceiving that person may actually be just trying to share information that he or

she has acquired Theseperceptions however are filtered and reframed as they are expressed (Extraverted) through their auxiliaryJud gingproshycess and emerge into the wo rld sounding like a decision

This is not to say that Introverted processes cannot be observed They can In observing any process even an Extraverted one we are of cousse actuallyobserving the outward manifestations of a mental activshyity For Introverted processes these visible clues are usuallyjust more subtle and require closer attention to detectthan their externally-oriented counterparts They do not proceed aloud or publicly But you can see people withdraw as they engage their Introverted processes They may have a distant unfocused look in their eyes or look down or away from others When they refocus you may have further evidence that they have been Introverting in the personal subjective and original nature of the

information or decisions they report With those who prefer Introvertingwhat you see is usually not their

dominant preferred process Introverting by its very nature cannot be shared directly An Introverted process draws energy from what is going on inside aswhen we are warmed from within by metabolizing our food An individualwho prefers Introverting is fueled by contemplation

O RIENTATION TO THE ENVIRONMENT KEY TO THETYPECODE

T he fourt h and final letter of the type code indicates what an individual prefers to do 111 the external world either make decisionsor gather inforshyiu auon T his letter will be either aJ forJudging or a P for Perceiving as

III ENT] or ENTP

4

From Four Dichotomies to Eight Mental Proce sses to Sixteen Types

We can see that the first three dichotomies of type represented in the first three letters of the type code define all eight of the mental proshycesses Extraverted Sensing Introverted Sensing Extraverted Intuiting Introverted Intuiting Extraverted Thinking Introverted Thinking Extraverted Feeling and Introverted Feeling The fourth dichotomy or the fourth letter is needed primarily to show the order ofan individuals natural preferences for engaging those processes By telling us whether a persons preferred orientation to the environment is for Judging or

Perceiving the entire sequence of preference for using the eight proshycesses is revealed

The addition of the final dichotomy was Isabel Myerss great gift to the world It tells us through which function-either the decision-makshying (judgment) or the data-gathering (Perception) function-we prefer to interact with our external environment This is the piece of information that assembledJungs theories of personality into a complete system It is what makes it possible to summarize rich and complex theory in a simple formula that even new learners can grasp

First L~H~r middot o f (Extraverting) b j (Ihtroverti~g ~ Energy I~~~ ~ -c ~ j i

Second LeHer - - S (Sensingj or N (Intuiting) gt~---middot Perception bull shy Third Letter - T (Thinking) or F(Feeling) __- J udgm ~nt

i Fourth Letter -- J (Judging) or P (Perceiving) Environment Orientation 1

1 I

HOW TYPE CODEINTERPRETATION WORKS T he first three dichotomies each with its two opposing halves create eight possible mental processes Now we wil1 take you through the steps used in interpreting the code These are the steps that connect any fourshyletter code reported by a personality type instrument to the sequence of mental processes that describes that type T he steps will be similar to

25

)

NG BUJlK S ( f r RooNIIII TY TYPE

f

those in our cake-cutting exercisebut in a different order Ifyou find the

mechanics of interpretation confusing do not worry You are not alone

and you do not need to understand the details in order to understand

type Qualified type professionals receive extensive training in order to

interpret the personality type code

Understanding at least the general idea of type interpretation is im-

portant because it iscentral to understanding the model The framework

ofpersonality type contains a limitless depth of insight into personality

But Isabel Myers had to form the model into a deceptively simple code

because her central purpose in creating the instrument was to provide

everyone access through interpretation to an understanding of his or

her own type

Interpretation is where the fourth dichotomy comes into play

When we interpret a type code this last dichotomy is actually our startshy

ing point Afour-step process is used to find the dominant and auxiliary

processes for each of the four-letter type codes

In order to facilitate our understanding ofthe four-letter type code

we need to distinguish between the attitudes and the functions Based

on the work of Carl]ung Extraverting and Introverting are called atshy

titudes Isabel Myers added Judging and Perceiving as attitudes The middle letters of the type code are called functions Thus Sensing

Intuiting Thinking and Feeling are all functions

STEP 1 DETERMINE WHICH OF THE

Two PREFERRED FUNCTIONS IS EXTRAVERTED

In the first step of interpretation the] or P of Myerss environmental

dichotomy provides the key to determining the Extraverted function For the ESF] type for example the] indicates that the Judging function

-~

(which the third letter of the formula shows is F for Feeling) is the preshyferred wayof interacting with the environment In other words we know

that one ofES FJs two mo st preferred processes is Extraverted Feeling Applying the same logic to the ISFP type the P indicates that the

Perceiving function (which the second letter of the code shows is S for

Sensing) IS the preferred means of interacting with the environment For

[SFP Sensing is Extraverted

From Four Dichotomies to Eight Mental Processes to Sixteen Types

FIRST EXAMPLE SECOND EXAMPLE

Step h In ESFJ The What hiExtraverted In ISFP TheJudging lJ) The fourth leiter indicates whether it is Perceiving (P)function is the Judgment function (a T or an F) or functionisFeeling (F) so the Perception function (an 5 or an N) Sensing (5) sothe Extroverted thot is Extraverted the Extraverted process would I processwouldbe Extraverted be ExtrovertedFeeling (Fe) J Sensing (Se) ) 1

~~

STEP 2 DETERMINE WHICH OF THE

Two FUNCTIONS IS INTROVERTED

In step 2 we use the principle ofbalance and the logic of simple eliminashytion to deduce that the other function in the four-letter code (S N T

or F) is Introverted For ESF] since Feeling was Extraverted then the remaining function Sensing must be Introverted

For ISFP since Sensing was Extraverted then the remaining funcshytion Feeling must be Introverted

~ -~ ~

Step2ii f~ t~ ~A - What Is Introvelfedmiddoti ~

Ou~f~ncti~ h are i ci~~t ifi ~d bt~~~o middle leiters of the code If in Step 1 we found thaI we Extrovert the function identified by the second leiter then we lknow that we Introvert the function Iiidentfied bythe third lelfer Ifwe found t that we Extravert the third leller then II

we must Introvert the second lelfer ILgt ~~ ~ i l

I

STEP 3 DETERMINE WHICH OF THE Two PREFERRED

FUNCTIONS Is THE DOMINANT PROCESS

Step 3 focuses on the first letter of the type code to identify the most

preferred or dominant mental proc ess Steps 1 and 2 identi fy the most

27

NG BLOCKS Of I I ~ () NA I I Y 1m

preferred Extraverted func tion and the most prefer red Int roverted function T he first letter of the code indicates which one of these is

our domina nt process N ote that in the type code or w hen they stand

alone the letters E and I are trad itionally capitalized When they are

co mbined w ith a letter representing a funct ion (such as T for Thinkshy

ing) to indic ate a me ntal process (such as Introverted T hinking) they

are lowercase (Ti)

In our first example ESFJ the E indicates that the Extraverted function

(which has already been determined to be Feeling) is the most preferred I

T hus for ESFJ Extraverted Feeling is the dominant process

Inthe second example the I shows that Introverted Feeling is the

dominant mental process for ISFP

j e Step 3

11ESFJ The ~ Wh~t b the dolrClnt In ISFP The E1iraverted energy orientation Introverted function is function isThefi r~t 1~t1~r of thefburl~lte~ tYp~middotcode Feeling (Fl so Feeling (F) soindicates whichoLthe tW~ previouslymiddot the dominant the dominant identifiedprocessesis dominant the Exshyprocessis process istravertedone or the Introverted one0- Extroverted Introverted Feeling (Fe) IfyoJrfiist letteri~ ~ for ~~avertirig your Feeling (Fi)

dominantprocess will beExtraverted If your first letter is I for IntrovertingyOur dominant proc~sS will De I~troverted

bull - J-

STEP 4 DETERMINE WHICH OF THE

Two PROCESSES IS THE AUXILIARY PROCESS

Step 4 Identifies our second-most preferred or auxiliary process Thi s is

simply the process we ident ified earlier that is not the dominant one For

ESrj Introverted Sensing is the aux iliary process For ISFP Ext raverted

Sensing IS the aux iliary process

Step 4 is a great illustration of how Myers created a practical apshy

plication from J ungs theory Jung observed that the psyche has a need

to balance the purpose and orientation of the dominant process In the

first exam ple the dominan t Judging function needs to be balanced by

Fom l our Dirho lomies 10 Eight Mental Processes to Sixtee n Types

a Perceiving function in the trusted adviser role and the domin ant

orientation to Ext raverting balanced by Introverting Similarly in the

seco nd example the dom inant Int roverted Judging fun ction needs the balance of an Extraverted Perceiving function

Step 4 InESFJ The What w~uld bal~nce InISFP The auxiliary Extraverting wlth i~f6~~rting and Judg- auxilioryprocessis ing with Pereeivi~9 process is Introverted

ExtravertedSensing (Si) Sensing (Se)

As we have shown the interpretation of the type code ident ifies not

only what our two preferred processes are but also which one we prefer

most (our dominant) and which is second (our auxiliary) The need for

balance applies to all eight of the mental processes creating sixteen posshy

sib le type sequences in which the processes are arranged by preference Thus we have a total of sixteen possible personality types

Eight very different type codes con tain aJ as the last letter

raquo gt

- J

shy

Igtf j

i ~

~~ ~~ r

shy

I ~~ v i

iooooo (J) e OG COOG0G ~f)

I 29

---

bull

Foreword by Kotharine D Myers ForewordbyJohn Beebe Preface Acknowledgments

PART ONE AN INTRODUCTION TOTHE EIGHT-PROCESS MODEL OF TYPE

Chapter 1 Terms and Concepts MBTI ~ Personolitymiddotlnventory The EightProcess Model ProcessWatching Miscelloneous Terms Literory Licensemiddot

Chapter 2 Type Theory in Brief What Is ProcessPreference~

Our Two MostPreferred Processes ASequence of Preferences Thelmporlanceof Understanding Our Preferences

Chapter 3 From Four Dichotomies to Eight Mental Processes to Sixteen Types WhyEightProcesses HowType Code Interpretation Works

PARTTVVO THE EIGHT JUNGIAN MENTAL PROCESSES

Chapter 4 Extrave rted Sensing (Se) Key Features Whats Going On From the Outside looking In Contributions From the Inside Vignettes Gifts

Chapter 5 Introverted Sensing (Si) Key Features Whats Going On~

From the Outside looking In Contributions From the Inside Vigneltes Gifts

xi xv

xvii xxi

1 1 4 6 7 8

11 11 12 13 14

17 17 25

33 34 34 35 37 37 40 41

43 44 44 46 48 48 50 52

vii

JG BLOCKS or I ONAIII Y TYI

Ch apter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

bull Chapter 9

Cha pte r 10

Cha pte r 1 1

Extraverted Intuiting (Ne) Key Features Whats Going On Fromthe Outside Looking In Contributions Fromthe Inside Vignettes Gifts

Introverted Intu iting (Ni) KeyFeatures Whats Going On Fromthe Outside Looking In Contributions From the Inside Vignettes Gifts

Extraverted Thinking (Te) KeyFeatures Whats Going On Fromthe Outside Looking In Contribut ions From the Inside Vignettes Gifts

Introverted Thinking (Ti) KeyFeatures Whats Going On From the Outside Looking In Contributions From the Inside Vignettes Gifts

Extra verted Fe e ling (Fe) Key Features Whats Going On From the Outside Looking In Contribut ions From the Inside Vignettes Gifts

Introve rted Feeling (Fi) KeyFeatures What s Going On From the Outside Looking In Contributions From the Inside Vignettes Gifts

t 53 54 54 55 57 57 60 61

63 64 64 66 68 68 71 71

73 74 74 76 78 78 80 81

83 84 84 86 88 88 90 91

93 94 94 95 97 98

100 100

103 104 104 105 107 108 110 111

PART THREE BEYOND PROCESS WATCHING

Chapter 12 The Eight-Process Model of Type Chapter 13 Important Facets and Factors in Eight-Process Type

The Cast of Cha roders Balance Consciousness and Unconsciousness The Sequence of the Eight Process Preferences Appropriateness Energy Flow Summary of the Facets and Fadors

Chapter 14 Beyond the Basics Conflict Management Decision Making Communicat ion Managing Change and Transition Parent ing and Education Career Development

Afterword

APPENDICES

A Jungs Model of the Psyche B John Beebes Archetypal Understanding of Psychological Types C Two Important Contributions from Harold Grant 0 Brief Descriptions Based on the Two Preferred Processes E The Circle of Eight-Process Type F Comparison of Jung ian Mental Processes GProcessArchetype Chart for the Sixtee n Types HDecisio n-Making Checklist I Time-Focus of the Perce iving Processes

Notes Glossary Bibliography Index About the Authors

115 119 119 120 120 121 122 123 124

127 127 133 141 155 160 165

171

173 177 181 185 19 1 193 197 19 9 20 1

203 207 219 223 22 9

Table of Contents ~71

~ t

i I f~

~ i 1

i ti I III h I i t~ ltJ

1-

ii ix

f u j i

l I ~~ ~ J

~-

Building Blocks ofPersonality Type belongs on the shelf of everyone interested

inunderstanding and making use ofJungian psychological type and the Myshyers-BriggsType Indicator (MBTIreg) assessment in their own livesandor in

helpingothers It is to be read and used often as a valuablereference

bull

The authors have succeeded in conveying the full complexity ofthe

eight-process model of type and its application in a manner that is clear

and accessible to the professional and interested layperson alike It is

wonderfully user friendly As I read it I felt that the authors were sitting with me and I was the you they were addressing

Leonas years ofwork with the government when she was working

across the range of government hierarchy in terms ofeducation level ofjobs and experience have served her well in presenting information

in a manner that speaks across the spectrum My firstexperience in

observing her workshop was with a group of employees totally unsoshyphisticated in anything psychological-they understood and responded

with enthusiasm

The collaboration between the two authors began at a worksh op

on the eight mental functions led by Leona Haas Mark Hunziker was a

participant Mark wanted to learn more Leona wanted to record a c011lshy

plete description of her model but her forte was live presentation not

writin g An hours conversation later the joint project was launched

Mark would provide his writing and structuring skills and gain the opshy

portunity to study the eight-process model up close Leona would be able to make her work available to a wider audience Two introverted

intuiting types do not need much information or time to know when something fits

ishy

r

J

xi

NG BLOCKS II NAII Y ( YPi

l

Building Blocks of Personality Type demonstrates the success of this fit The writing is clear and coherent Complex ideas are explained with precision simplicity and accuracy The organization of the book takesan overwhelmingamount of knowledgeand presents it in a logical structure that makes the content accessible to the reader

- The development of the eight-process model of type is a giant step in understanding and using Jungian psychological type and the MBTIregassessment

Leona Haas has been instrumental in developing and instructing others in the eight-process model of type This model enables inshydepth understanding of the eight mental processes that form the core ofJungian type theory and it also provides a new and enriched model of feedback

Katharine C Briggss major contribution was her profound undershystandingofJ ungiantheoryand her recognitionof psychological typeasan

sinvaltable model of development in healthy personalities Her daughter ~

Isabel Briggs Myerss major contribution was her pioneering work in creating the sixteen type model with its four-lettercode asa way of givshying individuals access to their Jungian preference type For many years

interpretation focused on the four dichotomies E-I S-N T-F andJ-P although Myers had usedher understanding of the eight processes in her naming of each type (for example ESTJ as an extraverted thinking type with introverted sensing) The only description of these eight processes was a four-pagesummarycompiledby Myers in Gifts Dijfering

Most practitioners are introduced toJungian ideas when they begin to use the MBTIreg however overthe years their understandinghasgradushyally moved from basictype through type dynamics typedevelopment and on tojungs model of the psycheand his life-long development model of Individuation As practitioners graduallydeepened their knowledge atshytention was turned to the need for understanding more fully these four fu nctions in both attitudes that is the eight mental processes

Leona was among the leaders in recognizing this need She has devoted herself with introverted intuitive intensity to learning more through constant questioning of individuals ofdifferent types consultashytion With experts and reading Her treasuryof knowledge contained in this book IS the outcome

Her seamless integration of the eightprocesses into thecomplexwhole of theJungian system of personality is avaluable bonus gift to the reader

Historically the knowledge of our four letters hasgivenmanyindishyviduals andgroupsimportantinsights in self-understandingself-acceptance and in the understanding and appreciation ofotherswho aredifferentfrom themselves However those of us who havejourneyed further have found a richness of understandingand a perspective that enhances our lives imshymeasurably This bookprovides the door to that richnessWelcome

KatharineD Myers The Myers-Briggs Trust

Foreword

j

j

I

1 A

i I JiICbull j i l l ji ~ -j

xiii i

~

t

bull

~ ~~ l

~

Ii

f~ ~

r

The word mental meaning of or pertaining to the mind has too often ~~ ~1been used to suggest abnormality RobertGravesandJoseph Campbellhave ~~ warnedus that myth is a word we use to refer to other peoples religion 11

I ~

Likewise mental is the wordwe useto refer to other peoples ways of using Jtheir minds Leona Haas and MarkHunzikerhave dignified these sidelong 1lookswe give oneanotherby identifying what we areobserving asmental

iprocesses found ineverybody the only differencesbeingwhich processes ~ we each give emphasis toand in which order I ~

Inthis endeavor theyfollow the workof the Swiss psychiatrist C G ~1 11

Jungwhoin thefirstpartof the twentiethcentury influenced bypsycholoshy ~

j+j Lgists in French-speaking Switzerland and France began to engage himself 1with thetypical differences in humanconsciousnessOne of these mentors ~j

was Alfred Binet for whom consciousnesswasintelligenceBinet sought to measure intelligence andour most commonly used intelligence test is 1 still called the Stanford-Binet By 1902whenJungwas studying in Paris i

1

Binet had noticed eveninhis owndaughtersdramatic differences in learnshy I ingstylestowhichhe gavethenamesextemospectionand introspection 1 1Withina decadeJung hadintroduced his own notion of a tum of mind

into the terms for the basic mentalattitudesby calling them Extraversion (outward turning) and Introversion (inward turning) A further decade 1

Ienabled Jung to differentiate various functions of consciousness four in j

all through which thesebasic attitudesof mindcould be expressed in drashy

matically differentwaysHisdescriptions ofthinkingfeeling sensationand intuitionasexpressed in both the extraverted and introverted attitudesform the heart of hisbookPsychologilal Types (1921) This classic became an inspishyration to Isabel Briggs Myersin the 1940s asithadbeena generation earlier toher mother Katharine Briggs It led them to develop together a practical instrument for capturing the differences in the ways individuals use their

xv 1

BLOCKS (1 ~(lNA II I Y rYP

minds in all the settings of their lives-the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator which hasbecome the most widely used instrument for identifying normal personalitydifferences in America today

PsychologiralTypes was thebasic inspiration forthe eight-function model that asaJungian analyst inspired by such clinical teachers asMarie-Louise von FranzJo Wheelwright and Wayne Detloff I brought to practitioners of type as~ess me n t in the 1980s Leona Haas wasamong the very first type consultants (alongside Kathy Myers and Margaret and Gary Hartzler) to grasp what ~ was gettingat that the normalmind cannot be adequately deshyscribed with a four-functionmodelofitsprocesses even if the two attitudes ofExtraversion and Introversion are somehow included to explain some of thedifferences between the ways differentfunctions are expressed bydiffershyent people Subsequently thanksas much to Haass teaching as myown a number of others have come aboard She has recognized thatwe cannot be literate in the ways of the mindwithout aclear individualized senseofwhat all eighf mental processes look like and of how they are experienced by the actual persons using them

It is a pleasure to have herbook to recommendto thosewho havecome to my own lectures and asked me to give more extended and systematic deshyscriptions of the eight function-attitudes (to use the helpful term that Dick Thompson introduceda fewyears ago) She hasmade the most practical use possible of my analytic interpretation ofJungs visionary theory Haas has succeeded in takingthe eight function-attitude model in all its complexity into workadaycorporate settings where it has instantly proved its power to unlock the understanding of serious impasses and to significantly improve the integrity ofa businesss teambuilding

That is not the extent of this modelspotentialapplication however In this book elegantly realized with the patient assistance of Mark Hunziker himself a formidablestudent of the mind Leona Haashasmanagedto proshyduce the most practicallydetailedand psychologically accurate orientation to the eight processes that I have seen I heartily recommend it to thebeginshyner aswell as toanyone who imagines heor she isalready adept in thisfield T hetruth iswe all have agreatdeal to learnabout the buildingblocksout of which our minds are made In my own efforts to master the architecture of such a wondrous structure I expect to be reading this book for many yearsto come

John Beebe

Over the past half-century many millions of people around the world have been aided in their personaland professionaldevelopment through a modelof personality that was developed by CarlJung Katharine Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers T he Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) provides both the framework and the main tool for the model of what has come to be known as personality type or just type for short Building Blocks ofPersonality Type is an attempt to begin a comprehensivedescripshytion of a certain way of thinking about type and the benefits that this approach offers

We feel the need to give this view of type theory a label the eightshyprocess model oftypein order to distinguish this paradigm from some misconceptions that have grown up around the MBTIpersonality inventory and personality type Although we call it a model we are not talking about anything new or separate from the framework of the model that has served so well for all these yearsWe are in fact simply attempting to help clarify the core of the theory that was developed by Jung Briggs and Myers and to integrate subsequent work that hasbuilt directly upon that foundation

Many type professionals will find that we are describing how they already think about type We believe that these folks will nonetheless find useful and illuminating nuggets in the pages that follow They may gain insights from the descriptions of the mental processes or perhaps get some new ideas about how the model can be applied or possibly learn something new about how the different aspects of the model mesh to produce the dynamics of type

Oth ers who work with type may find that eight-process type repshyresents a dramatic and difficult shift in their understanding In many of

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UILDING B lClCk ~ or P[ RSO NAW Y TYPE

Leonas advanced workshops attendees find themselves going through a

bit ofa paradigmshift Usually she hearsfrom these people after they have

had time to digest the new information that they can never go to back to

the way they worked with type before Ifyou find that the eight-process

model challenges some of your assumptions and practices we urge you to bear with us We are convinced that the theoretical model and practical

descriptions that follow are at the heart of the most effective practices in

use today and that they are particularlyhelpful in teaching the basics of

type through feedbackand verification as well as for delving more deeply

into the important insights ofJungs theory ofpersonality Our main focus in this work is on describing Jungs mental proshy

cessesas completely and vividlyas possible as you will actually experience them This is not only the first step in the eight-process approach to

type but also a rewarding experience in itself By looking at personality

through process watching you are likelyto learnthings that will change

Yiur perspective from this point forward regardless of whether you are

an experienced professional or you havenever even heard ofpersonality

type Through simple descriptions of the four different ways that we

take in information and the four different ways we make decisions you

will learn to value your own gifts more highly You will also begin to

better understand and appreciate the perspectives of those around you

Conflict management decision making communication management

ofchange and transition exploration of your teaching and learning styles and those of your children career choices and daily lifewill all be easier

and more positive and will actually become opportunities for enriching

your life

We confess to also having a hidden agenda We are out to save the

world It is tremendously rewarding for us to watch individuals teams

and organizations grow as a result of exposure to this expanded approach

to personality type That is the immediate day-to-day grat ification of

our work But we are energized on another level too by the conviction that a better appreciation of psychological type and how it influences reshy

lanonships and interactions could be a vital key to unlocking the human

potential that is needed in order to learn how to live together on this

planet This belief was a driving force behind Isabel Myerss amazing

contributions as well We believe as she did that animosity and bloodshy

--shy

shed are but reflections of the immature and frightening shadow side of

our own personalities We also believe that the path to an exciting new

maturity level in human evolution-a path of enhanced cooperation

collaboration and coexistence-lies through the psychic development

that Jung called individuation

Albert Einstein pointed out that we cannot expect to resolve comshy

plex problems from within the same mindset that created them Margaret

Wheatley throughout her lectures and writings has made a convincing

argument that relationships information flow and self-definition are the

ultimate determinants of how human beings interact The state of conshy

sciousness from which we approach these criticalhuman activitiesmayvery

well be the key factor in determining the success or failure of all human

systems families teams communities corporations and even nations

Regardless of ones personal motivation for exploring the mental

processes the inevitable result of doing so is an elevation ofour level of

awareness The potential consequences of such a shift in consciousness

are dramatic-for individuals for family for social and work groups

and by extension for the entire human community By enhancing our

understanding of the eight mental processes we gain an appreciation for

the diversity and value of our own gifts as well as the diversity and gifts

of others Thi s in tum will have an immediate and far-reaching effect

upon each of the key elements of successful human systems building healthier relationships developing more effective communication and

gaining a greater understanding of ourselves and others

We the auth ors are familiar wi th and continue to use many other

models tools and approaches to personal and organizational developshy

ment But for us nothing else compareswith understanding the Jungian

mental processes for simplicity ease of access and the depth and breadth of its power to change lives When we begin to learn to recognize these 1

processes every relationship every conversation every in trospective

moment can become a lesson in appreciation for the amazing gifts tha t

we all possess

We invite you to join us on this journey Whether your aim is to

develop your own potential improve your relationships help others

bring your organization to the next level or save the world we know of

no better place to start than right here

Preface

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Over a decade ago Leona Haas becameconcerned about the small but significant percentofpeoplewho havedifficulty validating their reported type These are the type userswho do not feelthat their type as reported by theMyers-Briggs TypeIndicator fits them verywelL Facedwith the challenges of sorting out their true type from their reported type many of these new users dismiss the instrument altogether and never come to benefit from its insights It wasthis issue of typevalidation that gave the initial impetus to ajourney that has takenLeonato an increasshyingly refined understanding of the Jungian mental processes and the dynamic system in which they operate Building Blocks ofPersonality Type is theculmination of thatjourney

There have been many teachers guides and helpers along the way and it seemsappropriate to acknowledge their contributions by relating a briefhistory

Like manyjourneys this one startedat home Leona was perplexed by thedifferences between the ways her husband Rich used his Sensing process andwhatshehadlearnedabout Sensingfromherstudiesandfrom working extensively with typewith federal governmentemployees When assembling akit for example Rich never read directions He preferred to workfrom pictures orbyseeingthe finished product He also did nothave good recallofpastevents and seemed tomake intuitiveleaps fromwhat he observed None of this fitwith Sensing asLeonaknew it

In the earlynineties very little information was readily available to the personalitytypecommunity concerningJungs views on the mental processes Gifts Dijfering by Isabel Myers provided basic information aboutthe eightJungian processes but manyofIsabels insights and most of her researchhad not been published

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Gradually through her empirical work with type Leona began to recognize that Sensing can be tised in very different ways When she started to divide her workshop participants into S] and SP groups (thus distinguishing those with a preference for Introverted Sensing from those who prefer Extraverted Sensing) patternsbegan to emerge

-She realized that her husband used Extraverted Sensing while the milishytaryculture in which she worked tended to favor Introverted Sensing

Having solved the mystery of Richs Sensing preference by distinshyguishing Extraverted Sensingfrom Introverted Leona beganto suspect that she was learning about something which could enable type practishytioners to help people more easily and clearly validate their type The pursuit of a deeper understanding of the Myers-BriggsType Indicator

became her passion First she went back to the basics to CarlJung She soon discovered

the work of Daryl Sharp a Toronto Jungian analyst and publisher of JlJ4lgianc books Sharps book Personality Types was a gift ofknowledge for her In it he explains the mental processes with unusual clarity It opened awhole newlevelof understanding toLeonaand helped to focus her investigations

While attending courses through Type Resources Leonamet Gary and Margaret Hartzler and soon became a Qualifying Programinstrucshytor Margaret and Garywere also doing research into theJungian mental processes by investigating the theoretical concepts and incorporating them into their Qualifying Program Leonas focus upon the practical aspects of the processes and the Hartzlers work with the theory grew into a synergistic joint effort that allowed all three of them to develop and expand their understanding of the dynamics of type

Over the course of the next five years Leona developed ways of incorporating theJungian processes into her feedbacksessions In 2000 she wrote JOIITlley of Understanding with Margaret Hartzler and Bob McAlpine

Katharine D Myers is co-author of Introduction to TyperegDynamics and Development the only book that Leona was able to find for her early research on type dynamics and development Alongwith Daryl Sharps work it opened many doors of understanding for her For the first time she really began to understand individuation and how it related

to personalitytype During her research she was very fortunate to have Kathy Myers become interested in her unique approach to exploring type feedback Since then Kathys dedication and love for the MBTIreg instrument and her steadfast guardianship of its ethical use has fanned the flame of Leonas enthusiasm and bolstered her courage to continue exploring this unfamiliar territory

Her nextmajorbreakthrough came from the research and work of DrJohn Beebe aJungian analyst fromSan Francisco and past president of the San FranciscoJungian Institute Dr Beebehad been working on an enhanced theory of personalitytype which isbuilt upon the viewthat each psychological type encompasses eight distinct cognitive processes rather than just four His audiotape A New Model of Psychologital Types revealed to Leona the tremendous scopeof the insights containedwithin the type model John has been a wonderful gift to the community of personality type practitioners He is very supportive of the instrument and has done much to bring theJun gianand personalitytypecommunishyties closer together

As earlyas1974Dr Beebedeveloped the ideathat thefirst fourfuncshytions alternate attitudes like a series of checks and balances with the third being in the same attitude asthe first He first presented this modelat the 1983 Chiron Conference in New Mexico under the title Psychological Types in Transference Countertransference and the Therapeutic InteractionThe following year that paper waspublished asa chapter in Transference Countertransference By 1985 he had begun exploring the conshycept that each individual hasaccess to alleight of the processes

Each of the people mentioned above has in his or her own way been a pivotal source of the inspiration information and innovation that has shaped the eight-process model of type

Acknowledgements

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qI The collaboration to create this book began at a workshop that ~

Leona led for the Vermont chapter of the Association for Psychological Type inJanuary 2001When Mark Hunziker asked how he could learn moreLeonarecommended several books and tapes Shenoted thatwhile each explained a different element of her presentation acomprehensive portrait of the model did not yet exist She wanted to record a complete description but her forte is live presentations not writing Encouraged and facilitated by Leonas friend MaryThompson the project was vir-

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W ING B LO CKS ( RSl lNAlIY f y[

tually launched after only an hour of conversation MarI would have

an opportunity to study the eight-process model up close and with his

help Leona would be able to make her work available to a wider audishy

ence Two Introverted Intuiting types do not need much information or

time to know when something fits

Like C G Jung and Isabel Myers Leona has constantly tested

modified and validated her theoretical understanding through literally

thousands ofconversations and observations We are deeply indebted to

the c~untless people with whom we have discussed type at workshops training sessions and elsewhere These conversations have helped us to

modify clarify and enhance our understanding of the theory as well

Most of the stories and statements that we use to draw portraits of the

mental processes (chapters 4 through 11) are paraphrased combinations

of comments from several people who share the preference and a few

are direct quotes Though we cannot acknowledge everyone by name

w willbe forever grateful for your contributions to our understanding

The only way that we can possibly begin to repay your willingness to

share your stories and insights is by passing along what we have learned

to others

We are particularly grateful to those who have actively supported

and aided our efforts to expand our understanding through their conshytinued correspondence and friendship and in some cases their helpful

feedback during the writing of this book

Neither of us could have managed to pull this project together withshy

out thedaily emotional and logistical support ofour life partners families

and friends They have our profound appreciation and our love

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AN INTRODUCTION TO THE

IGHTPROCE5S ti~~ P- ~

MODEL OF TYPE

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TE RMS AND CONCEPTS

Since a primary benefit of the eight-process model is that it provides a Itisnotthepurpose

simple and direct route into the heart of personality type we have taken oftypology to classify pains in this book to present the underlying theory as simply as possible humanbeings into

categories---this in and to minimize the use of terms that are unfamiliar to the new learner itselfwould bepretty

But some of the jargon is unavoidable and a basic understanding of the pointlesS Its purpose theory behind the model is needed to provide context and perspective israther to provide a

critical psychology You will find aglossaryalong with severalappendices in the back of this - which would makea book to help clarify and elaborate upon what we mention in the text methodicalinvestiga

tian andpresentation ~ and to introduce some more advanced concepts that we cannot explore bull possible

in depth here This chapter provides a brief overview of the terms and Carl Glung concepts along with a few miscellaneous tips

THE MBTIregPERSONALITY INVENTORY The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality inventory is based on a model that was conceived by Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Gustav Jung

and furth er developed by the team of Katharine Briggs and her daughshy

ter Isabel Briggs Myers The MBTP~ instrument is the most widely -rj

used and the most rigorously validated personality assessment tool in ~ t

the world-with over three million people using it every year Using a ~ fi

carefully crafted and statistically sound questionnaire it is designed to

identify an individuals mental process preference how the person tends

to gather information and make decisions Many readers are familiar

with the sixteen possible iterations of type that are represented by the

indicators well-known four-letter type code The code identifies each

individuals preferred ways of acquiring information and making decishy

sions By answering a series of standard questions each person supplies

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the information needed by the indicator to arrive at a reported type

However since there are factors which may throw off these results it

is up to each individual to check the validity for themselves By paying

attention to how they actually tend to operate in their daily life they will

either confirm or verify their reported preferencesor modify them to

a better fitting true type

In verifying their type new learners will need to notice not only

how they gather information and make decisions but also whether

they tend to be more energized when they focus on their external enshy

vironment or when they focus on their inner world and whether their

primary external focus is on making decisions or on taking in informashy

tion Thousands of trained professionals are qualified to administer the

MBTIreginstrument and help with verification and are ready to provide

feedback and support to help their clients understand type and apply that

understanding to specific issues

T~re is no way around the fact that a significant amount of inforshy

mation is needed in order to understand type at even the beginner level

But the sixteen personality profiles that have been the primary tool for

introducing type can be unnecessarily intimidating to the new learner

Isabel Myers herselfwrote that the obvious obstacle to gaining a comshyfortable familiarity with the types is that there are too many to keep in

mind by brute memory Using this approach extensive professional

support is often needed at the initial feedbackverification stage to bring

people to a level of understanding where they are even able to see what it is that the model has to offer

However by approaching type first through the eight processes

its complexity is broken down into the most basic most important

and least intimidating pieces the mental processes themselves These

mental processes truly are the building blocks of personality Only the

most elementary understanding of the theory is needed initially and

feedback can focus on j ust the two mos t key and most easily verified

clements the dominant and auxiliary processes If new learners are

first ground ed in the basic theory and armed with descriptions of the

mental processes them selves then they can truly understand the more

complex type profile descriptions The profiles do not need to be the

starting point for teaching and feedback Verification becomes easier hcrnr sc the learners have been given both the conceptual framework

Terms and Concepts

and the descriptions needed for sorting out why some aspects of their

reported type profile may not seem to fit They can see that every indishy

vidu al personality is a dynamic custom fit woven from the processes

On the other hand those new learners who are first exposed to

their reported type through a generic descriptive profile often misshy

understand the intent of the profile They may see it as an off-the-rack

mass-produced item to be either accepted or rejected depending upon

how well it seems to fit initially Too often when the profile does not

fit perfectly the credibility of the instrument itself is questioned Too

many people lose interest and do not stay with it long enough to reap the benefits of exploring type

Learning about type primarily through the sixteen profiles can also lead to the misconception that these portraits tell us all that we need

to know about personality But most profiles are reallyjust generalized descriptions of the traits and behaviors that reflect the domin ant and

auxiliary mental processes Ifwe are distracted by these descriptions and

focus upon what we see on the surface without some understanding of

the rich complex and dynamic psychic life from which it springs we will overlook much ofwhat the type model has to offer

The type code itself is the starting place designed primarily to fashycilitate easy access to our own type None of the four dimensions of

personality that are represented by the letters truly stands alone Isabel said that the traits that result from each preference do not combine to

influence an individuals personality by simple addition of characterisshytics instead the traits result from the interaction of the preferences

Each letter of the code represents an aspect ofa very complex living sysshy

tem When we look at these pieces together in the natural system of the individual personality we see that they int eract in a myriad offascinating

and important ways It is through understanding these dynamics of type

that much of the model s insight into human personality can be found

The authors view the eight-process app roach as an important guide for

the complex task of seeking to understand this interaction of processes

It is an aid to help us raise our level of sophistication in order to grasp

and use a much greater portion of the type model s underappreciated richness of insight and from th ere to continue to build and expand the scope of how we view and teach type

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BI() LKS 0 1 P ~mNA I I1Y f Yf

We firmly believe that even those who have never been exPosed to

a personality type instrument can benefit from the information presented

ill this book This approach of focusing on the individual pro cesses is easy

tor anyone to absorb and useand the potential for expanded understandshymg and for personal growth is enormous even if this is a persons first

encounter with the concept ofmental processes For these new learners the ideal learning approach is to use the

material we are presenting in tandem wi th a skilled type professional If you have th e opportunity we recommend that you take the MBTI

personality inventory then use our book to boost your learning curve and augment the work you do with your consultant If you use this

approach you will be amazed at how quickly your understanding will

expand Most experienced type practitioners will find that they too can

quickly reach a deeper level of appreciation of the dynamics of type

throulF the eight-process model and th at this perspective will almost

automatically lead to more effective ways of working with clients In

chapter fourteen we outline some of th e directions that these practical

applications can take You will also find exercises that will help facilitate

interpretation and your clients self-verification of their true type in

Journey cfUnderstanding 3 and Functions ofType4

THE EIGHT-PROCESS MODEL As we will show in the following pages a basicworking understand ing of

the mental processesdoes not absolutely require an interpreter Wit h just

a little guidance anyone can start this journey and reap significant benshy

efits from the very beginning By first simply focusing on the processes

themselveseven the casual learn erwill benefit On the other hand those

who choose to continue on this path by learning more about the theory upon winch the model is based will have access to a depth of understandshy

llIg that goes far beyond anythi ng that most of us ever imagined In recent years a few people building up on the work of the

pioneers of personality type have developed some key refinements of

how our mental processes are viewed They have expanded our ability

to understand these psychological mechanisms that we all use to cope

survive and live our daily lives Since the mental processes are such a

big part of who we are and how we operate any enhancement of our

understanding of them is truly big news This expanded view of type is

what we are calling the eight-process model

An attitude of continuous exploration expansion and refinement

ofJungs theory of person ality types is very much in keeping with jungs

own perspective on his work Marie-Louise von Franz his close friend

and professional collaborator wrote He was a pioneer and remained

fully aware that an enormous number offurther questions remained unshy

answered and call for furth er investigation This iswhy his concepts and

hypotheses are conceived on as wide a basis as possible (without making

them too vague and all-embracing) and why his views form a so-called open system that does not close the door against new discoveries

Two crucial shifts in emphasis form the cornerstones of the eightshy

process approach to type As noted earlier neither is new Th ey actually

just reemphasize what Jung and Myers had have been telling us all along

But refocusing on these key pieces of the foundation of type can have a

far-reaching effect on how the model is understood and used

THE FIRST CORNERSTONE

At any point in time an individual is operating primarily from a single

mental process (ie one function Sensing Intuiting Thinking or Feelshy

ing in either its Extraverted or Introverted attitude) That one process

is the most crucial factor in understanding what is going on with that person at that moment By shifting our focus from a complex profile

of functions and attitudes to just the process that is being used at any

given moment we can actually grasp more ofwhat is important with far

more clarity and ease than if we try to look at all the possible factors at

once A majority of new learners find it much easier to verify or confirm

their true type through this approach They begin to understand why the

profile for their reported type does not fit perfectly with what they know

about themselves When seen in terms of preferred mental processes it

becomes easier to see that the individual idiosyncrasies of normal pershy

sonality development are quit e consistent with the generalizations of

the typ e model Thus emphasizing the processes themselves avoids the

negative experience of feeling put in a box-labeled and constricted by

type- which some new learners experience

Terms and Concepts

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This is where the simplicity and accessibility of the eight-process

approach comes from N ew learners find that they can understand and

remember the relatively straightforward processes much more quickly

and vividly than the pro files They can w atch clear examples in operashy

tion within themselves and others Thus through simple observation

they im mediate ly begin to build an understanding of the different ways

people operate Process watching is the first step in learning about type

through the eight-process appro ach

THE SECOND CORNERSTONE

Everyone possesses the potential to use all eight of the mental processes

Weeach accessand engage them in waysthat are to a great extent un ivershy

sal and predictable creating the sixteen in nate and balanced sequences of

processes that define the sixteen types By learning about all eight of our

process preferenceswe can make predictions about how they may develop

h~ adroitly we will use them how we will react to others who are usshy

ing them and the various ways in which they can manifest themselves

throughout our lives Because it integrates the fo ur processes th at usually dwell in the

unconscious along with the four that are more consciously accessible

the process-preference aspect of the approach can lead us into unlimited

exploration and discovery of the complex and unique individuals th at we

are (sec appendices B and E)

PROCESS WATCHING The focus of th is book is on the individual mental processes Learn ing

to recog nize th em isan enlightening experie nce unto itself as well as the

nccessary first step for fur ther exploration No process description will

fit you perfectly Likewise you m ay iden tify with some parts of all eight

lescnptions You are a uniq ue and complex being and what we describe

here is only after all a model th at simplifies the description of personalshy

lty aud its development in order to help us to think and talk about it This

book [()Cuscs upon that model at its sim plest level In addition it is imshy

portll1t to realize that th e model is a rational construct It is a way to help

li S understand something that is inherently not rational and therefore can

----L

never be completely understood Neve rtheless you will notice that some

of the processes descriptions resonate clearly wi thin yourself and you

will begin to recognize some of them in the people around you as well

From this beginning your recogn ition understanding and appreciation

will continue to expand outward like ripples in a pond to encompass

more and more of the actions and interactions around you

We enco urageyou to read the descriptions watch and listen for the

processes in yourself and in others as you work and play go back to the

descriptions th en watch some more It sounds too simple however the

lessons to be learned fro m just process watching are virtually unli mited

and the potential for growth is truly profound

MISCELLANEOUS TERMS T hroughout thi s book when we talk abou t the eight processes we are

referring to what are often called the Jungian mental pro cesses T hose

who are literate in the jargon of type w ill recogni ze our processes as the

four functions of Sensing Intuiting T hinking and Feeling in their

Extraverted or Introverted attitudes In other words we are talking

about the processes as they actually m anifest themselves We do not

for exa mple refer to Thinking as a process beca use there are actually

two very different Thinking processes Extraverted Thinki ng and Inshy

troverted T hinking

W e use the word type in refere nce to the understanding of sixteen

personality types as represented by the four-letter type code T he type

model theorizes that all human beings can be seen as using eight basic

mental processes and th at the inclinatio n to prefer to use each process

over others is innate in all ofus From these premises the simple math of

the type model creates sixteen possible sequences ofprocess preferences

the sixteen types Just as a four- letter type code is shorthand for a type

each type is actu ally shorthand to r a constellation ofprocess preferences

If we are able to grow and mature without unusual external pressures

we have the tendency to develop and use the eight processes in a natural

pattern according to this internal bias that we call preference (see apshy

pend ices B and C) Our environment can influen ce our behavior and

even our development but not our innate process preferences

ii 11

Term s ond Concepts 1

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bullSome terms used in describingtype have specialized definitions that

differ from their common meaningsWe often capitalize terms to warn you of their specialuse For example people who prefer aJudgment proshycess are not necessarily morejudgmental than others Here Judgment just means one of four ways to approach making a decision Likewise people usingT hinking are not necessarily more intellectual nor are those engaged in Feeling more sensitive or those Extraverting more gregarishyous than anyone else The irrationalprocesses (the Perception processes Extravertediand Introverted Sensing and Extraverted and Introverted Intuiting) are not necessarilyunreasonable They are called irrational because they are automatic How we take in information (Perception) hasnothing to do with reason (rational thought) one way or another

Mosttype professionals still exclusively use the wordscoinedbyJung about a century ago Extraversion Introversion Sensation and Intuition We have found that many new learners find this a bit confusing When we are Iklking about mental activity it seems to work better to use active forms of the words When people are interacting with the world around them for examplewe saythat theyare Extraverting Likewise when they are interacting with their personal inner world they are Introverting We reserve the traditional terms for when we talk about the function or atshytitude itself We use j ungs terms for example for the opposing sides of the perception dichotomy Sensation and Intuition On the other hand when people are engaging these functions we say that they are Sensing or Intuiting We have found that newlearners in particularrelate better to these action words than to words that feel like labels

As you read this book if you find any terms mysterious or confusshying refer to the glossary for a concise definition and explanation

LITERARY LICENSE Jungs model does not explaineverything about human psychology but it is sometimes convenient for us to talk as if it does Keep in mind that it is only a model and for that matter a model of mental processes only- not of traits skills or behavior In chapters four through eleven we do use extensive descriptions of traits and behavior as a way of helping you to

recogTllze and understand the processes that tend to be associated with them But what can be observed isactuallyjust a reflection of the process

and that process in turn isonly a representation of an important facet of how we humans operate The model wonderfully illuminating as it is is just a way to help us think in simple terms about an incredibly complex phenomenon

We admit to indulging in a bit ofsemi fiction in the waywe describe the processes in this book as if they exist in pure well-developed conshyscious and mostlyconstructive forms In the real world the waythatwe engagethe processes may be influencedby thesituation by developmenshytal factors by their position in the sequence of preference or by another mental process Even the people whose stories are reported in this book will not identify with all the stories or statements about their preferred process This is because when we talk about a single mental process we are taking it out of the context of the individual personality The processesare never really separate or distinct from the unique living and dynamic system in which they operate In action they are never seen in isolation from other influences But by oversimplifyingour descriptions in this way the processes become much more easily recognizable Even though the pure process may exist only in theory by talking in these terms we are describing the common elements that are in playwhenever a given process is being used Thu s the process becomes easier to spot regardless of how other influences may color and modify it

We have also taken the convenient liberty of talking about the proshycesses as if they are conscious beings with wills of their own We say they do this and want that as if they are individual characters in a play This of course is not literally true at all But it is a very handy and essent ially accurate way to describe how they operate

Terms and Concepts

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TYPETHEORY IN BRI EF

WHAT IS PROCESS PREFERENCE

bull

In theory each one of us has the ability to use all eight of the mental processes Wediffer typologically bywhich ones we naturally prefer to use Some processes arevery comfortable and require littleeffort for us to bring them into play Theyare a bigpart of whowe areThey are like our favorite most personal room in our home the room that reflects whowe are and is our safe havenwherewe can beourselves Our prefershyencefor theseprocesses maybeso clearand our abilityto access them so welldeveloped that weuse them automatically even when they maynot be well suited to the situation athand This is simply human nature like the preference for usingour leftor righthand

At the other end of the preference spectrum are processes that are alsoa part of us but lie in our unconscious Our awareness of them is usually marginal at best and when we do engagethem it is likely to be anawkward and uncomfortable experience We usuallychoose tosimply avoid using them and perhapseven todeny theirvery existence But like wearing a path to a remote location the more we use these unfamiliar processes and becomeaccustomedto them theeasierit becomesInfact maturing to becomeamore balanced individual and growing towardour fullpotential ismostlya matter of becoming moreand moreadeptat acshycessing those innately unconscious mental processes Until we develop our awarenessand appreciation for theseprocesses we miss out on their benefits Evenworse they maybe a frequent source of conflict or may bubbleto thesurface in times ofstressresulting inbehavior that isinept inappropriate and seemingly out of character

f

-~iJ

-l

~ - ~ shy

Experlenceshows that itispracticallY impoSsible 0lling

to adverse circJlri7 stanciisfng~heaf~~ anyoneto develop ~ ail his psychorigical functions1i1I1Itafie~

ously The derri andS ~ ofso~ietlcomp~a +

man to apply hifuself firstand foremoSti c I

to thediff~ren tia) tionofthefuncridii

bullwith whichheisbesf ~ e q iJipp ed byndture orwhichivillsecure I]illl t~~ g~ptesit~jJJ social successVery frequently indeed asageneralrulea manidentifies more orlesscompletely with themostfavored OJ1dhence themost aeveloped f(inetion It isthisthatgivesrise to thevariouspsychoshylogicaltypes

Carl GJung

11

----

c NG Bu)cKs 0 1 1 1I~ ONAII IY f YI1

r OUR TWO MOST PREFERRED PROCESSES In order to survrve every human being must have a way ofacquiring inshy

fi)rmation and a way of making decisions The more adept weare at pershy

forming and balancing these two basic mental tasks the more successful

we are likely to be As Isabel Myers put it The two skilled processes

can develop side by side because they are not antagonistic Although

one can assist the other there should be no doubt which comes first The stability of one process unchallenged by the others is essential to the

stability bf the individual Each process has its own set of aims and for

successful adaptation asJung pointed out the aims must be constantly clear and unambiguous One process needs to govern which way a pershy

son moves it should always be the same process so that todays move

will not be regretted and reversed tomorrow Convincing evidence indicates that it is more effective in the day-toshy

day business of coping and surviving to be an expert at using one approach

for ech ofthese tasks rather than to develop modest comfort with several

Adept use of any single approach to gathering data teamed with a single

well-developed way of making decisions enables us to negotiate most

of lifes situations even if we are not operating in ways that are ideally

suited to the specificsituation When it comes to effectivelyengaging one

of these coping strategies process expertise is usually more crucial than

process suitability Most of our psychic focus for the first two decades of our lives is

normally upon developing extensive facility with just one mental proshy

cess for each of the two basic tasks gathering information and making

decisions (see appendix C) The two processes that we prefer for these

tasks are the ones that we tend to use the mo st and with which we feel

most comfortable They are the processes that will probably remain most

closely ass()ciated with our personal identity for the rest of our lives They arc the processes that will resonate and have you saying Thats

me as you read their descriptions in chapters four through eleven S IIICC these processes complement each other they are able to deshy

velop largely in tandem throughout the early years ofour lives But as in

1 pby there e m be only one lead role It is this dominant process that

IsIllIy reaches maturity first and is the most trusted of all We rely on

it cousistc u tlv and regard it as the heroheroine of our lifelong drama

l

ll Type Theory in Brief II1J

I I ~~ WI

1Ili IIiU

This first process is the one that we can consciou sly call into play with middot lh~l ~

the most ease and with the least expenditure of energy It is the charisshyi1matic element of our personality It is so important in how we operate I ~

mentally that it would not be an exaggeration to view the roles of all our 11

IIi Y other cast members as supporting this process the star of the show r~ 101l li ~

-

~

The second of our dynamic duo of processes is the auxiliary

It normally develops next and complements the dominant process in IlcJmiddot il1illmiddotcrucial ways Between the two one takes in information and the other i r~

makes decisions one focuses on the environment and the other focuses jnl 111 -iii I

within one is rational and the other is irrational In this way the auxiliary

supplies much of the balance that we need as we move through life ILi~ IiiThe auxiliary process acts like a trusted adviser and a supportive 1 ~ ~~

parent to the dominant one Because of its complementary nature the l i h~1 iii

second process is able to modify and balance the energy and enthusiasms 1Ii 1 of the first thus lending a degree ofmaturity to the personality Though Iii

I l j ~ ~ never in the true leading role of our personal drama the auxiliary proshy I ~ cess can sometimes be so influential and visible that it is mistaken for j ~I Wtthe star

iiIi ~Together these two characters are often capable ofcarrying off lifes t1~

scenes with very little help from the other six cast members and because ~iL ~1 Illithey are usuallyso comfortable and so clearlypreferred they are frequently 11middotmiddot

expected to do so Ifyour close friends were asked to describe your pershy l l ~ sonality the descriptions wouldbe for the most part descriptions of these

I Itwo primary processes in action Personality type instrumentsare in fact

a sophisticated way ofidentifying our two most preferred processes Most iii

type-related profiles that we see today primarily reflect the influences of i t

the dominant and auxiliaryprocesses Ii I

Though identification of these two favored processes is critical it is

illjust the first step in solving our process-preference puzzle ii

A SEQUENCE OF PREFERENCES Building from the identification of our two most preferred processesshydone usually through a personality type instrument-the eight-process 11

model tells us how the other mental processes are aligned in an arrangeshy iiII

ment that includes all eight This sequence tells us that with normal I ( ~~ I Idevelopment the processes line up from most preferred to least from 1 Hi j]

13

G B LO c K ~ or PI KIlNAIIIY (YPE

~

the one that is most conscious to the one that is most unconscious from

most adept and comfortable to the least and from the one requiring the

least energy to use to the one requ iring the most Ifwe think of the proshy

cesses as the actors in our person al drama then it is their positions in the

sequence that outline the roles they will play How they w ill play those

rolesis determined by the personalities of the actors- by the nature of

the processes themselves

Of course normal is just a mathematical concept There are not

actually any normal people and none of us develops exactly according to

the template of type or any other theory But the type model has held up

for over sixtyyears because of its usefulness in describing a typical sequence

of psychological growth and because it provides a formula for maturity and

balance that appears to be innate in allof us The rich journey ofself-discovshy

ery for which type can act asour guidebook is partly about understanding

the universal aspectsof typehow the characters in the cast of eight usually

act an~ntera ct by virtue of their innate nature and assigned roles It is also

about how our own unique mix of developmental and situational factors

modifies this interplay As Jun g put it conformity is one side of a man

uniqu eness is the other 8

THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING OUR PREFERENCES Within each constellation of eight processes lies an inexha ustible source

of insight th at is most easily and effectively accessed by patiently sifting

dow n through its many layers one at a time T ho ugh thi s book focuses

upon the simplest level it is important to be aware that thisjourney can

take us into th e increasingly unfamiliar and uncomfortable terri tory of

our less preferred and often unconscious mental processes

T he path to self-knowledge and self-management is best traveled

one step at a time It is not so intimidating this way and with thi s apshy

prouch Il O matter how far you choose to go you will be able to unshy

derstand and integrate what you have experienced along the way Since

this intro ductory hook focuses on recognition of the processes that we

exper ience and sec we will look primarily at th e dominant and (to a

lesser extent) the auxiliary processes T hese are the two processes that

---L

most people use and show most of the time These are the processes that

are visible in their pures t forms so process watching is initially about observing these most preferred processes

Being consc iously aware of the way I tend to fun ction makes it

possible for me to assess my attitudes and behavior in a given situation

and adjust them accordingly It enables me both to compensate for

my per sonal disposition and to be tolerant of someo ne who does not

function as I do -someone who has perhaps a strength or facility I myself lack 9

Understanding how our own mental processes work is a tremenshy

dous gift unto itself and the increased appreciation and valuing of other

peoples unique talents is another An equally imp ortant benefit is that

this understanding can help facilitate our own psychic and spiritual

growt h as human beings As we go through our lives we are driven to

become whole to be all that we can be Even if personal growth is not

our goal it happens anyway when we explore our less developed mental

processes We gradually become more co mfortable with th e processes

and are able to bring them to bear more effectively upon lifes situations

and issues At the same time we are becoming more comfortable with

this strange men tal territory -less afraid of what is deep inside ourselves

and less annoyed or fearful when we see these processes manifested in

others Consequently our unconscious processes become less likely to

surface in unpredictable immature and counterproductive ways This

business oftype development can enhance our personalcapacitiesas well

as our tolerance and appreciation ofothers as we learn to accept and use

more of the wide range of percept ion and decision-making approaches that are available within us all

Type Theory in Brief

I I

15 Ii ~ ~

II r I ~ u

IIIimiddot ~illH II j ~ I II j ~ C r p f~ImiddotmiddotjIiq~ - ~t~ Ii lli l ~~ ili ~lFROM FOUR DICHOTOMIESTO EIGHT l Y ~ ~ I II middot ~I llMENTAL PROCESSES TO SIXTEEN TYPES I~I ~ I ~ Co j

I~ ~ ~

H ~JiI WHY EIGHT PROCESSES II

Thes~ fOurfunction Carl Jung described three distinct dimensions or dichotomies of pershy types correspond to

theobvioUs means bysonality Each dichotomy is made up of two contrasting halves Jung whichconscksusness

drew a line between the two sides of each dichotomy in much the same obtains its orienta- way that you might cut a cake in half Using Jungs three dichotomies tion toexperience

Sensation (ie2sense i i1 ~ ~we draw three sets oflines We divide our cake first into halves then into perceptioh) tells -l 1 quarters and finally into eight equal pieces youthqtsoiylethlng 11

t ~ i J~ t First we focus on the three dichotomies that were identified by existsthinking tells 1 If youwhatit iSifeeling

Jung and adapted for the type code by Isabel Myers These first three II ~~ ~- tells you whetherit li1 ~dichotomies are the ones that actually define the eight aspects ofpersonshy isagreeable ornot 1II ~

ality type andintuitiontells you I11 III ~whence it comes and

Orientation to the environment is the dichotomy which Myers ni whereItis going 1 middot1identified from allusions which Jung had made but had never formalshy Carl G Jungand 1I li

M-l vonFranzized into a dichotomy After we have identified the eight pieces we will Illil ~ lJuse this fourth dichotomy to guide us in arranging the eight mental 1

processes to distinguish the sixteen types

Thedichotomies are abouteither or(7

f- 1V V J

Extraverting ENERGY - - Introverting

Sensing ------ - PERCEPTION --- - Intuiting

Thinking c----middot JUDGMENT middot - -- Feeling

Judgi~g -- ENVIRONMENT --- Perceiving f1

1

---l-- - - - - - - - --- ___ __shy

1lt]f Ji Iif shyI i ~ ~

1 ~1 Il ~ 5f1 JiOl 1Ii1r~bull

ii

~ ~

Ill J ~

I~H I 1[

i ij i

I i I1 1

Il li ~ II1

I

1II

1 i1

11

I17

11 I _~lt

WING BLOCKS ()f PERSONALITY TYPE

N ow lets walk thr ough the steps that lead us from tIte first three

dichotomies to eight mental processes We start with a whole circle representing the entire personality

First we divide our personality model into halves by distinguishing

between the two basic purposes of mental processes gathering informashy

tion (Perception) and making decisions (Judgment)

JudgmentPerception

N ext our two pieces are divided again to become four Perception

is separated into the distinct approaches of Sensing Perception and

Intuiting Perception J udgment becomes Thinking Judgment and middot

FeelingJudgrnent

We will return to our cake cutting shortly First let s look more

closely at the four pieces that we have so far

--l-

I

From Four Dichotomies to Eight Mental Processes to Sixteen Types

I I

J

PERCEPTION AND JUDGMENT

As we have said all human psychic activity can be viewed as being deshy

voted to two simple tasks that are essential to our survival taking in

information and making decisions Not much is going on that cannot

be included in one ofthese basic process categories we gather data then

we make choices There are two dramatically different ways to approach

each of these tasks

Sensing Perception and Intuiting Perception

H ow we perceive or gather information provides the second letter of the

type code This letter will be either an S for Sensing or an N for Intuit shy

ing as in ESTJor ENTJ

Perception is considered to be irrational because no intentional

editing process is involved in selecting the information that is taken in N o one can take in all the data around us there isjust far too much of it

T he two approaches to perception are essentially mechanisms that autoshy

matically restrict the flow of information by means of two very different

focuses of attention The same data is available to everyone with fully

functional sensory organs but what we actually perceive is what makes

it through these innate filters to our awareness Sensing and Intuiting

simply notice different kinds of infonnation

Sensing (S)

The focus of Sensing is on information gathered by the five senseswhat

we see hear touch smell and taste It can include memories of past

sensations as well as sensations being experienced in the present Sensshying perceptions are always tangible and verifiable at least in theory even

1 i i1 - though they are not necessarily always clear or accurate J[

I IAdept use of a Sensing process will balance and thus soften the ~ t

tendency of a preferred Judging process to overlook concrete informashy

tion in its rush to a decision

Whether noticing their current environment or recalling past surshy

roundings people using a Sensing process tend to do so in vivid detail

T hey prefer to live in the real world of tangible things past or present

They want to know who what where and when

19 18

ilLWI( 13W CKS U PrRSUNAlITY TYPE

t Intuiting (N)

The focus of perception through Intuiting is on an expanded picture In-

tuition maydraw its information from the environment or from within It

attempts to extrapolate from seemingly random bits of information to un-

derstand the patterns or meanings that the data represents and thus to genshy

erareconnections meanings possibilities options and vision One cannot

fore ~ee or control the Intuiting processes timetables or methodologies

The Intuiting mental processes work with content that varies

widely from individual to individual and from moment to moment

A Sensing process when observing a tree for example is always tied

to data from the senses shades of color shapes sizes comparisons

and so on An Intuiting process on the other hand may notice almost

no concrete information before rapidly moving on to build a series of connections It may generate possib ilities or attach meaning and

significance to the tree or create a broader mental picture of the forest

1tis picture may have no discemable relationship to anything that can

be detected by the senses The Intuitive search is for connections pat-

terns and underlying significance

Thinking Judgment and Feeling Judgment

How we judge or make decisions provides the third letter of the type code This letter will be either a T for Thinking or an F for Feeling as

in IN1] or ENF]

The Judgment processes provide rational structure to our percepshy

tions so that we can m ake use of the information gathered They shape

the actions ofour conscious will Since the task ofaJudgment process is

to make decisions it is not surprising that both the Thinking and Feeling

approaches are oriented toward reaching some kind ofoutcome

Another way to describe what Judgment processes do is that they

attem pt to gain some internal or external control over our lives and

our world The need to influence events and situations and to act with

purpose is an obvious requirement for survival and it is what decision

making through Thinking or Feeling is all about

From Four Dichotomies to Eight Mentol Processes to Sixteen Types

Thinking (T)

The Thinking approach to decision making is essent ially that of analytishycal logic To support this analysis it uses criteria that it either pulls from

the environment or synthe sizes internally in order to define everything

Though it may sometimes seem to others as if these judgments devalue

people and things by pigeonholing them they actually have nothing to

do with value at all Thinking processessimply need to attach a label or

category to every thing in order to understand its position relative to the rest of the universe to maintain a sense of order and to fit it into some

kind of logical framework for the analysis that leads to decisions

Thinking is impersonal It intentionally excludes values-based considshyerations Most people with a Thinking preferencewould rather be truthful than tactful and are more interested in being fair than in being kind

Feeling (F)

Feeling is a values-basedapproach to Judgment It determines what someshy

thing is worth Feeling is aware of the impact of its choices It is aware

of the individuals involved and affected their circumstances and their

relationships Creating and maintaining external or internal harmony is

therefore the primary priority of the decision making In the personality

type model the term Feelingsimply refersto decision-making processes

that are guided by systems of values A preference for Feeling does not

have anything to do with emotions Feeling types are neither more nor less inclined to be emotional than Thinking types

While no less rational than Thinking Feeling is certain ly not con shy iir oH

strained by logic often caring more about tact than truth and about the effect of a decision than about being right

~

Now lets return to our cake We have already used two of the dishychotomies to arrive at the four pieces that we have described Finally I

each of these four is divided again according to whether they are i

Extraverted or Introverted As shown below we now have eight equal pieces the eight mental processes of type

ii ~ J

li1Jmiddot 21 20

From Four Dichotomies to Eight Mental Processes to Sixtee n Types ~G BlOCKS or I ~ ONAlI I Y TYPe

Extraverting (E)

Extraverted Thinking If our most skilled trusted and comfortable process-our dominantExtraverted Sensing process-is Extraverted we usually put our best face forward By definishy~tion we must all extravert in order to interact with people and the

rest of the physical world So the processes that we directly and most blm_~d Thl~Introverted Sensing I~Jbull ~ Wi easily observe in people are usually their Extraverted processes BecauseI ~ lt~ ) f I of th is it has become a common misconception that only the Extraverted JUDGMENTPERCEPTION

processes can be observed by others

~ ~~ In people who prefer Extraverting what we most readily observe Introve1ed Intuiting ~ ~s ~ ~ Intreverted F~lg

usually reflects their most comfortable process Thus individuals who prefer Extraverting are typically accessible and relatively easyfor others to understand What you see is what you get Sharing experiences with

Extraverted Intuiting

laquo r ~~

Extraverted Feeling others is after all an essential ingredient of Extraverting People whose dominant process is Extraverted feature their most talented actor at censhyter stage in the starring role

By virtue of their objective focus upon their environment and their shy extensive interaction with it people who prefer Extraverting tend to be aware of and in tune with a broad scope of external information

EXTRAVERTING AND INTROVERTING

T he energy preference provides the first letter of the type code This As Sharp noted When one is predominantly oriented to the objectshyletter will be either an E for Extraverting or an I for Introverting as in

things and other people-there is an extraverted type12 If a processESTPor ISTP focuses on the environment we call it Extraverted because it draws itsThe final division of the psychic cake the one that brings us to the energy from interacting with the external object person or situationeight distinct mental processes is the difference between Extraverting much as we are warmed and energized by the sun An individual whoand Introverting the four functions of Sensing Intuiting Thinking prefers Extraverting is fueled by the situation itself

jand Feeling Each one of the four can have either the external world or ~ the internal world as its focus As Ju ng put it there are no Extraverts

~ i 3- 1tIntrovert ing (I)or Introverts pure and simple only extraverted and introverted function il

Introverted processes focus on a subjective inner psychic life of reflectiontvpcs It is this Extravertingor Introvertingorientation thatdistinguishes concepts and ideas T he outer world of tangible things and people maywhether the focus of that process is the objectiveworld around us or the be integrated into this inner world but the real excitement and energy ofsubjective world within It is referred to asthe energy dichotomy because Introverting come from these personal thoughts and ideas In b et whenIt n-llccts how we focus our personal energy externally or internally Introverting we may not needexternal input atall working entirely withinTllaquomgh last IrJ our presentation of the factors that delineate the eight ourselves Sharp says that While the extravert responds to what conics toprocesses the ExtrlVertingIntroverting aspect is certainly not the least the subject from the object (outer reality) the introvert relates mainly to11 llpartfi d It IS IrJ fact the one thatJung noticed first and is a distinction the impressions aroused by the object ill the subject (inner rcalityj

( I I uuuost impor tan ce It is referred to asthe energydichotomy because it People whose most preferred process is Introverted do not usuallyrdlrcts how we gather and use our personal energy

show the world their greatest giftsWhen they speak or take action in the

23i z J

1

NG BW CKI UI 11RSONAllTY TYPE

world they usually do so through their auxiliary process so ob~e rvers can never observe the dominant process directly The Extraverted auxiliary process is the one featured in the spotlight and is often mistakenly asshy

sumed to be the star The focus of the auxiliary process is always complementary to the

dominant Because of this observers often see and hear one thingwhile the petson who prefers Introverting is actually coming from a very difshyferent place For examplewe may hear what sounds like adecision But if the speaker has an Introverted dominant preference for Perceiving that person may actually be just trying to share information that he or

she has acquired Theseperceptions however are filtered and reframed as they are expressed (Extraverted) through their auxiliaryJud gingproshycess and emerge into the wo rld sounding like a decision

This is not to say that Introverted processes cannot be observed They can In observing any process even an Extraverted one we are of cousse actuallyobserving the outward manifestations of a mental activshyity For Introverted processes these visible clues are usuallyjust more subtle and require closer attention to detectthan their externally-oriented counterparts They do not proceed aloud or publicly But you can see people withdraw as they engage their Introverted processes They may have a distant unfocused look in their eyes or look down or away from others When they refocus you may have further evidence that they have been Introverting in the personal subjective and original nature of the

information or decisions they report With those who prefer Introvertingwhat you see is usually not their

dominant preferred process Introverting by its very nature cannot be shared directly An Introverted process draws energy from what is going on inside aswhen we are warmed from within by metabolizing our food An individualwho prefers Introverting is fueled by contemplation

O RIENTATION TO THE ENVIRONMENT KEY TO THETYPECODE

T he fourt h and final letter of the type code indicates what an individual prefers to do 111 the external world either make decisionsor gather inforshyiu auon T his letter will be either aJ forJudging or a P for Perceiving as

III ENT] or ENTP

4

From Four Dichotomies to Eight Mental Proce sses to Sixteen Types

We can see that the first three dichotomies of type represented in the first three letters of the type code define all eight of the mental proshycesses Extraverted Sensing Introverted Sensing Extraverted Intuiting Introverted Intuiting Extraverted Thinking Introverted Thinking Extraverted Feeling and Introverted Feeling The fourth dichotomy or the fourth letter is needed primarily to show the order ofan individuals natural preferences for engaging those processes By telling us whether a persons preferred orientation to the environment is for Judging or

Perceiving the entire sequence of preference for using the eight proshycesses is revealed

The addition of the final dichotomy was Isabel Myerss great gift to the world It tells us through which function-either the decision-makshying (judgment) or the data-gathering (Perception) function-we prefer to interact with our external environment This is the piece of information that assembledJungs theories of personality into a complete system It is what makes it possible to summarize rich and complex theory in a simple formula that even new learners can grasp

First L~H~r middot o f (Extraverting) b j (Ihtroverti~g ~ Energy I~~~ ~ -c ~ j i

Second LeHer - - S (Sensingj or N (Intuiting) gt~---middot Perception bull shy Third Letter - T (Thinking) or F(Feeling) __- J udgm ~nt

i Fourth Letter -- J (Judging) or P (Perceiving) Environment Orientation 1

1 I

HOW TYPE CODEINTERPRETATION WORKS T he first three dichotomies each with its two opposing halves create eight possible mental processes Now we wil1 take you through the steps used in interpreting the code These are the steps that connect any fourshyletter code reported by a personality type instrument to the sequence of mental processes that describes that type T he steps will be similar to

25

)

NG BUJlK S ( f r RooNIIII TY TYPE

f

those in our cake-cutting exercisebut in a different order Ifyou find the

mechanics of interpretation confusing do not worry You are not alone

and you do not need to understand the details in order to understand

type Qualified type professionals receive extensive training in order to

interpret the personality type code

Understanding at least the general idea of type interpretation is im-

portant because it iscentral to understanding the model The framework

ofpersonality type contains a limitless depth of insight into personality

But Isabel Myers had to form the model into a deceptively simple code

because her central purpose in creating the instrument was to provide

everyone access through interpretation to an understanding of his or

her own type

Interpretation is where the fourth dichotomy comes into play

When we interpret a type code this last dichotomy is actually our startshy

ing point Afour-step process is used to find the dominant and auxiliary

processes for each of the four-letter type codes

In order to facilitate our understanding ofthe four-letter type code

we need to distinguish between the attitudes and the functions Based

on the work of Carl]ung Extraverting and Introverting are called atshy

titudes Isabel Myers added Judging and Perceiving as attitudes The middle letters of the type code are called functions Thus Sensing

Intuiting Thinking and Feeling are all functions

STEP 1 DETERMINE WHICH OF THE

Two PREFERRED FUNCTIONS IS EXTRAVERTED

In the first step of interpretation the] or P of Myerss environmental

dichotomy provides the key to determining the Extraverted function For the ESF] type for example the] indicates that the Judging function

-~

(which the third letter of the formula shows is F for Feeling) is the preshyferred wayof interacting with the environment In other words we know

that one ofES FJs two mo st preferred processes is Extraverted Feeling Applying the same logic to the ISFP type the P indicates that the

Perceiving function (which the second letter of the code shows is S for

Sensing) IS the preferred means of interacting with the environment For

[SFP Sensing is Extraverted

From Four Dichotomies to Eight Mental Processes to Sixteen Types

FIRST EXAMPLE SECOND EXAMPLE

Step h In ESFJ The What hiExtraverted In ISFP TheJudging lJ) The fourth leiter indicates whether it is Perceiving (P)function is the Judgment function (a T or an F) or functionisFeeling (F) so the Perception function (an 5 or an N) Sensing (5) sothe Extroverted thot is Extraverted the Extraverted process would I processwouldbe Extraverted be ExtrovertedFeeling (Fe) J Sensing (Se) ) 1

~~

STEP 2 DETERMINE WHICH OF THE

Two FUNCTIONS IS INTROVERTED

In step 2 we use the principle ofbalance and the logic of simple eliminashytion to deduce that the other function in the four-letter code (S N T

or F) is Introverted For ESF] since Feeling was Extraverted then the remaining function Sensing must be Introverted

For ISFP since Sensing was Extraverted then the remaining funcshytion Feeling must be Introverted

~ -~ ~

Step2ii f~ t~ ~A - What Is Introvelfedmiddoti ~

Ou~f~ncti~ h are i ci~~t ifi ~d bt~~~o middle leiters of the code If in Step 1 we found thaI we Extrovert the function identified by the second leiter then we lknow that we Introvert the function Iiidentfied bythe third lelfer Ifwe found t that we Extravert the third leller then II

we must Introvert the second lelfer ILgt ~~ ~ i l

I

STEP 3 DETERMINE WHICH OF THE Two PREFERRED

FUNCTIONS Is THE DOMINANT PROCESS

Step 3 focuses on the first letter of the type code to identify the most

preferred or dominant mental proc ess Steps 1 and 2 identi fy the most

27

NG BLOCKS Of I I ~ () NA I I Y 1m

preferred Extraverted func tion and the most prefer red Int roverted function T he first letter of the code indicates which one of these is

our domina nt process N ote that in the type code or w hen they stand

alone the letters E and I are trad itionally capitalized When they are

co mbined w ith a letter representing a funct ion (such as T for Thinkshy

ing) to indic ate a me ntal process (such as Introverted T hinking) they

are lowercase (Ti)

In our first example ESFJ the E indicates that the Extraverted function

(which has already been determined to be Feeling) is the most preferred I

T hus for ESFJ Extraverted Feeling is the dominant process

Inthe second example the I shows that Introverted Feeling is the

dominant mental process for ISFP

j e Step 3

11ESFJ The ~ Wh~t b the dolrClnt In ISFP The E1iraverted energy orientation Introverted function is function isThefi r~t 1~t1~r of thefburl~lte~ tYp~middotcode Feeling (Fl so Feeling (F) soindicates whichoLthe tW~ previouslymiddot the dominant the dominant identifiedprocessesis dominant the Exshyprocessis process istravertedone or the Introverted one0- Extroverted Introverted Feeling (Fe) IfyoJrfiist letteri~ ~ for ~~avertirig your Feeling (Fi)

dominantprocess will beExtraverted If your first letter is I for IntrovertingyOur dominant proc~sS will De I~troverted

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STEP 4 DETERMINE WHICH OF THE

Two PROCESSES IS THE AUXILIARY PROCESS

Step 4 Identifies our second-most preferred or auxiliary process Thi s is

simply the process we ident ified earlier that is not the dominant one For

ESrj Introverted Sensing is the aux iliary process For ISFP Ext raverted

Sensing IS the aux iliary process

Step 4 is a great illustration of how Myers created a practical apshy

plication from J ungs theory Jung observed that the psyche has a need

to balance the purpose and orientation of the dominant process In the

first exam ple the dominan t Judging function needs to be balanced by

Fom l our Dirho lomies 10 Eight Mental Processes to Sixtee n Types

a Perceiving function in the trusted adviser role and the domin ant

orientation to Ext raverting balanced by Introverting Similarly in the

seco nd example the dom inant Int roverted Judging fun ction needs the balance of an Extraverted Perceiving function

Step 4 InESFJ The What w~uld bal~nce InISFP The auxiliary Extraverting wlth i~f6~~rting and Judg- auxilioryprocessis ing with Pereeivi~9 process is Introverted

ExtravertedSensing (Si) Sensing (Se)

As we have shown the interpretation of the type code ident ifies not

only what our two preferred processes are but also which one we prefer

most (our dominant) and which is second (our auxiliary) The need for

balance applies to all eight of the mental processes creating sixteen posshy

sib le type sequences in which the processes are arranged by preference Thus we have a total of sixteen possible personality types

Eight very different type codes con tain aJ as the last letter

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Ch apter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

bull Chapter 9

Cha pte r 10

Cha pte r 1 1

Extraverted Intuiting (Ne) Key Features Whats Going On Fromthe Outside Looking In Contributions Fromthe Inside Vignettes Gifts

Introverted Intu iting (Ni) KeyFeatures Whats Going On Fromthe Outside Looking In Contributions From the Inside Vignettes Gifts

Extraverted Thinking (Te) KeyFeatures Whats Going On Fromthe Outside Looking In Contribut ions From the Inside Vignettes Gifts

Introverted Thinking (Ti) KeyFeatures Whats Going On From the Outside Looking In Contributions From the Inside Vignettes Gifts

Extra verted Fe e ling (Fe) Key Features Whats Going On From the Outside Looking In Contribut ions From the Inside Vignettes Gifts

Introve rted Feeling (Fi) KeyFeatures What s Going On From the Outside Looking In Contributions From the Inside Vignettes Gifts

t 53 54 54 55 57 57 60 61

63 64 64 66 68 68 71 71

73 74 74 76 78 78 80 81

83 84 84 86 88 88 90 91

93 94 94 95 97 98

100 100

103 104 104 105 107 108 110 111

PART THREE BEYOND PROCESS WATCHING

Chapter 12 The Eight-Process Model of Type Chapter 13 Important Facets and Factors in Eight-Process Type

The Cast of Cha roders Balance Consciousness and Unconsciousness The Sequence of the Eight Process Preferences Appropriateness Energy Flow Summary of the Facets and Fadors

Chapter 14 Beyond the Basics Conflict Management Decision Making Communicat ion Managing Change and Transition Parent ing and Education Career Development

Afterword

APPENDICES

A Jungs Model of the Psyche B John Beebes Archetypal Understanding of Psychological Types C Two Important Contributions from Harold Grant 0 Brief Descriptions Based on the Two Preferred Processes E The Circle of Eight-Process Type F Comparison of Jung ian Mental Processes GProcessArchetype Chart for the Sixtee n Types HDecisio n-Making Checklist I Time-Focus of the Perce iving Processes

Notes Glossary Bibliography Index About the Authors

115 119 119 120 120 121 122 123 124

127 127 133 141 155 160 165

171

173 177 181 185 19 1 193 197 19 9 20 1

203 207 219 223 22 9

Table of Contents ~71

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Building Blocks ofPersonality Type belongs on the shelf of everyone interested

inunderstanding and making use ofJungian psychological type and the Myshyers-BriggsType Indicator (MBTIreg) assessment in their own livesandor in

helpingothers It is to be read and used often as a valuablereference

bull

The authors have succeeded in conveying the full complexity ofthe

eight-process model of type and its application in a manner that is clear

and accessible to the professional and interested layperson alike It is

wonderfully user friendly As I read it I felt that the authors were sitting with me and I was the you they were addressing

Leonas years ofwork with the government when she was working

across the range of government hierarchy in terms ofeducation level ofjobs and experience have served her well in presenting information

in a manner that speaks across the spectrum My firstexperience in

observing her workshop was with a group of employees totally unsoshyphisticated in anything psychological-they understood and responded

with enthusiasm

The collaboration between the two authors began at a worksh op

on the eight mental functions led by Leona Haas Mark Hunziker was a

participant Mark wanted to learn more Leona wanted to record a c011lshy

plete description of her model but her forte was live presentation not

writin g An hours conversation later the joint project was launched

Mark would provide his writing and structuring skills and gain the opshy

portunity to study the eight-process model up close Leona would be able to make her work available to a wider audience Two introverted

intuiting types do not need much information or time to know when something fits

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NG BLOCKS II NAII Y ( YPi

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Building Blocks of Personality Type demonstrates the success of this fit The writing is clear and coherent Complex ideas are explained with precision simplicity and accuracy The organization of the book takesan overwhelmingamount of knowledgeand presents it in a logical structure that makes the content accessible to the reader

- The development of the eight-process model of type is a giant step in understanding and using Jungian psychological type and the MBTIregassessment

Leona Haas has been instrumental in developing and instructing others in the eight-process model of type This model enables inshydepth understanding of the eight mental processes that form the core ofJungian type theory and it also provides a new and enriched model of feedback

Katharine C Briggss major contribution was her profound undershystandingofJ ungiantheoryand her recognitionof psychological typeasan

sinvaltable model of development in healthy personalities Her daughter ~

Isabel Briggs Myerss major contribution was her pioneering work in creating the sixteen type model with its four-lettercode asa way of givshying individuals access to their Jungian preference type For many years

interpretation focused on the four dichotomies E-I S-N T-F andJ-P although Myers had usedher understanding of the eight processes in her naming of each type (for example ESTJ as an extraverted thinking type with introverted sensing) The only description of these eight processes was a four-pagesummarycompiledby Myers in Gifts Dijfering

Most practitioners are introduced toJungian ideas when they begin to use the MBTIreg however overthe years their understandinghasgradushyally moved from basictype through type dynamics typedevelopment and on tojungs model of the psycheand his life-long development model of Individuation As practitioners graduallydeepened their knowledge atshytention was turned to the need for understanding more fully these four fu nctions in both attitudes that is the eight mental processes

Leona was among the leaders in recognizing this need She has devoted herself with introverted intuitive intensity to learning more through constant questioning of individuals ofdifferent types consultashytion With experts and reading Her treasuryof knowledge contained in this book IS the outcome

Her seamless integration of the eightprocesses into thecomplexwhole of theJungian system of personality is avaluable bonus gift to the reader

Historically the knowledge of our four letters hasgivenmanyindishyviduals andgroupsimportantinsights in self-understandingself-acceptance and in the understanding and appreciation ofotherswho aredifferentfrom themselves However those of us who havejourneyed further have found a richness of understandingand a perspective that enhances our lives imshymeasurably This bookprovides the door to that richnessWelcome

KatharineD Myers The Myers-Briggs Trust

Foreword

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The word mental meaning of or pertaining to the mind has too often ~~ ~1been used to suggest abnormality RobertGravesandJoseph Campbellhave ~~ warnedus that myth is a word we use to refer to other peoples religion 11

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Likewise mental is the wordwe useto refer to other peoples ways of using Jtheir minds Leona Haas and MarkHunzikerhave dignified these sidelong 1lookswe give oneanotherby identifying what we areobserving asmental

iprocesses found ineverybody the only differencesbeingwhich processes ~ we each give emphasis toand in which order I ~

Inthis endeavor theyfollow the workof the Swiss psychiatrist C G ~1 11

Jungwhoin thefirstpartof the twentiethcentury influenced bypsycholoshy ~

j+j Lgists in French-speaking Switzerland and France began to engage himself 1with thetypical differences in humanconsciousnessOne of these mentors ~j

was Alfred Binet for whom consciousnesswasintelligenceBinet sought to measure intelligence andour most commonly used intelligence test is 1 still called the Stanford-Binet By 1902whenJungwas studying in Paris i

1

Binet had noticed eveninhis owndaughtersdramatic differences in learnshy I ingstylestowhichhe gavethenamesextemospectionand introspection 1 1Withina decadeJung hadintroduced his own notion of a tum of mind

into the terms for the basic mentalattitudesby calling them Extraversion (outward turning) and Introversion (inward turning) A further decade 1

Ienabled Jung to differentiate various functions of consciousness four in j

all through which thesebasic attitudesof mindcould be expressed in drashy

matically differentwaysHisdescriptions ofthinkingfeeling sensationand intuitionasexpressed in both the extraverted and introverted attitudesform the heart of hisbookPsychologilal Types (1921) This classic became an inspishyration to Isabel Briggs Myersin the 1940s asithadbeena generation earlier toher mother Katharine Briggs It led them to develop together a practical instrument for capturing the differences in the ways individuals use their

xv 1

BLOCKS (1 ~(lNA II I Y rYP

minds in all the settings of their lives-the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator which hasbecome the most widely used instrument for identifying normal personalitydifferences in America today

PsychologiralTypes was thebasic inspiration forthe eight-function model that asaJungian analyst inspired by such clinical teachers asMarie-Louise von FranzJo Wheelwright and Wayne Detloff I brought to practitioners of type as~ess me n t in the 1980s Leona Haas wasamong the very first type consultants (alongside Kathy Myers and Margaret and Gary Hartzler) to grasp what ~ was gettingat that the normalmind cannot be adequately deshyscribed with a four-functionmodelofitsprocesses even if the two attitudes ofExtraversion and Introversion are somehow included to explain some of thedifferences between the ways differentfunctions are expressed bydiffershyent people Subsequently thanksas much to Haass teaching as myown a number of others have come aboard She has recognized thatwe cannot be literate in the ways of the mindwithout aclear individualized senseofwhat all eighf mental processes look like and of how they are experienced by the actual persons using them

It is a pleasure to have herbook to recommendto thosewho havecome to my own lectures and asked me to give more extended and systematic deshyscriptions of the eight function-attitudes (to use the helpful term that Dick Thompson introduceda fewyears ago) She hasmade the most practical use possible of my analytic interpretation ofJungs visionary theory Haas has succeeded in takingthe eight function-attitude model in all its complexity into workadaycorporate settings where it has instantly proved its power to unlock the understanding of serious impasses and to significantly improve the integrity ofa businesss teambuilding

That is not the extent of this modelspotentialapplication however In this book elegantly realized with the patient assistance of Mark Hunziker himself a formidablestudent of the mind Leona Haashasmanagedto proshyduce the most practicallydetailedand psychologically accurate orientation to the eight processes that I have seen I heartily recommend it to thebeginshyner aswell as toanyone who imagines heor she isalready adept in thisfield T hetruth iswe all have agreatdeal to learnabout the buildingblocksout of which our minds are made In my own efforts to master the architecture of such a wondrous structure I expect to be reading this book for many yearsto come

John Beebe

Over the past half-century many millions of people around the world have been aided in their personaland professionaldevelopment through a modelof personality that was developed by CarlJung Katharine Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers T he Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) provides both the framework and the main tool for the model of what has come to be known as personality type or just type for short Building Blocks ofPersonality Type is an attempt to begin a comprehensivedescripshytion of a certain way of thinking about type and the benefits that this approach offers

We feel the need to give this view of type theory a label the eightshyprocess model oftypein order to distinguish this paradigm from some misconceptions that have grown up around the MBTIpersonality inventory and personality type Although we call it a model we are not talking about anything new or separate from the framework of the model that has served so well for all these yearsWe are in fact simply attempting to help clarify the core of the theory that was developed by Jung Briggs and Myers and to integrate subsequent work that hasbuilt directly upon that foundation

Many type professionals will find that we are describing how they already think about type We believe that these folks will nonetheless find useful and illuminating nuggets in the pages that follow They may gain insights from the descriptions of the mental processes or perhaps get some new ideas about how the model can be applied or possibly learn something new about how the different aspects of the model mesh to produce the dynamics of type

Oth ers who work with type may find that eight-process type repshyresents a dramatic and difficult shift in their understanding In many of

xvii

1

UILDING B lClCk ~ or P[ RSO NAW Y TYPE

Leonas advanced workshops attendees find themselves going through a

bit ofa paradigmshift Usually she hearsfrom these people after they have

had time to digest the new information that they can never go to back to

the way they worked with type before Ifyou find that the eight-process

model challenges some of your assumptions and practices we urge you to bear with us We are convinced that the theoretical model and practical

descriptions that follow are at the heart of the most effective practices in

use today and that they are particularlyhelpful in teaching the basics of

type through feedbackand verification as well as for delving more deeply

into the important insights ofJungs theory ofpersonality Our main focus in this work is on describing Jungs mental proshy

cessesas completely and vividlyas possible as you will actually experience them This is not only the first step in the eight-process approach to

type but also a rewarding experience in itself By looking at personality

through process watching you are likelyto learnthings that will change

Yiur perspective from this point forward regardless of whether you are

an experienced professional or you havenever even heard ofpersonality

type Through simple descriptions of the four different ways that we

take in information and the four different ways we make decisions you

will learn to value your own gifts more highly You will also begin to

better understand and appreciate the perspectives of those around you

Conflict management decision making communication management

ofchange and transition exploration of your teaching and learning styles and those of your children career choices and daily lifewill all be easier

and more positive and will actually become opportunities for enriching

your life

We confess to also having a hidden agenda We are out to save the

world It is tremendously rewarding for us to watch individuals teams

and organizations grow as a result of exposure to this expanded approach

to personality type That is the immediate day-to-day grat ification of

our work But we are energized on another level too by the conviction that a better appreciation of psychological type and how it influences reshy

lanonships and interactions could be a vital key to unlocking the human

potential that is needed in order to learn how to live together on this

planet This belief was a driving force behind Isabel Myerss amazing

contributions as well We believe as she did that animosity and bloodshy

--shy

shed are but reflections of the immature and frightening shadow side of

our own personalities We also believe that the path to an exciting new

maturity level in human evolution-a path of enhanced cooperation

collaboration and coexistence-lies through the psychic development

that Jung called individuation

Albert Einstein pointed out that we cannot expect to resolve comshy

plex problems from within the same mindset that created them Margaret

Wheatley throughout her lectures and writings has made a convincing

argument that relationships information flow and self-definition are the

ultimate determinants of how human beings interact The state of conshy

sciousness from which we approach these criticalhuman activitiesmayvery

well be the key factor in determining the success or failure of all human

systems families teams communities corporations and even nations

Regardless of ones personal motivation for exploring the mental

processes the inevitable result of doing so is an elevation ofour level of

awareness The potential consequences of such a shift in consciousness

are dramatic-for individuals for family for social and work groups

and by extension for the entire human community By enhancing our

understanding of the eight mental processes we gain an appreciation for

the diversity and value of our own gifts as well as the diversity and gifts

of others Thi s in tum will have an immediate and far-reaching effect

upon each of the key elements of successful human systems building healthier relationships developing more effective communication and

gaining a greater understanding of ourselves and others

We the auth ors are familiar wi th and continue to use many other

models tools and approaches to personal and organizational developshy

ment But for us nothing else compareswith understanding the Jungian

mental processes for simplicity ease of access and the depth and breadth of its power to change lives When we begin to learn to recognize these 1

processes every relationship every conversation every in trospective

moment can become a lesson in appreciation for the amazing gifts tha t

we all possess

We invite you to join us on this journey Whether your aim is to

develop your own potential improve your relationships help others

bring your organization to the next level or save the world we know of

no better place to start than right here

Preface

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Over a decade ago Leona Haas becameconcerned about the small but significant percentofpeoplewho havedifficulty validating their reported type These are the type userswho do not feelthat their type as reported by theMyers-Briggs TypeIndicator fits them verywelL Facedwith the challenges of sorting out their true type from their reported type many of these new users dismiss the instrument altogether and never come to benefit from its insights It wasthis issue of typevalidation that gave the initial impetus to ajourney that has takenLeonato an increasshyingly refined understanding of the Jungian mental processes and the dynamic system in which they operate Building Blocks ofPersonality Type is theculmination of thatjourney

There have been many teachers guides and helpers along the way and it seemsappropriate to acknowledge their contributions by relating a briefhistory

Like manyjourneys this one startedat home Leona was perplexed by thedifferences between the ways her husband Rich used his Sensing process andwhatshehadlearnedabout Sensingfromherstudiesandfrom working extensively with typewith federal governmentemployees When assembling akit for example Rich never read directions He preferred to workfrom pictures orbyseeingthe finished product He also did nothave good recallofpastevents and seemed tomake intuitiveleaps fromwhat he observed None of this fitwith Sensing asLeonaknew it

In the earlynineties very little information was readily available to the personalitytypecommunity concerningJungs views on the mental processes Gifts Dijfering by Isabel Myers provided basic information aboutthe eightJungian processes but manyofIsabels insights and most of her researchhad not been published

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lWING BLOCkS () f l ~S O NA li TY TYPE

Gradually through her empirical work with type Leona began to recognize that Sensing can be tised in very different ways When she started to divide her workshop participants into S] and SP groups (thus distinguishing those with a preference for Introverted Sensing from those who prefer Extraverted Sensing) patternsbegan to emerge

-She realized that her husband used Extraverted Sensing while the milishytaryculture in which she worked tended to favor Introverted Sensing

Having solved the mystery of Richs Sensing preference by distinshyguishing Extraverted Sensingfrom Introverted Leona beganto suspect that she was learning about something which could enable type practishytioners to help people more easily and clearly validate their type The pursuit of a deeper understanding of the Myers-BriggsType Indicator

became her passion First she went back to the basics to CarlJung She soon discovered

the work of Daryl Sharp a Toronto Jungian analyst and publisher of JlJ4lgianc books Sharps book Personality Types was a gift ofknowledge for her In it he explains the mental processes with unusual clarity It opened awhole newlevelof understanding toLeonaand helped to focus her investigations

While attending courses through Type Resources Leonamet Gary and Margaret Hartzler and soon became a Qualifying Programinstrucshytor Margaret and Garywere also doing research into theJungian mental processes by investigating the theoretical concepts and incorporating them into their Qualifying Program Leonas focus upon the practical aspects of the processes and the Hartzlers work with the theory grew into a synergistic joint effort that allowed all three of them to develop and expand their understanding of the dynamics of type

Over the course of the next five years Leona developed ways of incorporating theJungian processes into her feedbacksessions In 2000 she wrote JOIITlley of Understanding with Margaret Hartzler and Bob McAlpine

Katharine D Myers is co-author of Introduction to TyperegDynamics and Development the only book that Leona was able to find for her early research on type dynamics and development Alongwith Daryl Sharps work it opened many doors of understanding for her For the first time she really began to understand individuation and how it related

to personalitytype During her research she was very fortunate to have Kathy Myers become interested in her unique approach to exploring type feedback Since then Kathys dedication and love for the MBTIreg instrument and her steadfast guardianship of its ethical use has fanned the flame of Leonas enthusiasm and bolstered her courage to continue exploring this unfamiliar territory

Her nextmajorbreakthrough came from the research and work of DrJohn Beebe aJungian analyst fromSan Francisco and past president of the San FranciscoJungian Institute Dr Beebehad been working on an enhanced theory of personalitytype which isbuilt upon the viewthat each psychological type encompasses eight distinct cognitive processes rather than just four His audiotape A New Model of Psychologital Types revealed to Leona the tremendous scopeof the insights containedwithin the type model John has been a wonderful gift to the community of personality type practitioners He is very supportive of the instrument and has done much to bring theJun gianand personalitytypecommunishyties closer together

As earlyas1974Dr Beebedeveloped the ideathat thefirst fourfuncshytions alternate attitudes like a series of checks and balances with the third being in the same attitude asthe first He first presented this modelat the 1983 Chiron Conference in New Mexico under the title Psychological Types in Transference Countertransference and the Therapeutic InteractionThe following year that paper waspublished asa chapter in Transference Countertransference By 1985 he had begun exploring the conshycept that each individual hasaccess to alleight of the processes

Each of the people mentioned above has in his or her own way been a pivotal source of the inspiration information and innovation that has shaped the eight-process model of type

Acknowledgements

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qI The collaboration to create this book began at a workshop that ~

Leona led for the Vermont chapter of the Association for Psychological Type inJanuary 2001When Mark Hunziker asked how he could learn moreLeonarecommended several books and tapes Shenoted thatwhile each explained a different element of her presentation acomprehensive portrait of the model did not yet exist She wanted to record a complete description but her forte is live presentations not writing Encouraged and facilitated by Leonas friend MaryThompson the project was vir-

I I

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~ ~M J xxii

W ING B LO CKS ( RSl lNAlIY f y[

tually launched after only an hour of conversation MarI would have

an opportunity to study the eight-process model up close and with his

help Leona would be able to make her work available to a wider audishy

ence Two Introverted Intuiting types do not need much information or

time to know when something fits

Like C G Jung and Isabel Myers Leona has constantly tested

modified and validated her theoretical understanding through literally

thousands ofconversations and observations We are deeply indebted to

the c~untless people with whom we have discussed type at workshops training sessions and elsewhere These conversations have helped us to

modify clarify and enhance our understanding of the theory as well

Most of the stories and statements that we use to draw portraits of the

mental processes (chapters 4 through 11) are paraphrased combinations

of comments from several people who share the preference and a few

are direct quotes Though we cannot acknowledge everyone by name

w willbe forever grateful for your contributions to our understanding

The only way that we can possibly begin to repay your willingness to

share your stories and insights is by passing along what we have learned

to others

We are particularly grateful to those who have actively supported

and aided our efforts to expand our understanding through their conshytinued correspondence and friendship and in some cases their helpful

feedback during the writing of this book

Neither of us could have managed to pull this project together withshy

out thedaily emotional and logistical support ofour life partners families

and friends They have our profound appreciation and our love

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AN INTRODUCTION TO THE

IGHTPROCE5S ti~~ P- ~

MODEL OF TYPE

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xxiv

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TE RMS AND CONCEPTS

Since a primary benefit of the eight-process model is that it provides a Itisnotthepurpose

simple and direct route into the heart of personality type we have taken oftypology to classify pains in this book to present the underlying theory as simply as possible humanbeings into

categories---this in and to minimize the use of terms that are unfamiliar to the new learner itselfwould bepretty

But some of the jargon is unavoidable and a basic understanding of the pointlesS Its purpose theory behind the model is needed to provide context and perspective israther to provide a

critical psychology You will find aglossaryalong with severalappendices in the back of this - which would makea book to help clarify and elaborate upon what we mention in the text methodicalinvestiga

tian andpresentation ~ and to introduce some more advanced concepts that we cannot explore bull possible

in depth here This chapter provides a brief overview of the terms and Carl Glung concepts along with a few miscellaneous tips

THE MBTIregPERSONALITY INVENTORY The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality inventory is based on a model that was conceived by Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Gustav Jung

and furth er developed by the team of Katharine Briggs and her daughshy

ter Isabel Briggs Myers The MBTP~ instrument is the most widely -rj

used and the most rigorously validated personality assessment tool in ~ t

the world-with over three million people using it every year Using a ~ fi

carefully crafted and statistically sound questionnaire it is designed to

identify an individuals mental process preference how the person tends

to gather information and make decisions Many readers are familiar

with the sixteen possible iterations of type that are represented by the

indicators well-known four-letter type code The code identifies each

individuals preferred ways of acquiring information and making decishy

sions By answering a series of standard questions each person supplies

~

~ BLOCKS 0 1 PImiddotRSlINlI1 I Y 1m

the information needed by the indicator to arrive at a reported type

However since there are factors which may throw off these results it

is up to each individual to check the validity for themselves By paying

attention to how they actually tend to operate in their daily life they will

either confirm or verify their reported preferencesor modify them to

a better fitting true type

In verifying their type new learners will need to notice not only

how they gather information and make decisions but also whether

they tend to be more energized when they focus on their external enshy

vironment or when they focus on their inner world and whether their

primary external focus is on making decisions or on taking in informashy

tion Thousands of trained professionals are qualified to administer the

MBTIreginstrument and help with verification and are ready to provide

feedback and support to help their clients understand type and apply that

understanding to specific issues

T~re is no way around the fact that a significant amount of inforshy

mation is needed in order to understand type at even the beginner level

But the sixteen personality profiles that have been the primary tool for

introducing type can be unnecessarily intimidating to the new learner

Isabel Myers herselfwrote that the obvious obstacle to gaining a comshyfortable familiarity with the types is that there are too many to keep in

mind by brute memory Using this approach extensive professional

support is often needed at the initial feedbackverification stage to bring

people to a level of understanding where they are even able to see what it is that the model has to offer

However by approaching type first through the eight processes

its complexity is broken down into the most basic most important

and least intimidating pieces the mental processes themselves These

mental processes truly are the building blocks of personality Only the

most elementary understanding of the theory is needed initially and

feedback can focus on j ust the two mos t key and most easily verified

clements the dominant and auxiliary processes If new learners are

first ground ed in the basic theory and armed with descriptions of the

mental processes them selves then they can truly understand the more

complex type profile descriptions The profiles do not need to be the

starting point for teaching and feedback Verification becomes easier hcrnr sc the learners have been given both the conceptual framework

Terms and Concepts

and the descriptions needed for sorting out why some aspects of their

reported type profile may not seem to fit They can see that every indishy

vidu al personality is a dynamic custom fit woven from the processes

On the other hand those new learners who are first exposed to

their reported type through a generic descriptive profile often misshy

understand the intent of the profile They may see it as an off-the-rack

mass-produced item to be either accepted or rejected depending upon

how well it seems to fit initially Too often when the profile does not

fit perfectly the credibility of the instrument itself is questioned Too

many people lose interest and do not stay with it long enough to reap the benefits of exploring type

Learning about type primarily through the sixteen profiles can also lead to the misconception that these portraits tell us all that we need

to know about personality But most profiles are reallyjust generalized descriptions of the traits and behaviors that reflect the domin ant and

auxiliary mental processes Ifwe are distracted by these descriptions and

focus upon what we see on the surface without some understanding of

the rich complex and dynamic psychic life from which it springs we will overlook much ofwhat the type model has to offer

The type code itself is the starting place designed primarily to fashycilitate easy access to our own type None of the four dimensions of

personality that are represented by the letters truly stands alone Isabel said that the traits that result from each preference do not combine to

influence an individuals personality by simple addition of characterisshytics instead the traits result from the interaction of the preferences

Each letter of the code represents an aspect ofa very complex living sysshy

tem When we look at these pieces together in the natural system of the individual personality we see that they int eract in a myriad offascinating

and important ways It is through understanding these dynamics of type

that much of the model s insight into human personality can be found

The authors view the eight-process app roach as an important guide for

the complex task of seeking to understand this interaction of processes

It is an aid to help us raise our level of sophistication in order to grasp

and use a much greater portion of the type model s underappreciated richness of insight and from th ere to continue to build and expand the scope of how we view and teach type

3

BI() LKS 0 1 P ~mNA I I1Y f Yf

We firmly believe that even those who have never been exPosed to

a personality type instrument can benefit from the information presented

ill this book This approach of focusing on the individual pro cesses is easy

tor anyone to absorb and useand the potential for expanded understandshymg and for personal growth is enormous even if this is a persons first

encounter with the concept ofmental processes For these new learners the ideal learning approach is to use the

material we are presenting in tandem wi th a skilled type professional If you have th e opportunity we recommend that you take the MBTI

personality inventory then use our book to boost your learning curve and augment the work you do with your consultant If you use this

approach you will be amazed at how quickly your understanding will

expand Most experienced type practitioners will find that they too can

quickly reach a deeper level of appreciation of the dynamics of type

throulF the eight-process model and th at this perspective will almost

automatically lead to more effective ways of working with clients In

chapter fourteen we outline some of th e directions that these practical

applications can take You will also find exercises that will help facilitate

interpretation and your clients self-verification of their true type in

Journey cfUnderstanding 3 and Functions ofType4

THE EIGHT-PROCESS MODEL As we will show in the following pages a basicworking understand ing of

the mental processesdoes not absolutely require an interpreter Wit h just

a little guidance anyone can start this journey and reap significant benshy

efits from the very beginning By first simply focusing on the processes

themselveseven the casual learn erwill benefit On the other hand those

who choose to continue on this path by learning more about the theory upon winch the model is based will have access to a depth of understandshy

llIg that goes far beyond anythi ng that most of us ever imagined In recent years a few people building up on the work of the

pioneers of personality type have developed some key refinements of

how our mental processes are viewed They have expanded our ability

to understand these psychological mechanisms that we all use to cope

survive and live our daily lives Since the mental processes are such a

big part of who we are and how we operate any enhancement of our

understanding of them is truly big news This expanded view of type is

what we are calling the eight-process model

An attitude of continuous exploration expansion and refinement

ofJungs theory of person ality types is very much in keeping with jungs

own perspective on his work Marie-Louise von Franz his close friend

and professional collaborator wrote He was a pioneer and remained

fully aware that an enormous number offurther questions remained unshy

answered and call for furth er investigation This iswhy his concepts and

hypotheses are conceived on as wide a basis as possible (without making

them too vague and all-embracing) and why his views form a so-called open system that does not close the door against new discoveries

Two crucial shifts in emphasis form the cornerstones of the eightshy

process approach to type As noted earlier neither is new Th ey actually

just reemphasize what Jung and Myers had have been telling us all along

But refocusing on these key pieces of the foundation of type can have a

far-reaching effect on how the model is understood and used

THE FIRST CORNERSTONE

At any point in time an individual is operating primarily from a single

mental process (ie one function Sensing Intuiting Thinking or Feelshy

ing in either its Extraverted or Introverted attitude) That one process

is the most crucial factor in understanding what is going on with that person at that moment By shifting our focus from a complex profile

of functions and attitudes to just the process that is being used at any

given moment we can actually grasp more ofwhat is important with far

more clarity and ease than if we try to look at all the possible factors at

once A majority of new learners find it much easier to verify or confirm

their true type through this approach They begin to understand why the

profile for their reported type does not fit perfectly with what they know

about themselves When seen in terms of preferred mental processes it

becomes easier to see that the individual idiosyncrasies of normal pershy

sonality development are quit e consistent with the generalizations of

the typ e model Thus emphasizing the processes themselves avoids the

negative experience of feeling put in a box-labeled and constricted by

type- which some new learners experience

Terms and Concepts

j

5

IW ING BLO( K () P R~ ()NAUTY TIPf

~

This is where the simplicity and accessibility of the eight-process

approach comes from N ew learners find that they can understand and

remember the relatively straightforward processes much more quickly

and vividly than the pro files They can w atch clear examples in operashy

tion within themselves and others Thus through simple observation

they im mediate ly begin to build an understanding of the different ways

people operate Process watching is the first step in learning about type

through the eight-process appro ach

THE SECOND CORNERSTONE

Everyone possesses the potential to use all eight of the mental processes

Weeach accessand engage them in waysthat are to a great extent un ivershy

sal and predictable creating the sixteen in nate and balanced sequences of

processes that define the sixteen types By learning about all eight of our

process preferenceswe can make predictions about how they may develop

h~ adroitly we will use them how we will react to others who are usshy

ing them and the various ways in which they can manifest themselves

throughout our lives Because it integrates the fo ur processes th at usually dwell in the

unconscious along with the four that are more consciously accessible

the process-preference aspect of the approach can lead us into unlimited

exploration and discovery of the complex and unique individuals th at we

are (sec appendices B and E)

PROCESS WATCHING The focus of th is book is on the individual mental processes Learn ing

to recog nize th em isan enlightening experie nce unto itself as well as the

nccessary first step for fur ther exploration No process description will

fit you perfectly Likewise you m ay iden tify with some parts of all eight

lescnptions You are a uniq ue and complex being and what we describe

here is only after all a model th at simplifies the description of personalshy

lty aud its development in order to help us to think and talk about it This

book [()Cuscs upon that model at its sim plest level In addition it is imshy

portll1t to realize that th e model is a rational construct It is a way to help

li S understand something that is inherently not rational and therefore can

----L

never be completely understood Neve rtheless you will notice that some

of the processes descriptions resonate clearly wi thin yourself and you

will begin to recognize some of them in the people around you as well

From this beginning your recogn ition understanding and appreciation

will continue to expand outward like ripples in a pond to encompass

more and more of the actions and interactions around you

We enco urageyou to read the descriptions watch and listen for the

processes in yourself and in others as you work and play go back to the

descriptions th en watch some more It sounds too simple however the

lessons to be learned fro m just process watching are virtually unli mited

and the potential for growth is truly profound

MISCELLANEOUS TERMS T hroughout thi s book when we talk abou t the eight processes we are

referring to what are often called the Jungian mental pro cesses T hose

who are literate in the jargon of type w ill recogni ze our processes as the

four functions of Sensing Intuiting T hinking and Feeling in their

Extraverted or Introverted attitudes In other words we are talking

about the processes as they actually m anifest themselves We do not

for exa mple refer to Thinking as a process beca use there are actually

two very different Thinking processes Extraverted Thinki ng and Inshy

troverted T hinking

W e use the word type in refere nce to the understanding of sixteen

personality types as represented by the four-letter type code T he type

model theorizes that all human beings can be seen as using eight basic

mental processes and th at the inclinatio n to prefer to use each process

over others is innate in all ofus From these premises the simple math of

the type model creates sixteen possible sequences ofprocess preferences

the sixteen types Just as a four- letter type code is shorthand for a type

each type is actu ally shorthand to r a constellation ofprocess preferences

If we are able to grow and mature without unusual external pressures

we have the tendency to develop and use the eight processes in a natural

pattern according to this internal bias that we call preference (see apshy

pend ices B and C) Our environment can influen ce our behavior and

even our development but not our innate process preferences

ii 11

Term s ond Concepts 1

II 11

i ~ i 111

II I

I I ll

i

11 I

i 6

dLOCKS 0 P r RSO NAIlfY rYfE

bullSome terms used in describingtype have specialized definitions that

differ from their common meaningsWe often capitalize terms to warn you of their specialuse For example people who prefer aJudgment proshycess are not necessarily morejudgmental than others Here Judgment just means one of four ways to approach making a decision Likewise people usingT hinking are not necessarily more intellectual nor are those engaged in Feeling more sensitive or those Extraverting more gregarishyous than anyone else The irrationalprocesses (the Perception processes Extravertediand Introverted Sensing and Extraverted and Introverted Intuiting) are not necessarilyunreasonable They are called irrational because they are automatic How we take in information (Perception) hasnothing to do with reason (rational thought) one way or another

Mosttype professionals still exclusively use the wordscoinedbyJung about a century ago Extraversion Introversion Sensation and Intuition We have found that many new learners find this a bit confusing When we are Iklking about mental activity it seems to work better to use active forms of the words When people are interacting with the world around them for examplewe saythat theyare Extraverting Likewise when they are interacting with their personal inner world they are Introverting We reserve the traditional terms for when we talk about the function or atshytitude itself We use j ungs terms for example for the opposing sides of the perception dichotomy Sensation and Intuition On the other hand when people are engaging these functions we say that they are Sensing or Intuiting We have found that newlearners in particularrelate better to these action words than to words that feel like labels

As you read this book if you find any terms mysterious or confusshying refer to the glossary for a concise definition and explanation

LITERARY LICENSE Jungs model does not explaineverything about human psychology but it is sometimes convenient for us to talk as if it does Keep in mind that it is only a model and for that matter a model of mental processes only- not of traits skills or behavior In chapters four through eleven we do use extensive descriptions of traits and behavior as a way of helping you to

recogTllze and understand the processes that tend to be associated with them But what can be observed isactuallyjust a reflection of the process

and that process in turn isonly a representation of an important facet of how we humans operate The model wonderfully illuminating as it is is just a way to help us think in simple terms about an incredibly complex phenomenon

We admit to indulging in a bit ofsemi fiction in the waywe describe the processes in this book as if they exist in pure well-developed conshyscious and mostlyconstructive forms In the real world the waythatwe engagethe processes may be influencedby thesituation by developmenshytal factors by their position in the sequence of preference or by another mental process Even the people whose stories are reported in this book will not identify with all the stories or statements about their preferred process This is because when we talk about a single mental process we are taking it out of the context of the individual personality The processesare never really separate or distinct from the unique living and dynamic system in which they operate In action they are never seen in isolation from other influences But by oversimplifyingour descriptions in this way the processes become much more easily recognizable Even though the pure process may exist only in theory by talking in these terms we are describing the common elements that are in playwhenever a given process is being used Thu s the process becomes easier to spot regardless of how other influences may color and modify it

We have also taken the convenient liberty of talking about the proshycesses as if they are conscious beings with wills of their own We say they do this and want that as if they are individual characters in a play This of course is not literally true at all But it is a very handy and essent ially accurate way to describe how they operate

Terms and Concepts

~

~

9

f

TYPETHEORY IN BRI EF

WHAT IS PROCESS PREFERENCE

bull

In theory each one of us has the ability to use all eight of the mental processes Wediffer typologically bywhich ones we naturally prefer to use Some processes arevery comfortable and require littleeffort for us to bring them into play Theyare a bigpart of whowe areThey are like our favorite most personal room in our home the room that reflects whowe are and is our safe havenwherewe can beourselves Our prefershyencefor theseprocesses maybeso clearand our abilityto access them so welldeveloped that weuse them automatically even when they maynot be well suited to the situation athand This is simply human nature like the preference for usingour leftor righthand

At the other end of the preference spectrum are processes that are alsoa part of us but lie in our unconscious Our awareness of them is usually marginal at best and when we do engagethem it is likely to be anawkward and uncomfortable experience We usuallychoose tosimply avoid using them and perhapseven todeny theirvery existence But like wearing a path to a remote location the more we use these unfamiliar processes and becomeaccustomedto them theeasierit becomesInfact maturing to becomeamore balanced individual and growing towardour fullpotential ismostlya matter of becoming moreand moreadeptat acshycessing those innately unconscious mental processes Until we develop our awarenessand appreciation for theseprocesses we miss out on their benefits Evenworse they maybe a frequent source of conflict or may bubbleto thesurface in times ofstressresulting inbehavior that isinept inappropriate and seemingly out of character

f

-~iJ

-l

~ - ~ shy

Experlenceshows that itispracticallY impoSsible 0lling

to adverse circJlri7 stanciisfng~heaf~~ anyoneto develop ~ ail his psychorigical functions1i1I1Itafie~

ously The derri andS ~ ofso~ietlcomp~a +

man to apply hifuself firstand foremoSti c I

to thediff~ren tia) tionofthefuncridii

bullwith whichheisbesf ~ e q iJipp ed byndture orwhichivillsecure I]illl t~~ g~ptesit~jJJ social successVery frequently indeed asageneralrulea manidentifies more orlesscompletely with themostfavored OJ1dhence themost aeveloped f(inetion It isthisthatgivesrise to thevariouspsychoshylogicaltypes

Carl GJung

11

----

c NG Bu)cKs 0 1 1 1I~ ONAII IY f YI1

r OUR TWO MOST PREFERRED PROCESSES In order to survrve every human being must have a way ofacquiring inshy

fi)rmation and a way of making decisions The more adept weare at pershy

forming and balancing these two basic mental tasks the more successful

we are likely to be As Isabel Myers put it The two skilled processes

can develop side by side because they are not antagonistic Although

one can assist the other there should be no doubt which comes first The stability of one process unchallenged by the others is essential to the

stability bf the individual Each process has its own set of aims and for

successful adaptation asJung pointed out the aims must be constantly clear and unambiguous One process needs to govern which way a pershy

son moves it should always be the same process so that todays move

will not be regretted and reversed tomorrow Convincing evidence indicates that it is more effective in the day-toshy

day business of coping and surviving to be an expert at using one approach

for ech ofthese tasks rather than to develop modest comfort with several

Adept use of any single approach to gathering data teamed with a single

well-developed way of making decisions enables us to negotiate most

of lifes situations even if we are not operating in ways that are ideally

suited to the specificsituation When it comes to effectivelyengaging one

of these coping strategies process expertise is usually more crucial than

process suitability Most of our psychic focus for the first two decades of our lives is

normally upon developing extensive facility with just one mental proshy

cess for each of the two basic tasks gathering information and making

decisions (see appendix C) The two processes that we prefer for these

tasks are the ones that we tend to use the mo st and with which we feel

most comfortable They are the processes that will probably remain most

closely ass()ciated with our personal identity for the rest of our lives They arc the processes that will resonate and have you saying Thats

me as you read their descriptions in chapters four through eleven S IIICC these processes complement each other they are able to deshy

velop largely in tandem throughout the early years ofour lives But as in

1 pby there e m be only one lead role It is this dominant process that

IsIllIy reaches maturity first and is the most trusted of all We rely on

it cousistc u tlv and regard it as the heroheroine of our lifelong drama

l

ll Type Theory in Brief II1J

I I ~~ WI

1Ili IIiU

This first process is the one that we can consciou sly call into play with middot lh~l ~

the most ease and with the least expenditure of energy It is the charisshyi1matic element of our personality It is so important in how we operate I ~

mentally that it would not be an exaggeration to view the roles of all our 11

IIi Y other cast members as supporting this process the star of the show r~ 101l li ~

-

~

The second of our dynamic duo of processes is the auxiliary

It normally develops next and complements the dominant process in IlcJmiddot il1illmiddotcrucial ways Between the two one takes in information and the other i r~

makes decisions one focuses on the environment and the other focuses jnl 111 -iii I

within one is rational and the other is irrational In this way the auxiliary

supplies much of the balance that we need as we move through life ILi~ IiiThe auxiliary process acts like a trusted adviser and a supportive 1 ~ ~~

parent to the dominant one Because of its complementary nature the l i h~1 iii

second process is able to modify and balance the energy and enthusiasms 1Ii 1 of the first thus lending a degree ofmaturity to the personality Though Iii

I l j ~ ~ never in the true leading role of our personal drama the auxiliary proshy I ~ cess can sometimes be so influential and visible that it is mistaken for j ~I Wtthe star

iiIi ~Together these two characters are often capable ofcarrying off lifes t1~

scenes with very little help from the other six cast members and because ~iL ~1 Illithey are usuallyso comfortable and so clearlypreferred they are frequently 11middotmiddot

expected to do so Ifyour close friends were asked to describe your pershy l l ~ sonality the descriptions wouldbe for the most part descriptions of these

I Itwo primary processes in action Personality type instrumentsare in fact

a sophisticated way ofidentifying our two most preferred processes Most iii

type-related profiles that we see today primarily reflect the influences of i t

the dominant and auxiliaryprocesses Ii I

Though identification of these two favored processes is critical it is

illjust the first step in solving our process-preference puzzle ii

A SEQUENCE OF PREFERENCES Building from the identification of our two most preferred processesshydone usually through a personality type instrument-the eight-process 11

model tells us how the other mental processes are aligned in an arrangeshy iiII

ment that includes all eight This sequence tells us that with normal I ( ~~ I Idevelopment the processes line up from most preferred to least from 1 Hi j]

13

G B LO c K ~ or PI KIlNAIIIY (YPE

~

the one that is most conscious to the one that is most unconscious from

most adept and comfortable to the least and from the one requiring the

least energy to use to the one requ iring the most Ifwe think of the proshy

cesses as the actors in our person al drama then it is their positions in the

sequence that outline the roles they will play How they w ill play those

rolesis determined by the personalities of the actors- by the nature of

the processes themselves

Of course normal is just a mathematical concept There are not

actually any normal people and none of us develops exactly according to

the template of type or any other theory But the type model has held up

for over sixtyyears because of its usefulness in describing a typical sequence

of psychological growth and because it provides a formula for maturity and

balance that appears to be innate in allof us The rich journey ofself-discovshy

ery for which type can act asour guidebook is partly about understanding

the universal aspectsof typehow the characters in the cast of eight usually

act an~ntera ct by virtue of their innate nature and assigned roles It is also

about how our own unique mix of developmental and situational factors

modifies this interplay As Jun g put it conformity is one side of a man

uniqu eness is the other 8

THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING OUR PREFERENCES Within each constellation of eight processes lies an inexha ustible source

of insight th at is most easily and effectively accessed by patiently sifting

dow n through its many layers one at a time T ho ugh thi s book focuses

upon the simplest level it is important to be aware that thisjourney can

take us into th e increasingly unfamiliar and uncomfortable terri tory of

our less preferred and often unconscious mental processes

T he path to self-knowledge and self-management is best traveled

one step at a time It is not so intimidating this way and with thi s apshy

prouch Il O matter how far you choose to go you will be able to unshy

derstand and integrate what you have experienced along the way Since

this intro ductory hook focuses on recognition of the processes that we

exper ience and sec we will look primarily at th e dominant and (to a

lesser extent) the auxiliary processes T hese are the two processes that

---L

most people use and show most of the time These are the processes that

are visible in their pures t forms so process watching is initially about observing these most preferred processes

Being consc iously aware of the way I tend to fun ction makes it

possible for me to assess my attitudes and behavior in a given situation

and adjust them accordingly It enables me both to compensate for

my per sonal disposition and to be tolerant of someo ne who does not

function as I do -someone who has perhaps a strength or facility I myself lack 9

Understanding how our own mental processes work is a tremenshy

dous gift unto itself and the increased appreciation and valuing of other

peoples unique talents is another An equally imp ortant benefit is that

this understanding can help facilitate our own psychic and spiritual

growt h as human beings As we go through our lives we are driven to

become whole to be all that we can be Even if personal growth is not

our goal it happens anyway when we explore our less developed mental

processes We gradually become more co mfortable with th e processes

and are able to bring them to bear more effectively upon lifes situations

and issues At the same time we are becoming more comfortable with

this strange men tal territory -less afraid of what is deep inside ourselves

and less annoyed or fearful when we see these processes manifested in

others Consequently our unconscious processes become less likely to

surface in unpredictable immature and counterproductive ways This

business oftype development can enhance our personalcapacitiesas well

as our tolerance and appreciation ofothers as we learn to accept and use

more of the wide range of percept ion and decision-making approaches that are available within us all

Type Theory in Brief

I I

15 Ii ~ ~

II r I ~ u

IIIimiddot ~illH II j ~ I II j ~ C r p f~ImiddotmiddotjIiq~ - ~t~ Ii lli l ~~ ili ~lFROM FOUR DICHOTOMIESTO EIGHT l Y ~ ~ I II middot ~I llMENTAL PROCESSES TO SIXTEEN TYPES I~I ~ I ~ Co j

I~ ~ ~

H ~JiI WHY EIGHT PROCESSES II

Thes~ fOurfunction Carl Jung described three distinct dimensions or dichotomies of pershy types correspond to

theobvioUs means bysonality Each dichotomy is made up of two contrasting halves Jung whichconscksusness

drew a line between the two sides of each dichotomy in much the same obtains its orienta- way that you might cut a cake in half Using Jungs three dichotomies tion toexperience

Sensation (ie2sense i i1 ~ ~we draw three sets oflines We divide our cake first into halves then into perceptioh) tells -l 1 quarters and finally into eight equal pieces youthqtsoiylethlng 11

t ~ i J~ t First we focus on the three dichotomies that were identified by existsthinking tells 1 If youwhatit iSifeeling

Jung and adapted for the type code by Isabel Myers These first three II ~~ ~- tells you whetherit li1 ~dichotomies are the ones that actually define the eight aspects ofpersonshy isagreeable ornot 1II ~

ality type andintuitiontells you I11 III ~whence it comes and

Orientation to the environment is the dichotomy which Myers ni whereItis going 1 middot1identified from allusions which Jung had made but had never formalshy Carl G Jungand 1I li

M-l vonFranzized into a dichotomy After we have identified the eight pieces we will Illil ~ lJuse this fourth dichotomy to guide us in arranging the eight mental 1

processes to distinguish the sixteen types

Thedichotomies are abouteither or(7

f- 1V V J

Extraverting ENERGY - - Introverting

Sensing ------ - PERCEPTION --- - Intuiting

Thinking c----middot JUDGMENT middot - -- Feeling

Judgi~g -- ENVIRONMENT --- Perceiving f1

1

---l-- - - - - - - - --- ___ __shy

1lt]f Ji Iif shyI i ~ ~

1 ~1 Il ~ 5f1 JiOl 1Ii1r~bull

ii

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Ill J ~

I~H I 1[

i ij i

I i I1 1

Il li ~ II1

I

1II

1 i1

11

I17

11 I _~lt

WING BLOCKS ()f PERSONALITY TYPE

N ow lets walk thr ough the steps that lead us from tIte first three

dichotomies to eight mental processes We start with a whole circle representing the entire personality

First we divide our personality model into halves by distinguishing

between the two basic purposes of mental processes gathering informashy

tion (Perception) and making decisions (Judgment)

JudgmentPerception

N ext our two pieces are divided again to become four Perception

is separated into the distinct approaches of Sensing Perception and

Intuiting Perception J udgment becomes Thinking Judgment and middot

FeelingJudgrnent

We will return to our cake cutting shortly First let s look more

closely at the four pieces that we have so far

--l-

I

From Four Dichotomies to Eight Mental Processes to Sixteen Types

I I

J

PERCEPTION AND JUDGMENT

As we have said all human psychic activity can be viewed as being deshy

voted to two simple tasks that are essential to our survival taking in

information and making decisions Not much is going on that cannot

be included in one ofthese basic process categories we gather data then

we make choices There are two dramatically different ways to approach

each of these tasks

Sensing Perception and Intuiting Perception

H ow we perceive or gather information provides the second letter of the

type code This letter will be either an S for Sensing or an N for Intuit shy

ing as in ESTJor ENTJ

Perception is considered to be irrational because no intentional

editing process is involved in selecting the information that is taken in N o one can take in all the data around us there isjust far too much of it

T he two approaches to perception are essentially mechanisms that autoshy

matically restrict the flow of information by means of two very different

focuses of attention The same data is available to everyone with fully

functional sensory organs but what we actually perceive is what makes

it through these innate filters to our awareness Sensing and Intuiting

simply notice different kinds of infonnation

Sensing (S)

The focus of Sensing is on information gathered by the five senseswhat

we see hear touch smell and taste It can include memories of past

sensations as well as sensations being experienced in the present Sensshying perceptions are always tangible and verifiable at least in theory even

1 i i1 - though they are not necessarily always clear or accurate J[

I IAdept use of a Sensing process will balance and thus soften the ~ t

tendency of a preferred Judging process to overlook concrete informashy

tion in its rush to a decision

Whether noticing their current environment or recalling past surshy

roundings people using a Sensing process tend to do so in vivid detail

T hey prefer to live in the real world of tangible things past or present

They want to know who what where and when

19 18

ilLWI( 13W CKS U PrRSUNAlITY TYPE

t Intuiting (N)

The focus of perception through Intuiting is on an expanded picture In-

tuition maydraw its information from the environment or from within It

attempts to extrapolate from seemingly random bits of information to un-

derstand the patterns or meanings that the data represents and thus to genshy

erareconnections meanings possibilities options and vision One cannot

fore ~ee or control the Intuiting processes timetables or methodologies

The Intuiting mental processes work with content that varies

widely from individual to individual and from moment to moment

A Sensing process when observing a tree for example is always tied

to data from the senses shades of color shapes sizes comparisons

and so on An Intuiting process on the other hand may notice almost

no concrete information before rapidly moving on to build a series of connections It may generate possib ilities or attach meaning and

significance to the tree or create a broader mental picture of the forest

1tis picture may have no discemable relationship to anything that can

be detected by the senses The Intuitive search is for connections pat-

terns and underlying significance

Thinking Judgment and Feeling Judgment

How we judge or make decisions provides the third letter of the type code This letter will be either a T for Thinking or an F for Feeling as

in IN1] or ENF]

The Judgment processes provide rational structure to our percepshy

tions so that we can m ake use of the information gathered They shape

the actions ofour conscious will Since the task ofaJudgment process is

to make decisions it is not surprising that both the Thinking and Feeling

approaches are oriented toward reaching some kind ofoutcome

Another way to describe what Judgment processes do is that they

attem pt to gain some internal or external control over our lives and

our world The need to influence events and situations and to act with

purpose is an obvious requirement for survival and it is what decision

making through Thinking or Feeling is all about

From Four Dichotomies to Eight Mentol Processes to Sixteen Types

Thinking (T)

The Thinking approach to decision making is essent ially that of analytishycal logic To support this analysis it uses criteria that it either pulls from

the environment or synthe sizes internally in order to define everything

Though it may sometimes seem to others as if these judgments devalue

people and things by pigeonholing them they actually have nothing to

do with value at all Thinking processessimply need to attach a label or

category to every thing in order to understand its position relative to the rest of the universe to maintain a sense of order and to fit it into some

kind of logical framework for the analysis that leads to decisions

Thinking is impersonal It intentionally excludes values-based considshyerations Most people with a Thinking preferencewould rather be truthful than tactful and are more interested in being fair than in being kind

Feeling (F)

Feeling is a values-basedapproach to Judgment It determines what someshy

thing is worth Feeling is aware of the impact of its choices It is aware

of the individuals involved and affected their circumstances and their

relationships Creating and maintaining external or internal harmony is

therefore the primary priority of the decision making In the personality

type model the term Feelingsimply refersto decision-making processes

that are guided by systems of values A preference for Feeling does not

have anything to do with emotions Feeling types are neither more nor less inclined to be emotional than Thinking types

While no less rational than Thinking Feeling is certain ly not con shy iir oH

strained by logic often caring more about tact than truth and about the effect of a decision than about being right

~

Now lets return to our cake We have already used two of the dishychotomies to arrive at the four pieces that we have described Finally I

each of these four is divided again according to whether they are i

Extraverted or Introverted As shown below we now have eight equal pieces the eight mental processes of type

ii ~ J

li1Jmiddot 21 20

From Four Dichotomies to Eight Mental Processes to Sixtee n Types ~G BlOCKS or I ~ ONAlI I Y TYPe

Extraverting (E)

Extraverted Thinking If our most skilled trusted and comfortable process-our dominantExtraverted Sensing process-is Extraverted we usually put our best face forward By definishy~tion we must all extravert in order to interact with people and the

rest of the physical world So the processes that we directly and most blm_~d Thl~Introverted Sensing I~Jbull ~ Wi easily observe in people are usually their Extraverted processes BecauseI ~ lt~ ) f I of th is it has become a common misconception that only the Extraverted JUDGMENTPERCEPTION

processes can be observed by others

~ ~~ In people who prefer Extraverting what we most readily observe Introve1ed Intuiting ~ ~s ~ ~ Intreverted F~lg

usually reflects their most comfortable process Thus individuals who prefer Extraverting are typically accessible and relatively easyfor others to understand What you see is what you get Sharing experiences with

Extraverted Intuiting

laquo r ~~

Extraverted Feeling others is after all an essential ingredient of Extraverting People whose dominant process is Extraverted feature their most talented actor at censhyter stage in the starring role

By virtue of their objective focus upon their environment and their shy extensive interaction with it people who prefer Extraverting tend to be aware of and in tune with a broad scope of external information

EXTRAVERTING AND INTROVERTING

T he energy preference provides the first letter of the type code This As Sharp noted When one is predominantly oriented to the objectshyletter will be either an E for Extraverting or an I for Introverting as in

things and other people-there is an extraverted type12 If a processESTPor ISTP focuses on the environment we call it Extraverted because it draws itsThe final division of the psychic cake the one that brings us to the energy from interacting with the external object person or situationeight distinct mental processes is the difference between Extraverting much as we are warmed and energized by the sun An individual whoand Introverting the four functions of Sensing Intuiting Thinking prefers Extraverting is fueled by the situation itself

jand Feeling Each one of the four can have either the external world or ~ the internal world as its focus As Ju ng put it there are no Extraverts

~ i 3- 1tIntrovert ing (I)or Introverts pure and simple only extraverted and introverted function il

Introverted processes focus on a subjective inner psychic life of reflectiontvpcs It is this Extravertingor Introvertingorientation thatdistinguishes concepts and ideas T he outer world of tangible things and people maywhether the focus of that process is the objectiveworld around us or the be integrated into this inner world but the real excitement and energy ofsubjective world within It is referred to asthe energy dichotomy because Introverting come from these personal thoughts and ideas In b et whenIt n-llccts how we focus our personal energy externally or internally Introverting we may not needexternal input atall working entirely withinTllaquomgh last IrJ our presentation of the factors that delineate the eight ourselves Sharp says that While the extravert responds to what conics toprocesses the ExtrlVertingIntroverting aspect is certainly not the least the subject from the object (outer reality) the introvert relates mainly to11 llpartfi d It IS IrJ fact the one thatJung noticed first and is a distinction the impressions aroused by the object ill the subject (inner rcalityj

( I I uuuost impor tan ce It is referred to asthe energydichotomy because it People whose most preferred process is Introverted do not usuallyrdlrcts how we gather and use our personal energy

show the world their greatest giftsWhen they speak or take action in the

23i z J

1

NG BW CKI UI 11RSONAllTY TYPE

world they usually do so through their auxiliary process so ob~e rvers can never observe the dominant process directly The Extraverted auxiliary process is the one featured in the spotlight and is often mistakenly asshy

sumed to be the star The focus of the auxiliary process is always complementary to the

dominant Because of this observers often see and hear one thingwhile the petson who prefers Introverting is actually coming from a very difshyferent place For examplewe may hear what sounds like adecision But if the speaker has an Introverted dominant preference for Perceiving that person may actually be just trying to share information that he or

she has acquired Theseperceptions however are filtered and reframed as they are expressed (Extraverted) through their auxiliaryJud gingproshycess and emerge into the wo rld sounding like a decision

This is not to say that Introverted processes cannot be observed They can In observing any process even an Extraverted one we are of cousse actuallyobserving the outward manifestations of a mental activshyity For Introverted processes these visible clues are usuallyjust more subtle and require closer attention to detectthan their externally-oriented counterparts They do not proceed aloud or publicly But you can see people withdraw as they engage their Introverted processes They may have a distant unfocused look in their eyes or look down or away from others When they refocus you may have further evidence that they have been Introverting in the personal subjective and original nature of the

information or decisions they report With those who prefer Introvertingwhat you see is usually not their

dominant preferred process Introverting by its very nature cannot be shared directly An Introverted process draws energy from what is going on inside aswhen we are warmed from within by metabolizing our food An individualwho prefers Introverting is fueled by contemplation

O RIENTATION TO THE ENVIRONMENT KEY TO THETYPECODE

T he fourt h and final letter of the type code indicates what an individual prefers to do 111 the external world either make decisionsor gather inforshyiu auon T his letter will be either aJ forJudging or a P for Perceiving as

III ENT] or ENTP

4

From Four Dichotomies to Eight Mental Proce sses to Sixteen Types

We can see that the first three dichotomies of type represented in the first three letters of the type code define all eight of the mental proshycesses Extraverted Sensing Introverted Sensing Extraverted Intuiting Introverted Intuiting Extraverted Thinking Introverted Thinking Extraverted Feeling and Introverted Feeling The fourth dichotomy or the fourth letter is needed primarily to show the order ofan individuals natural preferences for engaging those processes By telling us whether a persons preferred orientation to the environment is for Judging or

Perceiving the entire sequence of preference for using the eight proshycesses is revealed

The addition of the final dichotomy was Isabel Myerss great gift to the world It tells us through which function-either the decision-makshying (judgment) or the data-gathering (Perception) function-we prefer to interact with our external environment This is the piece of information that assembledJungs theories of personality into a complete system It is what makes it possible to summarize rich and complex theory in a simple formula that even new learners can grasp

First L~H~r middot o f (Extraverting) b j (Ihtroverti~g ~ Energy I~~~ ~ -c ~ j i

Second LeHer - - S (Sensingj or N (Intuiting) gt~---middot Perception bull shy Third Letter - T (Thinking) or F(Feeling) __- J udgm ~nt

i Fourth Letter -- J (Judging) or P (Perceiving) Environment Orientation 1

1 I

HOW TYPE CODEINTERPRETATION WORKS T he first three dichotomies each with its two opposing halves create eight possible mental processes Now we wil1 take you through the steps used in interpreting the code These are the steps that connect any fourshyletter code reported by a personality type instrument to the sequence of mental processes that describes that type T he steps will be similar to

25

)

NG BUJlK S ( f r RooNIIII TY TYPE

f

those in our cake-cutting exercisebut in a different order Ifyou find the

mechanics of interpretation confusing do not worry You are not alone

and you do not need to understand the details in order to understand

type Qualified type professionals receive extensive training in order to

interpret the personality type code

Understanding at least the general idea of type interpretation is im-

portant because it iscentral to understanding the model The framework

ofpersonality type contains a limitless depth of insight into personality

But Isabel Myers had to form the model into a deceptively simple code

because her central purpose in creating the instrument was to provide

everyone access through interpretation to an understanding of his or

her own type

Interpretation is where the fourth dichotomy comes into play

When we interpret a type code this last dichotomy is actually our startshy

ing point Afour-step process is used to find the dominant and auxiliary

processes for each of the four-letter type codes

In order to facilitate our understanding ofthe four-letter type code

we need to distinguish between the attitudes and the functions Based

on the work of Carl]ung Extraverting and Introverting are called atshy

titudes Isabel Myers added Judging and Perceiving as attitudes The middle letters of the type code are called functions Thus Sensing

Intuiting Thinking and Feeling are all functions

STEP 1 DETERMINE WHICH OF THE

Two PREFERRED FUNCTIONS IS EXTRAVERTED

In the first step of interpretation the] or P of Myerss environmental

dichotomy provides the key to determining the Extraverted function For the ESF] type for example the] indicates that the Judging function

-~

(which the third letter of the formula shows is F for Feeling) is the preshyferred wayof interacting with the environment In other words we know

that one ofES FJs two mo st preferred processes is Extraverted Feeling Applying the same logic to the ISFP type the P indicates that the

Perceiving function (which the second letter of the code shows is S for

Sensing) IS the preferred means of interacting with the environment For

[SFP Sensing is Extraverted

From Four Dichotomies to Eight Mental Processes to Sixteen Types

FIRST EXAMPLE SECOND EXAMPLE

Step h In ESFJ The What hiExtraverted In ISFP TheJudging lJ) The fourth leiter indicates whether it is Perceiving (P)function is the Judgment function (a T or an F) or functionisFeeling (F) so the Perception function (an 5 or an N) Sensing (5) sothe Extroverted thot is Extraverted the Extraverted process would I processwouldbe Extraverted be ExtrovertedFeeling (Fe) J Sensing (Se) ) 1

~~

STEP 2 DETERMINE WHICH OF THE

Two FUNCTIONS IS INTROVERTED

In step 2 we use the principle ofbalance and the logic of simple eliminashytion to deduce that the other function in the four-letter code (S N T

or F) is Introverted For ESF] since Feeling was Extraverted then the remaining function Sensing must be Introverted

For ISFP since Sensing was Extraverted then the remaining funcshytion Feeling must be Introverted

~ -~ ~

Step2ii f~ t~ ~A - What Is Introvelfedmiddoti ~

Ou~f~ncti~ h are i ci~~t ifi ~d bt~~~o middle leiters of the code If in Step 1 we found thaI we Extrovert the function identified by the second leiter then we lknow that we Introvert the function Iiidentfied bythe third lelfer Ifwe found t that we Extravert the third leller then II

we must Introvert the second lelfer ILgt ~~ ~ i l

I

STEP 3 DETERMINE WHICH OF THE Two PREFERRED

FUNCTIONS Is THE DOMINANT PROCESS

Step 3 focuses on the first letter of the type code to identify the most

preferred or dominant mental proc ess Steps 1 and 2 identi fy the most

27

NG BLOCKS Of I I ~ () NA I I Y 1m

preferred Extraverted func tion and the most prefer red Int roverted function T he first letter of the code indicates which one of these is

our domina nt process N ote that in the type code or w hen they stand

alone the letters E and I are trad itionally capitalized When they are

co mbined w ith a letter representing a funct ion (such as T for Thinkshy

ing) to indic ate a me ntal process (such as Introverted T hinking) they

are lowercase (Ti)

In our first example ESFJ the E indicates that the Extraverted function

(which has already been determined to be Feeling) is the most preferred I

T hus for ESFJ Extraverted Feeling is the dominant process

Inthe second example the I shows that Introverted Feeling is the

dominant mental process for ISFP

j e Step 3

11ESFJ The ~ Wh~t b the dolrClnt In ISFP The E1iraverted energy orientation Introverted function is function isThefi r~t 1~t1~r of thefburl~lte~ tYp~middotcode Feeling (Fl so Feeling (F) soindicates whichoLthe tW~ previouslymiddot the dominant the dominant identifiedprocessesis dominant the Exshyprocessis process istravertedone or the Introverted one0- Extroverted Introverted Feeling (Fe) IfyoJrfiist letteri~ ~ for ~~avertirig your Feeling (Fi)

dominantprocess will beExtraverted If your first letter is I for IntrovertingyOur dominant proc~sS will De I~troverted

bull - J-

STEP 4 DETERMINE WHICH OF THE

Two PROCESSES IS THE AUXILIARY PROCESS

Step 4 Identifies our second-most preferred or auxiliary process Thi s is

simply the process we ident ified earlier that is not the dominant one For

ESrj Introverted Sensing is the aux iliary process For ISFP Ext raverted

Sensing IS the aux iliary process

Step 4 is a great illustration of how Myers created a practical apshy

plication from J ungs theory Jung observed that the psyche has a need

to balance the purpose and orientation of the dominant process In the

first exam ple the dominan t Judging function needs to be balanced by

Fom l our Dirho lomies 10 Eight Mental Processes to Sixtee n Types

a Perceiving function in the trusted adviser role and the domin ant

orientation to Ext raverting balanced by Introverting Similarly in the

seco nd example the dom inant Int roverted Judging fun ction needs the balance of an Extraverted Perceiving function

Step 4 InESFJ The What w~uld bal~nce InISFP The auxiliary Extraverting wlth i~f6~~rting and Judg- auxilioryprocessis ing with Pereeivi~9 process is Introverted

ExtravertedSensing (Si) Sensing (Se)

As we have shown the interpretation of the type code ident ifies not

only what our two preferred processes are but also which one we prefer

most (our dominant) and which is second (our auxiliary) The need for

balance applies to all eight of the mental processes creating sixteen posshy

sib le type sequences in which the processes are arranged by preference Thus we have a total of sixteen possible personality types

Eight very different type codes con tain aJ as the last letter

raquo gt

- J

shy

Igtf j

i ~

~~ ~~ r

shy

I ~~ v i

iooooo (J) e OG COOG0G ~f)

I 29