Inferior Function

According to MBTI, my inferior function is Te as an INFP. I'm still learning about it all, but I think I have enough of a grasp on functions to reply.

I rather like Te, to be honest. It has its good and bad, like most all functions. But Te drives me to finish stuff up, to do things in a logical pattern. It helps me to rationalize things, to see why things happen the way they did (the events leading up to...). A lot of my friends think I'm a Thinker--though not in MBTI terms--simply because I'm fairly comfortable with Te, enough to show it to people.

At its worst, I can be extremely critical, impatient, and cynical. I hate days when I get into this mood. My head starts thinking, quite rudely, "Why didn't they do it this way?" or "It isn't that hard!" Another bad part I find about Te is that it can be hard to break out of its cycle. In some ways, it's easier to stick with Te than with Ne... but I'm not happier with a Te outlook.

In a month or so, some of this may be outdated (and/or I'll be like, "crap, I totally got half of that post wrong"), but 'tis my two cents for now. :crazy:

I've been thinking a lot more about my inferior and reading up on it. This is what I found with inferior the function upon reflection:

* Inferior function is connected to the Dominant Function. It is activated, when the dominant function seeks something and is very engaged in it. Here it will, try to get more details, and "study it." So for example, as an ENFJ with a Fe dom, if I like something, I will pursue it's understanding to the zenith. I will put all of my energy into learning and studying this thing that I like which fell into my gaze. This is because my inferior is Ti and so it is seeking more and more details to understand the object. I feel like I have endless energy on learning/teaching sometimes - because this is where FE and TI join force...

* Inferior function can not work optimally if Dominant Function is not "fed well". My experience is that if I don't like something, there's no way in hell I would care for it's details.

* Inferior function shows it's ugly side (with fighting power) when the conscious functions .ie Dom, Auxiliary and Tertiary needs are not being met. i.e I will make a biting comment which uses logic that reveals an ugly truth about something....

* If I'm in the position to give my Inferior function reign, it will overuse itself, wanting more and more (i.e more learning and studying of something) to the point where it may even compromise my conscious functions. I.e I better study than sleep or eat!

So, I guess the question is, how can you have a healthy and balanced brain where everyone gets everything?

I've looked at some ideas on integrating the inferior, but apparently, it's like the tip of the iceberg into your subconscious!

Anyone have any ideas or more info on the inferior function?

I think its important to point out that inferior function and shadow are not 'bad' in and of themselves. Just not what you generally see yourself as. Different or other would be better ways to look at it. Because the inferior function is the conscious expression of your shadow (all of the parts of yourself that you are generally unaware of) matters related to the inferior function will seem foreign and often projected onto other people as something they are doing and not you. Sometimes this takes the form of a pet peeve where the thing you are accusing others of is the very thing you yourself are guilty of (think of the Thinking type husband who accuses his Feeling type wife of being hypersensitive -- in reality its probably the husband who has the issue with dealing with his emotions).

The inferior function is not necessarily the least developed function just the least conscious function. So it doesn't mean that, for instance, if you are an Introverted Feeling type you will have no Te. Just that Te will be the opposite of the process you would turn to. Inferior function is probably the most important function though because it represents the fulcrum point between the conscious and unconscious parts of ourselves. If we do not properly assimilate our inferior function we cannot really grow as individuals and become more complete because we will never truly accept the sum total of who we are only the nicely dressed up veneer (generally expressed with dominant function and our personas).

But we cannot, as Von Franz says, just hop in the bath of our inferior function for a minute or two and hop out and think we are individuating. It is a major process to endure to come to grips that Dr. Jekyll does indeed have a Mr. Hyde. Many people do not get that far, even in the latter stages of life, they may still project all of their ills or pet peeves rather than own their own dual natures. As a result the inferior function is also the language of the demagogue. If you ever want to get people riled up, the easiest way to do it is to appeal to their inferior function because it is largely not under conscious control and thus very raw and primal. Jung used the term archaic and primitive. Lacking in nuance. Always filled with emotion, typically expressed in all-or-nothing platitudes and hot and cold episodes.

So when we are talking about someone's type as Extraverted Intuitive or Introverted Thinking type this is somewhat of a half-truth. The person consciously is an Extraverted Intuitive or Ti-type, but they are also Introverted Sensation (in the case of Ne-dom) and Extraverted Feeling (in the case of Ti-type) as well. I always use the analogy of two riders on a see-saw where you can only see one rider, the dominant function, but the influence of the other is still present. The Ne-dom is just as influenced by his Introverted Sensation function as he is Ne, but he is just largely unaware of this influence in many cases and consciously tries to downplay it, but of course the more you try to repress something the more you empower it. Introverted Sensation types have the stereotype of sticking to what they know and being worriers, but this isn't because of Si expressly but rather because of their inferior intuitions throwing out negative possibilities. The Extraverted Feeling type might stick to established norms and rituals only because it pains him to have to consider things logically for himself (inferior Ti), they'd rather stick to making value judgments based on how they feel.

So once you learn to see dominant/inferior as two sides of a coin and not only pay attention to "What type am I?" but rather "what am I also trying not to be?" you begin to develop a clearer picture about who you are. Many analysts, including people like Marie-Louise Von Franz often only typed people by inferior function because it was much easier to spot someone's weak spots and touchy areas and work backwards than the nicely packaged personas and impression management strategies people often try to put forth (which sometimes is the only thing metrics like MBTI or Big 5 can truly measure). The trick is to learn to see the bigger picture of who you are so that you can individuate or 'become yourself,' but you can never do this if you are not even aware of the possibility that there may be more to you than you generally pay attention to.

I don't think that it was until my late 20's that I became aware of how the inferior Se interacts in my mind. I know when I was younger I had a terrible time being conscious of my external environment.

I find it's difficult if not impossible to control. I'm wondering if this is my inferior Se coming out, but when I'm bogged down and sapped of internal resources, I pay attention to every single miniscule detail. All of a sudden I can see a fly on a black wall 30 feet away, and the tiniest pin drop suddenly becomes an overwhelming thud. I start becoming really fidgety, try to do everything at once and I have a difficult time trying to focus on any specific task.

I'm totally convinced, however, that even though I'm rarely aware of how my inferior Se is at work in my mind, I think it helps me in my job a lot. I find that even while my heads in the clouds, I know whether something is cleaned to my incredibly high standards or not. In my mind, I'm just "sensing" it, but it could be the inferior Se feeding into my mind external information without my awareness. I understand Ni-doms, especially INFJs (I guess because the auxiliary Fe gives us and edge in predicting human behaviors) tend to often be mistaken for psychics, the inferior Se always taking in information without our awareness, until we know the whole story without really knowing consciously how we know....

There's another thing that happens in my mind that I'm wondering if this is also being fed by the inferior Se. I have fantasies sometimes (in the 3rd person oddly enough) of me being a dancer or cheerleader (especially cheerleader). I'm kinda wondering if these are subconscious desires prompted by the inferior Se....

I know about 5 INFJs. I attract them like magnets...they're not so rare!

My personal experience of INFJs Inferior Se is that they either embrace Se with Ni or they get shy or scared of it and it makes them go into inaction or avoidance and judgement. INFJs do have very high standards, for themselves and they seem to judge everyone on this as well. It must be the Ni dom-Se inferior function as their judgment seems very based on status driven stuff like education, wealth and class.

Here's my observation: INFJs can come out to be very wise because of their Ni-dom, but a lot of the stuff they aspire or want from people are pretty superficial at the end of the day. I attribute this to inferior Se. It doesn't seem like they are aware of it but they will do alot of work, just for some sensational relief. Like make friends with people who have "connections or status" and build a really good friendship with them, just so they could score cheap tickets to the opera or something like that and think it's the pooh-ba.

It feels like INFJs just want to be associated with you so that they can build their own status. It doesn't feel like they genuinely care. Also, I've also seen INFJs ditching close friends and family members if they should ever lose their so called social standing. That's just well... lame but feel free to clarify on this matter.

I know this is a bit big, but I'm an ENFJ and I highly value loyalty from friends and extremely dislike this part of INFJs or any other personality type.

Paradigm said:

According to MBTI, my inferior function is Te as an INFP. I'm still learning about it all, but I think I have enough of a grasp on functions to reply.

I rather like Te, to be honest. It has its good and bad, like most all functions. But Te drives me to finish stuff up, to do things in a logical pattern. It helps me to rationalize things, to see why things happen the way they did (the events leading up to...). A lot of my friends think I'm a Thinker--though not in MBTI terms--simply because I'm fairly comfortable with Te, enough to show it to people.

At its worst, I can be extremely critical, impatient, and cynical. I hate days when I get into this mood. My head starts thinking, quite rudely, "Why didn't they do it this way?" or "It isn't that hard!" Another bad part I find about Te is that it can be hard to break out of its cycle. In some ways, it's easier to stick with Te than with Ne... but I'm not happier with a Te outlook.

In a month or so, some of this may be outdated (and/or I'll be like, "crap, I totally got half of that post wrong"), but 'tis my two cents for now. :crazy:

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I question whether or not this is inferior Te or Se - they can look rather similar at times (your whole focus on "ways" seems more perception-related to me (sounds familiar to inferior Se in me as well) - I'm kind of thinking inferior Te might be less focused on the moment or the reverberations of the moment and what could be done to have prevented it and more on literal intellectual judgments. I think inferior thinking would be more related to universal doctrine (or what supposedly is) than to a momentary happening like inferior perception functions (e.g. if the Fi dom. hates school, they might get really close-minded about any of the actual benefits that might exist in the concept of education, for instance, and act juvenile all like "I don't care, I hate it anyway").They might consist of those people who if you try to present them with facts, they get all pissy and close-minded and refuse to try to see the potential value in them (so, they become like a very crude charicature of Te dominants). Actually, it seems common for people to think only the inferior T or F functions come off as rude (as if dominant F automatically makes you a nice person, which is not actually true at all), but actually, people tend to be mean and rude around ALL of the inferior functions (and pretty nice around their dominants, generally, obviously where their personas are as well).

roastingmallows said:

What a brilliant comparison! That is exactly what it is.

But what I don't understand is...How is it even possible feel that way about Se, the most straightforward, honest, uncomplicated function in existance? It makes so much sense for me that Ni is my inferior function because it is confusing and paranoid and dark and vague, but Se!? So simple. I mean, obviously that has much to do with me BEING an Se dominant, but how? I know I just kind of asked you this in my thread, but how does Se feel to you? Or anyone reading this with Se as their inferior? Does it feel the same for everyone? Being "in the grip" of your inferior function? What is it about Se that makes you UNCOMFORTABLE?

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I hate having to deal with too many facts/details at once, because I don't know what to do with them. I don't know how to order them or what's supposed to be important or what can be ignored. I have very little, or no, preface for the intended purpose of this information. It's like someone coming up to you and dumping a load of firewood in your arms without so much as a howdy-do. All you're left with is an armload of firewood and a lot of confusion. "What am I supposed to do with all this! What was that all about anyway?"

I also don't always trust what's in immediately front of me. I cannot easily believe that what's right there in front of me is all I need to concern myself with. Surely there is more to it than that. It must mean something. There must be some kind of connection between this thing right here and some other thing I've perceived. To be told there is no connection is to cause me to scoff and think, "Yeah right. You just haven't seen what that connection is. Worry not, I'll find it for both of us."

When Se does see it's day, it's usually overused to the point where Ni is almost eclipsed from the process. It's an infantile reaction to what I'm perceiving through that function. I may make a decision too quickly and without considering the consequences simply because I felt pressured to decide right at that moment. I may create a project, only to neglect a number of important details that were irrelevant to the main goal, but vital to allowing that project to properly function simply because I didn't even notice those details missing. Properly incorporating Se into my life involves recognizing that I will probably miss something of that nature and I should forgive myself for not getting the real-world application of whatever it was right the first time. I should make myself double check my work and run it through several test runs to be sure I haven't forgotten anything (though I dislike doing this, because I inherently find any bug testing tedious and annoying). Or, even better, have a friend be my eyes and help me see what I cannot.

When stressed, my experience will be over-detailed, over-saturated with facts that have little bearing on the matter at hand, over-complicated. I have to use the mantra "Keep It Simple Stupid" quite often in order to reign in my need to apply far too much information where it isn't necessary, because I'm worried that someone won't understand my meaning.

When Se works for me, it works amazingly. For example, I learned to paddleboard by mentally applying what I understood from kayaking to this new sport. As soon as I had the paddle in my hands, I was going just fine as if I'd done it all my life. Or the time when I snatched the basketball right out from under the school's star point guard. I did it without thinking and it happened so smoothly even I was surprised (we were playing co-ed, so, mind you, this was also a 6 1/2 foot tall young man). Moments later, Se "crashed" and I passed it clumsily, didn't notice where the ball was, and generally went back to being very mediocre at the sport.

So, when Se works, it works just fine. I'm able to apply concepts and models in a practical fashion such that the result is both functional and meaningful. But that's the problem with Se being inferior. It either works and is absolutely amazing and something miraculous happens that no one, not even me, could have expected, or it doesn't work at all and I'm floundering until I get my head wrapped around the current environment.

Kyrielle said:

I hate having to deal with too many facts/details at once, because I don't know what to do with them. I don't know how to order them or what's supposed to be important or what can be ignored. I have very little, or no, preface for the intended purpose of this information. It's like someone coming up to you and dumping a load of firewood in your arms without so much as a howdy-do. All you're left with is an armload of firewood and a lot of confusion. "What am I supposed to do with all this! What was that all about anyway?"

I also don't always trust what's in immediately front of me. I cannot easily believe that what's right there in front of me is all I need to concern myself with. Surely there is more to it than that. It must mean something. There must be some kind of connection between this thing right here and some other thing I've perceived. To be told there is no connection is to cause me to scoff and think, "Yeah right. You just haven't seen what that connection is. Worry not, I'll find it for both of us."

When Se does see it's day, it's usually overused to the point where Ni is almost eclipsed from the process. It's an infantile reaction to what I'm perceiving through that function. I may make a decision too quickly and without considering the consequences simply because I felt pressured to decide right at that moment. I may create a project, only to neglect a number of important details that were irrelevant to the main goal, but vital to allowing that project to properly function simply because I didn't even notice those details missing. Properly incorporating Se into my life involves recognizing that I will probably miss something of that nature and I should forgive myself for not getting the real-world application of whatever it was right the first time. I should make myself double check my work and run it through several test runs to be sure I haven't forgotten anything (though I dislike doing this, because I inherently find any bug testing tedious and annoying). Or, even better, have a friend be my eyes and help me see what I cannot.

When stressed, my experience will be over-detailed, over-saturated with facts that have little bearing on the matter at hand, over-complicated. I have to use the mantra "Keep It Simple Stupid" quite often in order to reign in my need to apply far too much information where it isn't necessary, because I'm worried that someone won't understand my meaning.

When Se works for me, it works amazingly. For example, I learned to paddleboard by mentally applying what I understood from kayaking to this new sport. As soon as I had the paddle in my hands, I was going just fine as if I'd done it all my life. Or the time when I snatched the basketball right out from under the school's star point guard. I did it without thinking and it happened so smoothly even I was surprised (we were playing co-ed, so, mind you, this was also a 6 1/2 foot tall young man). Moments later, Se "crashed" and I passed it clumsily, didn't notice where the ball was, and generally went back to being very mediocre at the sport.

So, when Se works, it works just fine. I'm able to apply concepts and models in a practical fashion such that the result is both functional and meaningful. But that's the problem with Se being inferior. It either works and is absolutely amazing and something miraculous happens that no one, not even me, could have expected, or it doesn't work at all and I'm floundering until I get my head wrapped around the current environment.

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How do you even function without the details? I've never quite understood how that works. If I am to make an informed decision, I obviously need all the details. For me to come to any conclusion, it would be reckless of me to do so without having all the details. So how does Ni work without a lot of attention to sensory/immediate details? I may never understand. D: It's like you just draw conclusions from thin air, or because something feels right...That doesn't seem like a very reliable method! Perhaps intuitives are simply able to look at things from differing perspectives and draw original conclusions outside of the obvious? So do you often ignore the obvious?

Not only that but I find details and facts fascinating. If I am interested in a topic, I want to know every little fact and detail. If I listen to a song or look at a painting, I try to notice everything there is to notice.

How can you not trust what is in front of you when it is RIGHT THERE??

Do you think that Se doms are more likely to pick up new skills with ease, but Ni (or Ne?) doms are able to quickly grasp a concept? I too can quickly grasp a concept, but that is because I will do extensive research in search of every little detail to help me understand it better. In algebra for example, my INFJ brother in law will try to teach me some complicated operation and leave out details that to me are important to know and to him are implied and he never even thought about it before, but he just expects me to see the pattern, but I need to know WHY you do that and every property of the problem and the way the pieces are able to interact...

roastingmallows said:

How do you even function without the details? I've never quite understood how that works. If I am to make an informed decision, I obviously need all the details. For me to come to any conclusion, it would be reckless of me to do so without having all the details. So how does Ni work without a lot of attention to sensory/immediate details? I may never understand. D: It's like you just draw conclusions from thin air, or because something feels right...That doesn't seem like a very reliable method! Perhaps intuitives are simply able to look at things from differing perspectives and draw original conclusions outside of the obvious? So do you often ignore the obvious?

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I don't need all of the details, just enough to get the pattern of what I'm looking at. You can tell me just the bullet points, and I'll go "Oh, so it works like X" and usually that'll be rather close to correct once the details are revealed. The problem with this is Ni-doms are sometimes prone to looking for confirmation bias to support their patterns rather than forcing themselves to address the details that defy what they've assumed. This is also part of learning to incorporate Se: learning to understand that you aren't always going to be correct in your assumptions (preposterous as that may seem to us...even right now as I write this, part of me is balking at the very idea).

Perhaps intuitives are simply able to look at things from differing perspectives and draw original conclusions outside of the obvious?

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That's a good way of considering Ni right there. Ni is very much about looking at perspectives of things. Just as you might turn an object in your hands to look at all the sides, Ni turns ideas in our heads to see the different sides.

I don't so much as ignore the obvious as classify it was less important than other potential meanings. The obvious is usually the last part I consider, because I make the assumption that most people do not intend the obvious. Usually this is true. Furthermore, it aids me in finding a shortcut in doing something. Maybe I don't have to do anything in sequence. Maybe if I look at what this obvious item means and link it together with some other concept that's similar, I can skip a bunch of steps ahead and save myself a lot of work.

Not only that but I find details and facts fascinating. If I am interested in a topic, I want to know every little fact and detail. If I listen to a song or look at a painting, I try to notice everything there is to notice.

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I can be that way as well. I've finally accepted that when something interests me, I get seriously obsessive about it and overdose on experiencing it (this was something I've always been a bit ashamed of). My reasoning is not only do I physically enjoy what I'm experiencing and absorbing the actual knowledge, but I've found a wellspring of meaning in whatever it is. So, in say, listening to that album over and over and over, I'm trying to assimilate as much meaning as I can possibly gather from this experience. It's almost a synthesis of the actual experience as it's happening and the meaning I'm deriving from it at the same time. I'm connecting this meaning to my internal perception of the world, myself, and my place in it.

How can you not trust what is in front of you when it is RIGHT THERE??

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Lol, well it's just not as important as what isn't there. Perhaps a very good thing for Se-doms (and Ni-doms in the reverse) to learn would be to learn to see what isn't there at the same time they see what is there. Often times what isn't said is even more important than what is said. There are lots of gaps in between things we see, and that's where some really interesting things lie.

Do you think that Se doms are more likely to pick up new skills with ease, but Ni (or Ne?) doms are able to quickly grasp a concept? I too can quickly grasp a concept, but that is because I will do extensive research in search of every little detail to help me understand it better.

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Yes, I think that's very likely true more often than not. I'm good and picking up what you're generally supposed to do with a skill, but the execution is what will cause me trouble for some time until I've really practiced it enough. So, I can do something almost right if it's my first time doing it, but getting the proper technique takes me a lot longer. I have to find my own way of physically doing whatever it is, rather than just doing what someone tells me to do (for some mysterious reason, that just never works...it's like my brain cannot follow those directions to the letter if I already think I know what to do). And once I have the actual execution down (which takes me much longer than it might take an Se-dom), I take that idea and apply it to other things to make learning faster.

I don't need to know all the details for how to do something because I've already noticed a pattern, made an assumption, and am now either working off of that assumption or waiting impatiently for further details to confirm my understanding.

I must admit that if I'm not watching myself, I fall into the same traps your brother does when teaching someone something. For that reason, I preface almost any teaching session with: "If you are confused, lost, or need more detail at any point, just stop me and ask for clarification. I don't always know when I'm being too vague." Because I really do want people to ask me if they get lost. I have no problem retracing my steps and going into further detail, solely because I know I will forget to do so if I'm not careful.

It's really, really hard for me to put every single detail into consideration in this context, because I'm fighting my natural impulse to skip over stuff and say, "Oh, that's easy enough to see right there. They don't necessarily need to know that part." When, in fact, there are quite a few people who do.

Edit: On that note, I seem to have written you another book, good lord. But I am rather enjoying this interplay we're discussing. It's like we need to come to the same place in order to achieve balance in ourselves, but we're coming from opposite directions. I find that fascinating and strangely wonderful.

Inferior Te here.

My inferior fuction manifest in a inferiority complex because of my incompetence( If just I was more intelligent, if just I was more analitycal, If just..... etc) also in a brute and rude way to say things to people when Im stressed( you Fu$% id0ts cant do anything right *insert more fu bombs here*).

Usually Im calm and sensible but when I get into "Te mode " its like a volcano thats going to erupt in any moment, even my friends say " I can feel your heat", I turn red and my stomach say "grrrrrr :angry:" ( literally my stomach grune).I start seen others as inferiors and become arrogant, everything is useless, I want to have a rocket launcher and say " you, what do you do?....its not what I need Ka-boom, and you?.... take no prisioners, everybody is guilty".

I MUST CONTROL EVERYTHING....

anecdote: one time in high school i was hynotized with one girl because she was cute in the sense of cuteness ( no sexual) but she said she doesnt care and I was weird. When I came home I enter to my room I say "you dont know who you are talking to, how dare you to reject Me.....you...you....YOU!!!!!!" (


Doesnt matter what I have to do, you would be mine, only mine...MINE!!!!!:angry: ( even I am scary of myself .___.)
This episode fluttershy basically show how I behave in Te mode....Is so accurate that is scary.