Is it common for our Te function to keep shutting down and how to prevent it?

AW10 said:

Actually, I have realized that whatever I do, it only keeps getting worse, I should be asking "How to have Te-shut-down?", not "How to prevent Te-shut-down?"; that would be true emotional balance.

Click to expand...

I suspect that the problem is not your Te shutting down, but wrenching control from your Fi and Se. When you let your inferior control, it actually does a terrible job. It leads to confusion, fear of making mistakes (your Ni joins in for fun), bad decisions, etc. This is called a grip episode (in the grip of your inferior function).

What may be needed is to allow your Fi and Se to take the lead again. How that happens, I'm not really sure. I struggle with this, and have my entire life. What we tend to do, when it starts, is to keep pushing, and pushing, and pushing, but all that really does is make things worse for ourselves. It's like we think that if we keep banging our heads against that brick wall, that at some point it's going to crumble down and move for us. But the wall is harder than our head, but we stubbornly think it isn't, so we keep banging away, getting bloodier and bloodier, and more and more "punch drunk" which simply makes us bang harder. The smarter thing to do is disengage, I suspect. Return to what you already know to do. But I think that backing off, finding something to occupy your Se that reinforces your Fi. Sometimes, it simply means remembering that there is a human side to the issue--feelings, both your own, and others. In these cases, I've found it best to remember that others have feelings too, and to attempt to relate to how they feel, and what they may want me to do. I don't really know what they would want, but I find that empathizing or feeling with them--trying to see their perspective--helps me to calm down. I need to remember that I can hurt others with my actions, and that it is wrong for me to enforce my rules. It often also requires an apology for my behavior. And typically, once that happens, things start to restore themselves to balance. I'll be honest, the most difficult part is apologizing. Sucking it up and taking the blame, even. I know I have, on occasion, taken blame that wasn't mine, but I always find that easier than trying other means to make others pay, or to carry their own share of the blame. Usually, however, once I start the process, others own up to their own role, and things smooth out properly. There have been people, however, who are quick to seize on your apology and to try to drive the stake further. In such situations, I have always found it best to just cut things off, and leave. Such people are not the sort one can have a productive or mutual relationship with. But I find it always best to let my Fi lead, and not try to force my Te upon myself or others.

You chose this role for Fi reasons, it seems to me best to keep to those. That is where your strength lies, as an ISFP. It is best to play to your strengths, not to your weaknesses. If you need help for "Te" things, enlist help. Here's a secret. Find people who are strong in your weak areas, and enlist their aid to help you.

I don't know if any of that will help, but this is how I've learned to deal with things--and again, I can't say I'm good at it, or that it would work for you.

hornet said:

Te is shut down by default if you are an ISFP.
If it where not your ego centered around Fi would disintegrate and you wouldn't really be you anymore.
If you are not careful you might go too far and end up castrating yourself with a scissor on a lonly friday night.
Just from the sheer psychotic issue of disintegrating your dominant function.

Click to expand...

I get it, it simply happens that after a stressful situation like messing things up as student representative and being judged from some people because of it, I end up neglecting myself and end up doing something like wondering how to strengthen my Te.

However, since I love and trust myself entirely, I am able to allow those neglecting myself episodes without having to fear of hurting myself on one way or another. If I don't love and trust myself entirely, I will not be able to allow things like that.

Also, there is so much things I still want to do, so it will be absurd to hurt myself in any way, and I need those neglecting myself episodes to accomplish my life goal: perfecting my system for life. If my life is perfect, I can't perfect my system for life.

So, till I perfect my system for life, my life will be episodes of respecting myself, episodes of neglecting myself, but once I perfect my system for life, I will give myself and everyone else answer to all life regarding questions and my true life will finally be able to begin.

AW10 said:

I get it, it simply happens that after a stressful situation like messing things up as student representative and being judged from some people because of it, I end up neglecting myself and end up doing something like wondering how to strengthen my Te.

However, since I love and trust myself entirely, I am able to allow those neglecting myself episodes without having to fear of hurting myself on one way or another. If I don't love and trust myself entirely, I will not be able to allow things like that.

Also, there is so much things I still want to do, so it will be absurd to hurt myself in any way, and I need those neglecting myself episodes to accomplish my life goal: perfecting my system for life. If my life is perfect, I can't perfect my system for life.

So, till I perfect my system for life, my life will be episodes of respecting myself, episodes of neglecting myself, but once I perfect my system for life, I will give myself and everyone else answer to all life regarding questions and my true life will finally be able to begin.

Click to expand...

Yeah arguably the example of Origen is a bit extreme and sort of unhelpful to the issue you are pointing to.
I don't expect you to actually end up disintegrating your dominant function.
Few people experience that sort of life issues.

As for the system of life, I found it extremely convoluted tbh.
I can see that it points to something that at least on the surface sounds legit.
Yet all my libido was seemingly robbed from me as I read it.
I get the same TLDR feeling I get when there is just too much Ti, and the only source of info is in the TLDR.

Now it is not uncommon for ISFPs to throw themself head first into highly complex thought problems,
especially when they are in a grip episode (having thinking take the helm).
If I was in the right frame of mind and had the patience I probably could have penetrated that system.

To be frank with you you seem really abstractly focused.
If you are an ISFP I would classify your state as flowing back and forth between inferior grip
and dominant/tertiary introverted loop.
I'm not sure if these terms mean much to you, but if not I will break it down for you.
An ISFP that act like you has lost contact with Se. (Extroverted sensation)

Watching a video like this should make you feel what I'm pointing to with Se.

hornet said:

An ISFP that act like you has lost contact with Se. (Extroverted sensation)

Click to expand...

Yes, that's about me: from time to time I feel like I am completely disconnected from my surroundings. That's because I my "nerve conduction" doesn't work properly due to the skin that covers my nerves being too thin, which results in signal from my environment either comes late or never.

However, my system allows me to have myself connected to my environment at will and I use "becoming aware of entity X" from "mental mechanism for adjusting" for it:

So, lets assume that I am currently performing "observing [text you have written]" and therefore I adjust my mind to mental setting: "become aware of: subject [text you have written] that is currently united with object [text you have written].

Click to expand...

So, it manages to boost my Se because it forces me to see aliveness of everything: "everything outside of me talks to me in one way or another".

Well, once I set my mind to the mental setting I have mentioned, it forces me to experience [text you have written] through all my senses.

More, once I have gained connection to [text you have written], I can process it.

Also, as long as I consciously perform what that mental setting says, my brain will stay fully connected to [text you have written] and I will be able to mentally process it.

Now, would it be easier for you to understand my system if I have only given examples like in the quote above for each one of four mental mechanisms?

AW10 said:

I have ended up writing a blog post that had the similar concept as those four mental mechanisms, I liked the concept a lot and slowly ended up creating the "system of mental mechanisms for enriching life".

Click to expand...

Ah okay.
I thought it was the other way around.

It changes it a lot, from, I found this stuff on the internet that I want to share with you.
to
This is how I understand things, I've structured it in a pdf.

I was in a different state of mind today, and found it easier to grasp what you where getting at.
In the beginning I could only see the terse statements.
Yet now a picture of more completeness comes into view.
I can see the validity of the structure and system now.

However it's abstract format makes it hard to apply directly.
It requires a level of penetration of understanding that few people posess.

I'm going to critique your text now.

I would suggest that you change your structure to either.....or, not either... either.
I think that is partly responsible for the feeling of convolutedness.

Another key difficulty is that you use several terms that are not very easy to understand.
Having some vocabulary or definition handy for the most difficult terms like entity would make
the text more accessible.

hornet said:

Ah okay.
I thought it was the other way around.

It changes it a lot, from, I found this stuff on the internet that I want to share with you.
to
This is how I understand things, I've structured it in a pdf.

I was in a different state of mind today, and found it easier to grasp what you where getting at.
In the beginning I could only see the terse statements.
Yet now a picture of more completeness comes into view.
I can see the validity of the structure and system now.

However it's abstract format makes it hard to apply directly.
It requires a level of penetration of understanding that few people posess.

I'm going to critique your text now.

I would suggest that you change your structure to either.....or, not either... either.
I think that is partly responsible for the feeling of convolutedness.

Another key difficulty is that you use several terms that are not very easy to understand.
Having some vocabulary or definition handy for the most difficult terms like entity would make
the text more accessible.

Click to expand...

Thanks for your advices, I will consider them next time I will be updating the system; that would be after I finish an extra that will be attached to the system.


About that extra, I have realized that "mental mechanism for adjusting" allows you to see things as they are and therefore can give you indirect, but complete answer to a question "how to realize your desired goal": "if you can see everything as it is, you will eventually find a way to realize your desire goal".

However, what if we want a direct, but still complete enough answer to that question? For that purpose I invented "mental mechanism for <function> adjusting", which can be use instead of regular "mental mechanism for adjusting" and at the same point of my system when you will use regular "mental mechanism for adjusting".

Basically, you now reduce all subjects to one function that is the most relevant to your desired goal. I have decided to explain that mechanism through function of sexuality (the only function that I still haven't even come close to understanding it), relevant to desired goals like: relationship and sex. So, I am explaining "mental mechanism for <function> adjusting" by "mental mechanism for sexual adjusting".

Now, core of that mental mechanism are the same "mental settings" as in the original "mental mechanism". However, instead of seeing "subjects", you see "function subjects", in this case "sexual subjects". Those are subjects reduced to only one function, the function that is the most relevant to the desired goal. However, to actually be able to make use of those "function subjects", you need to create a root definition for them.

So, for "sexual subjects", you need a "root definition" for "sexual subject woman" and/or "sexual subject man". Also, to make things even better, there are rules of creating each one of those "root definitions"; they should contain only things that are "applicable to all subjects in terms of that function", divided in two parts: "precise explanation of function subject" + "principle of approaching function subject".

Now, it all comes down to this: when you have those "root definitions" in your brain's memory, once you apply "mental setting" for some function, you simply remember "root definitions" of N "function subjects" for that function; N of those relevant to current situation and you will then know how to realize your desired goal.


Now, in order to make "root definitions" needed for the system, I am currently reading [one science book on "woman sexuality + glance at man sexuality + glance at sexuality regardless of gender"] and once I finish that book, I will be reading [one personal view book on "man sexuality", which I will apply to knowledge gained from a science book].

So, once I read those two books, I will use them to create "root definitions" of "sexual subject woman" and "sexual subject man", incorporate those "root definitions" into the system, apply final touches to the system, which includes your suggestions and finally release the final version of the system; after working on the system since November 2014, if you don't count prologue:

• [February 2012 - September 2014] Well, I needed more than 2 years of writing random blog posts to finally set a goal on creating some system that will simplify life for everyone.
• [September 2014 - November 2014] Then, in the next 3 months, I had two failed attempts, lost all hope of creating the system and started writing random posts again.
• [November 2014] Unexpectedly, first random post I have written was prototype of "mental mechanism for adjusting", build from an elements of previously made system. So, I have turned a failed attempt into something right and soon ended up creating prototypes of other "mental mechanisms" (in this order: "understanding", "responsibility", "deciding"); and then reordered them, after noticing that they are all connected and part of something larger. The system was then born!
• [November 2014 - February 2015] During that period I have removed all elements of previous system from a new system and nearly formed the new system.
• [February 2015 - May 2015] During that period, I have created a first beta version of system and after many changes, created a first stable version of the system (the current one).
• [May 2015 - present] Started creating a second and final stable version of system that will have and extra called "mental mechanism for <function> adjusting" explained by "mental mechanism for sexual adjusting"; and for that purposes started reading books I have mentioned, currently reading a "woman sexuality" book.

By the way, not so long before idea of "mental mechanism for <function> adjusting" came up, my Ni cognitive function has been suggesting me that I need "woman sexuality" book for something, so I have decided to order it, thinking that it will help me understand women better. However, it turned that it will, not only help me understand the women better, but help me create an algorithm for achieving all sexuality related goals.

AW10 said:

Thanks for your advices, I will consider them next time I will be updating the system; that would be after I finish an extra that will be attached to the system.

Click to expand...

No problem.

About that extra, I have realized that "mental mechanism for adjusting" allows you to see things as they are and therefore can give you indirect, but complete answer to a question "how to realize your desired goal": "if you can see everything as it is, you will eventually find a way to realize your desire goal".

Click to expand...

Yeah that seems legit. Comes down to ones power of observation though.
You must see before you have anything to work off of to understand and eventually adjust to imo.

However, what if we want a direct, but still complete enough answer to that question? For that purpose I invented "mental mechanism for <function> adjusting", which can be use instead of regular "mental mechanism for adjusting" and at the same point of my system when you will use regular "mental mechanism for adjusting".

Click to expand...

Now you made a bit of a difficult leap for me to follow.
The function inserted everywhere assumes a familiarity with your way of viewing functions.

Basically, you now reduce all subjects to one function that is the most relevant to your desired goal. I have decided to explain that mechanism through function of sexuality (the only function that I still haven't even come close to understanding it), relevant to desired goals like: relationship and sex. So, I am explaining "mental mechanism for <function> adjusting" by "mental mechanism for sexual adjusting".

Click to expand...

Well sexuality permeates everything that is inside the realm of humanity so I get how that would be useful.
Still it is really hard to follow your leaps here, I'm not sure how this would come about.
That is typical of introverted intuition btw and in your case I would hold the option open that you maybe
using Ti more that Te here.

Now, core of that mental mechanism are the same "mental settings" as in the original "mental mechanism". However, instead of seeing "subjects", you see "function subjects", in this case "sexual subjects". Those are subjects reduced to only one function, the function that is the most relevant to the desired goal. However, to actually be able to make use of those "function subjects", you need to create a root definition for them.

Click to expand...

This reminds me of reading Jung the first time a Ti dom, to be honest.
My Fi oriented libido is just drained until I can parse it on my own with my own Ni, slowly but surely.

So, for "sexual subjects", you need a "root definition" for "sexual subject woman" and/or "sexual subject man". Also, to make things even better, there are rules of creating each one of those "root definitions"; they should contain only things that are "applicable to all subjects in terms of that function", divided in two parts: "precise explanation of function subject" + "principle of approaching function subject".

Click to expand...

If you say so, I'm not sure I'm clear on anything anymore. (No joke)

Now, it all comes down to this: when you have those "root definitions" in your brain's memory, once you apply "mental setting" for some function, you simply remember "root definitions" of N "function subjects" for that function; N of those relevant to current situation and you will then know how to realize your desired goal.

Click to expand...

LOL one does not simply remember ""root definitions" of N "function subjects"" xD

Now, in order to make "root definitions" needed for the system, I am currently reading [one science book on "woman sexuality + glance at man sexuality + glance at sexuality regardless of gender"] and once I finish that book, I will be reading [one personal view book on "man sexuality", which I will apply to knowledge gained from a science book].

Click to expand...

I see.

So, once I read those two books, I will use them to create "root definitions" of "sexual subject woman" and "sexual subject man", incorporate those "root definitions" into the system, apply final touches to the system, which includes your suggestions and finally release the final version of the system; after working on the system since November 2014, if you don't count prologue:

• [February 2012 - September 2014] Well, I needed more than 2 years of writing random blog posts to finally set a goal on creating some system that will simplify life for everyone.
• [September 2014 - November 2014] Then, in the next 3 months, I had two failed attempts, lost all hope of creating the system and started writing random posts again.
• [November 2014] Unexpectedly, first random post I have written was prototype of "mental mechanism for adjusting", build from an elements of previously made system. So, I have turned a failed attempt into something right and soon ended up creating prototypes of other "mental mechanisms" (in this order: "understanding", "responsibility", "deciding"); and then reordered them, after noticing that they are all connected and part of something larger. The system was then born!
• [November 2014 - February 2015] During that period I have removed all elements of previous system from a new system and nearly formed the new system.
• [February 2015 - May 2015] During that period, I have created a first beta version of system and after many changes, created a first stable version of the system (the current one).
• [May 2015 - present] Started creating a second and final stable version of system that will have and extra called "mental mechanism for <function> adjusting" explained by "mental mechanism for sexual adjusting"; and for that purposes started reading books I have mentioned, currently reading a "woman sexuality" book.

By the way, not so long before idea of "mental mechanism for <function> adjusting" came up, my Ni cognitive function has been suggesting me that I need "woman sexuality" book for something, so I have decided to order it, thinking that it will help me understand women better. However, it turned that it will, not only help me understand the women better, but help me create an algorithm for achieving all sexuality related goals.

Click to expand...

Hmm...
To be honest I'm unsure of what to think of your project.
It is obviously heavily abstract , both thinking and intuition in plenty.
However since thinking and intuition applied fully represses sensing and feeling, it is no surprise that those are lacking.

Now I'm not saying that is not good, and feelings shows itself in the initial motivation.
But I'm wondering about application of this subjective construct you are building.
Cause you are clearly on to something, I just don't see right now what you are onto
or how it would even relate back to the inital goal of life enrichment.

Now I'm saying this because I'm losing the thread right now.
A part of me wants to dismiss it cause I feel threatened by the blatant disregard for sensing
and a familiarity with thinking in a very abstract sense.

I would suggest to you to consider the difference between ISTP and ISFP from a typology POV.
If this is the result of a balanced expression of your dominant function I would have to call you a Ti dom.
If it is a result of a striving for equilibrium due to stress then maybe you are a Fi dom.
I'm just putting the possibility out there so you can consider it.
In any case your lack of sensation focus troubles me and I would encourage you to take some time out to
explore some sensate activity, even if it is just looking at the sky trough a window.

hornet said:

I would suggest to you to consider the difference between ISTP and ISFP from a typology POV.
If this is the result of a balanced expression of your dominant function I would have to call you a Ti dom.
If it is a result of a striving for equilibrium due to stress then maybe you are a Fi dom.
I'm just putting the possibility out there so you can consider it.
In any case your lack of sensation focus troubles me and I would encourage you to take some time out to
explore some sensate activity, even if it is just looking at the sky trough a window.

Click to expand...

I have considered what you have written and I have realized that I am ISFP with a life goal that wrecks him, but gives him a lot in return.

Well, my life goal is to create a perfect system for life and as long as I don't create the perfect system for life, I will be craving progress on creating that system. Therefore, it forces me to excessively use Thinking and iNtuiting functions and although that drains me, I do not want to surrender to that drain, I go with it.

Well, what holds me is the fact that I can have plenty of Sensing and Feeling once I can have a system that will guide me through every aspect of my life. So, although my whole being screams for more Sensing and Feeling, I am so much determined to realize my life goal that there is nothing I am not willing to do to realize it.

So, the cause of me being disconnected from my Se is not "demyelinating disease", but my strong determination to realize my life goal. That's explains why recent neurological tests has shown nothing serious, but on a surface, it still seems that I have some neurological problem.

P.S.: If you, in my explanation of the extra of the system, replace every instance of word "function" with the word "component", you will be able to understand what I was talking about. What was confusing you is use of the same word, "function" for two different things.

AW10 said:

So, the cause of me being disconnected from my Se is not "demyelinating disease", but my strong determination to realize my life goal. That's explains why recent neurological tests has shown nothing serious, but on a surface, it still seems that I have some neurological problem.

Click to expand...

If I could be so bold to speak up here. I suggest reading this article: http://personalitycafe.com/isfp-articles/76773-recognizing-inferior-function-isfps.html

And seriously reconsidering the path you have set for yourself. You are leaning heavily on your weakest functions. This will not give you the rewards you are seeking, but a constant sense of underperforming, and a deep-seated sense of dissatisfaction, and wondering why you aren't doing better, or why you aren't what you want to be. The harder you try to turn to your weaker functions, the worse it will be. This article describes how our inferior function can really cork up our lives. And it not something to disregard or take lightly.

I say this because I speak from my own personal experience. I had 20 years of leaning on my inferior function, and ignoring my auxiliary function (most of the time). What's weird is that when I allowed my auxiliary function to actually perform its proper role of supporting my dominant one (Fi), I was successful, happy, and my family was as well, but then I would feel guilty, and jump right back to my inferior, because I thought it was the proper way of this world, etc. But the truth is, it doesn't really matter what we think or what others think. For us, digging into our unconscious like this is not merely dangerous, but doomed to failure. I read what you write on this, and I cringe... you sound a lot like me 20 years ago...

(and... Gah!!! but I'm starting to sound like my father!)