

This is all tied in with your ego and who you think you are. These functions represent the parts of you that lie at the edge of your mind, the parts that are hidden and those that you probably don’t want to admit to. So, following the previous example, an ENFPs shadow functions would be:īasically, the introverted and extraverted natures of the functions are flipped around to create the shadow functions. According to this model, the shadow functions are the opposite of your primary functions. John Beebe was one of the first researchers to introduce the idea of the shadow functions in his Eight Function Model. When you use your dominant functions, you naturally suppress their opposites, and this gives rise to the idea of shadow functions. However, your personality is also affected by the opposites of these dominants. These are your strengths and the functions that you’ll exhibit most often in your personality. Introverted sensing is your inferior function, which usually manifests in times of stress and is strongly connected to the past as a determiner of the value of the present.Extraverted thinking is your tertiary function, an underdeveloped part of your personality which makes you aware of the emotional states of the people around you.Introverted feeling is your auxiliary function, which makes decisions about the world and determines what’s most important to you.This is the way you see the world and the learn about it. Extraverted intuition is your dominant.For example, ENFPs have the following function stack: These four letters dictate the cognitive functions that you use, are most comfortable with, and can build strength in. These are linked to the four-letter personality description that you’re probably familiar with. In the MBTI system, everyone has four cognitive functions that determine their personality type and guide their behavior. And in terms of the MBTI system, this usually refers to the cognitive functions that are the opposites of your strengths. They refer to the parts of you that you don’t access, the hidden parts. The most prominent theory is that shadow functions are exactly what they sound like. There’s a lot of debate about the shadow functions when it comes to MBTI and not everyone agrees on what they are.


It will open up new paths of development and help you understand what you do and why on a much deeper level. Learning about the shadow functions and how they will affect your personality and your development, is a good way to start these explorations. If you want to get deeper into the MBTI system, then you need to go beyond the dichotomies and even deeper than the functions.
