Personality Types According to Carl Jung
In psychology, there are different personality theories. These are models aimed at cataloging, classifying, and describing the different types of human behavior. Traits and characteristics distinguish each type snd describe a particular profile of an individual. Today, we’d like to talk about Carl Gustav Jung’s personality types.
Although we sometimes may think that this is a recent interest, in reality, the description of personality has concerned humanity for millennia. For example, Hippocrates and Galen both had models oriented towards it. Since Carl Jung’s personality types have been the most transcendent, however, we’d like to describe what they are and their characteristics today.
Carl Jung’s eight personality types
Carl Jung’s model of personality types has its origin in his 1921 book Psychological Types. It’s by far one of the most influential models in psychology. Its postulates continue in the Myers-Briggs Indicator and the Keirsey temperament classifiers, among other places.
In his theory, Jung classifies cognitive functions into two dichotomous pairs: rational (judging) functions such as thinking and feeling and irrational (perceiving) functions such as feeling and intuition.
Both, according to his writings, can manifest as introverted or extroverted. Based on this, the following classification emerges.
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1. Personality types: The reflective extrovert
Reflective extroverts (or thinkers) are those who focus exclusively on reason. They use logic to guide their thinking, so they steer away from idealism or unfounded assumptions. They pay more attention to their own thoughts than to those of others, so they’re individualistic in this respect.
This is something they also may state explicitly. They’re very open to sharing their questions and answers and are often associated with leadership. However, they’re usually more interested in knowing things than presenting them. They can also be somewhat stubborn, manipulative, and even tyrannical with those around them.
2. The Thoughtful Introvert
Thoughtful introverts (or thinkers) are characterized by being guided by the paths of reason, but they do so without forming strong ties to society. They share their restlessness for the questions and answers and for synthesizing what they interpret with the previous personality type, although they prefer to keep to themselves.
Therefore, a reflective introvert has certain antisocial traits, may be perceived as strange and often prefers solitude. As in the previous case, they can be very stubborn, show little sensitivity towards others, and be slightly authoritarian with their ideas (although without imposing them so strongly).
3. Personality Types: The sentimental extrovert
Those who show a sentimental extroverted personality will have great abilities to establish social relationships. They are very open to communication, empathetic, pleasant, accommodating, and not afraid to express their feelings according to the occasion.
However, this doesn’t imply that they are 100% comfortable in the herd, as they may sometimes shy away from it. They’re sensitive to rejection and are not prone to reflection. It’s a very malleable personality that we may even classify as conventional.
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4. The Sentimental Introvert
They develop the same feelings as the previous type, although they’re not as docile when it comes to showing them. For example, they’re very empathetic, friendly, and communicative with those around them, although they’re much less so with strangers.
They’re not very spontaneous when expressing some feelings, such as attachment. They may keep some emotions to themselves, but this does not mean that they don’t suffer from them. Also, they’re often categorized as solitary, melancholic, or indifferent.
5. Personality Types: The Perceptive Extrovert
This personality type is also called sensitive extrovert and is best described as a person who is interested in external phenomena. They’re very practical, assimilate the world, and are continuously interested in new life experiences.
For this reason, they tend to appreciate everything related to enjoying life and generally do so in the company of a group of people. They don’t hesitate to try a new life experience and may even make decisions without thinking about it. They’re usually very inspiring.
6. The Perceptive Introvert
These people give an added value to what they can assimilate through their senses, without this implying that their reason or feelings process them. Many of these people are dedicated to art or, in any case, to add experiences that give them satisfaction.
Reality is everything for them, so they value it above all things. They can be pleasant people, although they can also be self-absorbed in a solitary attitude frequently. They’re modest and sometimes prefer silence, but this does not mean they get lost in deep ideas or reasoning.
7. The Intuitive Extrovert
The last contrasting palette of Gustav Jung’s personality types is found in the Intuitives, which encompasses the final two types on this list. Intuitive extroverts are often categorized as adventurous or enterprising. They tend to have many projects going on at once, and keep adding new ones as they finish others.
They focus on the future and on ideas they can bring to fruition. They usually think only of themselves, so the achievement of their goals does not always positively impact others. They also don’t usually stop to savor their achievements. Instead, they go for a new one on their list.
8. The Intuitive Introvert
Finally, these people are also not as concerned with the present. In fact, their ideas, thoughts, and reflections always point to the future. They can be very dreamy, idealistic, and imaginative, and they do this independently of others. This leads them to be a bit impulsive and to act on what is on their minds right in the moment.
If we take into account the Myers-Briggs indicator, which describes 16 personalities, people with this personality correspond to the INFJ type. Not all of them score for this one, but a high percentage of them do.
According to his theory, each of the four functions (eight if we consider its counterpart) maintains a dominant trait. Therefore, it’s a more developed trait and is the one that’s explicitly manifested. The other two are considered auxiliary, and the third is the opposite of the first and is governed by the subconscious. For this reason, it is sometimes called the shadow function or the inner function.
Carl Gustav Jung’s personality types continue to greatly impact society, even though his theory was formulated about 100 years ago. Personality is still the subject of study, so models that expand on or dispute the one presented today continue to emerge.
