Jung's Theory of Psychological Types and the Human Psyche

Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961) was not the first to develop a system of classifying individuals based on temperament. The ancient Greeks "described human beings according to bodily humors or fluids: sanguine (blood); choleric (bile); phlegmatic (phlegm); and melancholic (black bile)." This typology was accepted up until the Middle Ages. The German psychiatrist Kretschmer developed a typology published after Jung's that was based on physical characteristics.

I am going to discuss Jung's theory of psychological types. After Jung's theory of dreams and dream interpretation, his theory of psychological types is considered by many to be his greatest contribution to psychology. Jung developed his theory in response to the conflict between Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler. Jung observed that when both Freud and Adler looked at the same empirical evidence in case studies of patients, they reached very different conclusions. Jung decided to investigate his own ideas and theories vis-à-vis both Freud and Adler.

In 1900, when he was 25 years old, Carl Jung read Freud's The Interpretation of Dreams. Jung and Freud began a correspondence and they finally met in 1907. They began exchanging hypotheses regarding psychosis and psychopathological symptoms. Although Jung had tremendous respect for Freud and acknowledged Freud's greater experience, he disagreed with Freud over several theoretical points.

Unquestionably, Freud wanted to create an explicit and unequivocal dogma that his disciples would follow. In his autobiography Memories, Dreams, Reflections, Jung wrote that Freud implored him in 1910 to, "promise me never to abandon the sexual theory. That is the most essential thing of all. You see, we must make a dogma of it, an unshakable bulwark" When Jung asked him a bulwark against what, Freud replied "occultism." Jung was alarmed by Freud's use of the words "dogma" and "bulwark." Jung wrote, "I knew I would never be able to accept such an attitude. What Freud seemed to mean by 'occultism' was virtually everything that philosophy and religion...had learned about the psyche." Jung always kept the disagreements with Freud theoretical and not personal. Freud however, demanded blind loyalty from his followers. Jung could not abide this and they separated for good after the Fourth Psychoanalytical Conference in 1913 at which Freud fainted when Jung disagreed with him. Jung felt that Freud was more interested in maintaining his authority than in seeking truth. The break was incredibly traumatic for Jung and Freud later acknowledged "Jung was a great loss." This was also incredibly painful for Freud . Freud called Jung his "crown prince" and eldest son. He had wanted Jung to carry his theories forward.

Adler also had theoretical disagreements with Freud. After the rancorous split between Freud and Adler, Jung decided to do a comparative study of Adler's theory and Freud's theory by taking an actual case of neurosis and understanding and interpreting the case from both Freud's and Adler's point of view. After much study, Jung decided that the two theories were fundamentally incompatible but that both theories had a lot to contribute. Moreover, Jung felt that both theories explained the psychology and psychopathology of the case. Jung decided that both Adler and Jung were explaining the case based on aspects particular to their own theories. Jung then decided to take a hard look at the difference in the temperaments of Freud and Adler. Jung wrote, "The spectacle of this dilemma made me ponder the question are there at least two different human types, one of them more interested in the object, the other more interested in himself?...I have...finally, on the basis of numerous observations and experiences, come to postulate two fundamental attitudes, namely introversion and extraversion." Jung concluded that Freud was an extravert and that Adler was an introvert.

Jung withheld his book on Psychological Types for ten years, publishing it in 1921. It was the first book that he published after his break with Freud. The publication of Psychological Types was a high point both personally and professionally for Jung.

Beyond his concerns with Freud and Adler, Jung wanted to find a practical, observable approach in looking at the, "difficulties, misunderstandings, and of course, the natural affinities, that exist in certain relationships between individuals." Consequently, after twenty years of research, Jung explained part of his research findings as different "functions." Jung thought that individuals express their psychic energy in ways that he called functions. In addition, every individual uses all of the functions depending on the circumstances that they are in. Jung felt that individuals have function preferences. Some people have stronger preferences than others, but for everyone, the functions are not fixed or exclusive. The first two functions that Jung described he called "attitudes." Jung observed that some people directed their libido or general psychic energy toward objects in the outer world. This is, "a world of people and things, of customs and conventions, of political economic and social institutions, and of physical conditions." Jung called these individuals "extraverts." In Two Essays on Analytical Psychology, Jung wrote that extraverts have," an outgoing, candid, and accommodating nature that adapts easily to a given situation, quickly forms attachments, and, setting aside any possibly misgivings, will often venture forth with careless confidence into unknown situations. " In extraverts, the dominant flow of libido or energy is directed outward. Extraverts are energized by people and events and are generally very active. The extravert often acts or speaks and then thinks about it later. Extraverts relate readily to others and often do not seem aware of themselves unless it is in relationship to something outside of themselves. An extravert asks how do I affect the world?

The opposite attitude Jung called "introverted." The libido of introverts flows toward the "subjective" or inner world of the individual's psyche. Introverts direct their libido from the objects in the outer world toward themselves. Introverts are more energized by what goes on within their own interior world. Introverts are more reserved. Jung describes introverts as having, "a hesitant, reflective, retiring nature that keeps itself to itself, shrinks from objects, is always slightly on the defensive and prefers to hide behind mistrustful scrutiny." The introvert thinks before they speak or act. The introvert asks how does the world affect me? Jung decided that he was an introvert. Jung also saw that although he and Adler were both introverts, that their ideas were very dissimilar.

Jung realized that because human functioning is so complex, that he needed to delineate and subdivide his observations beyond extravert and introvert. Jung did this after extensive research. The next two subdivisions or functions Jung called "rational" functions. Jung used the term rational because criteria is used in making decisions. An individual that prefers the "thinking" function, uses analysis and logic to make decisions (as Jung himself). An individual who uses the "feeling" function makes their decisions based on their values and how strongly they or others feel about something. Today, the words emotion and feelings are used interchangeably. Jung's use of the word feeling includes, "emotions," but goes far beyond into a realm of morality and values, one's ethical sense of things and situations."

Jung described the two "irrational" (because reason is not used) functions as "intuition" and "sensation." These functions describe how an individual takes in information. The sensate uses their five senses to take in information about the world and themselves. Sensates deal more with what is. The intuitive uses their "sixth sense" and draws from the immaterial realm of their unconscious. Intuitive use symbols and images as a basis for experience. This is an extremely gross over-simplification of Jung's theory but these are the fundamentals. Jung described much more severe and unflattering behavior than I have read in other books on typology. In the extreme, the functions can cause brutal and painful behavior.

I greatly enjoyed what I had time to read of Jung's application of his theory to theology, poetry, mythology, psychology and philosophy. He also analyzed pairs of opposites, like Plato and Aristotle which was extremely fascinating.

In the 1940's, Katharine Briggs studied Jung's typology and later with her daughter Isabel Briggs Meyers, expanded Jung's six functions to eight functions. They added the concepts of "judgment" and "perception." In the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, "judgers" enjoy a more structured lifestyle, like decisions to be made, set goals and work toward them. "Perceivers" are more spontaneous and process oriented. They like having their options open, prefer a more spontaneous and less structured lifestyle and are often better starters than finishers.

Jung thought that no one has a pure type. Jung felt that our typology is how we "adapt and orient" ourselves for survival. How the functions work together is more important than any one function on its own. Jung observed that typology occurs randomly. Jung thought that his analysands became exhausted and neurotic when their parents had imposed their type upon their children of different types. In fact, he felt that they could only be cured when they adopted the attitudes appropriate to their typology. Jung saw that some people do seem to change their typology or aspects of their typologies as they get older but that most people remain within their typology.

My preference for extraversion is moderate. Jung described extraverts as "sociable, jovial, friendly and approachable." I generally like people and I am always interested in their stories. I need a multiplicity of relationships in my life and I have a good sense of humor.

I have noticed that I can get "sucked into object" and get lost in the demands of them whether it be homework, children, family, friends or something that I am thinking about in the world. Extraverts can have nervous breakdowns or commit suicide when they are only oriented to the object and never fulfill their subjective needs. I think Jung's point is that we have all got to meet our own subjective impulses, desires and needs. As Jung points out about extraverts, I have often above all wanted to keep harmony and please the "object." I have also been to suggestible to the opinions of others, instead of holding to my own vision.

Furthermore, in Jung's typology, the attitudes and functions are arranged in a hierarchy. Jung thought that people developed their dominant and tertiary functions when they are young.

Jung wrote that many people find God through their inferior function. Jung, unlike the ancient Greeks, did not claim that his theory of psychological types was the best or the most complete. Jung made no value judgments regarding the functions. He wrote of using typology like a compass. None of the functions are better than the others. But because of our preferences for one function over another function, individuals see and experience life differently. Jung hoped healing would come about if people could understand and integrate their unconscious with their conscious. Jung said that, "My life is a story of the self-realization of the unconscious." Jung believed that if this could happen, that men and women would have a sense of synergy where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Clearly then, this is the importance of understanding our typology; both our talents and strengths as well as our weaknesses or blind spots.

Jung wanted people to have more meaning in their lives and he wanted them to feel more purposeful. He hoped that people would find greater depth in their relationships. Jung's hope was that by integrating all parts of the psyche, that people could become what he called psychologically individuated and have a sense of wholeness. I know that many people today are concerned with having meaning, purpose and depth in their lives and that Jung's typology could be a vehicle in helping them achieve these worthy ends.

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