Character is a well-established stable individual form of human being. Since this form embodies both physical and mental nature, the general characterology is a doctrine of the signs of both physical and mental properties.
Carl Jung
Carl Gustav Jung - Swiss psychologist and philosopher, founder of analytical psychology.
The center of Jung’s teachings is the concept of individuation. The process of individuation is generated by the totality of mental states, which are coordinated by a system of complementary relationships that contribute to the maturation of the individual. Jung emphasized the importance of the religious function of the soul. Since its suppression leads to mental disorders, religious development is an integral component of the individuation process.
Jung understood neurosis not only as a violation, but also as a necessary impulse for expanding consciousness and, therefore, as an incentive to achieve maturity (healing). From such a positive point of view, mental disorders are not just a failure, illness or developmental delay, but an incentive for self-realization and integrity. The analyst plays an active role in psychotherapy. More often than free associations, Jung used a kind of directional association to help understand the content of the dream using motives and symbols from other sources.
Jung introduced the concept of the collective unconscious. Its content is archetypes, innate forms of the psyche, patterns of behavior that always exist potentially and when actualized appear in the form of special images. Since the typical characteristics due to belonging to the human race, the presence of racial and national characteristics, family characteristics and trends of the time are combined in the human soul with unique personal characteristics, its natural functioning can only be the result of the interaction of these two parts of the unconscious (individual and collective) and their relationships with the realm of consciousness.
Jung proposed the famous theory of personality types, pointed out the differences between the behavior of extroverts and introverts, according to the relationship of each of them to the world.
Jung's interests also extended to areas very distant from psychology - medieval alchemy, yoga and Gnosticism, as well as parapsychology. Phenomena that cannot be scientifically explained, such as telepathy or clairvoyance, he called "synchronistic" and defined as some "significant" coincidences of events of the inner world (dreams, premonitions, visions) and real external events in the present, immediate past or future, when there is no causal relationship between them.
Jung's personality types
One of Jung's greatest contributions to modern psychology is the introduction of the concepts of "extraversion" and "introversion." These two main directions are simultaneously present in each personality, but one of them is dominant and determines the vector of human development.
Extroverts
According to Jung's concept, it is a psychological type of person directed purely outward. Such people adore the society of other people, they naturally defend their interests and strive for leadership.
They can be sociable, friendly and kind, but it is also easy to encounter hysterical and evil persons.
An extrovert can be the soul of a company, the leader of a movement or organization, thanks to excellent communication skills and organizational talents. However, it is extremely difficult for extroverts to plunge into their inner world, so they are very superficial.
Strengths and weaknesses of extroverts
Each psychological type has its own strengths and weaknesses. Extroverts perfectly adapt to a change of scenery, they easily find a common language in any team. The concept of Jung's psychological types describes extroverts as excellent interlocutors who can captivate with conversation anyone who is near them.
Also, such people can be wonderful sellers or managers, they are easy to climb and mobile. Generally speaking, extroverts are ideally suited for life in modern, superficial society of crafty materialists.
But not everything is so cloudless in the fast-moving world of extroverts. As the psychological types of Jung say, each of them has its drawbacks. Extroverts are too dependent on public opinion; their worldview is based on generally accepted dogmas and concepts. They also often commit rash acts and deeds, which they later regret. Superficiality creeps into all spheres of life of an extrovert, recognition in society and official awards attract them more than real achievements.
Introverts
According to Jung's concept, the psychological type of a person directed inwardly is called an introvert. Introverts find it difficult to find their place in the modern, fast-moving and hyperactive world. These people derive joy within themselves, and not outside, like extroverts. The external world is perceived by them through a layer of their own conclusions and concepts. An introvert can be a deep and harmonious person, but most often such people are typical losers who are untidily dressed and find it difficult to find a common language with others.
It would seem awful to be an introvert, but, according to the work of Carl Gustav Jung, psychological types cannot be bad or good, they just are different. Introverts have not only weaknesses, but also their advantages.
Strengths and weaknesses of introverts
Introverts, despite all the difficulties that they experience in everyday life, have a number of positive characteristics. For example, introverts are able to be good specialists in complex fields, brilliant artists, musicians.
It is also difficult for such people to impose their opinions; they are poorly amenable to propaganda. An introvert is able to penetrate deep into things, calculate the situation many moves forward.
However, society does not need smart or talented people, it needs arrogant and active traders, so today introverts are assigned a secondary role. The passivity of introverts often turns them into a jelly-like inert mass, sluggishly flowing along the path of life. Such people are completely unable to fend for themselves, they simply experience resentment inside, falling into another depression.
Consciousness functions
Describing the psychological types, Jung identified four functions of consciousness, which, combined with a person's orientation inward or outward, form eight combinations. These functions are significantly different from other psychological processes, therefore they were allocated separately:
- thinking
- feeling
- intuition
- sensation
By thinking, Jung understood the intellectual and logical functions of man. Feeling is a subjective assessment of the world based on internal processes. Sensation refers to the perception of the world through the senses. And under intuition - the perception of the world, based on unconscious signals.
Thinking
Types of psyche based on thinking are divided into introverted and extrovert. The extrovert mental type bases all its judgments on the intellectual conclusions about the surrounding reality. His picture of the world is completely subordinate to logical chains and rational arguments.
Such a person believes that the whole world should obey his intellectual scheme. Everything that does not obey this scheme is wrong and irrational. Sometimes these people are beneficial, but more often they are simply unbearable for others.
As follows from the work of Carl Gustav Jung, the psychological types of the introverted-mental kind are almost the exact opposite of their extrovert brothers. Their picture of the world is also based on intellectual fabrications, but they are not based on a rational picture of the world, but on its subjective model. Therefore, this psychological type has many ideas that are completely natural to him, but have no connection with the real world.
Feeling
The extravert feeling type, as the psychological types of Carl Jung say, bases his life on feeling. Therefore, thought processes, if they contradict feelings, are discarded by such an individual, he considers them unnecessary. Extravert feelings are based on generally accepted stereotypes of the beautiful or the right. Such people feel what is accepted in society, although at the same time they are completely sincere.
The introverted sentient type comes from subjective feelings, often understandable only to him. The true motives of such a person are usually hidden from outside observers, often people of this type look cold and indifferent. Quiet and benevolent in appearance, they can hide completely inadequate sensory experiences.
Sensation
The sensing extrovert type perceives the surrounding reality more acutely than other psychological types. Jung described this type as a person living here and now.
He wants the most intense sensations, even if they are negative. The picture of the world of such a subject is based on observations of objects of the external world, which gives sensory extroverts a touch of objectivity and prudence, although in reality this is not so.
An introverted sensory type is extremely difficult to understand. The main role in the perception of the world for this psychological type is played by its subjective reaction to the world. Therefore, the actions of sensing introverts can be incomprehensible, illogical and even frightening.