Personality types: Jung's model of typology - Inner City Books

Introversion and the Four Functions 71the building up of experiments, the other on mathematicalprinciples and the theory of science. 85Like extraverted thinking types, introverted thinkers makegood editors, though they may fuss endlessly over just theright word. Since their thought process is logical and straightforward,they are especially good at filling in the gaps in theso-called nonlinear or lateral thinking—the leaping fromthought to thought—that distinguishes the intuitive. As writers,their forte is not originality of content but rather clarityand precision in the organization and presentation of theavailable material.Lacking an orientation to outer facts, introverted thinkingtypes easily get lost in a fantasy world. Their subjective orientationmay seduce them into creating theories for their ownsake, apparently based on reality, but actually tied to an innerimage. In the extreme case this image becomes all-consumingand alienates them from others.As might be expected, these types tend to be indifferent tothe opinions of others. To the extent that they are not influenced,neither do they try to influence. They will present theirlogical assessment of reality—as they see it—and not careone way or another how it is received.The particularly weak point of this type, the inferior function,is extraverted feeling. Bound up with an inner world ofthoughts and ideals, one is apt to be oblivious to the objectiverequirements of, say, a relationship. It isn't that such personsdon't love, but they are simply at a loss to know how to expressit. Their feelings tend to be whimsical—they often don'tknow how they feel at all—but when they surface, usuallycontaminated with affect, they can be overwhelming and uncontrollable.(It is at such times that it becomes imperative to85 Lectures on Jung's Typology (Zurich: Spring Publications, 1971), p. 41.