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

Introversion and the Four Functions 85themselves and others, and never accomplish anything. Theymove from image to image, writes Jung, "chasing after everypossibility in the teeming womb of the unconscious," withoutestablishing any personal connection. 108This type is especially liable to neglect ordinary physicalneeds. They often have little awareness of their own bodilyexistence or its effect on others. It often appears (especially tothe extravert) that reality does not exist for them—they aresimply lost in fruitless fantasies. Jung counters this by describingthe value of this type to the collective community:The perception of the images of the unconscious, produced insuch inexhaustible abundance by the creative energy of life, isof course fruitless from the standpoint of immediate utility.But since these images represent possible views of the worldwhich may give life a new potential, this function, which tothe outside world is the strangest of all, is as indispensable tothe total psychic economy as is the corresponding human typeto the psychic life of a people. Had this type not existed, therewould have been no prophets in Israel. 109Introverted intuitives are characteristically vague about detailsin the "real" world. They easily get lost in strange cities;they misplace possessions, forget appointments, seldom turnup on time, arrive at airports at the very last minute. Theirworking environment is usually chaotic; they can't find theright papers, the tools they need, clean clothes. There is seldomanything orderly or tidy about them. They tend to muddlethrough life, dependent on the tolerance and good will ofsensation-oriented friends.To other types their behavior is often annoying, at best, andat worst burdensome. They themselves may remain un-108 Ibid., par. 658.109 Ibid.